Clickfarm’s Adaptability Helps Beach Center Help Those With Disabilities
Since 1988, the Beach Center on Disability at the University of Kansas has conducted research and provided training and technical assistance to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families in the region and around the world.
Working in collaboration with families who have members with disabilities, individuals with disabilities, the professionals and policy leaders who serve families and individuals, and members of the communities in which the families and individuals live, the Beach Center on Disability is one of the world’s leading resources on issues affecting people with disabilities.
Because of its 20-year history and the expertise of its 41-person staff, the Beach Center on Disability realized that having a top-flight Website would be a vital component in helping the organization carry out its international mission.
After reviewing proposals and hearing presentations from three different Web development companies, the Beach Center on Disability turned to Kansas City, Mo.-based Clickfarm to build their new Website.
According to Beach Center Co-Founder and Co-Director Dr. Ann Turnbull, Clickfarm’s technical expertise was an important consideration in the selection, but it was their Content Management System and overall approach to business that made them the clear choice for the project.
“Because our budgets are always limited, we knew that we couldn’t always count on having the funds to have pay someone to update our Website,” she said. “Clickfarm’s Content Management System was a big plus for us, as it enables us to regularly update our Website without having to go through the logjam and expense of a third party.”
Turnbull said that while creating the new Website, the team encountered some unexpected obstacles. “One of the biggest challenges was that the University of Kansas itself was undergoing its own brand redesign, which made the look-and-feel of our Website a bit of a ‘moving target’.”
Although the Beach Center is affiliated with a state university, Turnbull said it was important for her team to launch a Website that was as much inspiration as it was informational. “We were really looking for a ‘wow factor’,” she said, which led to the team having several animated discussions about issues including the use of the color red in the site’s overall design.
“The great thing about Brandon and Brett was their ability to become a part of our team,” she said. “We are used to working in a very collaborative environment, where everyone has a lot of input. Some developers would want us to listen more and talk less, but Clickfarm really welcomed our participation in this project. They even came to our grand opening party,” she said.
In the end, Turnbull said, the Beach Center on Disability launched a highly functional Website that not only offers easy-to-use navigational pathways, but also provides an inviting interface for people with disabilities and their families.
Due to the tremendous amount of research and other resources that the Beach Center provides through its main Website, Clickfarm created two separate “microsites” for sections called “Families” and “Positive Behavior Support.”
Additionally, Clickfarm created an interface between the website and a Web 2.0-style “Community of Practice” site, which offers a secure online portal where professionals and laypersons can interact via blogs, wikis and message boards.
Due to recent budget cuts, the Beach Center no longer employs a full-time information technology officer, but Turnbull says that their relationship with Clickfarm offers them tremendous peace of mind. “We know that Brett and Brandon are only a phone call away if we ever have questions about our Website.”
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