My CP Guide is a collaborative project between Cerebral Palsy Australia, Ability First Australia, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, and the Cerebral Palsy Support Network. This journey began in 2022 with a shared commitment to empower the cerebral palsy community.
Navigating Challenges and Aspirations
Cerebral palsy affects over 37,000 Australians, and although it is the most common childhood physical disability, accessing reliable information is often time-consuming and difficult.
Addressing the lack of cerebral palsy resources, we developed a solution that equips individuals and caregivers with accurate, accessible information. The challenge? Provide comprehensive and informative content that adheres to WCAG AA guidelines, ensuring inclusivity for everyone.
My CP Guide is a dynamic web platform that provides up-to-date insights for different life stages within the cerebral palsy journey. Guided by the shared aspirations of our partners, we aimed to revolutionise the accessibility of cerebral palsy information.
Crafting the path forward
The core idea was to create an intuitive, user-friendly hub for caregivers and individuals of all ages. We embraced a co-design process, optimising diverse perspectives through interviews, surveys, and tests.
Building the solution
The solution came to life through combining design and development. As with any project, challenges emerged, but we tackled them head-on through extensive testing.
A co-design approach enabled collaboration that prioritised the diverse perspectives of real users. Members within the cerebral palsy community informed the development of My CP Guide through surveys and interviews to ensure relevance, inclusivity and user safety within the platform. Feedback from real users continues to inform platform updates, which are performed to ensure compliance and routine upgrades.
My CP Guide utilises a customised headless CMS design to effectively manage large amounts of cerebral palsy information. To manage this content, we integrated seamless navigation and prioritised clear, concise language for universal understanding throughout our User Experience (UX) strategy. We also integrated tabs, links, and videos to allow effective communication.
Throughout the development of My CP Guide, our focus on inclusivity led to the integration of assistive devices and screen readers to cater to users with varying abilities. Additionally, maintaining strict compliance with data protection regulations guarantees the privacy and security of users. This ensured that our desire to create an inclusive, user-friendly, and secure platform was our driving motivation.
Empowering Outcomes
The impact of My CP Guide was immediately experienced – a staggering 88% of surveyed users reported increased knowledge. The engaging design and accessible resources have met KPIs while transforming the cerebral palsy community. The platform has empowered individuals and caregivers with valuable insights and research.
Every partner involved in this project shared a commitment to accessibility. Together, we have set a new standard for inclusivity through dedication to providing access to reliable cerebral palsy information.
My CP Guide is a remarkable achievement by enhancing the cerebral palsy community’s access to reliable information.
“As an adult living with CP, I have often struggled to find relevant health information. It’s fantastic to finally have an Australian resource that can be tailored to my specific needs, empowering to better understand and manage my health and wellbeing.”
Finn, Adult with CP
“My CP Guide provides a wealth of information in an easy-to-use format. It has been invaluable for helping our family identify and navigate support and services for our daughter. I wish I had My CP Guide when she was first diagnosed.”
Kelly, Parent of 6 year old Agnes
Questions?
Executive Director Digital Products, Creative and Content Australia
