SAMSN
Established in NSW in 2011, Survivors & Mates Support Network (SAMSN) is Australia’s leading organisation for male survivors of child sexual abuse and their supporters.
Our results working with SAMSN were based on a desire by the organisation to create an accessible experience for all the clients they engaged with: this went beyond the digital to the physical spaces as well.
Our project and approach with SAMSN was to ensure that all digital experiences met accessibility standards as well as creating a presence that was warm, direct and informed.
We really appreciate the trust that SAMSN placed in us to bring this project to life with sensitivity and a focus on their community.
Collaboration and care took precedence in this powerful project
Kickoff in this project was a series of workshops conducted at the SAMSN site offices in Sydney. The project team attended the offices and spent time with all tiers and staff members working through who was using their websites and digital assets, how they were using them, how the business functioned and what the key drivers were from every stage.
From this a series of recommendations and concepts were developed around the key principles of the organisation, an organisational narrative that drove those principles, as well as identification of pain points for both staff and clients. It was important to us that the project team involved both Ionata and SAMSN as the goal was to achieve a fit-for-purpose and usable site and brand assets that were accessible and functional.
Creating an accessible experience
As is true for any project, the audience and organisational goals needed to align to create a site that was simple and easy with clear calls to action and direct links to the most important information. Imagery, colour and context were very important and great care was taken to ensure these were sensitive to the needs of all users.
The site reflects feedback from multiple users and features:
- Dedicated resource pages for survivors and supporters that reflect real experiences
- A wellbeing hub with supports for mental and physical wellbeing, mindfulness, grounding, and relaxation
- An accessibility tool that allows you to adjust fonts, colors, and links to suit your requirements
- Site navigation that suits screen readers and is keyboard navigable
- Images that reflect the diversity of users