Web Design
SEO

Creating an Accessible Website for a Long-Standing Community Organization

Port Alberni Association for Community Living, also known as PAACL, has supported people with intellectual disabilities and their families in the Alberni Valley for over 68 years. The organization supports more than 400 children, youth, adults, and families through programs focused on community inclusion, employment, housing, life skills, and family support.

The goal of the project was to create a modern, welcoming website that reflects PAACL’s mission: “A community where everybody belongs.” The site needed to make programs easier to understand, improve navigation for families and community members, and provide clear pathways for donations, employment opportunities, resources, and contact information.

Custom Website Design & Development

We designed and developed a refreshed website that gives PAACL a warm, community-focused digital presence while keeping the structure practical and easy to use.

The design strategy focused on accessibility, trust, and clarity, helping visitors quickly understand who PAACL supports, what programs are available, and how to get involved.

Key elements included:

• A welcoming, people-focused design that reflects PAACL’s role in the community
• Clear navigation for programs, services, employment opportunities, events, resources, and donations
• Organized program sections for children, youth, families, community integration, supported living, and employment-based services
• Mobile-responsive layouts for visitors browsing on phones and tablets
• Clear calls-to-action for donations, membership, employment, and contacting the organization

Program-Focused Website Structure

PAACL provides a wide range of services, so one of the most important parts of the project was organizing the website in a way that feels clear and manageable for visitors.

The website structure highlights key program areas, including Children, Youth & Families, Community Integration, Supported Living, and Employment-Based Services. These sections help families, individuals, staff, funders, and community partners quickly find the information most relevant to them.

The site also includes space for employment opportunities, events, resources, a gallery, donations, and membership information, giving PAACL a stronger platform for both service communication and community engagement.

Accessibility & Community Connection

Accessibility was an important consideration for this project. The website includes accessibility tools designed to support different browsing needs, including visual, cognitive, ADHD-friendly, and screen-reader-focused modes. The site also references WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility guidelines as part of its accessibility statement.

For an organization centred on inclusion and belonging, this was more than a technical feature. The website needed to feel consistent with PAACL’s values and usable for a wide range of community members.

Reliable Website Hosting

PAACL’s website hosting was donated by Webacom, helping support the organization with a professionally managed hosting environment.

This provides PAACL with a stable, supported platform for sharing program information, employment opportunities, community updates, and donation pathways.

Results

• Successful launch of a modern website for a long-standing Port Alberni community organization
• Improved organization of PAACL’s programs and services
• Clearer navigation for families, individuals, staff, funders, and community partners
• Stronger pathways for donations, membership, employment opportunities, and contact inquiries
• Accessibility features added to support a wider range of website visitors
• Professionally managed website hosting donated by Webacom
• Scalable website structure to support future updates, events, resources, and community news