From 200 digital islands to one accessible government portal

Brussels Capital Region faced a dual challenge: more than 200 websites, each with its own logic, made it impossible for citizens to quickly find the right information. Moreover, the digital landscape didn't meet modern accessibility standards. The ambition? One central portal that's not only more efficient, but actually works for everyone: from the experienced internet user to the citizen who relies on a screen reader. Together, we built be.brussels: a platform that embraces digital accessibility as a core value and sets the standard for public services.

Building inclusive government services together

Brussels Capital Region is responsible for serving 1.2 million residents in one of Europe's most diverse urban areas. From birth registration to parking permits: citizens rely on clear, accessible communication.

Our collaboration goes beyond a technical migration. Together, we're redefining what digital accessibility means for public services. We think strategically, ask critical questions and help the region lead the way in inclusive digital service delivery. This case shows how we achieved a cultural shift together: from compliance to excellence.

Why fragmented websites exclude citizens

When Brussels Capital Region approached us, the situation was clear: decades of organic growth had led to more than 200 websites, each managed by a different department. Every site used its own navigation logic, visual style and technical setup.

For citizens, this meant a digital obstacle course. Even for basic information, they had to navigate multiple sites with no guarantee of finding the right answer. For residents with disabilities, the situation was even more problematic: broken screen readers, impossible keyboard navigation and insufficient colour contrast made much information unreachable.

Accessibility as a design principle, not an afterthought

The strategic need went beyond technical consolidation. The region wanted a platform that truly reaches every citizen, regardless of language, digital skills or physical abilities. That requires a fundamentally different approach: incorporating accessibility from day one in every design decision.

We started with an in-depth accessibility audit that exposed the gap between theoretical and practical use. We then organised inclusive co-design workshops with all administrative stakeholders. This allowed us to integrate end-user needs from the design phase onwards.

WCAG 2.2 AA as a baseline, not an endpoint

For the new be.brussels portal, we chose WCAG 2.2 AA not as an endpoint, but as a starting point. We implemented WAI-ARIA best practices for dynamic interfaces and built automated accessibility tests directly into the development workflow.

Keyboard navigation fully tested without a mouse. Screen reader validation with NVDA and JAWS. Colour contrasts compliant with WCAG standards. Reusable component library ensuring consistency and compliance.

For citizens, this makes a world of difference. Someone who relies entirely on keyboard navigation can now browse all services without difficulty. A resident with visual impairment can now read information without obstacles.

Modern architecture for future scalability

The technical solution needed to work not only today, but also provide room for growth. We chose a headless architecture that decouples backend (Drupal 10) and frontend (NextJS). This delivers better performance, more flexibility and easier maintenance.

Key technologies: Drupal 10 for robust content management, NextJS for a fast modern user interface, GraphQL for efficient backend-frontend communication, Redis caching for accelerated loading times, Kubernetes for scalable deployment, and GitLab CI/CD for automated quality controls.

From ten administrations to one ecosystem

The migration wasn't a big bang, but a phased approach. We started with ten administrations and successfully integrated them into the new platform. The consolidation of 200+ websites into one coherent ecosystem is now complete, with further integrations underway.

The result: citizens now arrive at one central access point where all information is bundled around concrete topics and services. No more digital obstacle course, but a logical flow that matches how people actually search for information.