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How do you turn 200 fragmented government websites into one accessible whole?
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Efficiently and inclusively communicating with 1.2 million citizens, in a region as diverse and complex as the Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest? No small challenge. In a labyrinth of over 200 fragmented websites, Brussels residents had to find essential information about their local government services. Turning those digital islands into one coherent, accessible portal required a large-scale digital transformation. But this project is much more than a technical solution: it redefines the standards for digital accessibility in public services.
Workshops on inclusive co-design
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA as a baseline
Implementation of WAI-ARIA best practices for dynamic interfaces
Development of a component library
Merging 200+ sites into one portal with a modern, secure architecture: be.brussels
More than 3,550 web pages made fully accessible
Comprendre la génération Z : rapide, visuelle et mobile
Les jeunes ont développé un sixième sens en matière de contenu digital. En sept secondes, ils décident si quelque chose est pertinent pour eux. Zadkine y a vu une opportunité. Au cours d’une journée portes ouvertes, d’interviews et de sessions interactives, nous nous sommes plongés ensemble dans l’univers de ce groupe cible. Les conclusions étaient claires : 65 % du trafic provient d’appareils mobiles, l’expérience est essentielle, et les besoins en information varient considérablement selon les étapes du parcours étudiant.
Comment aider les jeunes à choisir en toute confiance une formation professionnelle qui leur convient vraiment, dans un environnement en ligne mobile et éphémère.
Une expérience digitale pensée avant tout pour les futur·e·s étudiant·e·s. Avec un design mobile-first, une navigation intuitive et des outils interactifs, nous aidons les jeunes à trouver la formation qui leur convient de manière ciblée et personnalisée. Un tone of voice identifiable et un contenu percutant renforcent cet environnement digital.
Du design pour mobile aux fonctionnalités intelligentes
En partant d’un design conçu pour les mobiles, nous avons développé un site web qui permet aux jeunes de naviguer de manière intuitive parmi plus de 500 formations. De grandes images de véritables étudiant·e·s, une conception aérée avec beaucoup d’espaces blancs et une structure claire, offrent aux visiteur·euse·s la confiance dont ils et elles ont besoin pour trouver leur voie.
La grande nouveauté ? Le Studiematch. Cet outil interactif qui permet aux jeunes de découvrir, d’un simple swipe, quelles formations correspondent à leurs intérêts. En coulisses, nos développeur·euse·s ont mis en place une connexion intelligente entre différents systèmes de back-end. Ainsi, la technologie s’intègre harmonieusement à l’expérience de l’utilisateur·rice.
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One portal, all the answers
With a regional web strategy, we ended this fragmentation. Citizens now arrive at a central access point where all information is bundled and clearly structured around specific topics and services. Universal accessibility is central to our design: the needs of all citizens take priority. The user experience for everyone, regardless of ability, has been radically transformed.
In-depth accessibility audit
Through a comprehensive analysis of the existing websites, we mapped all possible user barriers. This review revealed a significant gap between the theoretical use and the practical reality of the sites.
We organised inclusive design workshops with all administrative stakeholders, ensuring that user needs were integrated right from the design phase. By implementing WAI-ARIA best practices for dynamic interfaces and using WCAG 2.2 AA as the absolute minimum, we set the bar high.
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Reading without obstacles
To assess our efforts, we integrated automated accessibility tests into the development workflow and validated NVDA and JAWS for maximum compatibility. We tested keyboard-only navigation without a mouse and ensured colour contrasts complied with WCAG standards.
For citizens, this makes a world of difference. Someone who relies entirely on keyboard navigation can now browse services without difficulty. And a visually impaired resident can now read information barrier-free thanks to optimised contrasts.
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New portal be.brussels in two parts
Thanks to the unified be.brussels ecosystem, citizens can now access all online services via a modern, intuitive, and secure platform. The new architecture decoupled the backend (Drupal 10) and frontend (NextJS) for improved performance, greater flexibility, and easier maintenance. We also introduced a component library: reusable, accessible components that ensure technical consistency and compliance.
Key technologies used:
"Together with iO, we created digital solutions that simplify citizens’ lives and contribute to an inclusive, sustainable digital future. The Agoria award underlines the strength of our collaboration and the concrete results we achieved together."
Benjamin Snick, Project Manager: Customer Relation, Product & Strategy – eCitizen
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What did the transformation deliver?
The transformation resulted in measurable outcomes as well as a cultural shift. Highlights include:
Accessibility improvements: the unified portal is WCAG 2.2 AA compliant
Winner of the Impact Award for Digital Accessibility: recognition of excellence in inclusive design and positioning the Region as a European reference
Awarded the AnySurfer label, a key recognition for digital accessibility
More than 3,550 pages fully accessible
Successful migration of ten administrations to the new platform
Consolidation of 200+ websites into one coherent ecosystem
Integration of further administrations currently underway
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What does this mean for the Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest?
It now has a more efficient and discoverable website:
Maximum SEO thanks to improved semantic structure and indexing
Better performance through optimised loading times
Simplified, more intuitive experience
Lower maintenance costs: standardised architecture and reusable components
Reduced digital footprint
Results in numbers
But the impact goes beyond these figures. By taking a new perspective on accessibility, we contribute to a cultural revolution. This transformation marks a shift from seeing accessibility as a legal requirement to embracing it as a core value, embedded in every design and development process.
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