NPO Kennis Accessibility
NPO Kennis... And you know it!
2021
At NTR, I helped to improve the accessibility of components on the NPO Kennis website. I analyzed bottlenecks and implemented solutions that helped make the website accessible to people with disabilities, such as visual impairments.
Related projects
Inclusive Sinterklaasjournaal
A Sinterklaasjournaal for every child: that's why the entire website was redeveloped in 2024. Both UX and technology, as well as new editorial content, have been made accessible. The new website now meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) level AA. For color contrast, we've proactively applied the APCA method. Not only have guidelines been implemented, but the site was also pre-tested in various schools with children who have different disabilities. This year also marks the first time that videos with audio description can be accessed directly on the site, without an extra app. Because there's still a lot of content from previous years, an accessibility menu supplements the WCAG implementation. Here, you can filter content based on accessibility and find additional settings, like enabling a dyslexia-friendly font.
Drawing for blind children
For Sinterklaasjournaal, I explored how we could enable everyone to color: including children who cannot see. The goal was to make as much of the Sinterklaasjournaal website accessible to all children as possible. My solution was to divide coloring pages into parts. With a screen reader, you can navigate step by step through each part of the coloring page. When you click, that part is filled with your chosen color. We validated this concept through UX research in collaboration with Tessa Kruiger and the Visio school in Amsterdam. It was received positively: "I want to make this Ozosnel's favorite color!" As a result, many coloring pages have now been made accessible in this way.
Klokhuis SoortSafari
Over the past 1.5 years, I developed this app for Het Klokhuis, allowing kids to discover nature everywhere - even in the city! Ready for a SoortSafari? There's a new species every week, so collect all 52! For each species, Het Klokhuis presenters search for it in a vlog. Did you know this is Het Klokhuis's first production with built-in audio description in videos for blind and visually impaired users? No separate app or device needed. The image recognition is provided by Naturalis Biodiversity Center Netherlands and Waarneming.nl.
Klokhuis AI Studio
For Het Klokhuis, I researched and developed the AI Studio: an accessible website where children safely learn about artificial intelligence through play. In 2021, I developed a prototype featuring one interactive story and an interactive AI Machine. In this AI Studio, there are now 4 interactive stories and even more interactive AI available. All AI runs on your own device or anonymously at Het Klokhuis. Het Klokhuis has also decided to produce 4 episodes on this topic. The entire Het Klokhuis project on AI has won the Cinekid Award for 'Craftsmanship in a Series Production'.
Schooltv Kaartje Keren
Schooltv was looking for an alternative to the "Wheel of Fortune." In the past, they used such a wheel to display various words or phrases that could be spun to randomly select one—sometimes featuring different statements to facilitate class discussions. However, the wheel posed a few challenges. Once more "slices" were added, the text had to be shrunk significantly to fit each segment. In addition, the animation of the colored sections caused excessive on-screen flicker, leading to accessibility concerns. It was time for a solution! A simple design that works for everyone. Together with Tessa Kruiger, I created Kaartje Keren: text on cards that can be flipped with a single click, ensuring ease of use, accessibility, and versatility.
SoortSafari prototype
Het Klokhuis sought an engaging way to teach children about nature around them. The concept of SoortSafari emerged from my earlier research at NTR and drew inspiration from Het Klokhuis' Dierenzoeker, which allowed users to identify animals they had discovered. With SoortSafari, the approach is reversed: the app provides users with assignments that send them into nature. The prototype featured a calendar and a quartet-style overview of plant and animal species. To complete assignments, users take photos, and AI technology determines if the correct species has been identified. This allows children to build their own collections and learn about nature in a playful, hands-on way. The prototype was met with great enthusiasm. Children engaged with it for more than 45 minutes and even climbed on top of each other to capture better photos of a pigeon perched in a tree. Based on these observations and insights, we began developing a production-ready version to expand on this promising concept.