Goal
Devise a memorable, exciting way to present a website competition that trains developers how to make websites accessible to people with disabilities. Also, use this concept to generate enthusiasm and provide markers to guide developers through the training program.
Solution
Technology creates opportunities for all of us, but for people with disabilities, technology can be the difference between a life of isolation and a life brimming with purpose. To promote accessible technology and improve access for people with disabilities, this organization holds website development competitions in cities around the country. Developers volunteer their time to build sites for nonprofit organizations, and in the process they learn how to design and code accessible sites. They then incorporate those techniques into the work they do for their other clients, making the Internet more accessible to anyone who uses assistive technology (68% of us, according to one study).
Each character represents a primary focus of accessibility, such as vision or hearing. The characters are incorporated into the training, providing visual guideposts for highly technical and somewhat abstract concepts. They also inspire developers, generating enthusiasm needed to do work that is difficult, hidden from view, and taken for granted by users.
In city-specific materials, a hero stands in front of familiar landmarks, which can be changed as needed. The competition itself takes place in the virtual world, so brightly colored posters, signs, nametags and certificates add color to a scene of composed primarily of desks, computers, keyboards and miles of cable. Sponsor and press materials also take advantage of this highly visible identity, more effectively breaking through the clutter of similar asks and press releases. Promotional items extend the concept, reinforcing the idea that the volunteers who dedicate their time to this effort are as heroic as anyone in a cape.