Prioritising accessibility through calibration, allowing the user to tailor the website to their own needs

Psychic Refuge is a collaborative online resource and series of discussions led by artist Sophie Hoyle to explore mental health, trauma and its treatment in Palestine.

The project aims to generate dialogue between different perspectives on mental health and trauma, drawing from academic research, activism and art. It was essential for the content of the website to be as accessible as possible. This presents a challenge because different peoples' access requirements can clash. A design decision that makes content accessible for one person can make things worse for someone else. With this in mind, we designed a custom calibration page, allowing users to choose between type sizes and colour combinations.

Throughout the website and visual identity we embraced accessibility as an opportunity for visual exploration and experimentation with colour and form. Further to this, the website is bilingual, presenting headings in both Arabic and English. Other features include a long and short read toggle, and a read time counter for differing attention spans as well as an audio toggle for those with visual impairments.

When referring to mental and physical health conditions we often use the Social Model of disability; this means that rather than the individual medical condition that is disabling, it is social structures that are disabling through not providing Access adjustments (e.g. wheelchair ramps or understanding neurological differences), discrimination, prejudice and exclusion.