Building for diversity and inclusion: a public housing agency experience

The Seattle Housing Authority, which serves a diverse population of 35,000 people with low incomes, rebuilt its website in 2017, using Drupal. As part of the process, SHA made diversity and inclusion a priority and used a Race and Social Justice Toolkit to help ensure the site would meet the needs of users of all ethnic, racial and social backgrounds, and physical abilities.

The process involved examining data on current and potential users, including demographics on income, disability, race/ethnicity, immigrant status, language, gender, and family size or other relevant issues. The agency surveyed staff, tenants, community members and partners, and held extensive in-person meetings, to learn how people use the site and what they would like in a new site.

In addition, SHA assembled a special Race and Social Justice focus group with diverse members to talk about what would be needed on the site for them to feel it was understandable, accessible and representative.

Hear what lessons SHA learned from these efforts, and what SHA feels developers could do to facilitate diversity and inclusion in websites. Hear also about the Seattle Housing Authority’s Digital Communications Charter and Digital Equity Initiative to help all tenants access information and services online. Access a toolkit you can use to put your development work through a race and social justice lens.

Presenters: Director of Communications Kerry Coughlin and Digital Content Manager Holly Henke