The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) is a national charity committed to creating a more inclusive Canada—one where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and has equal access to opportunities and resources.
CCDI Website Transformation: Setting a New Standard for Accessibility in the Nonprofit Sector
Since 2013, CCDI has worked with organizations, schools, and communities nationwide to transform awareness into action. Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice can’t just be ideals; they’re the foundation of stronger, healthier, and more connected workplaces and communities.Through education, training, and advocacy, CCDI empowers people and organizations to create real, lasting change. Every program, partnership, and conversation moves our communities one step closer to a Canada where everyone feels valued, heard, and supported.
The Problem
As a leader in diversity and inclusion, CCDI’s digital presence plays a vital role in connecting people and organizations with resources, events, and programs that drive meaningful change. Therefore, the organization needs a website that reflects its values—but its existing site fell short.
The platform felt outdated, clunky, and difficult to maintain without technical support. Some of the key issues with the organization’s website included:
- An outdated design and user experience that didn’t reflect CCDI’s modern brand or mission.
- Limited content flexibility, requiring IT involvement for even the most minor updates.
- Shared page components where one edit could break the entire site structure.
- A lack of accessibility compliance, which conflicted with CCDI’s mission to model inclusion and accessibility.
The Solution
Ballistic Arts offered Web Development | UI/UX
To bring CCDI’s vision of inclusion and accessibility to life online, our solution needed to do more than make minor updates to its website. It had to empower the CCDI team, simplify their operations, and set a new standard for accessible design. In short, a complete digital rebuild.
Our challenge was to create a system that was powerful enough to handle the organization’s growth, but intuitive enough for everyday users to navigate and manage without technical expertise.
We focused on building a digital foundation that met the organization’s evolving needs:
- A flexible and scalable platform that CCDI’s staff could manage independently.
- Seamless integration, connecting the site to internal systems like event registration, testimonial management, and client databases, to streamline updates and reduce manual work.
- A fully accessible, bilingual experience aligned with their national reach and values.
From day one, collaboration and iteration were key. We worked hand-in-hand with CCDI through the entire process, from discovery to design, development, and testing—ensuring every feature aligned with their mission and practical workflow.
Key Success Factors
JAMStack Architecture for Speed, Flexibility, and Control
We revamped CCDI’s website using a modern JAMStack framework, bringing faster performance, enhanced security, and easy scalability. By separating the front end from the back end, CCDI can now make updates or add new tools without worrying about affecting the site’s stability or appearance.
Accessibility Beyond Compliance
Our team made sure to include accessibility at every stage, from designing systems and selecting colours to user testing and navigation. We didn’t just follow WCAG 2.1 AA standards; we aimed to create an experience that’s both technically accessible and genuinely user-friendly.
Transparent Collaboration
To keep the project flexible and on track, our team held weeklycheck-ins with CCDI’s stakeholders. These provided opportunities for real-time feedback, active collaboration, and data-driven adjustments.
The Results
The collaboration between CCDI and Ballistic Arts has created an exciting, forward-thinking digital platform that truly reflects the organization’s commitment to inclusion.
Our overhaul empowered internal teams, enabling staff to independently create and manage bilingual content without relying on IT. With streamlined registration, testimonials, and membership systems that update automatically, CCDI now saves time and reduces human errors within the organization. Most importantly, the new website enhanced the brand experience, providing visitors with a cohesive, modern, and trustworthy digital space that is accessible to all.
Improvement in SEMrush Site Health Score, increasing from 38% to 86% after launch, which is a clear indicator of stronger technical SEO and site performance.
The Human Impact
Beyond technical improvements, the project transformed how CCDI’s team approaches their digital work. What began as a major rebuild evolved into a collaborative process that strengthened confidence, alignment, and a sense of ownership across departments.
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