Untape | Social Signal

Client: Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion

BACI has supported people with developmental disabilities for over 50 years, with supported housing, employment, educational and recreation programs. With a shared vision of on-line community building, Social Signal approached BACI with a proposal for Untape: a site where people with and without disabilities could help each other make sense of government and corporate bureaucracies. BACI was excited about the potential for this project and we worked together to design the website and access funding to build it. Untape emphasizes the value of personal experience and advocacy: there's nothing better than getting tips from people who’ve been there themselves. Members of the Untape community can help each other find the workarounds that will enable them to get the information or services they need.

How we helped

• We suggested a site concept focused on cutting red tape as a way to build on BACI’s strengths and member knowledge, while offering a tangible and valuable service to their clients.
• We helped BACI draft a business plan and funding proposals to support the project.
• We determined the technical specifications for the site and built the wireframes.
• We worked with our development and design partner, Agentic, to build the site on Drupal, where we could test the concept and begin building content.
• We provided support and advice on community engagement and promotion.

Impact

Untape empowers families and members of BC’s disability community to get the information and services they need…and to in some way…make difficult days or situations easier and more manageable.

Lessons

Start with a simple, compelling concept - an elevator pitch that people can "get" immediately.  “A site that helps you cut red tape” is a clear and compelling offering. What’s your 30-sec pitch?