Accessible service portal

Nordhafen brings common municipal requests together in one service portal. Editors, specialist departments and developers work with a shared content and component model.

The project began by reviewing search queries, questions received by the service centre and the forms already in use. This produced a task structure based on what people want to achieve rather than the internal responsibilities of the administration: prepare an application, arrange an appointment, submit missing documents or understand the current status. Early prototypes were tested with different age groups, using keyboards and screen readers. Findings fed directly into navigation, language, error messages and guidance. Accessibility therefore became a quality measure for every editorial and technical decision instead of a final compliance check.

Services without detours

The most important tasks were prioritised with users and translated into understandable, keyboard-accessible journeys.

• clear entry points for common requests,
• plain language and consistent status messages,
• accessibility-tested forms and components,
• central editorial maintenance for every service.

A shared editorial model connects service information, deadlines, required documents and contact options. Reusable components ensure that guidance, status messages and next steps behave consistently across every service. Departments can maintain their information in a governed workflow while central quality rules check required details, meaningful link labels and complete alternative text.

Before each release, automated checks cover keyboard operation, contrast, heading structure and critical forms. New or substantially changed journeys are also tested manually with assistive technology. Continuous testing and documented patterns help new services meet the same standard and ensure that editorial changes are published reliably. The portal can grow without forcing users to relearn its navigation, language or interaction patterns whenever another municipal service is added.