a11y
A core focus on accessibility during this build helped establish standards that now influence Amplify’s framework across countless projects.
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Major updates to the Amplify Event plugin to make authoring events more efficient and allowed the front-end template structure to be more flexible.
Project Overview
When Dare2tri approached us to redesign their website, the goal went beyond a visual refresh. As a nonprofit dedicated to empowering athletes with physical disabilities through triathlon and endurance sports, Dare2tri needed a digital experience that reflected their values: inclusion, accessibility, and community.
Their website serves athletes, coaches, volunteers, donors, and event participants — many of whom rely on assistive technologies. That made this project an ideal opportunity not only to redesign a site, but to strengthen accessibility standards across Amplify itself.
The result is a fully custom, accessibility-first website built on Amplify, our WordPress-based design system — paired with meaningful improvements to our core event tooling that now benefit every project that follows.
Accessibility as the Starting Point
Accessibility (a11y) wasn’t an add-on for Dare2tri — it was the foundation. From the earliest design and technical decisions, we focused on ensuring the site could be used comfortably and confidently by as many people as possible.
We audited and refined every major component of the Amplify theme during this build, improving:
- Color contrast and typography for readability across devices
- Keyboard navigation and focus states throughout the site
- Semantic HTML structure to support screen readers
- ARIA labels and roles for interactive elements
- Clear hierarchy and predictable navigation patterns
These improvements didn’t just benefit Dare2tri — they raised the accessibility baseline of Amplify as a whole. As a result, every future site built on Amplify inherits these stronger, more inclusive defaults.
A Flexible, Modular System for a Growing Organization
Dare2tri’s programming spans training sessions, races, fundraisers, virtual events, and community gatherings. Their content needed to be easy to manage, flexible to display, and consistent across the site.
Using WordPress Gutenberg and Amplify’s modular block system, we built a set of reusable components that allow Dare2tri’s team to create and update content without technical friction. Pages are assembled from accessible, performance-tested blocks — ensuring every new page meets the same quality standards as the last.
This modular approach gives the Dare2tri team the freedom to evolve their content while maintaining a cohesive, polished experience.
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“Anytime I create a new page, I use the custom layout blocks … I feel like a pro when I see a page come to life. You don’t need to have a deep understanding of web design or HTML to create great-looking pages.”
Major Enhancements to the Events Plugin
One of the most impactful outcomes of the Dare2tri project was a significant evolution of Amplify’s events plugin.
Dare2tri relies heavily on events — and their needs highlighted important gaps in traditional WordPress event tools. Rather than forcing a workaround, we used this project to meaningfully improve the system.
During the build, we introduced three major upgrades:
Custom Event Start and End Times
Admins can now independently control event start dates, start times, and end times — supporting multi-day events, staggered schedules, and clearer communication for participants.
Virtual Event Support
The plugin now supports virtual event locations, including:
- Virtual meeting URLs
- Registration links
- Clear labeling between virtual and in-person events
This makes it easy to promote hybrid or fully virtual programming without confusion.
Enhanced In-Person Location Details
For physical events, admins can add structured location information that displays cleanly across the site — improving clarity for athletes, volunteers, and spectators alike.
These updates transformed the events plugin into a more flexible, modern tool — and are now part of Amplify’s core feature set for all clients.
Performance That Doesn’t Compromise Inclusion
Accessibility and performance go hand in hand. The Dare2tri site is optimized to load quickly and reliably, even on slower connections or assistive devices.
Key performance features include:
- Lazy loading for images and media
- Optimized image formats (WebP)
- Minimal, well-scoped JavaScript per page
- Caching and server-side rendering for fast load times
The result is a site that feels responsive and dependable — whether someone is browsing on a phone, using a screen reader, or registering for an event on the go.
Built for Community, Built for the Long Term
Dare2tri’s impact is deeply human. Their website needed to reflect that — not through flashy visuals, but through thoughtful design, clarity, and inclusion.
By pairing a custom visual system with accessibility-first development and meaningful platform improvements, we delivered more than a redesign. We delivered a site that supports Dare2tri’s mission today — and a stronger version of Amplify that supports every mission-driven organization we work with in the future.
For Dare2tri, the new site is a more welcoming front door to their community.
For Amplify, it was a leap forward.
