Your Guide to the DDS Eligibility Process

Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services

Aug. 13, 2020

Please view the completed web tool here.

In Spring 2020, I worked as the digital media manager for the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, or DDS, the state agency that oversees services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My responsibilities included managing the DDS website.

Beyond working exclusively in the Mass.gov content management system that houses the DDS site, I encountered some resources I determined could be better created beyond the bounds of the established system. This included the guide to the application process for DDS services, what the department calls the Eligibility Process.

My goal was to take the information from the original page and create an interactive web tool. I was especially interested in the brochures for the different areas that DDS serves, with specific information on where individuals can go for support in those areas but were displayed in a format designed as a print layout.

This project involved using HTML and CSS to create a framework in which to put all the informational content, working with JavaScript and Leaflet.js to create an interactive map through which users can select their region and get more information, and creating a mobile-friendly version with collapsible informational boxes and a separate page for the map tool to best use the smaller space constraints.

The visual design of the page mimics the colors, fonts, and general layout of the Mass.gov state website to create a smooth transition from the main DDS pages to the new content.

The tool now exists as the main linked resource on the DDS Eligibility Services page.

To see the tool in its context on the Mass.gov site, please see the DDS Eligibility Services