How NAAFLS transformed its online presence into a professional, trusted hub for legal education and support across the Northern Territory.
The challenge
NAAFLS provides critical legal assistance and domestic violence prevention services to Aboriginal individuals and families in some of the most remote communities in the Northern Territory. However, their existing digital presence was failing to reflect the high quality of their service or their position as an authoritative voice in the sector. The legacy website was difficult to navigate and lacked a clear content strategy, making it challenging for vulnerable clients to find the help they needed.
For a service dealing with crisis situations, the stakes were high. The old platform was not built with the user in mind—specifically those with low digital literacy, limited English, or poor internet connectivity in remote areas. Furthermore, the lack of a professional digital profile hindered NAAFLS’ ability to engage with stakeholders, funders, and policy-makers, as it didn’t effectively showcase the scale of their impact or their specialised expertise in Aboriginal-led legal services.
Our approach
Butterfly proposed a complete redevelopment focused on building trust through cultural safety and accessibility. We selected WordPress with Elementor as the core platform, providing the NAAFLS team with a flexible, intuitive system to manage their evolving content needs without technical overhead. A key strategic priority was ensuring the site met WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards while maintaining a design that felt welcoming and culturally respectful for Aboriginal users.
To solve the visibility challenge, we developed a custom interactive map of the Northern Territory. This feature allows users to see the 40+ communities NAAFLS services at a glance, providing a visual representation of their extensive reach that text alone could not convey. Strategically, we also focused on a mobile-first design, recognizing that most community members access legal resources via mobile devices on low-bandwidth networks.
What we delivered
- A culturally safe, WCAG 2.2 AA compliant website design.
- Custom interactive Northern Territory map showcasing service areas.
- Secure, high-performance WordPress hosting environment.
- Integrated community legal education resource hub.
- Safety-first features including a prominent “Quick Exit” button.
The result
The launch of the new website has provided NAAFLS with a professional platform that matches their reputation as sector leaders. The content team now has full independence to update legal resources, news, and service information, ensuring that community members always have access to the latest support pathways. The “ad hoc” nature of their previous digital presence has been replaced by a structured, strategic tool that actively supports their advocacy and education goals.
Qualitatively, the organisation now has a digital gateway that fosters immediate trust. By prioritising cultural safety and simple, jargon-free navigation, NAAFLS has lowered the barrier for individuals in crisis to seek help. The interactive map has become a vital asset for stakeholder engagement, clearly demonstrating the scale of NAAFLS’ work to funders and partners and solidifying their position as a critical service provider in the Northern Territory.
