The challenge

The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan (USNWSAP) has a clear mission: Prevent drowning in the United States through evidence-informed action. In order to achieve this a database of 98 Action Recommendations was created. Making this database easy to navigate and implement is key to the success of the mission.

What we did

We built a WordPress CMS to integrate the database with the Water Safety Action Plan website. The original ask was to create individual pages to list the different types of actions and recommendations in a static format. I suggested we create a filtering interface to explore the entire list of actions based on the parameters people are most interested in (key area or topic, strength of evidence, etc). This allows the database to be filtered and sorted in a variety of ways. The system also allows for specific recommendations to be pulled into other parts of the website as needed. For example, where the plan explains the importance of supervision, the recommendations for "lifeguards and supervision" can be pulled in dynamically.

Why it matters

Drowning affects people all across the United States. Between 2020 and 2022, more than 4,500 people died from drowning each year — but drowning is preventable. The USNWSAP website helps transform the country into a nation where water safety is a natural part of everyday life and people enjoy the benefits of water, safely.