simply.limerick.ieJames Sweeney

Mihai Bilauca

Limerick City Council, MWRA

IRELAND

Limerick, 26th of April 2012

Introduction

simply.limerick.ie

Limerick City CouncilCommitted to Accessible Digital Services

2005 – Accessibility audit by NCBI-CFIT

2006 - All websites must be at least WCAG – AA

2007 – Full redesign of main council website

2008 – access.limerick.ie in collaboration with MWRA and EU

support

2009 – Additional websites designed WCAG-AA

2010 - DIEGO

What is DIEGO?An EU pilot project with partners from 6 EU Countries: Spain, the U.K., Italy, Greece, Cyprus and IrelandIreland represented by MWRA and Limerick City Co

A simplified web based interface;

An integration platform for delivering accessible services;

Project started in 2010 and it will be completed in 2012

NO CITIZEN LEFT BEHIND

DIEGO Services in Limerick

Main Services

Live Limerick.ie content: Daily Events & Amenities in Limerick City & County;

Public Complaints: Roads, Water, Housing, Environment;

Book meeting rooms in Watch House Cross Library

Multimedia: Videos from Limerick.ie Insider

DIEGO simply.limerick.ie

Other services

Public Announcements, Road Closures, Art Events;

Limerick Municipal Museum - Latest Additions

Boards.ie – popular public comments in Ireland;

Daft.ie – national property listing;

Maps and Photo Gallery

Contact your Councillor

DIEGO simply.limerick.ie

DIEGO availability

Public Libraries (3 main libraries in Limerick City)City Hall Information PointCommunity Centres: King Island, MILES, St Mary's Adult Education Centre

Demonstrations have been made to:Southill Disability GroupHeadway IrelandLimerick Institute of Technology

DIEGO simply.limerick.ie

Kings Island Community Centre

Cllr. John Gilligan presents DIEGO

Cllr. John Gilligan enjoys using DIEGO

Kings Island Centre – Where people meet...

DIEGO - Training Session

DIEGO - Another Training Session

DIEGO – Southill Disability Group

DIEGO – Limerick Institute of Technology

DIEGO – Limerick Institute of Technology

Community Centres are essential!

LIMERICK COMMUNITY CONNECT

BenefIT3 Training Program funded by The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Over 300 people trained so far

DIEGO used as a stepping point

In a first phase, 10 computers from Limerick City Co, to be re-used

and provided FREE;

Limerick Community Connect helps setting-up PCs;

IT Support for Community Centres

Limerick Community Connect

DIEGO is made available in Limerick City Libraries

Watch House Cross Library

Watch House Cross and the Regeneration

City Librarians using DIEGO for room bookings

PROsSimple and easy to use web based interface;Easy to integrate existing and new services;A new channel to address the needs of people that otherwise would be marginalized;Usable in areas where literacy is a challenge;

CONsLong term maintenance of infrastructure;Accessible access to information is already provided;Digital exclusion is a product of social exclusion;

Overview

Improved ServicesOngoing evaluation of current set of services;More services to be added based on demand;Ineffective services to be dropped;Long term sustainability to be determined based on overall evaluation;

Improved AvailabilityMILES and St.Mary's Adult Education Centres to be enabled with:

– Touch-screen capabilities;– Open Source technologies for virtual desktops– Long term IT support contracts;

NEXT

Realistic projects for Digital Inclusion are not easy!

1.Technology must be functional

2.Content is critical

3.Public Services need to be modified and simplified

4.Services to be made available in the community;

5.Engagement of Community and Voluntary groups;

6.IT Support in community centres must be ensured;

7.Inter-agency Co-operation is essential;

Lessons learned

simply.limerick.ie

DEMO

James Sweeney