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Category: Digital Inclusion

Fostering digital inclusion in smart cities | | Parameters

Smart City: Digital Inclusion

Concept

Digital Inclusion is the ability of individuals and groups to equitably access and use information and communication technologies.

Smart City Practice

Smart City must ensure all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to, and use of, Smart City information and communication technologies (ICTs).

This includes 5 elements: 1) affordable, robust broadband Internet service; 2) Internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user; 3) access to digital literacy training; 4) quality technical support; and 5) applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration.

 Digital Equity ensures all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy.

Digital Equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services

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@NetInclusion 2018 | National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Screenshot-2018-1-20 Net Inclusion 2018 New Ways of Thinking About Digital Equit

Net Inclusion 2018 welcomes digital inclusion community practitioners, advocates, academics, Internet service providers, and policymakers to discuss local, state and federal policies and policy innovations impacting digital equity, sources of financial and programmatic support of digital inclusion programs, plus digital inclusion best practices from across the country. Net Inclusion 2018 will begin Tuesday, April 17th with pre-conference events in the…

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Smart City Digital Inclusion and Digital Equity | National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Smart City Digital Inclusion and Digital Equity | National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Digital Inclusion Digital Inclusion refers to the activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This includes 5 elements: 1) affordable, robust broadband internet service; 2) internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user; 3) access to digital literacy training; 4) quality technical…

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Digital Inclusion – A White Paper

Digital Inclusion – A White Paper

This white paper will provide the reader with insight into the role technology plays for the full participation of persons with disabilities and older people in the digital society. The authors consider equal opportunities to participate in all realms of life a human right. The paper will help the reader to understand what the barriers to full digital inclusion for…

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7 Steps to Achieve Hotel Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance | Hotel Online

7 Steps to Achieve Hotel Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance | Hotel Online

By Max Starkov Background: There are approximately 48.9 million Americans with some form of disability. People with disabilities spend over $17.3 billion annually on travel, and the economic impact is at least double that figure since many of them travel with at least one or two other adults (Open Doors Organization). The vast majority of them use the Internet to plan…

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San Antonio Launches Smart City Committee On Digital Inclusion and Innovation

What ‘Smart City’ Means: San Antonio Launches Committee On Innovation, Technology | Texas Public Radio

San Antonio officials announced Tuesday night it had formed a new standing committee to address technology and innovation. break According to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, the innovation and technology committee will take on smart city goals, strategy for growing the cyber security industry, digital inclusion initiatives, open data and expanding municipal broadband access all under one roof. “We’ve been working in…

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Smart City Inclusive Innovation: If It’s Not For All It’s Not For Us!

Screenshot-2018-1-15 SmartPGH Vision

Inclusive innovation is an action. We believe in a Pittsburgh where if it’s not for all it’s not for us! It is providing equal access to products and services through the infusion of new ideas, people, and technology to meet complex challenges. From the arts to community development, to computer science; inclusive innovation is possible in everything. We know there is…

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Pittsburgh Roadmap to #Inclusive Smart City Innovation

Screenshot-2018-1-6 Improving Digital Equity in the City of Pittsburgh – Metro21 Smart Cities Initiative – Carnegie Mellon […]

This project was completed in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges. Residents of the city may cross multiple bridges on a daily basis. Yet, they rarely think about the bridge as they cross it or ponder how different their lives would be without it nor do they analyze what went into building that bridge. Even so, bridges are extremely important. They…

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Beyond Smart Cities: Driving Citizen Engagement and Smart Communities | Greta Knappenberger | Pulse | LinkedIn

Screenshot-2018-1-5 Beyond Smart Cities Driving Citizen Engagement and Smart Communities

On December 14th, we hosted our final Smart City Hub Meetup of the year with special guest speakers David Keyes (Seattle IT), Azmeena Hasham (Verizon), and Bob Akers (e-Stewards). Thus far, the meetups have been focused on emerging technologies such as broadband and sensors, connected & autonomous vehicles, blockchain, cybersecurity, shared mobility platforms and advanced data analytics. But last week,…

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New South Wales Smart City Disability Inclusion Plan

New South Wales Smart City Disability Inclusion Plan

The NSW Disability Inclusion Plan was launched on 26 February 2015 at the Sydney Opera House. The plan is the NSW Government’s commitment to identifying and breaking down the barriers which prevent those with disability from enjoying the same opportunities and choices as everyone else. It aligns with the Australian National Disability Strategy and our obligations under the United Nations…

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Smart City Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit – GOV.UK

Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit – GOV.UK

Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit The Evaluation Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to help any organisation looking to evaluate a Digital Inclusion project. Documents Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit: Overview PDF, 2.9MB, 9 pages   Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit PDF, 12.9MB, 35 pages     Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit: Stakeholder Engagement Guide PDF, 2.75MB, 9 pages   Digital Inclusion Evaluation Toolkit:…

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What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Digital Equity’ and ‘Digital Inclusion’? | Benton Foundation

Screenshot-2017-12-20 Fast, Fair, Open Broadband for All Benton Foundation

Defining “digital equity” and “digital inclusion” In May 2016, digital inclusion practitioners, advocates, academics, Internet service providers, and policymakers gathered in Kansas City at Net Inclusion: The National Digital Inclusion Summit and a funny thing happened on our way to the library: we discovered we were speaking different languages. We were gathered to discuss current and potential local, state, and…

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What is Digital Inclusion?

47251454 – abstract geometric technology design element. template design

While digital divide and digital literacy have entered into common use – and into discussions by policy makers – the term digital inclusion is still quite new. Digital inclusion is a much broader category that addresses the other two. Importantly, “digital inclusion” has been articulated specifically to address issues of opportunity, access, knowledge, and skill at the level of policy.…

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TechFAR Handbook | TechFAR Hub

Screenshot-2017-12-14 Boston A Really Smart City

n the Government, digital services projects too often fail to meet user expectations or contain unused or unusable features. Several factors contribute to these outcomes, including the use of outdated development practices and, in some cases, overly narrow interpretations of what is allowed by acquisition regulations. OMB is developing tools to significantly upgrade the ability of Government digital services to deliver better results to our citizens and improve the way we capitalize on information technology (IT [1]) to better serve the American people.

One tool is the Digital Services Playbook, which identifies a series of “plays” drawn from proven private sector best practices to help agencies successfully deliver digital services. Another tool is the TechFAR, which highlights flexibilities [2] in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR [3]) that can help agencies implement “plays” in the Playbook that would be accomplished with acquisition support.

The vision for the TechFAR is that it will be expanded in future iterations to address many areas of IT. This edition of the TechFAR is aligned with the Digital Services Playbook guidance to use contractors to support an iterative development process. In particular, it emphasizes Agile software development [4], a technique for doing modular contracting and a proven commercial methodology that is characterized by incremental and iterative processes where releases are produced in close collaboration with the customer. This process improves investment manageability, lowers risk of project failure, shortens the time to realize value, and allows agencies to better adapt to changing needs. Agile software development is geared towards projects where significant design and development are needed, such as digital services (e.g., healthcare.gov or recreation.gov) as well as internal digital services and business systems. It is not designed to be used for commodity IT purchases, especially where commercially available off-the-shelf items can be used as-is at a lower cost and lower risk to the Government….

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Creating Citizen-Centered Inclusive Smart Cities

Creating Citizen-Centered Inclusive Smart Cities

ities all over the world are investing in infrastructure like fiber-optic networks, a range of sensors, and interactive touch-screens and in practices like open data collection in a race to become “smart and connected.” Cities are rushing to get “smart” in order to create new economic opportunities, to take advantage of potential systems efficiencies, and to not be left behind the technological curve. They’re making smart-city investments with the best of intentions to improve quality of life and increase opportunities for commerce, tourism, and their citizens alike.

As part of these smart and connected investments, many communities are developing smart-city strategies to guide development and implementation. For example, members of the Mayors Bistate Innovation Team published a digital playbook in 2011 in order to leverage a newly installed Google Fiber network to spark economic development, advance opportunities, and improve daily life in Kansas City. In 2013, the mayor of London formed the Smart London Board, which published the “Smart London Plan” to harness “the creative power of new technologies to serve London and improve Londoners’ lives.“ The plan lays out the numerous ways the city will utilize technology and big data to re-create London not only as a cutting-edge city, but as one able to handle the influx of people expected to move there by 2030. Creating and executing such a plan in a way that is intentionally responsive and relevant to the whole of a community can create the opportunity for a city to go beyond “smart” and instead become an “intelligent community.” This is, of course, easier said than done, but some essential steps toward enabling an intelligent community to flourish are outlined below….

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Smart city experts on importance of digital and cultural inclusivity in cities

Screenshot-2017-12-10 Transcript Transformers – Cities

Beth Blauer, Founder of GovEx at Johns Hopkins University, Kate Garman, Smart City Coordinator for the City of Seattle, and Erie Meyer, Senior Director of National Network at Code for America, describe the importance of digital and cultural inclusivity for the future of smart cities.

On November 14, The Washington Post brought together city officials, urban strategists, innovators and technologists to discuss and debate the advancements that are shaping the future of cities across the country.

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Fostering Digital Inclusion in Smart Cities

Fostering digital inclusion in smart cities | | Parameters

Cities capture people’s imaginations because they are a whirlwind of change, adaptation, and challenge. Cities change on almost a daily basis, with the influx and exit of commuters. To survive over time, cities have to adapt to economic change, migration patterns, and citizens’ needs. Cities also have to face society’s toughest problems—poverty, crime, homelessness, and more—all while delivering the public services that help make a city hum.

In the early part of the twenty-first century, information and communications technologies (ICTs) have come to be seen as a way to help cities thrive. With the right deployment of technology, cities can become “smart” so that they can better deliver public services. Running parallel to the “smart city” discussion is the notion of inclusion; that is, a city is better off if a wide range of people participate in how it grows and evolves. In this context, inclusion has a lot to do with diversity—in the economy, civic life, and urban design. The upshot can be greater equity, as opportunities for economic and social growth open up to a wide range of a city’s population. ICTs may be among the tools deployed to enhance inclusion.

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New tech accessibility requirements are coming to government in 2018

Screenshot-2017-12-8 New tech accessibility requirements are coming to government in 2018

With 2018 approaching, federal agencies are preparing for a major update to the government’s digital accessibility requirements — standards that are designed to modernize and widen access for disabled users.

The specifications, that take effect in January, establish new guidelines to help seeing- and hearing-impaired residents access information on government websites, apps and from other digital media. The rules target federal agencies, but are intended to be a reference point for states and cities.

The changes come through an update to Section 508, a 2001 amendment of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities, announced in an overview of the update that one of the most significant revisions is a wider application of the rules…..

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ITU’s #accessible publications are now more readily available

ITU’s #accessible publications are now more readily available

ITU’s suite of accessible publications for people with disabilities is now more readily than ever — available on a dedicated online portal. With over 60 titles available, and many translated into different languages, this is one of many ways ITU is working to advance digital inclusion.

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Scant progress on federal website accessibility performance

Scant progress on federal website performance — GCN

Americans depend on more than 4,500 federal websites to access critical government services and information, but a report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation finds of 91 percent of the most popular agency websites are failing to perform well in at least one key performance metric.

The second edition of ITIF’s “Benchmarking U.S. Government Websites” report follows up and expands on the initial ITIF report released in March. The organization tested 469 websites using publicly available tools for page-load speed, mobile friendliness, security and accessibility.

“As more people go online for public services and as security threats continue to evolve, it is important for federal websites to be more convenient, accessible, and secure,” ITIF research fellow Galia Nurko said. “This report shows a significant amount of work left to be done to modernize federal websites and ensure that, as technology advances, federal websites improve in turn.”

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Accessibility Matters Blog | Deque Systems Web Accessibility

Deque13_hdr_logo

Marcy Sutton – November 20, 2017 Earlier this year, Microsoft debuted their Sonar project, dubbed a “linting tool for the web”. Sonar encourages developers to test for accessibility early in the development process using Deque’s axe-core library under the hood, in addition to rules for interoperability, security, and performance. We’re thrilled to see our work leveraged in open source projects…

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