The Visionary Design Awards are hosted by the National Library for the Blind (NLB) and took place on 2 March 2005 in London. The Award scheme recognises the efforts of organisations that ensure content is accessible to visually impaired people. It is part of an ongoing campaign by the NLB to encourage website publishers and designers to consider access technology, such as magnification, text to speech and refreshable Braille, when designing their sites.
Your London is an information portal that is designed to make pan-London information easier to access and has been developed with the co-operation of 32 London borough councils, the City of London, the ALG, the GLA, Transport for London, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, London Development, Visit London, Business Link4London, NHS and the London Library Development Agency.
With accessibility central to its whole ethos, Your London offers magnification and text to speech facilities for users with visual impairment. David Macken, managing director, System Associates comments: “Your London is about making public service information easier to access. People using the site do not need to know which borough is responsible for each area, instead the user can find information that is directly relevant to them. Your London needs to be available to a wide cross-section of people who live, work and visit London and that includes people with disabilities, those with language barriers and those that do not necessarily know how London’s public services operate.”
The portal has been developed by System Associates, a provider of integrated Internet solutions with Poptel Technology, a web design company. The portal complies with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), an organisation that aims to promote and facilitate a high degree of usability for people with disabilities and whose guidelines are widely regarded as the industry standard.
The operational release of Your London – the official online guide to London’s public and community services – took place on 25th April 2005 and represents the first building block in the development of the single most comprehensive point of reference for residents, visitors and businesses.
Your London, led by the London Connects partnership, will provide the definitive starting point for access to all London public and community services. By joining together, London’s public services will be able to establish a stronger, riche dialogue with the community. All those living, working, studying or investing will benefit from vastly improved access to London information and services, regardless of borough boundaries.
London Connects is a London-wide agency bringing together local, regional, and central government to support the delivery of the e-government agenda across the capital. Partners include the Greater London Authority, the Association of London Government, and London Boroughs; together with other cross-London service providers and agencies, including Health agencies, London Development Agency, Transport for London, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Metropolitan Police Service, London Grid for Learning, London Libraries Development Agency, and the London Voluntary Services Council.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 09.03.2006
