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PRESS RELEASE
RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT INFO: Sydney Harder | sydney@inclucitycalgary.ca
IncluCity and City of Calgary collaborate to improve digital services for all Calgarians.
Calgary, AB - IncluCity is excited to announce a collaboration with The City of Calgary on a new pilot project aimed at identifying challenges to online access for digital services. The project will include user testing with diverse groups of Calgarians to identify ways to make The City's digital services more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Several teams within The City of Calgary, including Customer Service & Communications (Web & Digital), Information Technology’s Smart Cities, and Community Strategies, are collaborating with IncluCity on this initiative, which is made possible through the Equity in Service Delivery Fund. This fund supports projects that reduce barriers for equity-deserving groups who use The City's services.
The goal of this project is to find out what challenges people may have using The City's digital services and how services can be made more inclusive and accessible for everyone. User testing is a way to gather feedback directly from people who use the services, and IncluCity will work with The City to bring in a diverse group of Calgarians for this testing.
As digital services are becoming increasingly important for everyday life, the impact of this project could be significant. Accessible public services can help The City ensure that all Calgarians can access the services they need, regardless of their background or ability.
About IncluCity
IncluCity Calgary is a registered nonprofit organization that is building relationships across sectors to improve the usability of services, solutions and processes for everyone. They have expanded their capacity to run tests for clients across sectors and offer a range of services including usability audits, diverse recruitment and end-to-end usability tests. They have recruited over 250 individuals from across the city to share their diverse feedback during usability tests.
About The City of Calgary Digital Equity Strategy
The City of Calgary Digital Equity Strategy was co-created with community representatives to reduce the digital divide in Calgary. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of technology, which has made it necessary for more services and supports to be available online. However, many individuals still lack access to the digital services and digital literacy skills required to connect online. The Digital Equity Strategy aims to help Calgarians access devices, internet connections, and the skills required to connect online. The City has conducted public engagement and research to identify barriers, subpopulations, and potential solutions to the digital divide. The City is working with support agencies and an advisory panel to initiate pilot projects and build a roadmap forward to make Calgary more equitable in terms of access to digital technology.
Read more on the City’s website: www.calgary.ca/digitalequity