The main aim of the project "Access for the disabled to eGovernment services" is to develop fully accessible online services for disabled citizens in Greece. The project has already developed a number of online services for eGovernment. Existing content, which is currently unavailable in accessible formats, has been transformed and become available through the platform that was developed. Moreover, the project produced a survey of best practice examples related to eGovernment in Europe and guidelines for the development of accessible web portals, as well as a study collection and analysis of user requirements for public administration services for the disabled. A translation in Greek of W3C-WAI accessibility guidelines has already been made available.

Description of target users and groups

The target group of the project is people with simple or multiple disabilities as well as other groups facing the risk of exclusion due to difficulties in accessing online services, as a result of their disability. The project targets all citizens.

Description of the way to implement the initiative

The national project "Access for the disabled to eGovernment services" is coordinated by the Institute for Social Protection and Solidarity (IKPA) and funded under the Operational Programme Information Society (OPIS) of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance, in the context of FP6.

Technology solution

Technology choice: Standards-based technology, Accessibility-compliant (minimum WAI AA)

Main results, benefits and impacts

The main aim of the project was to develop fully accessible online services for disabled citizens including: - Online Citizen Service Center, a one-stop-shop service for information retrieval and application submission to public administration bodies; - Job Finding Service, supporting people with disabilities in searching on line for jobs, eliminating the need for their physical presence in the workspace in order to conduct any preliminary negotiations with employers; - Digital library of assistive technology product and services, addressing individual users as well as public bodies and organizations; - Voice Portal, as an alternative means to access the content available through the Online Citizen Service Center with the use of telephone; - Web Portal for citizens with disabilities, which is the main point for the dissemination of project results to the wider public, and also provides communication services to improve information exchange and cooperation among users

Return on investment

Return on investment: Not applicable / Not available

Track record of sharing

This project is expected to have a very strong impact in Greece as it is the first national attempt of its kind, providing fully accessible eServices and content.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - Although accessibility has been recognized as an essential feature for public acceptance of eGovernment, and has been legally established in many countries, the majority of services worldwide still do not address the needs of disabled citizens. The main focus of this project was to develop fully accessible online services for disabled citizens. Lesson 2 - The feedback we got by people with disabilities, during the accessibility evaluation phase of the project, was very positive about the needs that are being addressed by the provided services. Lesson 3 - We believe that project's services and products (examples, guidelines, studies, etc.) will constitute a methodical and systematic approach for web content accessibility and usability support in Greece Scope: National