[opencms-dev] OpenCMS accessible Web Site: SpeziaNET experience

[Rita Risso]

Hi List,

I'd like to share with you our experience with OpenCMS and the accessibility
issues. 

During these months (starting from the beginning of 2008) we've designed and
made a full accessible internet site for the local municipality of La Spezia
(Italy). The site is based on linux, apache + tomcat (in a multisite
configuration environment) and OpenCMS and it is visible at the following
address: http://www.comune.laspezia.it/

 

The civic network SpeziaNet is based on high accessibility standards. Not
only does it respect the stated requirements, but also is a "participated"
project, which has been developing through the contribution of the local
Consult for Disabilities along with technicians and web content editors. As
certified by CNIPA, SpeziaNet represents a best practice in Italy. It was
awarded by Ministero della Funzione Pubblica as one of the most relevant
best pratices of the whole public administration, while the presentation
Conference was sponsored by the e-inclusion programme. 

As far as accessibility and usability are concerned, the project of Comune
della Spezia is becoming an example at a national level.

In addition to what stated by the law, Comune della Spezia started up an
innovative project aimed to verify the practical accessibility and usability
of the Institutional Web site with the contribution of disabled people,
represented by the local Consult for Disabilities.

 

Open-source technologies, participated development and accessibility are the
main tenets of SpeziaNet. Furthermore, the project is focused on the
developement of informative, dispositive and transaction services. Through
the new Web site citizens can get information and services at home, avoiding
bureaucracy and office queues. SpeziaNet provides a Guide of Corporation
Services complete with executives names, phones and e-mail addresses and
offers various possibilities:

- e-mail accounts and Web pages for citizens and associations

- a Web page to contact the Mayor of La Spezia and to consult his weekly
schedule

- e-mai! accounts and Web pages for Council Groups and single Town
Councillors

- news and press releases in real time via RSS and the Newsletter of Comune
della Spezia

 

Other features of SpeziaNet are the names of newborn babies (in
collaboration with the Sant'Andrea Hospital), weather forecast, sentences
and quotes about the city, photos of La Spezia. Citizens can send their own
photos of the town, which will be displayed in the photogallery and soon
become online postcards.

 

Our experience is avaible to anybody who might be interested, of course all
is shared under the statements of the open source community.

 

Thanks
Rita

 

 

 

 

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