e-inclusion Awards 2012
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e-Inclusion means making sure everyone can use new technologies
such as internet, computers, phones...
This year, there is an award called e-inclusion.
The award is for a person that shows
how using a computer makes his or her life better.
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The e-inclusion awards 2012 for best practice in e-inclusion across Europe are now open for entries. A panel of five judges, who are acknowledged as experts in their fields will decide the winners in two different categories.
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The contest is divided between users and providers. In the section called "I am Part of IT award", applicants should be individuals who have felt significant benefit and empowerment by becoming "e-included". They will demonstrate how digital literacy and skills have led to employability, re-skilling or a clear improvement in the socio-economic situation of a person at risk of social exclusion or isolation.
The second category is for organisations (or individuals outside of organisations) who champion e-inclusion by undertaking and supporting relevant projects. This can include work such as training trainerers, enabling improvements in access, content, skills or confidence. Each category will have two winners depending on the number of people in the application or size of the applicant’s organisation.
This is the second edition of the awards. In 2008 the European Commission decided to hold these rewards as a tactic to raise awareness, encourage participation and recognise excellence and good practice in using ICT and digital technology to tackle social and digital exclusion across Europe.
Neelie Kroes - Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda – said: "We must get 'Every European Digital' so that we can all benefit from 'smart', innovation-based economic growth".
Indeed, the award is a part of the e-inclusion policy set in the Riga Ministerial Declaration on e-inclusion of June 2006 to contribute to the eradication of poverty and social exclusion.
E-inclusion Policy
The overall objectives of the policy are divided in several thematic areas. The most relevant to people with intellectual policies are:
It means making Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) accessible to all, meeting a wide spectrum of people's needs, in particular any special needs. It is the belief of the European Commission that “to be a real success, the Information Society must share its benefits with the whole society, including people who find it more difficult to use new technologies, such as those with a disability and the elderly.” In this way, the Commission is actually working on achieving independent living and inclusion.
It means to equip citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary to increase social inclusion, employability and to enrich their lives. The European Commission is convinced that if people cannot properly use new technologies they could be left behind in the Information society and Europe’s economic competitiveness could wither.
To know more about the e-inclusion award, please click here
To know more about the European's Commission e-inclusion policy, please click here.
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