DigARegion Project

The project aims to comprehensively improve accessibility, with a primary focus on digital accessibility, which today represents a key prerequisite for the equal inclusion of people in modern society. With the increasing digitization of public and private services, the accessibility of digital content and services is becoming essential to ensuring equal opportunities for all users. At the same time, the project also addresses, to a lesser but significant extent, physical accessibility and access to information, as the various forms of accessibility are closely interrelated and often overlap in practice.

Within the framework of the project, we understand accessibility in a broader sense—as the removal of barriers that, due to physical, sensory, cognitive, or situational circumstances, make it difficult or impossible for individuals to independently use services, information, and spaces. These barriers can arise in the digital environment, in physical spaces, or in the way information is conveyed. The project therefore promotes an understanding of accessibility as a holistic principle that goes beyond merely meeting technical requirements and calls for a systemic, user-centered approach.

The project serves as a support environment that helps organizations and individuals understand and implement accessibility in practice. It focuses primarily on digital content and services, while also highlighting the importance of consistency between digital solutions, the physical environment, and information flows, as a lack of accessibility in one area can negate efforts in another.

The DigARegion project [ita-slo.eu] is co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Program.

Project Objectives

The main objective of the project is to improve the level of digital accessibility while contributing to a broader understanding of accessibility as a whole, which also includes spatial and information accessibility.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• to improve the accessibility of digital content, services, and applications,

• to raise awareness of the importance of accessibility in digital, physical, and informational environments,

• to strengthen understanding of legal obligations and standards in the field of accessibility,

• to provide expert support in the planning, development, and evaluation of accessible solutions,

• to promote a sustainable and systematic approach to accessibility that goes beyond mere formal compliance.

Target Groups

The project is aimed at various target groups that play an important role in creating, managing, or using services and information:

• municipalities and public institutions that provide digital and physical public services,

• private-sector companies and organizations,

• developers, designers, planners, and other professionals involved in the development of digital products,

• the general public and end users of services.

For each target group, the project addresses their specific responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities in the field of accessibility.

Key Activities

The project carries out activities that are primarily focused on digital accessibility, while also incorporating broader aspects of accessibility:

• expert consulting and support in the field of digital accessibility,

• accessibility assessments of websites, applications, and digital services,

• development of guidelines, recommendations, and practical resources,

• training sessions and workshops for various target groups,

• awareness-raising activities on the importance of accessibility in digital, physical, and information environments.

The focus is on putting knowledge into practice and on solutions that are useful and feasible in real-world environments.

Expected Results

The project will contribute to improving accessibility on multiple levels:

• more accessible digital content and services,

• greater capacity of organizations to independently ensure accessibility,

• reduction of barriers to accessing information and services,

• a better understanding of the interconnection between digital, spatial, and information accessibility,

• greater user inclusion and a better user experience in the long term.

Long-Term Vision

The project’s long-term vision is to establish an environment in which digital accessibility is a natural part of the development of digital solutions, while at the same time accessibility is understood as a holistic value that also encompasses physical space and access to information. The project aims to contribute to lasting changes in thinking and practice and thereby to a more inclusive society for all.