Recite Me is proud to celebrate the announcement of our client, the Town of Randolph, as a 2023 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer.
Who is the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and what is the Digital Inclusion Trailblazers Award?
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance advances digital equity by supporting community programs and equipping policymakers to act. The NDIA believes that everyone should have the opportunity to use technology to live, learn, work, and thrive.
The Digital Inclusion Trailblazers are municipal, country, or regional governments that are paving the way and providing excellent models for digitally inclusive communities. The Trailblazers recognition isn’t just an award – it’s also a collection of valuable resources. The places selected as Trailblazers provide models to aspire to, demonstrating how local governments can support their digital inclusion ecosystems.
Recite Me is Proud of our Client, the Town of Randolph, for being recognized as a 2023 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer
For the first time, the Town of Randolph was recognized for its effort to close the digital divide for its residents, visitors, and communities.
The Town of Randolph joins a record number of Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, with 47 total awardees representing municipal, county, and regional governments paving the way for digitally inclusive communities across the country.
Randolph achieved Trailblazer status by prioritizing digital inclusion for residents of their communities through several impactful initiatives such as:
- The Town of Randolph is one of the first communities in Massachusetts to undergo and complete a digital equity planning process with support from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and consultant company, VHB.
- The Town of Randolph has formed a digital equity steering committee with representatives from the Turner Free Library, Town IT, Randolph Public Schools, Randolph Police Department, and Randolph Community Programs.
- The Turner Free Library’s dedication to ensuring Randolph residents have equitable access to devices such as hotspots and laptops as well as learning opportunities such as beginner computer literacy classes offered at the Turner Free Library for free through Mattapan Tech.
- The Turner Free Library’s dedication to ensuring Randolph residents have equitable access to Wi-Fi by increasing access points and the creation of a new initiative that will bring mobile Wi-Fi to Randolph through the upcoming Bookmobile outreach vehicle.
- The Town of Randolph’s commitment to ensuring equitable language and accessibility options for the town’s digital resources.
“Most recently, a new tool was added to the Town of Randolph website, Turner Free Library website, and Randolph Community Center website, called ‘Recite Me’ which utilizes a toolbar to ensure digital resources are both equitable and inclusive.”
Liz LaRosee, Community Programs Director for the Town of Randolph
Why Should Your Online Website be Digitally Inclusive?
As the pandemic demonstrated, digital inclusion – access to affordable high-speed internet, devices, and digital skills training – is essential to participating and thriving in today’s world.
Recent research shows that a significant percentage of website pages still aren’t accessible to everyone. Having your website’s content accessible to everyone, including people who suffer from specific disabilities or speak a different language is becoming increasingly important.
Inclusion doesn’t come in a ‘one size fits all’ package. Most companies find they need to make a series of changes to create an inclusive experience for as many people as possible.
What makes a website truly inclusive is giving people as many choices as possible so they can customize your site and consume the information in a way that is personalized to their individual requirements.
The Recite Me assistive toolbar provides a range of important benefits for users with disabilities. It allows users to fully customize the web page based on their accessibility needs. Some of the assistive technologies used include a screen reader, language translator, styling & customization, reading aids, and more.
It is important to provide an inclusive online experience where everyone can use our digital world in a way that best suits their needs. As more organizations provide accessibility tools online, those who face online barriers can access information and services hassle-free. The digital world must be accessible to all.
Start Your Web Accessibility Journey Today!
Our team is here to help you on your mission to provide more inclusive online experiences. Get started on your online inclusion strategy today by working through these action points:
- Contact our team for more advice about WCAG standards and the web accessibility legislation that applies to your organization.
- Find out more about the Recite Me Web Accessibility Checker.
- Schedule a free checker demonstration to learn how our technology can help you.
- Run a free check of your website for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
- Find out more about the Recite Me Toolbar.
Try our toolbar or schedule a free demonstration to see the difference it can make to your customers, clients, and employees.
