Good practice Imported

Digid@k

Belgium · Turnhout · Regional · See the Belgium profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 82% 52/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

The main goal of Digidak was to provide tools and advice to those groups of people not yet disposing of ICT basic skills. By creating innovative basic ICT learning environments within functioning organisations, associations and neighbourhoods we want to lower the threshold for pe

Details

Maturity: Scaling
Promoter: Blenders — website
Type: Service
Status: Ongoing
Target groups: Elderly people, Unemployed and those facing social problems, Migrants
Period: 2002-12-31
Region (NUTS): BE21
Keywords: ICT basic skills, elderly, accessibility, vulnerable groups, tools, advice

Context

Digid@k, launched in Belgium in 2003 and now run under the innovation organisation Blenders, builds basic-ICT learning environments inside existing local organisations, associations and neighbourhoods to lower the threshold for digitally excluded groups (elderly people, unemployed people, migrants) to access new media.

Conclusions

Having proved the local model, the initiative expanded from its original area into the provinces of Limburg and Vlaams Brabant, and is now sustained as an ongoing service of its parent organisation rather than a time-limited project, reflecting the finding that closing the digital divide requires continuous rather than one-off effort.

Implementation

Indicative cost: Low (< €50k)
Time to results: Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills: Local governments and local stakeholders (libraries, schools)

Conditions for success

Embedding ICT training inside existing community organisations rather than standalone projects
Sustained institutional home (Blenders) rather than time-limited project funding