VIENNA 2008 :: Home
Vienna hosts the concluding event of the 2008 e-Inclusion: Be Part of It! campaign
Almost 1500 delegates attended the 2008 Ministerial e-Inclusion Conference and exhibition in Vienna on 30th November to 2nd December 2008. With 90 exhibition stands and more than 130 speakers, delegates enjoyed access to a wealth of rich experience and knowledge.
Highlights include:
- The announcement of the winners of the 2008 e-Inclusion awards at the gala dinner.
- Launch of Telecentre-Europe, a network of people and organizations created to increase the positive impact of telecentres throughout Europe
- Interactive theatre plays, with actors in real life situations revealing how technology can help the disadvantaged
- Groups of young reporters also added their own view of proceedings via blogs and videos.
e-Inclusion ‘more necessary now than ever’
Ministers and senior officials from more than 30 European countries met during the conference to recognise the progress and successes already achieved in the field of e-Inclusion in Europe and to consider the challenges that still remain. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union concluded that, in these difficult economic times, it is more necessary than ever to support vulnerable people in our society. ICTs constitute an essential tool to achieve this objective. Joint action in the area of e-inclusion can at the same time contribute to creating new jobs and to improving their quality, for example in the sector of care for elderly and depending persons, including putting in place activities for unemployed people. Better digital inclusion will contribute to strengthening the main asset of Europe: its human capital.
(Read the complete
text of the Presidency Conclusions
)
The End of the beginning….
This conference celebrated achievements and showcased successes in the field of e-Inclusion from across Europe and beyond. It helped industry, practitioners and politicians to take stock of what still lies ahead and renew their commitments to achieve inclusion in the information society for all.
“It is the finale of the European Commission’s 2008 ‘e-Inclusion: Be Part of It!’ Campaign” said Viviane Reding in her closing video address, “ but it is far from the end of our commitment and actions in the field of e-Inclusion” .
Indeed, with the adoption of the communication ‘Towards and accessible information Society’ during the conference, the European Commission has set out a clear, common European direction for eAccessibility in general, and web accessibility in particular.
