Albert Freeman from Bradford Metropolitan District Council gave this presentation at our Really Useful Day: Digital Services for All, 12 June 2014, in Peterborough. The presentation was about the various initiatives Bradford is undertaking to digitally include their residents better, including: PCs in public buildings, Learn My Way courses in libraries, a mobile app and online videos.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035655711@N01/2402924924/ via http://compfight.com cc https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
Free Wi-Fi in city centre
Superfast broadband
enabling citizens and businesses to better get online
Image by RRZEicons (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWifi.svg
Public PCs in libraries, face to face customer service centres and council buildings reception areas
Since April 2010, staff in our libraries have helped more than 2,000 complete beginners to learn how to use computers, and dealt with more than 30,000 computer-related enquiries.
We run weekly work clubs in six of the districts libraries in association with Jobcentre Plus. These help people to gain IT skills so that they can write CVs and search for jobs online.
Mobile app - launched this spring. We have high levels of deprivation, but also high numbers of people with mobile devices. Too early to judge success. www.bradford.gov.uk/app
Digital TV trial - not a great success in Bradford and has been shelved.
Possible scope for using games consoles too, such as Wii
Image from: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/100003/people_and_communities/4797/how_to_use_the_digital_tv_service
FAQ videos for benefits. Shown online and on public plasma screens in customer service centres. Available in 3 languages. For example: http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/advice_benefits_and_council_tax/council_tax/council_tax_reduction_notice_faqs
Also BSL videos www.bradford.gov.uk/bsl