During the summer months, the BRIC distributed 14,000 leaflets neatly listing the digital inclusion services for 7 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region. These seven municipalities are: Brussels City, Forest, Uccle, Etterbeek, Schaerbeek, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and Jette.
This project is an initiative by Bernard Clerfayt, Minister of the Brussels-Capital Region, and of the Smart City-Digital Inclusion Unit of the Brussels Regional Informatics Centre (BRIC). To this end, the BRIC is working closely with CABAN (umbrella organisation of the main Brussels associations and public stakeholders in the fight against the digital divide). The aim of this campaign is to increase the visibility of the existing Digital Public Space (DPS) among the local population.
After all, the people of Brussels are increasingly looking for this type of infrastructure. Indeed, they are facing ongoing digitalisation. More and more services and sectors are going (fully) digital: education, government, applying for a job or taking a training course.
Public Computer Rooms: the leaflets will help you on your way!
The purpose of the leaflets is to immediately refer the residents of each municipality to the nearest DPS. At the DPS, every resident of Brussels has free access to PCs with Internet access. Visitors can update their CV or write a cover letter, do their online administration with the authorities, look things up or simply browse the web. At certain DPSs, visitors can enjoy personalised guidance by multimedia support officers and/or can take ICT training.
These digital "hotspots", which had already proved their usefulness before the pandemic, have today become essential for Brussels citizens who do not have access to broadband Internet, who do not have a PC at home or who do not have the right skills to deal with digitalisation.
Most of the DPSs were closed during the lockdown. Today, the DPSs are reopening one by one to meet the great demand from the public. It goes without saying that the necessary measures have been taken to avoid contamination among visitors at all costs:
- disinfecting the hands and wearing a face covering are mandatory;
- there is sufficient distance between the PCs;
- access is limited to 1 hour per day per person;
- adequate ventilation of the premises will be ensured;
- etc.
The leaflets will be available from September 2020 at the town hall, the Public Welfare Centres, the local missions and the Actiris antennas in the 7 municipalities concerned.
You can donwload the brochures on:
https://be.brussels/brussels-for-free/it
More info on digital inclusion can be found at:
https://smartcity.brussels/digital-inclusion
