Title: An e-culture – e-museums environment for common citizens and disabled individuals

Authors: Athanasios Drigas, Leyteris Koukianakis, John Glentzes

Addresses: Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, Net Media Lab, NCSR Demokritos, Terma Patriarchou Grigoriou & Neapoleos 27, Agia Paraskevi, 153 10, Athens, Greece. ' Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, Net Media Lab, NCSR Demokritos, Terma Patriarchou Grigoriou & Neapoleos 27, Agia Paraskevi, 153 10, Athens, Greece. ' Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, Net Media Lab, NCSR Demokritos, Terma Patriarchou Grigoriou & Neapoleos 27, Agia Paraskevi, 153 10, Athens, Greece

Abstract: The integration of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) within the cultural domain creates what is commonly known as e-culture. The need to create an e-culture environment arose from the undeniable fact that the cultural heritage of a nation defines it and, therefore, should be disseminated to all, regardless of their location and their disability. This article discusses an e-culture portal, which presents to any interested users, information regarding a significant number of Greek and Cypriot museums and galleries as well as their exhibits. The e-culture environment offers user-friendly navigation techniques and contemporary multimedia tools and services for the better presentation and visualisation of the e-material to the users-visitors, paying particular attention to both common citizens and to disabled individuals, in order to offer them equal access to cultural heritage information. This environment is an inter-disciplinary application, combining the ICTs, cultural and e-inclusion domains (electronic support for disabled people).

Keywords: e-culture environment; cultural heritage; information technology; communications technology; ICT; digitisation; user-centred systems; knowledge society strategies; design for all; visually impaired users; digital inclusion; e-museums; information for all; disabled individuals; web portals; digital culture; online museums; electronic museums; Greece; Cyprus; multimedia; visualisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDCET.2009.025353

International Journal of Digital Culture and Electronic Tourism, 2009 Vol.1 No.4, pp.267 - 279

Published online: 19 May 2009 *

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