The iDEM project is based on the premise of Universal Access to Information. People facing language barriers are often excluded from deliberative and participatory processes because the information they need to understand in order to participate is too complex.
People experiencing language barriers include a wide range of social groups. Among them we can find people with intellectual disabilities or cognitive difficulties; older people; migrants or refugees; or people with limited literacy.
Citizen participation and deliberation are vital parts of our democratic system. In the European Union there are a number of participatory processes at local, national and international levels which can have real-life impact through policies. These processes are only accessible when information has no barriers, otherwise many are excluded from participating in democratic exercises.
Information must be accessible for deliberation to be fair and inclusive. This is why iDEM is working to develop the prototype of an App that simplifies information and makes it more accessible.
