You may find this of interest.
Gillian Whichelo
DCMS 40/00
29 February 2000
CULTURE ON LINE - SHOWCASE WEBSITE GOES LIVE
Culture Secretary Chris Smith today announced the launch of the new
innovative DCMS (Department for Culture Media and Sport) website
which will showcase the work of the cultural and sporting sectors.
>From today the public can view and explore the new site which is:
- innovative in design with unique colour-coded tracking through
the site;
- linked to over one hundred DCMS sponsored bodies and related
sites;
- easy to use with a text only version making the site accessible to
all; and
- designed to deliver the optimum service for both the browser and
the specialist enquirer.
Launching the site Culture Secretary Chris Smith said:
"We have responded to the challenge of creating a Government web site
for the 21st century and there promises to be something for everyone
on this new site. I am glad that my department is looking beyond the
boundaries of Whitehall and connecting with the public through the
site. Never before has it been so quick and easy to find out about
how the Department works and the role it plays in the fields of the
arts, creative industries, heritage, libraries, tourism and sport.
"It is vital that we deliver a comprehensive and accurate service to
the public in the most interesting, informed and exciting way we can
and I am delighted that now, with the touch of a button, people can
learn about the important work the Department and its partners do in
the cultural, media and sporting arenas."
The DCMS website can be found at www.culture.gov.uk. It is a valuable
portal site linking to over 100 other Government, sponsored body,
cultural and sporting sites.
The Department for Culture Media and Sport website was designed to
respond to the demand for a site which would both outline the role of
Government within DCMS areas of responsibility and guide browsers in
the direction of a wide range of other related sites.
In developing the new website the Department identified the need to
adopt an outward looking approach and the need for a site that
catered for a wide range of audiences. An important factor in the new
site design is the desire to see a site which is easy to navigate and
accessible to all whatever the technical capability of their desktop.
Visitors to the site are invited to give their views on the new DCMS
website through a feedback form. This can be found in the links and
contents part of the utility bar at the bottom of the web page.
Notes to Editors
1. The new DCMS website can be found at http://www.culture.gov.uk
2. The DCMS website was designed by DNA in conjunction with the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport and replaces an earlier
website originally set up in 1996. DNA can be contacted on
http://www.dna.co.uk
3. The Department has adopted the Betsie system developed by the
BBC to allow wider access to visitors with visual disabilities
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH
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