Coevorden launches AI tool to make local government information accessible for all
The municipality of Coevorden introduces Tolkie, an AI-powered reading aid on its website, helping residents with low literacy, language barriers, or visual impairments understand official information. This step aims to make local services more inclusive and user-friendly.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Tool Name | Tolkie |
| Function | Explains difficult words, summarizes text, and translates languages |
| Accessibility | Available on all pages of Coevorden’s website |
| Target Groups | People with low literacy, limited Dutch proficiency, or visual impairments |
| Devices | Works on phones, tablets, and computers |
| Activation | Click ‘Explain words’ or ‘Simple text’ at the top of the page |
| Municipality | Coevorden (Drenthe) |
Municipalities in the Netherlands are responsible for providing clear and accessible information to residents, ensuring inclusivity in digital services. Coevorden’s implementation of Tolkie aligns with national efforts to improve digital accessibility for vulnerable groups.
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Read the full translated article below
New step towards comprehensible services
The municipality of Coevorden aims to ensure that everyone can understand the information on its website. To achieve this, the site has recently been enhanced with a reading aid: Tolkie.
With Tolkie, visitors to the website can have difficult words and sentences explained in simple language. Tolkie can also provide a brief summary of a page and translate the text into (almost) any language. This helps people who struggle with reading, have limited proficiency in the (Dutch) language, or are visually impaired. Tolkie is also useful for those who want to quickly grasp the key information.
How it works
Tolkie uses AI and is available on all pages of our website. You can easily access Tolkie by clicking one of the buttons ‘Explain words’ or ‘Simple text’ at the top of the page. For more information, click the question mark (next to the ‘Simple text’ button).
Tolkie works on your phone, tablet, and computer.
Curious to try it out?
Give it a go yourself on our website.