Civic Data Alliance to hold Civic Hacking Event at American Printing House for the Blind
Louisville, Kentucky (PRWEB) March 20, 2015 -- On March 21, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Civic Data Alliance (CDA) members will work to make the city a more accessible place for blind and visually impaired people. The group will use computers to gather information from Open Data Sources to enhance Nearby Explorer™ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.aph.avigenie , an app created by American Printing House (APH) to let people who are blind get detailed information about locations across the U. S—including street addresses, bus routes, and more. More people are needed to assist with the project.
Those who participate can expect a day of programming, design, mapping, and collaboration. They will learn how to mass import buildings and addresses into Open Street Map, and do it.
Admission is free, but space is limited, so only the first 50 people to register may attend. The public should sign up by 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 20 at http://www.meetup.com/Louisville-Civic-Data-Alliance/events/220786152/
Background: On February 21, Louisville was one of dozens of cities hosting Code for America's Civic Hacking Weekend for 2015, called CodeAcross. CDA began the process of capturing data to enhance APH’s app. The result of the work that day was outstanding: about 1/6 of the data for the Louisville, Kentucky metro area was loaded. But since more data needs to be added, a second day of work has been scheduled.
“We are actually seeing and using the street address information from Open Street Maps (OSM) that CDA imported at the Feb. 21 event. I'm glad someone had the great idea to start with the Clifton Crescent Hill neighborhoods (near where APH is located), because it makes it much easier to experience the dramatic results,” said Larry Skutchan, APH’s technology Project Leader. “I am amazed to see the power of Civic Data Alliance and what a group of dedicated people can accomplish”
About Civic Data Alliance (CDA) - http://www.civicdataalliance.org
is Louisville’s Code for America Brigade; it focuses on being a force for open data, hosting hackathons, coding education, and civic engagement.
About the American Printing House for the Blind: The American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, is the world's largest nonprofit company devoted solely to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are blind or visually impaired. Visit http://www.aph.org
Roberta Williams, American Printing House for the Blind, http://www.aph.org, +1 (502) 899-2357, [email protected]
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