Mapping accessibility: RIT Croatia leads new cross-border "DIGIT2COAST" project
RIT Croatia is proud to announce its role as the lead partner in DIGIT2COAST, an innovative Interreg Italy-Croatia initiative aimed at transforming how accessibility data is managed in Adriatic coastal regions. Working alongside ECIPA Abruzzo, the project focuses on making travel and daily life more manageable for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and tourists with specific care needs.
Bridging the gap with open data
Rather than building a standalone mobile app that requires heavy long-term maintenance, DIGIT2COAST is developing the “Care & Go Toolkit.” This open-source set of tools allows public authorities to standardize and share verified information regarding accessible health, social care, and mobility services.
"The goal is to make the data reusable by anyone—towns, tourism operators, app developers—rather than creating one central app," says Dr. Martin Žagar, project lead at RIT Croatia. "We are creating a shared, simple data model to keep it lightweight and easy for small municipalities with limited tech resources to adopt."
From data to the map
The project utilizes a bespoke data scheme, turning complex information into simple formats like CSV and GeoJSON. This data is then visualized via uMap layers—an open-source alternative to Google Maps—which can be easily embedded directly into existing municipal and tourism websites.
Crucially, the project relies on official, verified sources to ensure reliability. By standardizing information such as wheelchair access, mobility links, and seasonal opening hours, DIGIT2COAST ensures that the information users see is accurate and institutionally backed.
Impact across the Adriatic
Over its 14-month duration, the project will roll out pilot programs across four key regions:
- Croatia: Primorsko-Goranska and Dubrovnik-Neretva Counties.
- Italy: Marche and Abruzzo regions.
Built to last
With a total budget of €260,789.76, DIGIT2COAST is designed for sustainability beyond the initial funding period. The project will conclude with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between partners and external organizations, ensuring a long-term governance model remains in place.
As Dr. Žagar notes, the toolkit is "deliberately designed to be lightweight and replicable," allowing the model to be easily adopted by other towns across Europe in the future.
