Online design for bilingual civil society: a Welsh perspective

In a bilingual civil society, such as that in Wales, language and the use of language can be a highly political issue. Within this context, web sites may act as a beneficial influence on the maintenance and revitalisation of the minority language, or may serve to exclude and marginalise that language. Through a study of existing web sites, this paper examines the extent to which the Welsh language is being presented as a usable tool through which individuals may be informed about and participate in civil society in Wales. While this work specifically considers Wales, the issues faced are similar to those of many other bilingual communities.