 Response from the Inclusive Digital Economy Network to HM Government Delivering Digital Inclusion: An Action Plan for consultation Leela Damodaran Loughborough University

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 The Government consultation  Consultation was announced on 24th October 2008 and ran until 19th January 2009  Large document – six chapters (84 pages)  Definition of inclusion, principles to promote it and proposed actions  21 Questions inviting responses

Contents of the action plan  Why is digital inclusion important?  Direct benefits: who is missing out and why?  Indirect benefits: realising the opportunities  Action for digital inclusion  Next steps and consultation for a shared vision

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 Our Response  Warmly welcomed the Action Plan  Refined the definition of digital inclusion  Synopsis of comments  Suggested additional actions  Identified critical omissions

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 Digital Inclusion – our definition “Digital inclusion is the best use – as defined by individual citizens or a local community – of digital technologies to improve lives and life chances and the places in which people live”

Synopsis of comments  Problems are well scoped – solutions less so  Little reference to the wealth of existing research and knowledge  Access to the Internet is necessary but not sufficient to deliver Digital Inclusion – capacity building is essential  Participation is fundamental to inclusion – but barely mentioned

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 Suggested additional actions  Promote active participation of all stakeholders including individuals, communities, local government, policy makers, NGOs etc  Creating value chains and business models for inclusion  Build capacity throughout society for inclusion as mainstream process

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 Build capacity to promote digital inclusion  Promote awareness of features and benefits of ICT + Engage socially excluded people in planning/ prototyping/designing systems and services + Provide a wide range of learning opportunities = Engagement of excluded individuals and groups in shaping technology and services to meet their particular needs and circumstances

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 Critical omissions (Q21)  Stakeholder participation  Grass-roots engagement  Reference to relevant standards and legislation

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009 Promote awareness of Legislation  Article 9 of UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities: - requires governments to promote common technological standards to reduce costs of assistive technology

Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy – Friday 6 th March 2009  Learning needs of designers and developers  Social, psychological and cultural aspects of ICT use by marginalised groups  Knowledge sharing across communities, academic disciplines, businesses (including SMEs), NGOs, policy-makers, etc Proposed research agenda