UK Govt's Digital Inclusion Strategy Last December, we published action 15 of the Government Digital Strategy to show the government’s commitment to digital inclusion. Today, as the Director responsible for this area of work, I wanted to mark the launch of the Digital Inclusion Strategy as part of that commitment to reduce the number of people and organisations offline. We’ve also brought together 40 organisations from public, private and voluntary sectors to sign up to a new UK Digital Inclusion Charter. Partners like AgeUK, Asda, EE and the Society of Chief Librarians will work together in new ways to tackle digital exclusion by creating actions that can be scaled up nationally. This is a really exciting time for us because it’s the first time the government will be bringing together such a wide number of partners to tackle digital exclusion. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. How we developed the strategy Measuring success
Accessible Geeks Participle - The Circle Movement Circle is a membership organisation open to anyone over the age of 50, living within the geographic area of a local Circle. Its mission is to build and support the capabilities of its members to lead independent and flourishing lives. Participle developed Circle in 2007 in partnership with 250 older people and their families who told us they wanted 3 things: support with life’s practical tasks to stay sorted; to be socially connected around shared interests and values (not age) and the opportunity to live life with a purpose and contribute to their local community. Today Circle is run independently and offers social and practical support to all of its members. To date 7 Circles have been started in England and over 5,000 people across the country have joined. Open to all, regardless of levels of need or income, Circle has provided a model of how future services might look in Britain. What people have to say about Circle “I had not been out for a meal with other people for over 20 years.
Introducing the new digital inclusion team We’re setting up a new team to work in government and beyond to increase the digital skills of the UK. Today the Department for Business Innovation and Skills released the Information Economy Industrial Strategy (IEIS) to boost growth opportunities for digital industries. It includes something I’ve been working on with departments for a few months – setting up a new cross-government team that will be based in GDS to co-ordinate work on digital skills for citizens and businesses. The work of the team will be developed collaboratively with colleagues across government, but I’m writing this post to tell you more about why we’re putting it together and what it will do. Why are we doing this? The Government Digital Strategy sets out how central government is going to transform its services to become digital by default. Government already makes a substantial contribution to this, not least – as the IEIS sets out – working with Martha Lane Fox’s Go ON UK and funding UK Online Centres.
Disability Magazine | PosAbility Magazine — The UK's most innovative disability lifestyle magazine covering sports, careers, education, relationships, holidays or activities and experiences that are accessible to all. International Longevity Centre - UK Go ON UK | Basic Digital Skills Definition In the UK, 1 in 5 adults lack the following Basic Digital Skills. Want to know why? Take a look at what the common barriers to digital exclusion are. The Basic Digital Skills definition has been adopted to focus partner support and celebrate success. These ‘Basic Digital Skills’ are used as a basic standard of literacy for all Go ON UK partners. To learn more about why, read our rationale behind the change. You are welcome to use our Basic Digital Skills definition and can download a static version of the table as a PDF or image (JPEG).
Care systems integration Older people and their use of the internet If we start from a general assumption that the internet has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on society, and that access to the internet is regarded as a utility – or in some circles, a basic human right – in the same way as access to clean water and a reliable supply of power – then we should assume that this positive impact is one that should be shared across society. This is particularly so for those groups at the greatest risk of social exclusion and financial hardship. One of the great paradoxes of the emergence of the internet as a change for social good is that it can also easily lead to increased social exclusion. This report has been written to complement the State of the Art Literature Review on Older People and the Internet, commissioned by Nominet Trust and published in October 2011.
UK Digital Skills Taskforce Using ICT in activities for people with dementia - ICTs for keeping in touch There are two main ways you can use the internet to support communication for people with dementia: email internet phone services. ICT in action: Using the internet to call friends and family Our residents were wary of technology. Why use email with people with dementia? There are specific advantages to helping people with dementia use email: Copies of all emails are automatically stored so that each can be re-read every time an email is sent or received, which can help with recall. Basic kit for emailing A desktop computer, laptop or tablet Access to the internet Web-based email such as Yahoo or Hotmail Hints and tips for using email Make sure the friends or family the person wants to communicate with are willing and able to reply and that you have correct email addresses. Why use internet phone services with people with dementia? There are a number of services that allow people to talk to each other over the internet. Further information: costs savings with internet phone calls
Care4Care H of Lords report on digital skills Recommendations The report, entitled "Make or Break: The UK's Digital Future", urges the incoming Government to seize the opportunity to secure the UK’s place as a global digital leader by, among other things: making digital literacy a core subject at school, alongside English and Maths; viewing the internet as important as a utility, accessible to all; andputting a single ‘Digital Agenda’ at the heart of Government. The report also noted that there are certain sectors of society, and UK regions, falling behind at great cost to the economy; and that industry has a vital role to play in developing the right skills in the workplace, in further and higher education, and in schools. The report also found that there is a distinct lack of Government coordination on digital initiatives – the current digital 'activity' within Government includes four Government Ministers, a Taskforce, a Committee, and a Unit. Committee Chairman Call for action The economy -millions of jobs are at risk of automation.