The second End Digital Poverty Day, on 12th September 2024, provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made in closing the digital divide. With 2.7 billion people globally still disconnected from the internet, digital inclusion is about more than just providing devices or internet access; it involves addressing a range of needs, including tech support, confidence, skills, and safety.
Joined-Up Thinking and Action
The #Joiningthedots initiative aims to promote joined-up thinking and actions, ensuring that efforts to close the digital divide are sustainable, scalable, strategic, and impactful. It brings together 15 communities representing 140,000 technology leaders and professionals, contributing to the Digital Poverty Alliance’s (DPA) National Delivery Plan as a Committee member.
BCS Digital Divide Specialist Group (DDSG)
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, has over 70,000 members globally, all committed to “Making IT good for society.” The DDSG was established to further its strategic priority of closing the digital divide by ensuring that “no one is left digitally behind.”
Key Highlights
#Joiningthedots Dashboard
The #Joiningthedots dashboard was created to highlight major digital inclusion efforts. For example, you can donate devices to the Digital Poverty Alliance. If you are interested in designing and implementing digital solutions that are more inclusive and accessible, see the Digital Inclusive Design Educational Tool.
BCS Digital Divide Webinars
Monthly webinars raise awareness of how technology can support marginalised groups, such as those experiencing autism, loneliness, or visual impairment. These webinars also showcase digital inclusion initiatives across the UK. You can view past and upcoming events here.
BCS-DPA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
BCS and DPA have signed an MOU to jointly advocate for government and industry action on digital poverty. On 23rd October 2024, an event will explore further strategies for closing the digital divide.
Higher Education Sector Collaboration
The Higher Education Commission’s April 2024 report included a recommendation for universities to address digital exclusion among students. This is another example of how the #Joiningthedots approach is being applied within this sector.
Hopes, Fears, and Expectations of the Internet
At a Royal Society event marking the 50th anniversary of the internet, I shared the following thoughts:
- Hope: A truly inclusive and equitable digital world where everyone can fully engage online.
- Fear: That the digital world will widen the divide between the Haves and Have Nots, Cans and Cannot, Wills and Will Nots.
- Expectation: A world where we all take responsibility, as individuals, communities, and organisations, to ensure no one is left digitally behind by #Joiningthedots.
Vint Cerf, a founder of the internet, reminded us that the internet’s purpose is to be accessible to all, and we must make it more inclusive, especially for people with disabilities.
BCS Member in the Community
The “BCS Member in the Community” initiative emerged from last year’s BCS-DPA Strategy Day. Every IT and digital professional has the ability to use digital technologies for work, life, and entertainment. Here are updates on pledges made to the DPA’s National Delivery Plan, along with some inspiring stories.
Pledge 1: Tech Support Pilot
The Digital Helping Hands initiative, led by BCS, #Joiningthedots, and WaveLength, with support from technology partners Unisys and ServiceNow, has launched an IT helpdesk pilot with Anawim, a charity supporting vulnerable women. This pilot aims to explore how to offer tech support to individuals outside of work environments.
Pledge 2: Digital Inclusive Design Educational Tool
BCS members spearheaded the development of a Digital Inclusive Design Educational Tool to promote more accessible digital solutions. Initial research, incorporating insights from LOTI, Lloyds Bank, and Cambridge University, has helped create evolving digital personas that reflect users’ changing needs, guiding designers to consider both physical and cognitive limitations when developing digital products.
Pledge 3: Higher Education Digital Inclusion Strategy
At Digital Universities Week 2023, organised by Times Higher Education, BCS, DPA, and several universities launched a sector-wide Digital Inclusion Strategy. Coordinated by Freddie Quek FBCS and Charlotte Coles, a working group led by Professor Nawaz of Staffordshire University produced a manifesto focused on accessibility, equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and empowerment, as well as a toolkit for universities to adopt.
BCS Member in the Community Stories
BCS Fellow Andy Wake founded Town and Community in North East England to repurpose obsolete devices for local beneficiaries. One initiative from this project, which won an award, has helped 400 children with diabetes manage their condition. More stories of BCS members making a difference in their communities can be found on the DDSG website.
Amplifying #EndDigitalPovertyDay
A special webinar on the importance of digital literacy in addressing homelessness was co-organised by the DDSG and the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists. It was a pleasure to be #Joiningthedots with the University of St Andrews on the launch of its Digital Inclusion WikiConnect project, aimed at creating relevant content on digital poverty.
Let’s continue #Joiningthedots to end digital poverty!
The DPA thanks Freddie Quek for his support of this year’s End Digital Poverty Day.