Digital inclusion - the vision, the challenges and the way forward

This paper considers the vision and aspiration of digital inclusion, and then examines the current reality. It looks beyond the rhetoric to provide an analysis of the status quo, a consideration of some facilitators and challenges to progress and some suggestions for moving forward with renewed energy and commitment. The far-reaching benefits of digital inclusion and the crucial role it plays in enabling full participation in our digital society are considered. At the heart of the vision of universal digital inclusion is the deceptively simple goal to ensure that everyone is able to access and experience the wide-ranging benefits and transformational opportunities and impacts it offers. The reality is a long way from the vision: inequality of access still exists despite many national campaigns and initiatives to reduce it. The benefits and beneficiaries of a digital society are not just the individual but all stakeholders in the wider society. Research evidence has shown that the critical success factors for successful digital participation are (i) appropriate design and (ii) readily available and on-going ICT (Information and Communication Technology) support in the community. Challenges and proven solutions are presented. The proposition of community hubs in local venues to provide user-centred ICT support and learning for older and disabled people is presented. While the challenges to achieve digital inclusion are very considerable, the knowledge of how to achieve it and the technologies which enable it already exist. Harnessing of political will is necessary to make digital inclusion a reality rather than a vision. With the cooperation and commitment of all stakeholders actualisation of the vision of a digitally inclusive society, while challenging, can be achieved and will yield opportunities and rewards that eclipse the cost of implementation

Digital inclusion: the vision and reality

The benefits of a digitally inclusive society are vast and the need for such inclusion is now a requirement for full participation in our society. While the basic concept of universal digital inclusion is simple, the reality is a long way from the vision. Despite efforts to reduce it, inequality of access still exists. The beneficiaries of a digital society are not just the individual, but all stakeholders in the wider society. While the challenges to achieve a fully inclusive digital society are considerable, the knowledge of how to create such a society already exists. The creation of local venues f or inclusively designed ICT (Information and Communications Technology), support and learning in familiar places along with the harnessing of political will could make such a society a reality rather than a vision. With the cooperation of all stakeholders , actualisation of the vision of a digitally inclusive society, while challenging, will yield opportunities that eclipse the cost of implementation

Social exclusion of older persons: a scoping review and conceptual framework

As a concept, social exclusion has considerable potential to explain and respond to disadvantage in later life. However, in the context of ageing populations, the construct remains ambiguous. A disjointed evidence-base, spread across disparate disciplines, compounds the challenge of developing a coherent understanding of exclusion in older age. This article addresses this research deficit by presenting the findings of a two-stage scoping review encompassing seven separate reviews of the international literature pertaining to old-age social exclusion. Stage one involved a review of conceptual frameworks on old-age exclusion, identifying conceptual understandings and key domains of later-life exclusion. Stage two involved scoping reviews on each domain (six in all). Stage one identified six conceptual frameworks on old-age exclusion and six common domains across these frameworks: neighbourhood and community; services, amenities and mobility; social relations; material and financial resources; socio-cultural aspects; and civic participation. International literature concentrated on the first four domains, but indicated a general lack of research knowledge and of theoretical development. Drawing on all seven scoping reviews and a knowledge synthesis, the article presents a new definition and conceptual framework relating to old-age exclusion

Blend-4 User-system interaction

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:5188.555F(LIR--45) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Advisory on ambient assisted living solutions : towards an advisor concept and training curriculum

Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions have opened up a market of service provision for older adults and their caregivers. Insufficient public awareness and end-user involvement on AAL solutions have been influencing the market negatively. Advisory services on AAL solutions are a promising strategy to address those challenges but those are typically missing, provided at a very small scale or by the providers in the context of sales activities. This study aims to identify the prospective benefits of an advisor on AAL solutions, as well as the profile, knowledge and skills required for this role and training preferences. A qualitative study was performed resorting to workshops and interviews with AAL stakeholders to collect data. A comprehensive literature review was carried out to identify experiences and practices on education for AAL advisors. Both data were subjected to a content analysis. Findings were used to define and refine the concept of Authorised Active Advisors, resulting in a clarification of its added-value, on the definition of advisor profiles, as well as on a list of skills and knowledge required. Training preferences revealed by the participants together with the literature analysis, feed a training concept presented in this paper. Finally, the training objectives, contents, learning outcomes and learning/teaching methods are defined and a training hub mock-up is shown. The preferred training modality is based on a blended-learning approach

Participation and social connectivity

This chapter examines older people’s experiences of participation and social connectivity across a range of geographical and social locations within the UK and in low and middle income countries in order to test conceptualisations of older people’s participation and social connectivity against experience, and to begin to trace out the individual, local, meso and macro factors and linkages that need to be addressed to extend meaningful participation and engagement for people who happen to be older

External User Inclusion in Public e-Service Development : Exploring the Current Practice in Sweden

For the last decade e-government research has underlined the importance of an external user perspective in public e-service development and there have been numerous attempts to provide guidance and directions for government agencies in this matter. Individual research studies show little progress in this matter, but a more generalisable picture of the current state of external user inclusion is missing. The aim of this paper is to provide a better and more generalisable understanding of Swedish government agencies’ current practice of external user inclusion in public e-service development. In order to do so, we have interviewed Swedish government agencies regarding their perceptions on external user inclusion. Our findings show mixed results regarding attitudes towards and current practice of external user inclusion. It is clear that organisational size and previous experience of public e-service development matter. At the same time challenges such as a general lack of resurces and a lack of time are seen as general barriers, regardless of agency level and size

Advancing public trust relationships in electronic government: The Singapore E-Filing journey

10.1287/isre.1110.0386Information Systems Research2341110-113