Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) continue to be a major driver of economic and social modernization. Europe is among the world leaders in the development of the digital economy, but there are few problems, like e-inclusion and e-accessibility. Digital convergence is now a reality and the Internet is an essential tool for our economies and daily lives. Broadband is becoming the standard mode of connectivity. Online content is developing fast, mainly in new and user-created content areas.e-inclusion, e-accessibility, digital economy, ICT

Florin Martin

English

Research Papers in Economics

   
 
 
                                  Studies in Business and Economics 
 
 
 
 
E-INCLUSION AND E-ACCESSIBILITY 
 
 
MARTIN Florin 
 
Abstract: 
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) continue to be a major driver of 
economic and social modernization. Europe is among the world leaders in the development of 
the digital economy, but there are few problems, like e-inclusion and e-accessibility. Digital 
convergence is now a reality and the Internet is an essential tool for our economies and daily 
lives. Broadband is becoming the standard mode of connectivity. Online content is developing 
fast, mainly in new and user-created content areas. 
 
Keywords: e-inclusion, e-accessibility, digital economy, ICT 
 
 
New economy or digital economy is the result of interaction between 
computer, telecommunications, Internet and electronics. It is characterized by a series 
of quite remarkable features of the traditional economy, which are: 
1.  A new model of business (e-business, e-commerce, e-banking, etc.)   
through intranet and Internet, radically changing their effectiveness, to reduce costs, 
including the transactional based business to business relationship (B2B), business / 
customer (B2C), business / employee (B2E), business / government (B2G), 
government / business (G2B), etc.. More recently, electronic commerce has become 
the largest expansion as a concrete realization of business, plus the markets and 
shaping of sui generis scientific knowledge, driven by the unprecedented pace of 
development of the research and development.  
2.  Placed in the foreground application and needs, which is involved in an 
increasingly bigger on design, development and use of goods and services, starting 
from the stage of research and development. From this standpoint, the new economy 
is an interactive, participatory, achieving the interface between supply and demand on 
a range of volume and structure in space and time, much more rigorous. The role of 
the consumer grows mainly in the sense that it may become an important source of 
innovation, ideas for the manufacturer or forcing innovation in order to maintain or 
extend the market's increasing comfort or, what is very important, to raise the level of 
sustainability of economic development.  
3.  Competition and cooperation are two inseparable sides of the digital 
economy, taking into account the interaction between supply and demand. The 
                   Studies in Business and Economics - 35 -                                                                                                                             
 
 
Studies in Business and Economics 
- 36 -   Studies in Business and Economics 
manifestation forms of competition between producers are radically changed the 
priority to be granted to a consumer in continuous and rapid change, in terms of needs, 
tastes and requirements so that it forces competitors to cooperate. 
4.  Implies a higher consumption of job design, high level which creates a 
higher value, new jobs, business opportunities and creativity, by the existence of 
interconnected and flexible standards that facilitate integration of the need and / or 
individualization of different consumers. Here that the new economy is 
"scientointensivă” and “artintensivă”. 
Digital economy is considered a superior form of economy in general. This 
comes from its economic effects, namely reducing the consumption of resources, 
increasing entrepreneurship and innovative entrepreneurs, labor productivity growth, 
production and speed of change economic phenomena and processes, increase the 
value added, etc..  
New economy is subject to the principle that “the more people involved the 
bigger benefit for everyone involved”. 
 
E-inclusion and e-accessibility  
Accessibility is part of the e-inclusion, along with reducing differences in the 
availability, cost and skills of digital. 
E-Inclusion means all actions to be taken to create an inclusive information 
society, namely the information society for all. The aim is to enable each person who 
wishes to participate in the information society, despite a personal or social 
disadvantage. E-inclusion is necessary for reasons of social justice, to ensure fairness 
in the knowledge society. It is necessary also, for economic reasons, to use the full 
potential of the Information Society presented to increase productivity and reduce costs 
caused by economic and social exclusion. Finally, an inclusive information society 
presents many opportunities for the ICT market. 
E-inclusion is an important factor for achieving the objectives of economic and 
social development set by the i2010 initiative - An Information Society for growth and 
employment and, implicitly, the goals set by the Lisbon Agenda.  
Indeed, reducing the differences in terms of broadband connections and 
accessibility or improving skills leads to new jobs and services. First estimates indicate 
that the benefits generated in the EU could have a value of between 35 and 85 billion 
over five years.  
Given the importance of ICT, the inability to access or to use them is one of the 
main forms of social and economic exclusion. Digital persistent disparities affected the 
cohesion and prosperity. 
Preconditions for participation in the information society are the availability of 
ICT access at affordable prices and ability to use them. Currently, there are still many 
people who can not benefit fully from the opportunities offered by ICT because of these 
preconditions are not fulfilled. 
Information Society in Romania is at a low level of development, which 
positions on the latest places in European Union. In 2007, place 27 in terms of    
 
 
                                  Studies in Business and Economics 
percentage of users who use the internet regularly, with a percentage of 22% near the 
EU average of 51%. In the EU, Romania is ranked 27 positions in the following 
categories:  
9  Percentage of enterprises connected to the internet (37% and EU average 
is 77%) 
9  Use of e-mail  
9  Search for information about goods and services 
9  Reading of electronic journals 
9  Percentage of public services for citizens (8% while the EU average is 
51%) 
9  Percent of population and enterprises that use e-government service  
9  Percentage of staff that has knowledge of using ICT  
ICT still has a limited role in the Romanian economy. Enterprise connectivity to 
broadband was 37% in December 2007, one of the lowest figures in Europe and less 
than half the EU average. Low connectivity results in low levels of e-commerce and low 
use of e-business applications. The level of digital literacy and eSkills is also the lowest 
of the EU. 
 
 
Some people not have physical access to ICT products and services, 
especially in broadband connections, and other, can not afford to use these 
technologies. In addition, the provision of broadband connection with enough speed is 
crucial to reap the full benefits of the information society. In some years, it will require a 
                   Studies in Business and Economics - 37 -                                                                                                                             
 
 
Studies in Business and Economics 
- 38 -   Studies in Business and Economics 
minimum speed of 20 Mb/sec for services, such as telemedicine, which are particularly 
important for many people at risk of exclusion, especially for older people whose 
numbers is growing. It is also important awareness-raising on the risks involved in 
processing, through ICT networks, personal data and educating users in this regard 
(eg, identity theft, the establishment of profiles in a discriminatory manner, continuous 
surveillance, etc.). 
Use of ICT, especially mobile telephony and internet services, has spread 
rapidly among many population groups. In recent years, differences of a digital were 
reduced with regard to the criteria of gender and age or between the unemployed and 
the working population. But there are structural differences in persistent and 
challenges which have to deal with. This includes in particular the following:  
•  ICT involved important for many. However, the supply of accessible ICT is 
still insufficient due to market or other obstacles.  
•  Differences in information skills persist. As the use of ICT and ICT-based 
services is expanding, certain population groups fail to keep in step with it, 
especially people with an inactive or low level of education. Absence of 
content available in languages spoken by potential users is, still an 
obstacle. 
•  There are also differences between schools in terms of broadband 
connections, the availability of computers and skills in ICT for teachers, 
and differences between SMEs in terms of exploiting the benefits 
generated by ICT. 
•  Although the rate of Internet use is increasing, approximately 50% of the 
European population doesn’t use it regularly. Most non-users are found 
among people with low education or the inactive population aged. 
•  Users can, themselves, act but their response is still fragmented and 
relatively weak in Europe compared with the United States. 
However, the supply of ICT solutions at reasonable cost and tailored to specific 
needs is insufficient. Specific issues on which companies and providers should act are: 
•  Broadband connections are not yet available in some regions of Europe, 
differences persist between urban and rural areas and the price of 
broadband services varies considerably.  
•  In many countries continue to lack access to electronic services such as 
web sites, digital television, telephone access to emergency services or 
public information terminals and new obstacles. This is often caused by 
structural deficiencies of the market and lack of common approach on the 
internal market, which creates major obstacles for businesses. Further, 
technology and consumer services not paid attention to the need for a 
method of inclusive design / design for all. Thus, the segment e-
accessibility, which is several billion, is not exploited (it is estimated that 
people with disabilities represent 15% of the EU population).  
•  Overall, the e-accessibility is better in countries that have strong legislation 
in the field, without thereby constitute an obstacle to the existence of a    
 
 
                                  Studies in Business and Economics 
market for ICT fully open to competition. Rather, the laws on e-accessibility 
have created conditions for companies and provide new business 
opportunities. 
 
 
 
Measures to increase accessibility and inclusion 
•  Legislative measures and non-legislative (pilot projects, research and 
promotion) must be brought together, aiming at further international 
cooperation in e-accessibility.  
•  Reduce disparities in terms of IT skills among the population at risk of 
exclusion. 
 
 2007  EU  rank 
% of population with no internet skills  71  40  27 
% of population with low internet skills  16  29   
% of population with medium internet skills  10  23   
% of population with hight internet skills  2  8  27 
% of person employed with ICT user skills  9,6  18,2  27 
% of person employed with ICT speciakist skills  2,5  3,1  24 
 
•  Regional and local authorities should focus their efforts to reduce 
disparities in terms of broadband connections, including the use of 
structural funds and community development and to promote an inclusive 
                   Studies in Business and Economics - 39 -                                                                                                                             
 
 
Studies in Business and Economics 
- 40 -   Studies in Business and Economics 
information society, particularly in remote and rural areas. Equally, should 
support the development of infrastructure and applications and online 
services for citizens (e-health, e-governance, e-learning and e-inclusion). 
•  Finding solutions which respect privacy, for people with sensory, physical, 
motor and/or cognitive limits, so that they can use digital TV and electronic 
communications notably to safeguard access to emergency services and 
interoperability (as the proposed revision of the directives on electronic 
communications), the current cooperation with users. 
•  Businesses and users should continue cooperation with the European 
standards organizations, in particular to establish rules for public 
procurement of accessible products and services based on ICT.  
•  Creating a horizontal legislative approach for an information society 
accessible to all, to guarantee equal rights and an effective internal 
market. 
•  Integration of persons deprived of the social through modern online public 
services. This is the most direct way to promote inclusion, particularly for 
social services in direct contact with persons at risk of exclusion. 
New technologies are a powerful tool but also neutral, which can be used to 
solve several problems community. However, his real strength lies in its ability to 
support the holistic development processes that promote social and economic benefits 
on long-term. More specifically, if information and communication technologies are 
used effectively, they can help create an educated work force and build a successful 
economy.  
The role of information society in economic and social participation should be 
included in the Europe agenda. 
 
 
References: 
 CEDEFOP  Panarama,  “ICT practitioner skills and training”, Luxembourg 2004  
 European Commission, "European i2010 initiative on e-Inclusion" Brussels, 
8.11.2007 - COM (2007) 694 final  
 European  Commission,  "Research EU” - No. 8 / 2008, Luxembourg  
 European  Commission,  “Preparing Europe's digital future i2010 Mid-Term Review”  
 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society   
 http://portal.acm.org 
  

694 final  European Commission, &quot;Research

ICT practitioner skills and training”,

E-INCLUSION AND E-ACCESSIBILITY

http://eccsf.ulbsibiu.ro/RePEc/blg/journl/336martin.pdf

E-INCLUSION AND E-ACCESSIBILITY

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Research Papers in Economics