As part of our work on a new digital Government project for the COI targeting at risk clusters, I’ve been getting my head around digital inclusion. Developing public websites has traditionally focused on accessibility and usability, but it's clear that better insights into the users themselves are essential.
Government services are increasingly being delivered online, but this carries the risk of increasing exclusion for disadvantaged people. For example the figure below shows that in 2007 only 10% of over 70's have internet access at home and 35% of DE's.
Figure 1: Growth in take-up by platform, 2005 and 2007, by age and socio-economic group
source: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/media_literacy/medlitpub/medlitpubrss/ml_adult08/
When you’re trying to communicate with at risk groups you can reduce exclusion by having a good understanding of their digital behaviour. Ethnographic research into the topic would give some good insights, but if you don’t have the luxury of budget for bespoke research, there is a wealth of information available on the web.
One of my first ports of call was with the Digital Inclusion Team. They are part of the Communities and Local Government department and their focus is on the use of technology either directly or indirectly to improve the lives and life chances of disadvantaged people and the places in which they live.
Their 2007 report “The Links between Digital Disengagement and Social Exclusion” states that 33% of households don’t have a home computer and 50% don’t have broadband. The report confirms that use decreases with age, increases with wealth and socio-economic status.
Ewen at the Digital Inclusion Team has a wealth of information on the subject and pointed me in the direction of the Ofcom website. Part of Ofcom’s remit is to monitor the Media Literacy of the UK population.
They’re definition of media literacy is “the ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts” and breaks down into
Access: includes take-up of media platforms such as computers and mobile phones and how they connect to digital media sources (e.g. broadband, dial-up, wireless, mobile)
Understand: includes interest and competence in using the features available on each platform, extent and levels of concern about content, trust in internet sites
Create: includes people’s confidence in engaging with digital creative content, and their interest in carrying out creative tasks, notably using social networking sites.
Their most recent research is the “Media Literacy Report 2008”. The report has a wealth of useful information and robust statistics. Their core model of media literacy (Access, Understand, Create) is especially useful building personas and use cases.
Understanding that users may have to go to a relatives house to get broadband access, or may need help (from their kids) to use basic internet services can help digital planners focus on functionality which supports these behaviours.
The Digital Inclusion team are currently finalising a piece of ethnographic research on at risk clusters in Kent with Dr. Robin Pharoah from ESRO which should be available later this month.
