Abstract

Social Inclusion Requires Digital Inclusion

Format:  

Conference Year:  2008

Abstract

It is fundamental to digital inclusion and the maintenance of a civil demographic society into the future that models to provide affordable internet access be developed and applied. No society can survive at the forefront of advanced nations without taking advantage of the communication technologies that emerge as the society develops.

There are a number of particular groups in the community who are disadvantaged in access to digital technology and for whom special programs must be developed.
* people on low incomes
* the unemployed & people not in the paid workforce
* people of non-English-speaking background
* indigenous Australians
* the aged
* people living in small country towns
* families without dependent children

Because computer access and internet access have become almost synonymous, and because internet access is becoming increasingly important to social, financial and political life, it is apparent that democratic government must urgently address the importance of aiming at full digital inclusion before exclusion creates a permanently disadvantaged and crippled demographic.

Digital inclusion will dictate how people relate, how they influence the lives of others, how they work and how they play, how they relate to non-government and commercial organisations, how they relate to government at all levels, how they gain access to government policy and achievements, and how they exercise their electoral rights and responsibilities,

Digital inclusion will encompass and modify social inclusion, community inclusion, political inclusion and recreational inclusion.

Andrew's talk is available as a podcast.