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‘Towards a Truly Inclusive Digital Economy’

• Thank you. I’m delighted to be here this morning to talk about the key role of digital inclusion and the importance of investing in the citizen especially the elderly and those who have a disability.
• I know all of us here today recognise the significant role that digital technologies can play in helping people change their everyday lives and improve their life chances.
• I would like to thank everyone here today for attending this event. All of you today like me and the Digital Inclusion Minister Paul Murphy have vested interests in the work and research you are all undertaking to prove the link that the use of digital technologies by all members of society is essential to a thriving UK economy.
• Everyone in this room has an objective to raise awareness and produce research to show the importance of developing a truly inclusive digital economy so that all citizens including the elderly, disabled, those on low incomes and other hard to reach groups benefit from the use of ICT’s in their lives either directly or indirectly.
• The research used to inform our latest thinking around the digital inclusion has proved very valuable in proving to colleagues across Whitehall that in times of unemployment and recession digital technologies can be used to help get people back into work, improve education and skills and reduce costs for government and businesses alike.
• I realise that Digital inclusion isn’t just only about access, skills or confidence - it’s also about designing useable equipment for all without the need for special adaptation or specialised design - It’s also about making access to technological equipment easy for those with disabilities.
• Price also has an important part to play. Many assistive technologies are far too expensive and government is now looking to see how we can get manufacturers to design equipment for all of society but at a low cost.
• Digitally excluded individuals have less opportunity to take part in education, training, shopping, entertainment and communication opportunities that are available online.
• Digital inclusion is a key objective of this Government, to make sure that everyone in the UK, regardless of their circumstances has the opportunity to benefit from the information revolution.
• Overcoming this ‘digital exclusion’ is not just a social necessity; it’s a requirement of society and this government. Research conducted by the European Union provides insight into the economic benefits of achieving digital inclusion.
• A report by the European Commission estimates that if all the current EU policy targets on digital inclusion were met, economic growth in Europe could be boosted by €85 billion in the next five years.
• There is considerable data which demonstrates and backs up the varied economic benefits of digital cost savings from technology. Key figures taken from Economic benefits of digital inclusion include:

- £200m contribution to the UK economy until 2020 by raising ICT skills
- 1.14 to 1.54 per cent increase in UK Gross Domestic Product 2008-2010 due to public spending on e-government and digital literacy programmes
- £140m per year potential saving through fewer missed hospital appointments with NHS Choose and Book

• Not everyone in the UK is so lucky. Around 17 million adults in the UK today have no experience of the Internet. They lack skills, access or confidence. Many are disabled, socially disadvantaged as well as digitally excluded.
• The ‘prize’ of digital inclusion is not the technology itself, but the capability of that technology to connect individuals to new opportunities and to deliver better services for our citizens. In the current economic climate it is even more vital that everyone shares in the benefits of technology.
• We strive to get maximum benefit from more than 70 cross-government activities that build digital inclusion, by working together across government, with a dedicated Cabinet Committee on Digital Inclusion set up in 2008
• My officials are now analysing the responses to the cross-government ‘Delivering Digital Inclusion’ consultation which was launched on 24 October to seek views on proposals for driving greater digital inclusion.
• A key proposal was the appointment of an independent Digital Inclusion Champion, who we plan to appoint in late Spring, to work with us and across all sectors to drive forward greater digital inclusion. The champion will look at e-Accessibility issues affecting those with disabilities and the elderly within the UK.
• Our review and consultation document has been informed by both the evaluation of existing research and new research undertaken to help develop the Action Plan.
• We commissioned five supporting research reports to help us evaluate the situation within the UK. All can be found at the back of the consultation “Delivering Digital Inclusion – An action plan for consultation” and located on the CLG website.
• One of the reports “Understanding Digital Exclusion” commissioned from FreshMinds looked at the link between social exclusion and digital exclusion. Their research showed us that 15 per cent of the population – more than six million adults – is both socially and digitally excluded. We have an opportunity here to make a difference to these people’s lives, and many more.
• Oxford Internet Survey research referenced at the back of our report gives a detailed insight into the influence of the Internet on everyday life in Britain. Some of the areas covered include: digital and social inclusion and exclusion; regulation and governance of the Internet; privacy, trust and risk concerns; social networking and entertainment; and online education.
• Surveys have already been undertaken in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 of nationally representative random samples of 2000 people in the UK. By comparing different datasets over time, careful predictions about the future of the Internet are made in relation to how the Internet is affecting our society.
• The Oxford Internet Survey 2009 Report focuses on the use of web 2.0 and mobile applications, digital literacy and the quality of people’s ICT experiences. The ex- and non-users sections have now been extended to understand the balance between digital choice and digital exclusion and to get more detailed information on proxy-use.
• The Digital Inclusion Action plan also highlights that there are over 10 million disabled people in Britain and in 2007 the Disability Rights Commission reported that of all people in Britain without any formal qualifications, over one-third were disabled, and that of all people of working age out of work, 40 per cent were disabled.
• Many assistive technologies can help to ensure older people and people with disabilities can participate equally in society, engage directly with others and receive equal levels of service delivery.
• For example, at a One Stop Shop in Islington, the ‘Sign Video Call Centre’ offers on-demand sign interpretation for deaf visitors. There are also software packages which convert speech to text.
• I see digital technologies and especially assistive technologies as an essential part of daily life and playing an important part in our future lives as we all get older. As an example, the modern telephone is inaccessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• But once combined with a text telephone (also known as a TDD Telecommunications device for the deaf) which converts typed characters into tones that can be sent over the telephone line, a deaf person is able to communicate immediately at a distance.
• Together with “relay” services, in which an operator reads what the deaf person types and types what a hearing person says, the deaf person is then given access to everyone’s telephone, not just those of people who possess text telephones.
• Many telephones now have volume controls, which are primarily intended for the benefit of people who are hard of hearing, but can be useful for all users at times and places where there is significant background noise. Some have larger keys well-spaced to facilitate accurate dialling.
• Another example is Digital switchover. Television is a service which people feel passionate about. It provides them with news, entertainment, and education – and, for many, companionship - on a daily basis.
• As the process of digital TV switchover gathers pace, the good news is that digital TV offers more programmes and better quality reception than analogue, as well as new facilities such as audio description.
• But an increase in the functionality of all digital technologies carries with it the risk of greater complexity in operations. Complex user interfaces, multiple remote controls and often confusing ways of navigating through digital content can all act to exclude or frustrate people who were perfectly able to use equipment before.
• In order to ensure that older people (aged 75 or over) and more vulnerable members of society (those on attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance, mobility supplements, disability allowances) are not left behind without any support, the Digital Switchover Help scheme has been established to provide practical help and advice, technical support. The Lord Stephen Carter has asked industry as part of his Digital Britain Report to see if they can build a broadband return path capability for set-top boxes from 2010.
• Although improvements in health services are such that many older people are much more active and healthy than previous generations, the issues associated with longer life expectancy mean that digital technologies will have a considerable role to play in meeting the needs of older people.
• Digital Technologies can help with Independent living: An increasingly aging population will mean a significant increased cost in the provision of health care. Digital technologies are now being used to provide ‘telecare’ (for example, through personal alarms and preventative technologies) to support older people to continue living independently in their own homes.
• There can also be economic benefits of this approach which, among other things, can help to reduce direct care costs and reduce delays to discharges from hospital.
• Government sees preventing the onset of chronic conditions, delivering care to those with chronic conditions, particularly the elderly and disabled, and supporting the more vulnerable members of society through the use of ICT as one of the biggest challenges of the early 21st century.
• Given the predicted increase in the numbers of people living with such conditions, current care models are unsustainable, and major changes will be needed. The number of people of pensionable age is projected to increase from 11.4 million to 15.3 million by 2031.
• Any 21st century health and social care service will have to make greater use of technology, deliver care closer to and sometimes in, the home and make increasing use of a person’s capacity to “self-care” by supporting them appropriately.
• Digital Technologies can help with Volunteering and work: studies have suggested that one million more active older people who are not currently in paid work could be, adding up to £30bn to annual economic output.
• Also, approximately five million people over the age of 50 take part in unpaid voluntary work, with an increasing reliance on digital technologies. Research has shown that older workers are far more likely to use the Web for learning than younger employees.
• Digital Technologies can help with Social isolation/engagement: technologies can help older people to stay in touch with families and friends who may be spread around the world through relatively cheap and increasingly sophisticated forms of communication, such as Skype and social networking sites.
• The growth of online services also provides ready access to goods and services that may be unavailable or difficult to reach for older people, particularly those living in rural communities – having groceries delivered to the door for example, or accessing a bank account online where local high street amenities are unavailable.
• We are committed to looking at how the use of digital technologies can help assist people lives in the future. Government funds a number of research and demonstration activities in the area of Assisted Living under the umbrella of the Assisted Living Innovation Platform.
• I was in Vienna last December at the Ministerial e-Inclusion Conference to reconfirm the UK‘s commitment to the RIGA declaration, highlight our digital inclusion action plan and promote the good work that is already happening within the UK. We are seen as leaders within Europe and the UK won two awards at the e-Inclusion awards ceremony and was nominated for five categories out of seven. The only member state to have more than one nominee.
• Government is engaged with organisations such as RNIB, RNID, sense, Held the aged, Age concern and citizens Online to name a few. We have formed a new company called “Digital Outreach” to deliver a community outreach programme in connection with Help the aged and age concern funded by Digital UK to support older and vulnerable people who may not qualify for support for the digital help scheme. We are engaged with manufacturers to make sure that future digital equipment is designed in mind with the needs of older and a disabled people.
• We must therefore work together to ensure that those who are less familiar with digital technology are not left behind and that we have the right information and research in the hands of policy advisors, industry, third sector organisations - the people who will make a difference and use it wisely.
• Ensuring all our citizens benefit from being digitally included is a challenge that can not be achieved by Government alone. But by working together across all sectors, we can make a real difference.