6.3 <3 diversity and inclusion

• Demographic imbalance


  Where one demographic group is less included than others
• Approaches to addressing the demographic imbalance in the digital sector

  • Increasing cultural awareness of different types of bias
  • Inclusion by design of digital technologies and systems and digital inclusion principles
  • Government initiatives
• Bias


  Forming friendships exclusively with people who share the same interests or background, resulting in bias (probably unconscious) against those who do not share the same interests or background
• Bias can take many forms including gender and age
• People should be treated equally irrespective of their disability, racial background, gender or age. Their skills, qualifications and experience should be more important.
• Inclusive recruitment


  An approach where no demographic information is provided to those carrying out the selection process, to reduce bias
• Digital inclusion principles


  • Low cost and accessible connections
  • Motivation to go online
  • Access to appropriate and connected devices
  • Skills, confidence and safety
• To achieve digital inclusion principles

  1. Training may need to be offered

  2. People's digital rights need to be clear

  3. Connectivity should be defined as a basic need
• UK Government's digital inclusion checklist

  • Start with the user needs – not your own
  • Improve access – stop making things difficult
  • Motivate people – find something they care about
  • Keep it safe – build trust
  • Work with others - don't do it alone
  • Focus on wider outcomes – measure performance
• UK Government initiatives to enhance digital inclusion

  • Making your service accessible
  • Assisted digital support
• UK Government's digital inclusion scale

  Rates the UK population on a scale from 1 to 9 to assess progress on increasing digital inclusion
• The Digital Economy Act and the UK Digital Strategy bought in legislation commitments about increasing digital inclusion
• The UK Government provided details about how the digital divide (digital exclusion) had been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic and set out initiatives to reduce it
• The Skills Toolkit


  Covers digital areas, including digital design and marketing, coding and AI
• Activity - THINK, PAIR, SHARE


  1. Research digital inclusion principles

  2. Make your own list of the ten most important principles

  3. Discuss your list with the group and make a definitive list of ten principles

  4. Explain how each principle would be achieved