Enabling Digital Inclusion through disused laptops

”Digital inclusion is the ability of individuals and groups to connect and use information and communication technologies.”

Digital inclusion has been expressed specifically to address issues of prospect, access, knowledge, and skill.
In short, digital inclusion is an arrangement for assessing and allowing for the readiness of communities to access to opportunities in a digital age.

Communications services and technological innovations should be available, accessible and affordable to all. Digital inclusion has three broad facets: access, adoption, and application. These facts show the ultimate goal of creating digitally inclusive communities.

Our digital Inclusion initiatives at Socialbox.biz offer the elderly and homeless people better access to the on-line world, so they can find and apply for jobs online, as well as other services like learning tools etc. Digital inclusion is not immediately about high-speed broadband network, it is also about ensuring affordability barriers and skills to completely benefit from being digitally engaged.

There is a connection between digital inclusion and improved quality of life and higher educational achievements. Digital inclusion also enhances the skill to participate in economic development opportunities. For those digitally excluded, it is neither fair nor right that the opportunities afforded to so many are still unavailable or inaccessible to those who can possibly benefit the most.

A digitally inclusive group of people is important to economic and workforce development and public participation.
Building a digitally inclusive community require participation and support from all sectors: libraries, community based organizations, business, and management and policy maker. Digital inclusion strategies differ widely. Even project that appear similar are implemented differently, often to accommodate restricted populations and use accessible resources.
• Digital Inclusion agenda works to ensure everyone from of income bracket, age, gender, ethnicity, employment, or ability has like and affordable access to technology and the digital literacy skill that support full sharing in modern society.
• 1.8 million UK households encompass no internet connection.
• A large percentage of persons on the wrong side of the digital split are compounded by other forms of difficulty, exclusion or helplessness.
• Growing evidence base, internationally and within UK, demonstrate that those digitally disqualified are more likely to bump into profound disadvantage.
• The ability to access, use, make and share knowledge using  Technology is critical to social inclusion. Technology is fixed in the very fabric of current society and it is easy to assume to the rewards are on hand to all.
• For many the benefits of technology can be unavailable, inaccessible or not affordable.
• Access to technology is fundamental to avoid digital exclusion.

To help solve digital exclusion and enable disadvantaged people to get their lives back on track, please donate laptops from your office or host a laptop donation collection box at your office contact us today :

https://www.socialbox.biz/contact-us/

2 responses to “Enabling Digital Inclusion through disused laptops”

  1. McG says:

    Here is a summary are some benefits from a arising from providing Digital inclusion on a public housing estate report where homes were connected with internet access via a wireless network and given a refurbished PC computer with open source software:

    Residents will have access to digital technologies and community intranet and will have a chance to contribute to, as well as explore their community at their own pace and distance via a range of digital mediums.

    -improved the social, economic and environmental circumstances of the community;
    strengthen the capacity and cohesiveness of the community and its networks and;
    provide access to information technology for those usually excluded from its benefits, that will lead to increase the skills and educational opportunities of housing estate families.

    It takes a whole of community approach to community building and economic development using new technologies as tools to provide equal access for all residents to local community and world-wide communications, alongside education, skills development, improved health and well-being, access to health and community services and employment opportunities.

    It includes components such as:
    development of intranet and appropriate communication management systems;
    involvement, coordination and integration of government, service providers and businesses;
    development, coordination and provision of training for residents;
    provision of access to information technology for residents, including provision of appropriate computer hardware, software and user support
    a community development model that enables the transition to resident involvement in the development of a social enterprise through training, support, systems development and business management;
    evaluation of its outcomes; and
    examination of the public-private partnership options.

    Strengthens and develops new partnerships and relationships between residents and community service providers, government at all levels and the business community
    use a community-development approach that encourages and develops community understanding, ownership and ongoing management of the project
    facilitate a community strength-based approach to the development of community responses to local issues, concerns and needs and
    mentor and support the implementation of coordinated, ‘grass-roots’ approaches to the provision of services and facilities for residents so that they are empowered to control their own lives.
    It adopts a direct-action strategy to address issues of affordable access to information technology; economic development of the local community; increasing user IT skills; the creation of web-based content that is relevant and the inspiration of local communities to life-long learning.

    It also includes components such as:

    development of intranet and appropriate communication management systems;
    development, coordination and provision of training for residents;
    provision of access to information technology for residents, including provision of appropriate computer hardware, software and user support;
    a community development model that enables the transition to resident involvement in the development of a social enterprise through training, support, systems development and business management;
    evaluation of its outcomes; and
    Implementation of coordinated, ‘grass-roots’ approaches to the provision of services and facilities for residents so that they are empowered to control their own lives.
    It adopts a direct-action strategy to address issues of affordable access to information technology; economic development of the community; increasing user IT skills; the creation of web-based content that is relevant and the inspiration of local communities to life-long learning.

    Community members are effecting tangible change, creating a positive and improved environment on the estate.

    The training is based on an active learning process that suits participants’ needs as adults: respecting and acknowledging that they have a vast amount of experience and responsibility to solve problems and to make decisions. The first group of participants completed the training.

    The goals are to foster social networks among the families involved in the school, build a greater sense of community, provide access to information technology for those normally excluded from its benefits, and increase skills and educational opportunities for the family members.

    Access to computer hardware is vital so that is why donations of laptop computers is a valuable initiative.

  2. Londoner_Bob says:

    The whole nature of the Internet poses challenges and opportunities for individuals and communities alike. These challenges and opportunities, however, are not evenly distributed across or within individuals and communities. Equal access to and participation in the online environment is essential for success in education, employment, finance, health and wellness, local engagement, and a fair society. And yet, communities and individuals find themselves at differing levels of readiness in their ability to access and use the Internet, robust access, a range of digital technologies, and digital content. Digital Inclusion studies addresses the efforts of a particular set of community-based libraries to address disparities and provide opportunity to individuals and communities by providing free access to broadband, public access technologies, digital content, digital literacy learning opportunities, and a range of programming that helps build digitally inclusive communities.

    These are some summaries of best practices from various reports;

    -Real life improvements for all citizens through ICT
    -Promoting good practice through signposting, promoting collaboration and capacity building initiatives
    -digital initiatives addressing issues of social exclusion
    – questions and queries answered and a place where a community of service providers and users will be able to share ideas and create open source, user-driven innovations
    to support industry on the development of new innovations and the spread of good solutions
    – to promote the specifications and protocols that will promote ICT enabled information and data sharing at a strategic, national and local level.

    Challenges:

    The challenge is to create a genuinely connected community in which individuals and groups from every sector of society are personally empowered to improve their lives, strengthen their communities and drive change through the use of IT. Voluntary Community Organisations are frustrated by a lack of easily accessible information about existing initiatives and strategies. They often feel isolated and under-resourced, and are eager to move beyond an emphasis on e-access alone to genuine capacity building. The extension and integration of existing ICT initiatives via personal connections lies at the heart of the region’s vision. This will be achieved by deploying Digital initiatives to personally show people what IT can do for them whether in their homes, or IT-equipped locations like supermarkets, homeless shelters and bingo halls. To deploy and personally demonstrate to socially excluded groups what IT can do to enhance their daily lives and to solicit feedback that will help redesign e-services to be more intuitive and easy to use.

    Europe’s poorer areas with many communities still feeling the loss of traditional industries. This severe economic decline has created many challenges including a lack of quality jobs, a dependence on declining sectors and low levels of ICT skills and usage.

    Many people in such regions still feel anxious and ill informed about technology. Citizens bemoan the loss of human contact that economic transformation has wrought, and yearn for a more personal touch.

    The challenge is to create a genuinely connected community in which individuals and groups from every sector of society are personally empowered to improve their lives, strengthen their communities and drive change through the use of IT.

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