Creating user-led inclusive digital services

NDA Annual Conference 2015 – Planning and leadership for inclusive mainstream public services to people with disabilities DTSI

Leela DamodaranProfessor of Digital Inclusion and Participation

12th October 2015

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Defining Digital Inclusion

A digitally inclusive society is one in which all members are able to access, use and understand digital technologies. This requires policies and practices that ensure the following preconditions for digital inclusion:

Connectivity – infrastructure and individual access to appropriate hardware, software, services

Capability – education, ability/disability, digital literacy and skills

Content – availability of accessible, meaningful, relevant material

Digital Inclusion – Why is it important?

It offers significant benefits to All - including people with disabilities

Sustains and enhances independence and autonomy:• Online access at any time• Enables working from home

Promotes social and economic inclusion:• Communication with friends, families, work colleagues• Purchase of goods and services, paying of bills

Fundamental to full participation in society:• Vote online, express their opinion, hear debate, participate in

social media & forums

Digital Inclusion – The Beneficiaries

Individuals – enables people with disabilities to be more independent and have more of a presence

Service providers – more person-centred, user-led services which better meet user requirements

Designers, developers of online services and retailers –more accessible, inclusive services increase their customer base and return on investment

Government (local and national) – increased citizen participation and cost savings from collaboration

Society and the wider economy – wide ranging advantages of digitally engaged communities promoting self-help and partnerships

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The vision: ‘Declaration of Principles’, WSIS

"We, the representatives of the peoples of the world …declare our common desire and commitment to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, community and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life ….”

Source: ‘Declaration of Principles’, World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva, 10-12 December 2003

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Digital Inclusion – the Goals

Global access to ICT enhancing health and wellbeingEnabling the transformation of individual livesProlonging independence and autonomyEnabling connectednessBenefiting society and the economy from individual transformations

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Enabling successful digital inclusion of people with disabilities: an example of good practice

Leicestershire CareOnLine service (LCOL) www.leicscareonline.org.uk

Provides internet training, technical support and advice Assesses user requirements Engages users in selecting and planning provision Provides and installs appropriate assistive technology

LCOL Objectives

(i) Reduce isolation, (ii) Improve well-being, (iii) Increase independence for vulnerable adults across Leicestershire, through :

• Access to the internet;• Access to health and social care information and resources;• Two way communications with organisations, friends and

family;• Opportunities to access information, shopping,

communication, entertainment, management of household tasks etc.

LCOL model

AccessSkills

Website

Support

Access to technology, specialist equipment, training and on-going support

Training - provided on a one-to-one basis in users’

home- based on needs and ability- tailored to the requirements of the

individual user. - #

LCOL model

AccessSkills

Website

Support

The LCOL website

Designed to be easy to access for people with visual or physical impairments (large buttons, optimum resolution etc)

Ongoing support (technical, training or troubleshooting)

- Home visits - Telephone support

Usage of LCOL

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Service user statistics

The two largest groups of people accessing LCOL services are older disabled people (34%) and disabled people (34%)

Many of those who use LCOL services experience multiple/complex health conditions

Impact of LCOL on digital inclusion

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Impact of LCOL services on users (sample of 60 participants) 100% of users reported that being able to communicate with friends

and family had a positive impact on their lives

44% of users were able to become more involved with the community

23% of users were able to find new voluntary work or keep involved with existing voluntary work

1

Users used the computer for the following:- listening/reading news (83%)- searching online for health information (77%)- online shopping (67%)

- preparing documents/ spreadsheets/ presentations (53%)

2

Profile • 54, wheelchair user• chronic pain• personal carer

• Depressed, out of touch• Lost dignity and self respect• Missing out on entitlements• Felt failed by the system • “cycle of disability and isolation for 10 years”

Case study : Kay’s Journey

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3

• No computer / internet experience

• Formal training did not meet learning

needs

• Lack of confidence – years of social

exclusion

• Fear of breaking the computer /

getting stuck

• Who to ask for help?

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Barriers

5

• “My brain is waking up”

• Helping others

• Managing her life again - accessing benefits and services,

online shopping, information

• Communicating - “being part of something”

• Better off financially and emotionally

• “ The difference that changed everything was

information .. it's been a fair old journey but its changed

my whole life. I feel valued and I feel confident compared

to what I was ...its improved my life so much.”

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Benefits

32

• Home assessment – explain benefits

• Equipment solutions for range of needs

• Help set up computers and the Internet

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LCOL enabling Access

37

• New life skills

• Confidence to take on Personal Budget

• Tools to manage staff and finances

• Communication tools

• Support network

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LCOL Contribution to Modern Social Care

Critical success factors for digital participation

1 design of hardware and software

2 access to help and support

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Critical success factors for LOCL

One-to-one user-centred training and support (tailored to the individual demands and needs of highly diverse users)

Provision of on-going technical and social support – crucially important for those lacking ICT problem-solving skills and confidence, and often characterised by changing circumstances (e.g. additional health conditions developing, decline in cognitive and other capacities, loss of informal support networks etc.)

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Digital Inclusion – Essential Steps

Gain ‘buy-in’ of all stakeholdersNormalise inclusive design

Increase expectations of products i.e., new products should be inclusive by default

Ensure community ICT support provision is comprehensive and ubiquitousRecognise the importance of staying online over getting

online Communicate, coordinate and collaborate efforts on

initiatives Utilise local resources Harness the political will to achieve this vision

Recognise and celebrate what we can all achieve given the right access to ICTs DTSI

Fundamentals for digital participation

Engagement: face to face, free advice/service, give confidence,

Reassurance: eliminate unnecessary fear and threat ie NO pressure or exams, individually

tailored and personal

Motivation: find the relevant ‘spark’ that grabs their interest, (motivation gives confidence and energy)

Changes required: funding at local level recognition of the proven value of services like LCOL, access to equipment (tablets have made the most difference) free low level broadband for needy, on-going help and support to keep up with changing technology and solve

problems Source: LCOL team at Leicestershire County CouncilDTSI

Thank you for listening

Any questions?

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Sus-IT (“Sustaining IT use by older people to promote autonomy and independence”). A New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) project, funded by the five UK Research Councils  -

AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and MRC (Grant No. RES-353-25-0008).

KT-EQUAL (“Knowledge Transfer for Extending Quality Life”) funded by the EPSRC (Grant No. EP/G030898/2).

Acknowledgements