Introduction

"We can alleviate pressure on existing services by serving those that have access through new, more efficient channels; but for practical innovations to replace the old methods, they must be accessible on an equal basis to all parts of society, and leave no-one behind......Treating people fairly does not mean giving everyone the same thing: it means meeting them on their own terms."

Overview

Offering electronic access to services across the community is a vision and requirement of all levels of public sector. Even now in 2010, over a decade after the Internet began to appear in homes, work and schools, there are still many people who do not have access, who are not able and/or do not wish to use the Internet or a PC.

In the Networked Nation manifesto, Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox highlighted the ten million adults in the UK who have never used the internet. Of this number four million are from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, 39% are over 65, 38% are unemployed and 19% are families with children.

Digital interactive TV, mobile phones and consumer electronics such as the Wii are alternative platforms, often forgotten in the quest to provide 24/7 electronic access to all. However they pervade many of the demographics and homes of those Internet refusniks, and will increasingly do so as the digital switchover continues and is complete by 2012.

As IPSOS MORI have found, 'Despite higher than ever Internet access, digital exclusion is still a significant issue for a clearly defined segment of the population - those who are older, those with lower income, less formal education, and those living in more rural areas.' Overall 29% of UK households have never had access to the Internet and the breakdown of who does not have access is illustrated in this diagram:

Older people in particular have less access or will to access the Internet. IPSOS MORI reported that in January 2009, 70% of people aged 65+ had no access to data technology (qualified as Internet or mobile phones with internet access) and only 37% of 65+ used a PC. However 61% of people aged 65+ had access to digital and/or multi-channel TV. This propensity towards DiTV means that the TV should be considered as at least an equal in delivering electronic services particularly to older people.

This digital landscape lies on top of local knowledge of isolation within communities of older people, many of whom have deteriorating health. For these people the TV is often a lifeline and 'friend', so by using the TV - amongst other devices - Looking Local provides every day services to a wide range of people 24/7, available for free (on DiTV), when they are able to access them. The TV is a known and trusted technology that everyone has wide experience in using and which with a little introduction can offer a wealth of personal, relevant services to complement wider service delivery.

However it is not only the older community that Looking Local focuses on, in recent surveys on Looking Local have shown that we are making significant inroads in delivering government services to those who need it most and who do not have other means of 24/7 electronic access. 42% of all respondents said they did not have access to the Internet either at home or at work.

Early in 2009, over 1,500 people responded to a questionnaire in the Looking Local Jobs section; just under 50% of them search daily on Looking Local, 25% of them have been successful in finding a job via Looking Local and 70% of them have no access to the Internet. The main reasons cited for using Looking Local are the fact that it is free, that there is no travelling involved and the ease of use.

"Technology and the Internet are now woven into the fabric of our society. However, we cannot ignore the fact that those who are socially excluded are much less likely to have access to and benefit from technology."

"Digital inclusion aims to create a fair society and bring social and economic benefits to individuals, communities and the economy as a whole. It is the links between social and technological disadvantage that makes digital inclusion a priority today."

"To consider ICT deprivation as somehow less important than, for example, poor education, underestimates the pace, depth and scale of technological change and overlooks the way that different disadvantages can combine to deepen exclusion"

"Some of the research is what, we would expect; that those who suffer deep social disadvantage are up to seven times more likely to be disengaged from the internet than those who are socially advantaged."

""The most significant lesson - and obvious - is that simply providing access is not enough. Digital disengagement is a complex compound problem - involving cultural, social and attitudinal factors - all of which mean that not only are we still not reaching the socially excluded, but we have a long way to go."

"The research also reveals the 'true picture' of digital exclusion is that 4 million adults who suffer from 'deep' social exclusion - that is they have a severe combination of social disadvantages - have no meaningful engagement with Internet -based services at all."