Digital Inclusion Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - 15:46

NIACE responds to the digital inclusion action plan consultation.

NIACE welcomes the proposals in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan launched for consultation by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Responding to the consultation - [PDF]  - which has now closed - NIACE agrees that there is an urgent need to address the problems of digital exclusion and support the proposals to take cross-departmental action to ensure all citizens, especially the most disadvantaged, are able to benefit from new technologies.

These new technologies include superfast broadband which is likely to redraw the rural-urban digital divide, and deepen the income gap as new multi-access devices are marketed at prices outside the reach of many.

Mary Moss, Development Officer for ICT and Learning at NIACE, said:

We would like these proposals to take more account of the link between informal and formal learning and overcoming exclusion. Life skills as well as ICT skills are needed to ensure people are able to utilise technologies effectively.
ICT is recognised as the third skill for life, but has not been funded as such. ICT skills are essential for access to employment, but also to participate fully in society. Government should consider minimum standards of universal access to superfast broadband and mandatory regulations concerning accessibility of devices.
It is essential that excluded individuals groups and communities are engaged in the process of devising learning and support around new technology. NIACE believes the Informal Learning Innovation Fund proposed in our response to the Informal Adult Learning consultation would go some way towards establishing this.

Find out more about the consultation here