Digitally included: Paving the way for the digital inclusion of disabled people

A Bold Vision for 2014

Digitally included: Paving the way for the digital inclusion

of disabled people

Simon Hogg Digital Communications


About the Office for Disability Issues

• Leadership. We lead the government's vision of achieving equality for disabled people.

• Building skills. We share our knowledge and experiences, and provide tailored advice.

• Innovation. We test new policy ideas and new ways of delivering services.


• ODI is keen to address is the removal of barriers within society.

• ODI is concerned that everyone, including disabled people, are able to take advantage of the growing digital economy, and don’t face unnecessary barriers

• A study conducted by ODI in 2008 found that participants considered digital inclusion key to their feelings of social inclusion and participation.

• By ignoring the needs of disabled people service providers, whether within government or outside, risk actually increasing exclusion.

• The Employers Forum on Disability produced a study that showed 83% of disabled people will avoid spending money with companies that are inaccessible


A Key Digital Statistic

74% of non-disabled people within the UK use the internet

48% of disabled people within the UK use the internet

(OFCOM Digital Participation: 2010 Metrics Bulletin)


What are the Office for Disability Issue’s priorities for digital inclusion?

1. Enable disabled people to get online2. Ensure online services are inclusive3. Build understanding and capability across

government


Enabling disabled people to get online

• Working with Race Online 2012: how do we ensure disabled people are represented?


Ensuring government online services are inclusive• Accessibility: it’s not an afterthought! • Working with key government stakeholders to

• promote the interests and needs of disabled people in government working groups

• encourage effective involvement of disabled people and co-production

• facilitate conversation between disabled people, their organisations and government


Capability building

• Digital products– Website– Accessible Media Player


Our website was rewritten and restructured from scratch over the course of the summer. We wanted a website that gave quick and easy access to the tools and information we supply. We’ve also worked hard at optimising it for search, so you should find the information much more readily with Google. And of course we made sure that it was accessible to the widest range of visitors.


We’ve developed an accessible media player, which we want to make available to as many organisations as possible. It presents video and mp3s online to the highest accessibility standards, and is the first player to have been awarded RNIB’s Surf Right badge.


Capability building

• Digital products– Website– Accessible Media Player– Guidance documents

• Background on disability– Statistics and indicators– Definitions of disability– ODInsight: monthly e-newsletter

• Accessibility advice • Inclusive communications workshops


Where next?• We did a lot of groundwork last year, but

now we need your help!• Visit our website: www.odi.gov.uk• Are you a disabled people’s organisation?

We want to find out what you are doing.• If you want to collaborate on a digital project,

get in touch.


Links and resources

www.odi.gov.uk/communicationswww.odi.gov.uk/policy

www.odi.gov.uk/factswww.odi.gov.uk/roadmap-to-disability-equality

www.odi.gov.uk/playerwww.odigallery.co.uk


Keep in touch

www.odi.gov.uk/newslettertwitter.com/odigovuk

[email protected]

Simon Hogg Digital Communications

Digitally included: Paving the way for the digital inclusion of disabled people

Travel

disabled people

digital inclusion

bold vision

government

office

odi

gov