Valuing Digital Equity
Everyone deserves an opportunity to fully participate in social and digital life!
The new digital period.
According to the United Nations, more and more countries are investing in digital platform companies, and 75% of all patents related to blockchain, and half of all spending on the Internet of Things. Meanwhile only slightly more than half of the global population was using the internet as of the end of 2019, according to the International Telecommunication Union.
How ready are we for the upcoming digital transformation after all?
Digital equity - a term we should all know
Digital equity is emerging as a common value and an international shared goal – in order to enable everyone to have the information technology capacity necessary for full participation, in political and economic data, in modern society. Digital equity is necessary to create fair opportunities for:
- Employment.
- Lifelong learning.
- Access to essential services.
Digital equity & COVID-19.
Its value was particularly apparent as the COVID-19 crisis spread across developing economies, when many people had relatively limited access to potentially life-saving information. True digital inclusion means doing everything necessary to ensure that people, including the most disadvantaged, have access to the information they need.
It is commonly accepted that digital inclusion strategies and policies need to address technology access (including affordability and inclusive design), the ability to adopt technologies (through digital literacy, and adequate safety and security), and establishing the right conditions to apply technologies (though workforce development, education, health care, and civic engagement).
Information and communication technologies have developed dramatically since the late 20th century, changing lives and ways of thinking and welcoming in an information-based era that differs significantly from previous periods. Digital inequity has been an unfortunate side effect. The root causes of it vary: inadequate or inaccessible infrastructure, ethnic or racial discrimination as a basis for not investing in or delivering technology and technology-related services to specific areas or populations, and barriers related to socioeconomic status, education level and literacy, special needs or disabilities, or language ability.
In addition, the design and delivery of devices and services can create unnecessary barriers if they do not recognize the particular needs of people in different age groups.
The European Union itself is working towards Digital Transformation & Digital Equity. More specifically, the EU establishes a digital framework that aims to benefit citizens, businesses, but also the environment.
Check our European Projects here!
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