Inforum and the EU
on the Field of eInclusion
E-inclusion is a social movement whose goal is to end the digital divide, a term used
to describe the fact that the world can be divided into people who do and people who
don't have access to - and the capability to use - modern information technology ( IT ).
According to advocates, e-inclusion has the power to: close the gap between
developed and less developed countries; promote democracy and mutual
understanding; and empower disadvantaged individuals, such as the poor, the
disabled, and the unemployed.
Gabor Dombi
secretary general, Inforum
dombi.inforum@gmail.com
About Inforum
• Inforum: Forum of the Hungarian Information Technology Organizations
for Information Society (founded 1997)
• www.inforum.org.hu
• Umbrella organization of 19 Non Governmental Organizations in IT Field
• Founded by Tibor Gyuros (†) and Gabor Dombi
• Speciality: Policy making non governmental organization and pressure
group for social interest and information society
• Mission:
–
–
–
–
–
Eliminate digital divide
Defend user’s interest
Enforce the information society in Hungary
Involve adults (senior citizens) in information society
Reconciliation all of interests in information society
Milestones of Inforum towards eInclusion and
Information Society
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
First book published in Hungary for elderly about Internet („Hírvilág” by István Váncsa, 1999)
First book published in Hungary about children in the information society (Growing up digital, by Don
Tapscott, 2000)
Hungarian Charter of Information Technology (2000), national action plan by IT professionals
Lobby for founding the Committee of Informatics and Communication in Hungarian Parliament (20012006)
Lobby for founding the Commission of Information Technology in Prime Minister Office (2000-2002)
Lobby for founding the Ministry of Informatics and Communication (2002-2006)
Grandchildren-Grandparents Informatics Competition (2003-)
„Inforum – Infomediator” Interest Safeguarding Office for Internet User Citizens in Information Society
(2004)
Taking part Equal (IT Mentor) and Safer Internet Programs (2005-2007)
First eInclusion report in Hungary (2007)
Create the eInclusion.hu website as a knowledge base (2007)
eInclusion movement in Hungary (November, 2007)
Declaration and cooperation all Hungarian Parliamentary Parties and Inforum (8, January 2008)
Council for eInclusion and Information Society (23, January, 2008)
e-Adoption program (March, 2008)
Digital Spring of Hungary initiative (May, 2008)
– 50+ Internet User’s Party,
– Internet Ship (Professional Conference on the River Danube),
– meeting of the Global Telecentre Alliance
– Grandparents-Grandchildren Informatics Competition.
Best practices by Inforum
• Grandchildren-Grandparents Informatics Competition (2003-continuos)
• Inforum – Infomediator Interest Safeguarding Office for Internet User
Citizens in Information Society (2004-continuos),
– free services for internet users via web
•
•
•
•
•
problems with contract between providers and users,
user rights,
e-commerce questions,
Mediatons
Internet domain problems
• 50+.Net website and movement
• Leading the eInclusion actions in Hungary
• Hungarian Parliament votes for closing digital divide by action of Inforum
eInclusion: the Hungarian situation
Special target groups of e- Their numerosity
Inclusion
50+ year old people
3,990,000 persons
Handicapped people
600,000 persons
Roma population
600,000 persons
People living in small and 400,000 persons
remote arias, in small
disadvantageous regions
Unemployed people
400,000 persons
Total (reduced with their 3,500,000 persons
estimated overlaps)
• Aims of Inforum
– Cooperation: NGO,
government, politics,
companies
– 1 million new users until 31,
December 2010.
– New policy needs: „standard
of living politics”
– eInclusion and digital literacy,
access and higher standard of
living
Lacks: not use internet: 54%
Age
Percent
15-24
20
25-34
40
35-49
53
50-69
84
Settlement
Percent
Capital
44
More than 50.000 inhabitants
41
Less than 50.000 inhabitants
57
Village
69
Source: TNS-NRC, 2008
Main Hungarian NGOs in the field of
eInclusion
• Inforum (policy making, ageing, motivation, PR)
• Login Foundation (Wi-Fi for Roma communities)
• Hungarian Telecenters Association: (telecenters and local
mentoring)
• IT-Mentor Association (local mentoring)
• John von Neumann IT Association (ECDL, educational
materials)
• Hungarian Content Industry Alliance (educational
material, IT-Mentor)
• Cultural Centre Budapest (Click on, Grandma! Movement)
Source: TNS-NRC, 2007
What NGOs can do?
•
Policy making
– Foundation of eInclusion Committee in the Parliament on 6, October, 2008
– The Committee will hear all governmental institutions, companies and NGOs: what
did and will do in field of eInclusion?
– Horizontal cooperation with NGOs and companies
– Making faster EU-Hungarian operative programs in the field of adult education,
employability, digital literacy,
– Suggesting new programs: eSkills, ageing well
•
Activities
– Media, conferences, motivation programs, PR
– New researches on eInclusion (behavior, real needs, regional differences, access,
standard of living, working)
– Concrete services, mentoring, trainings for adults (IT-Mentors, Telecenters, ECDL)
– Persuading ITC companies, government, media persons, opinion-shapers,
associations, trade unions to open corporate social responsibility budget for our
target groups: elderly, Roma, low educated people for bridging digital divide.
– Generate learning and internet content
eInclusion in European Union
• Riga Ministerial Conference 2006
–
–
A divided society is not sustainable
Riga targets for 2010:
•
•
•
–
Halving internet use gaps
Halving digital literacy gaps
100% of public websites accessible
e-Inclusion is not only a social necessity. But it is increasingly seen as an economic
opportunity:
• for individuals, to be actively empowered in the economy and society, and
• for business, to deliver innovative and inclusive services.
• e-Inclusion is a new driver for innovation. It is a key element for social cohesion in the
knowledge society.
• Problems: the information society integration progress is too slow
•
•
•
•
public websites not accessible
Just 10% over 64 use internet in EU
Rural broadband divides
Result: Communication on European e-Inclusion Initiative “To be part of the information
society”
eInclusion thematic areas
•
•
•
•
•
•
e-Accessibility - make ICT accessible to all, meeting a wide spectrum of people's needs,
in particular any special needs.
Ageing - empower older people to fully participate in the economy and society,
continue independent lifestyles and enhance their quality of life.
e-Competences - equip citizens with the knowledge, skills and lifelong learning
approach needed to increase social inclusion, employability and enrich their lives.
Socio-Cultural e-Inclusion - enable minorities, migrants and marginalised young people
to fully integrate into communities and participate in society by using ICT.
Geographical e-Inclusion - increase the social and economic well being of people in
rural, remote and economically disadvantaged areas with the help of ICT.
and Inclusive eGovernment - deliver better, more diverse public services for all using
ICT while encouraging increased public participation in democracy.
eAccessibility – Opening up the
Information Society
•
•
•
The Information Society must share its benefits with the whole society, including people with a
disability and the elderly. The European Commission is promoting "eAccessibility" aimed at
removing the barriers encountered when trying to access and use ICT products, services and
applications.
Most of devices (computers, mobile phones and public information terminals) are designed to make
our lives easier, for a large part of the population ICTs are difficult to use.
The Commission’s European i2010 initiative on e-Inclusion: "To be part of the Information Society",
includes an active strategy to improve accessibility to the Information Society for all potentially
disadvantaged groups. In order to bridge the eAccessibility gap, the Communication calls on:
–
–
•
•
•
The ICT industry to work to help disabled people access digital TV and electronic communications products;
Member States to work harder to address eAccessibility issues in the context of existing EU legislation, and to
agree a plan of action by mid-2008 to ensure public websites are fully accessible.
The 2008 e-Inclusion initiative builds on the content of the eAccessibility Communication
According to the Commission, policy-makers and the ICT industry must embrace the Design for All approach to
ensure that new technologies take the needs of all potential users into account.
In addition, efforts need to be made to promote the development of assistive technologies that are tailored to help
people with special needs access ICTs.
Ageing - Helping older people to access
the Information Society
Europeans are living longer than ever thanks to economic growth and advances in health care. Average life expectancy is
now over 80, and by 2020 around 25% of the population will be over 65. The Information Society offers older people
the chance to live independently and continue to enjoy a high quality of life. A number of barriers close the older
generation from Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
•
More can be done to integrate older people into the Information Society. Improvements in policy and legislative
conditions can help Europe’s ICT industry to cash in on the economic opportunities created by this growing market.
•
Europe’s over 65s are estimated to be worth over €3000 billion and the smart homes market is expected to triple
between 2005 and 2020. New markets such as tele-health could help older people to get out of hospital and back
home more quickly, thereby improving the sense of well-being and reducing society’s health costs.
•
In its European i2010 initiative on e-inclusion, the Commission sets out a number of actions to improve eAccessibility
for older people.
•
Ageing Well in the Information Society Action Plan, which was adopted in June 2007.
•
The Commission will also continue to fund research and development into ICT solutions for older people. For
example, the Ageing Well action plan sets out a new €600 million programme to stimulate developments in ambient
assisted living, which cover technologies designed to help older people to continue to live at home. Other
Commission-backed research into old age and ICTs is supported by the EU’s Seventh
Three programs:
•
Ageing Well At Work: Staying active and productive for longer, Better quality of work and work-life balance
•
Ageing Well In the Community: Overcoming isolation & loneliness, Keeping up social networks
•
Ageing Well At Home: Better quality of life for longer, Independence, autonomy and dignity.
eCompetences - Equipping people with
ICT skills
•
•
•
•
•
Bridging the eCompetency gap
The Commission’s European i2010 Initiative on e-Inclusion, which was adopted in
November 2007, states that: “Education and training systems are key to build[ing]
digital competence.”
The Commission is therefore calling on public sector bodies, industry and social
organisations to help bridge the digital competencies gap. It wants stakeholders to
promote eSkills and basic digital literacy training, especially for those who are most at
risk of missing out on the benefits of the Information Society such as elderly and
disabled people.
Life long learning
Titan Program (Microsoft + IVSZ)
Socio-Cultural e-Inclusion - Supporting
cultural diversity and social inclusion
•
•
•
•
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been designed to make it
easier to access public and commercial goods and services.
Marginalised and vulnerable people , immigrants, disabled people, older generations,
the unemployed and those who live in remote or economically disadvantaged areas.
Living in disadvantaged or remote areas are likely to feel even more excluded in the
future if they cannot fully participate in the Information Society because they lack
access to infrastructure like broadband.
The Commission is determined to tackle problems such as these. In its European i2010
initiative on e-Inclusion, which was adopted in November 2007, the Commission calls
on policy-makers at all levels to ensure ICT issues are addressed in social and economic
policies as a means of tackling social exclusion issues.
Geographical exclusion
The European Union is committed to ensuring that the continent’s more remote and
economically disadvantaged regions get the support they need to share in the benefits
of economic growth. Digital technologies such as broadband internet access can play
their part in narrowing disparities between regions and help to promote social and
economic cohesion. The European Commission supports actions to develop an inclusive
Information Society which embraces those who live in geographically less accessible
areas.
• At the moment, whilst overall broadband penetration in Europe is around 90%, only
71% of households in rural areas are covered by broadband services.
• The Riga Declaration calls for action to reduce this disparity and has set a target that
requires broadband coverage for at least 90% of Europeans by 2010. Funding through
the EU’s Structural Funds will be used to achieve this goal.
Inclusive eGovernment – ensuring equal
access to public services
Public authorities at all levels are increasingly turning to Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) to organise and deliver services. It is vital that eGovernment meets
the needs of all citizens, including those from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
such as disabled people, the elderly and those who live in economically deprived and
remote areas.
Good eGovernment services can make life easier – from paying council bills via the internet
to buying car parking tickets through the use of mobile phones, the possible
applications of ICTs in public life are seemingly endless, providing that potential users
have the means and ability to access such services.
Inclusive eGovernment is about using digital technologies to provide public services which
improve people’s lives, encourage participation in the local community, strengthen
democracy and help those at risk of exclusion from society.
The European i2010 Initiative on e-Inclusion and the September 2007 Lisbon Ministerial
Declaration on eGovernment both call on Europe’s public bodies to significantly
reinforce their inclusive eGovernment and eParticipation policies.
Web links
•
•
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/
activities/einclusion/policy/index_en.htm
Einclusion.hu