VIEW magazine

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VIEW

An independent social affairs magazine

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Issue 61, 2022

AN INSIGHT INTO DIGITAL EXCLUSION

£9.99

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CONTENTS VIEW MAGAZINE – A social affairs publication with in-depth reporting and analysis Broadband savings

Millions of families under pressure from the rising cost of living could each save £144 on their annual broadband bills, Ofcom has found Pages four and five

Project Stratum Figures are being withheld on the take-up of upgraded broadband services provided as part of a Stormont scheme set to cost almost £200m of public money Pages six and seven

A digital chapter Trisha Ward, Director of Library Services at Libraries NI, tells VIEW that they are providing a vital gateway to free internet services Pages eight and nine

Speaking out A single mother with a 11-yearold daughter has told VIEW editor Brian Pelan about her daily economic struggle as the cost of living soars Page 15

Passing on skills Asma Niazi from Pakistan is definitely a natural when it comes to teaching digital skills classes to groups of older people who are keen to learn Page 17

Lifeline to the internet Mary O’Hara reports on how Mighty Writers in the United States is helping young people to access vital internet services Pages 20 and 21

THE BIG PICTURE VIEW editor Brian Pelan tells of a long day’s journey to the town of Carnlough on the Antrim coast to meet Pat McCormick (above) who has embraced digital technology at the age of 83 – pages 10-11

CONTACT US Making a complaint to VIEWdigital – https://viewdigital.org/social-affairs-magazineteam/

Editor Brian Pelan – brianpelan@viewdigital.org Deputy editor Kathryn Johnston – kathrynjohnston@viewdigital.org Publisher Una Murphy – unamurphy@viewdigital.org

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Editorial

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VIEW, an independent social affairs magazine

Guest editor Patricia Donald, head of Information and Communications Technology at Advice NI, believes that Northern Ireland needs to lose its reputation as being the most digitally excluded region in the UK and Ireland. hroughout this edition of VIEW, activists, civic society leaders, researchers, innovators and educators, echo and give credence to the call that we view the internet through a human rights lens. People have a right to be able to participate fully in society and we know that this now, more than ever, requires digital connectivity and the skills to navigate the internet safely and securely.

On July 13, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet. A strong theme running through the resolution is the importance of addressing digital divides.

The resolution recognises the impact of the pandemic, and how, as a global society, we have become more reliant on the internet as a means of participating in all areas of life as well as ‘access to public services, including but not limited to education and health, a source of livelihood and an arena for the exercise of human rights’.

We need to ensure that public services are accessible and particularly to those who need to engage in times of crisis and hardship. For services to be accessible in today’s world, it means having digital connectivity and digital skills.

Northern Ireland is the most digitally excluded region within the UK (ref: ONS, 2021) and on this island (ref: Digital 2021: Ireland); therefore it cannot be assumed when designing services that everyone can access them, particularly those services that are increasingly digital only or digital first.

The UN Human Rights Council resolution pays particular attention to the gender digital divide, recognising that it

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The lockdown in Northern Ireland saw an increase in online abuse with women politicians and activists trolled online on a daily basis ‘undermines women’s full enjoyment of their human rights’ and that ‘violations and abuses of women’s and girl’s rights online are a growing global concern’. The lockdown in Northern Ireland saw an increase in online abuse with women politicians, journalists and activists trolled online on a daily basis.

Looking to the international stage, we can learn from other countries such as Australia, which has an eSafety Commissioner with the authority to require online service providers to remove online abuse and can help get intimate images or videos removed from online platforms. It also has a plethora of

educational resources to help prevent online harm. Closer to home, the Women’s Policy Group NI, in its Covid-19 Feminist Recovery Plan, recognises and makes recommendations on what needs to be done to help address the gender digital divide.

Ultimately, we need a digital inclusion plan in Northern Ireland, with the resources to implement it that will help enable people to avail of and enjoy their rights and entitlements online. A plan that will build on the excellent work that organisations such as Advice NI, Disability Action, Libraries NI, Supporting Communities and others are already doing to help close the digital skills gap.

Partnerships with tech companies, banks and utility providers have much to offer, working with the voluntary and community sector to support people to get online safely and securely.

Telecommunications companies have a social responsibility to support those who cannot afford connectivity or data. Joinedup working from local government departments on the issue of digital exclusion and a commitment to embed digital inclusion in all its services and strategies would help evidence its support for the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet, which the UK government voted in favour of.

I believe the digital divide is fixable but no single organisation can solve it, we all have a role to play. Moreover, it would be a step in the right direction if we lost our reputation as being the most digitally excluded region in the UK and Ireland.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

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If you’re going to have a decent quality of life, you need access to a roof over your heads, health care, education, and digital connectivity. I think those key aspects of life are essential John McDonnell, ex-Labour Party shadow chancellor and MP for Hayes and Harlington in London, tells VIEW editor Brian Pelan why he still believes in the need to create a nationalised broadband public service in the UK y interview with Labour MP John McDonnell took a while to set up, but it was worth the wait as the former shadow chancellor wasted no time, when our Zoom interview commenced, in arguing for a radical transformation of digital access in the United Kingdom.

The Labour Party’s policy, in their manifesto for the 2019 general election, called for fast and free full fibre-broadband for all by bringing parts of BT into public ownership and creating a new British broadband public service.

McDonnell didn’t hesitate when I asked did he still support this policy despite the defeat of the Labour Party in the election?

“I absolutely still agree,” he replied. He referred to discussions in the Labour Party before the election about their digital nationalisation policy.”

“What we found was that private companies were delivering very poorly. So we looked at other models, including South Korea, and we found that they had the most extensive and widest coverage in terms of broadband connections. What

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they did was to set up a public company, fund it, and roll it out. So the idea that we came up with, by working with the trade unions and a number of experts in community groups, was to have a public company owned by the people rather than putting money into private companies that will cream some it off in profits. And also, why don’t we try to ensure that we have it as a universal basic service because it’s so important to people in their lives now?

“We got pilloried by sections of the media, and obviously, the Conservatives attacked us. But when we polled it, we were getting 70 per cent support for it as a concept.”

McDonnell laughed when I reminded him that media outlets, who were hostile to the nationalisation policy, described it as ‘broadband communism’.

In 1984, the Thatcher-led government privatised British Telecom. I asked McDonnell did he still regard this decision as wrong?

“Yes, I do. My view is that there are certain elements within our economy that are best in public hands and are best

provided not for profit. My own view is that transport is better in public hands, rail and buses are better in public hands. They can be properly regulated. And you will operate them on the basis of need, rather than just profit. I think that's the same with elements about communication as well. I think the privatisation of BT was a mistake.”

McDonnell also spoke about the impact of the pandemic on people’s lives.

“Covid highlighted our dependency in terms of access to the internet and broadband overall, particularly within periods of crisis.There’s an increased dependency on broadband for connectivity.

And increasingly people recognise it’s better to provide it in public hands.

“Covid also revealed that for those children who were no longer able to go to school, access to the internet was absolutely key. It demonstrated to us that access to the internet increased the class divide within our society and the educational class divide.

“A lot of children in my constituency really struggled to get access, even though

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

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By providing people with free access to broadband, as well as access to equipment as well, I think it would help us to tackle some of those educational inequalities that we now experience within our society Vision: Labour MP John McDonnell the schools were doing all they could to provide them with equipment. It was still an issue of being able to afford access to the broadband itself.

“By providing people with free access to broadband, as well as access to equipment as well, I think it would help us to tackle some of those educational inequalities that we now experience within our society.”

In 2015, McDonnell talked about Labour’s vision being ‘socialism with an iPad’ where everyone could reap the benefits of technological changes.

McDonnell smiled again about this remark and recollected that most of his team “took the rise out of me as soon as I said it”.

“I wanted though to try and catch the eye about what we meant. And what we meant basically is that 21st century socialism is about making sure that our ideas adapt to the world as it now is. And part and parcel of our lives is our

engagement to the internet, both in terms of education and the economy, but also entertainment and the development of our culture. And unless you’ve got access to that internet, you are literally cut off from a whole range of opportunities that it provides.

“If we can do it in a way, which is cost free for people, and in a way which provides the maximum access, then it provides the maximum opportunity, and in many ways it can be seen as quite redistributive. What socialism is, for me, is the achievement of equality through democracy. So by having access in that way, with free access to the internet, free access to broadband within public ownership, and on a not-for-profit basis, it helps us to tackle the inequalities within our society. So that’s why I described it as ‘socialism with an iPad’.”

Keir Starmer, when he took part in the Labour leadership contest, pledged to support the broadband nationalisation

policy. Does Keir Starmer, now that he is the leader, still support the policy, I asked?

“I don’t know,” replied McDonnell.

“When Keir Starmer stood for being leader, the leadership election set out a 10point plan. And when he was asked about public ownership of a range of areas like energy, water and broadband, he supported it. But since then, I think it's true to say that on a number of issues, he’s moved away from those original pledges.

He hasn’t said anything publicly on broadband yet. The Labour Party policy process for the development of the manifesto for the next general election is taking place now.

“I think it’s all to play for if. If the Labour Party wants to be seen in the next general election to be relevant to people's lives, then I think this is one of those key attractive policies that they could advocate.

I think it would attract a significant amount of support. I think we can win the argument around broadband.”

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Ofcom finds millions of families could save £144 on annual broadband bills

Broadband providers are urged to step up to support struggling households illions of families under pressure from the rising cost of living could each save £144 on their annual broadband bills, Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has found.

Special discounted broadband packages – sometimes known as ‘social tariffs’ – are available to an estimated 4.2 million households in receipt of universal credit.

But only 55,000 homes have taken advantage of these discounted rates so far – just 1.2 per cent of those eligible. That means that millions of benefits recipients are missing out on an average annual broadband saving of £144 each.

Currently six broadband providers – BT, Community Fibre, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM and Virgin Media O2 – offer at least one of these specially discounted deals.

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These packages are priced at between £10-£20 a month for broadband speeds ranging from 10Mbit/s to 67Mbit/s.

Ofcom has called on broadband firms to support struggling households by introducing their own social tariffs. They also want to see all companies promote these deals more widely, and make sure it’s swift and simple for customers to sign up.

Around 1.1 million households (five per cent) are struggling to afford their home broadband service, Ofcom’s report on affordability finds. That rises to around one in 10 among the lowest-income households.

Affordability problems are likely to worsen in 2022 due to retail price increases and the wider squeeze on household finances, putting further pressure on those who can least afford it.

But switching onto a social tariff could provide some financial relief for eligible households. For example, a standard commercial broadband package costs an unemployed person claiming universal credit an average of £27 per month – or 8.3 per cent of their monthly disposable income.

A £15 social tariff would almost halve their broadband costs and use up 4.6 per cent of disposable income.

Despite the savings to be made, Ofcom’s research shows that the vast majority of benefits recipients (84 per cent) are unaware of social tariffs, and take-up is extremely low.

Ofcom has seen limited evidence of providers actively promoting their social tariffs to eligible customers. These deals don’t generally feature in broadband advertising or price comparison website

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searches. Providers are urged to step up to support struggling households.

To address this problem and ensure that customers on lower incomes can benefit from reliable broadband at a more affordable cost, Ofcom is urging broadband providers to: • Offer a social tariff: While many firms do so, companies which still don’t offer this include EE, Plusnet, Shell, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone.

• Promote discounted deals. Any communications with customers about price rises should also include details of available social tariffs. Providers should also consider partnering with local authorities and consumer advice agencies to spread the word.

• Make the information clear. Details on social tariffs should appear prominently on websites and include clear information about who is eligible.

• Make it easy to sign up. Broadband companies should review their application processes to make sure they are easy to follow. Customers must not be put off

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People rely on their broadband for staying in touch, working and learning from home. But for those who are really struggling with rising bills, every penny counts applying for a social tariff by making it hard to prove they’re eligible.

Jonathan Rose, Northern Ireland Director at Ofcom, said: “People rely on their broadband for staying in touch,

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working and learning from home. But for those who are really struggling with rising bills, every penny counts. Special discounts can make all the difference, and too many broadband firms are failing either to promote their social tariff or to offer one at all. We expect companies to step up support for those on low incomes, and we’ll be watching their response.”

BT said that its social tariff, called Home Essentials and priced between £10 and £20 a month, is now being sold in its 550 high street stores across the UK. Openreach, which builds and maintains the majority of the UK’s broadband network, is incentivising providers to offer social tariffs by waiving the connection fee it charges companies should they connect a vulnerable household.

“While raising awareness plays a large part, there are still too many big broadband providers who are not offering help via social tariffs for their customers,” said Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com. “At a time when the cost of living is soaring for many households, more needs to be done to make people aware of the deals that are available to those customers who struggle the most.”

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Rural exclusion concerns voiced over Stormont’s £200m broadband scheme Journalist Rory Winters, from the investigative news and analysis website The Detail, examines Project Stratum and asks why figures on the current take-up of the service are being withheld IGURES are being withheld on the current take-up of upgraded broadband services provided as part of a Stormont scheme set to cost almost £200m of public money.

Run by the Department for the Economy (DfE), Project Stratum is set to provide 84,500 largely rural premises in Northern Ireland with the capacity to avail of adequate broadband services (30 Mbps) which they could not previously access.

Northern Irish broadband company, Fibrus, was contracted to deliver Project Stratum in November 2020.

By the end of 2021, Fibrus had provided 22,000 premises with the new potential to access adequate broadband – more than one-quarter of those set to be reached under Project Stratum.

However, while these 22,000 premises now have the capacity to access 30 Mbps broadband – the number of these which have actually availed of these upgraded services are being withheld.

The DfE told The Detail this information is “regarded as commercially sensitive”, but that Fibrus have said take-up “is in line with expectations at this stage in the project roll-out”.

In addition, Fibrus told The Detail: “We cannot provide this information.

Home and business owners can access fullfibre broadband through a range of providers once they are connected via Project Stratum.”

However, Aidan Campbell – the Rural Community Network’s policy and public affairs officer – believes that given the vast public expenditure on Project Stratum, the take-up of broadband as a result of it should be in the public domain.

Mr Campbell told The Detail: “I can’t see why that information couldn’t be released. It’s public money.

“In terms of making an assessment of value for money, we’re going to have to

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Aidan Campbell from the Rural Community Network find out how many premises actually signed up or got connected as opposed to the number of properties that had the potential to be connected.”

Mr Campbell has himself become a Fibrus customer following on from Project Stratum. He said: “It costs us £50 a month for Fibrus and it has given us decent broadband, but it’s expensive enough.

Fibrus representatives recently had to explain to a DfE committee meeting why some Fibrus customers, connected via Project Stratum, have more expensive broadband contracts than some of the company’s other customers based elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

Mr Campbell said: “There are lots of cost pressures on households at the minute. Between energy bills, food bills – everything is going up.”

The rural rights worker also said “you have to quantify what digital exclusion looks like”.

Mr Campbell added: “It’s one thing providing the broadband infrastructure out

into rural communities, which in fairness we have been arguing for – for years, but that’s not the only barrier.

“Cost is still a significant barrier, people having the knowledge, skills and confidence to go online is a significant barrier and having the appropriate devices in the house is a barrier.

“Rural areas have been so far behind for so many decades when it comes to infrastructure, that digital exclusion is still going to be a problem post-Stratum as there will be a period of ‘catching-up’ to still be done.”

A Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report on the contract award and management of Project Stratum – published in December 2021 – highlighted concern about the value for money of the broadband rollout scheme, as it found “potential for some premises to have been commercially viable without subsidy”.

The NIAO report states: “In September 2020, shortly after the

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Cost is still a significant barrier, people having the knowledge, skills and confidence to go online is a significant barrier ...

Digital exclusion is still an issue of concern in rural communities department (DfE) had issued the letters intending to award the Project Stratum contract to Fibrus, the unsuccessful bidder (BT) submitted details to the department of already built and planned further investment to extend fibre coverage providing speeds above 30 Mbps to premises across Northern Ireland.”

BT’s submission included information which showed the company had already provided, or already planned to provide, 30 Mbps broadband services to 16,000 premises “which had been identified within the Project Stratum target intervention area and which initially were part of BT’s bid”.

The NIAO report continues: “The fact that BT shared details with the department of changes made to its commercial plans… that impacted on the Project Stratum intervention area, very soon after the contract was awarded, raises questions about the need for public subsidy in the first place for a large number of properties which were included in the project.”

Fibrus said it remains committed to covering the premises in question, while the DfE said: “Where there is the potential for any overbuild, there is a

mechanism within the contract to de-scope premises where commercial intervention is planned.”

However, the department also maintained: “After the first full year of deployment there is no evidence of this (overbuild) and deployment continues as planned.” Meanwhile, Openreach – a subsidiary of BT – told The Detail: “We regularly review and update our build plans sharing this information with public bodies in accordance with our commitment to transparency.

“Our build plans evolve over time; with developing technologies and working practices, premises which may not have been commercially viable a number of years ago may now be so.”

Mr Campbell said: “My only concern is that some of those 16,000 premises could miss out due to the confusion around who exactly is responsible for, and committed to, providing them with the necessary broadband infrastructure.”

The NIAO’s December 2021 Project Stratum report also found: “There are concerns around the number of properties that will be covered by the project.” Just over a month later, the DfE announced it was increasing the number of premises to be covered by Project

Stratum by 8,500 – from 76,000 to 84,500 – thereby increasing its planned cost, on the public purse, by £32m – from £165m to £197m.

However, the DfE maintained this extra investment did not come as a direct result of the NIAO report – rather that it came about as part of an “ongoing process”. To alleviate concerns about spiralling costs, the department said public expenditure on Project Stratum is capped at £200m and it will operate within these parameters.

Furthermore, the DfE also said that the new plans now include “all currently identified eligible premises”, in Northern Ireland, “bar less than 40 harder-to-reach for which site surveys are being conducted by the contractor in order to identify a viable solution”.

The DfE added: “Any additional premises identified as eligible for public intervention, based on further information made available to the department, will also be considered for existing and future intervention schemes.”

Mr Campbell said he broadly welcomed this investment “if all premises can be covered” but, regardless of that, he said “digital exclusion is still going to remain in rural communities”.

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Paul Kelly, Senior Information and Learning Services Manager, with Trisha Ward, Director of Library Services, at Libraries NI

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Step into the digital world at NI Libraries

By VIEW editor Brian Pelan grew up close to my local library in west Belfast. Thanks to my parents, books were a part of my home life; school is where I learnt how to read, but libraries are where I fell in love with literature.

But in a world now where we have witnessed a rapid growth in online services, libraries have had to adapt their services to meet the needs of a new digital landscape.

To get a feel of the situation now I asked Trisha Ward, Director of Library Services at Libraries NI, to outline her vision of digital inclusion.

“Libraries see themselves as providing information and access to information,” said Trisha. “Digital is another way to do that. So many people are excluded from digital access to information, either because they don't have the skills or they don’t have access to equipment, or they don’t have the money to afford the data charges to be able to use services.

“We see ourselves as the gateway to all of those services, working very much in partnership with other government services.

“A number of years ago we started putting computers and IT access into libraries so that customers could have free access. About 10 years ago we increased that to include wi-fi. We now have around 1,200 computers in our libraries.

“In each of our libraries, we provide what we call supportive access. So there's somebody there who will actually help you if you come in and know nothing about computers,” added Trish.

Paul Kelly, Senior Information and Learning Services Manager at Libraries NI, added: “My team is focused on giving people those basic digital skills they need to help themselves.”

I asked Trisha how does NI libraries measure success in terms of delivering its digital strategy?

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“We would first start by looking at how many people are using our services,” replied Trisha “In 2020 there were more than 620,000 sessions on our library computers, and more than 200,000 sessions using our Wi-Fi. That is spread across 96 libraries and two heritage locations. Obviously, when our libraries had to close because of the pandemic, that number dropped dramatically.”

It’s obvious that when libraries are

happy to run the programme again if the funding was available “Some people also said that libraries are not open when they need them,” said Trisha. “We got some funding from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to create out-of-hours libraries. For example, if you are a user in Omagh Library, you can now access the library for an extra 30 hours over and above when the library is open to the public. Seven libraries are doing that, mostly in rural areas. We’re going to see how that works.”

Libraries NI also recently announced that it has reached a record-breaking one million digital loans since January 1, last year, comprising of eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines.

Trisha admitted that “some times the library service is not good at selling itself” but it’s still an amazing free offer in a world Wi-Fi services and computer where increasing access are now a central feature digital subscription of libraries in Northern Ireland charges are on the rise. operating in normal times the uptake of I asked Trisha what is it like at the services is very positive, but I asked Trisha moment in terms of funding. Is it still a for her views on why some people don’t struggle? I was amazed when she told me use the services available, especially that Libraries NI exist on one-year funding. something that is free?

Given that cutbacks have resulted in the “That’s a difficult question,” said Trisha. closure of some libraries, how important “We carry out a customer survey every was it, I asked Trisha, that more funding three years to look at who is using our was made available, especially in terms of libraries and who isn’t? What we're finding tackling digital exclusion? out generally, and I’m going to generalise, is “I think all public services need more that the kind of people who don’t use funding,” replied Trisha. “For example, libraries are very often the people we Belfast Central Library is in need of major need to use them the most. They are refurbishment work.” people living in areas of deprivation who Despite the many challenges, both find it difficult sometimes to walk in the Trisha and Paul are optimistic in terms of door. Paul’s team has created a new the future for NI Libraries. programme called Digital Citizen.”

“I work with a group of people who According to Libraries NI’s own are very committed to do the best for literature, the project was targeted at their customers,” said Trisha. adults in rural areas, areas of significant We all should feel grateful that our deprivation, adults with disabilities and libraries still play such a vital role. Let’s retired and older people. hope that there are many more chapters The Digital Citizen project closed just to come because I can’t imagine a world as the lockdown was introduced in 2020. where they don’t exist.

Trisha told me that Libraries NI would be I owe them a lot.

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Going online: Pat McCormick in her home in Carnlough

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Trains, buses, fries, and pints, and the wonderful Pat McCormick VIEW editor Brian Pelan tells of a long day’s journey to the town of Carnlough on the Antrim coast to meet a woman who has embraced digital technology at the age of 83 woman who is in a knitting club which she playfully describes as ‘Stitch and Bitch’ has to be worth meeting in my book.

The interview was set up, and a few days later I was on my way to my assignment in Carnlough in County Antrim.

The names of Clipperstown, Ballycarry and Magheramorne drifted by as I sat in the railway carriage on my way to Larne train station from Belfast.

The next part of my journey was catching a bus from Larne to Carnlough.

The timetable didn’t let me down, and soon I was meandering along the Antrim coast with my fellow passengers.

My interview with Pat McCormick in her home was at 2pm which left me time, before meeting her, to polish off a fry in the Harbour Lights cafe in the town. A scribe can’t work on an empty stomach. , Once inside Pat’s house, I was given a cup of coffee and a box of buns to choose from as she explained her new-found joy for digital technology after being given a tablet by the charity, Advice NI, during the early days of the pandemic.

“Initially, I paid no attention to the arrival of the internet into our lives. I was aware of it, of course. Patricia Donald from Advice NI give me the tablet. I then went to a computer class in our local library. I knew certain buttons on the device, and I was aware of the key pad because I used to type.”

Pat borrowed a manual from the library to help her to become more familar with using the tablet. “The first things I started to do was playing crosswords and quizzes.” She then went on to YouTube to watch videos about patchwork making. “I love it,” she said. “I also listen to music on

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Inside of Carnlough library it.” Pat uses WhatsApp to talk to her grown-up children, including her son and daughter in the United States.

Two other women about the same age as Pat also use tablets in her knitting group. “I do miss though not having someone younger in my home who could help me more in terms of using my tablet,” said Pat. She admitted that she is not so good when it comes to using email services. She firmly resisted the suggestion from me that perhaps she could give lessons on the tablet to friends who are presently not using the internet.

“Oh no, pet,” she replied. “I’m alright in what I know. I wouldn’t feel confident enough to do that.”

She will occasionally use Facebook but not Twitter. She is also very exact about when she uses her tablet. “Mostly around 7pm or 8pm in the evenings,” said Pat. She doesn’t use the diary on her tablet, prefering intead to use a well-worn paper copy which she shows me. She also prefers to read physical books.

Her local library is only opened three days a week for four hours per day. Pat

said she would love to see the library opened every day from 9am to 5pm, and for regular computer classes to be held.

I asked Pat what would she say to someone of a similar age to her who said that they didn’t like computers, and that they would never use them?

“It’s ok if you think that but you don’t know how much you are missing out on is what I would say to them,” replied Pat. “You have to try it and see. It’s like riding a bike.You will get used to it.

“It has been such a positive experience for me in terms of using the tablet. I don’t use it as much as I should though. I have to be critical about myself as sometimes I feel lazy about trying to learn more.”

I asked Pat has the tablet helped her to keep more in touch with her sons and daughters, especially the ones who don’t live in Ireland?

“We’ve always been good about keeping in touch,” said Pat. “It used to be letter writing, but now it’s mainly through the tablet or my mobile phone.”

Pat told me she loved to go on cruises before the pandemic brought a halt to her trips. “I would meet people of a similar age.

I can’t wait to start going on cruises again as I know I will meet people who also love using their tablets.”

Later in the day, as I sat nursing a pint in the Glencloy Inn in Carnlough before my trek home, via bus and train, I thought about Pat and her new-found joy with using the internet.

She was delightful company and an inspiration to all those of the older generation. Long may she tap away on her tablet.

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SPONSORED BY ADVICE NI

Everyone should be entitled to internet connectivity

By Patricia Donald and Kerry McKittrick ife can be a whole lot easier when we have access to the internet. With a click of a few buttons you can pay your taxes, make an appointment with your GP, register a business, birth or death, apply for a passport, credit card, child tax credits, jobs… the list goes on.

And it’s not just services the internet gives access to, it also offers choice and flexibility. Time to renew your home insurance? Go online. Need a top-up code for your electricity meter? The internet will have you sorted. Have a week’s worth of groceries delivered direct to your door.

Attend a meeting or a class. Time to get clicking. It’s all so very simple and requires just basic knowledge.

Never in its whole history, however, has the internet come to the forefront as during the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost overnight, the entire population was encouraged to stay home. We therefore had to rely on the internet to have shopping, goods and services delivered by ordering online. Those of us working at home bore witness to the fleets of vans making deliveries all day long. The internet became a way for the most vulnerable among us to stay safe and well. It would keep those with underlying conditions from putting themselves in harm’s way by mixing with others; it helped those who succumbed to the virus to stop the spread and keep others safe as they recovered.

However, for those who didn’t have access to the internet, either through lack of funds or knowledge, the world in the middle of a pandemic was a dangerous place. Those directed to shield found themselves having to depend on friends, neighbours or volunteers to provide them with food, medicine and essential goods. In a time of rapidly changing news, those digitally excluded found it difficult to keep track of guidelines, recommendations and restrictions.

The UK Government’s Digital Strategy states: “Our mission is to build a simple, joined-up and personalised experience of government for everyone.

Using our unique position at the centre of government, we will develop services that just work for the user, however complex the underlying systems.”

It sounds so positive, particularly for those of us needing to engage with government services in order to carry out everyday tasks such as those listed above.

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Engaged: Advice NI digital skills class for older people It is reasonable to assume that we will all need to access at least one of these services at some point in our lives.

However, the Government’s strategy makes a huge assumption, i.e. that everyone needing to engage with them is digitally included. Digital inclusion has become a pre-requisite to accessing the increasing number of services designed to be digital first or digital by default.

Examples include government, banking and retail. Yet designing paths to digital inclusion is way down the Government’s

agenda, particularly so in Northern Ireland.

Routes to digital inclusion include access to digital devices, affordability of data and building the skills and confidence to navigate the internet safely.

Words such as ‘simple’ and ‘joined up’ sound even more positive where such engagement can help improve the quality of a person’s life. Recent examples in Northern Ireland include applying for the £100 Spend Local card or for a fuel top-up through the Emergency Fuel Payment Scheme. Both were much welcomed

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Advice NI: Helping people to get connected schemes but both required internet connectivity and the skills to navigate the various online requirements. The Emergency Fuel Payment Scheme required proof that the person applying was in need.

Therefore, the assumption was that people who were unable to afford to keep themselves warm, could afford internet connectivity. It also assumed that people had the necessary skills to take a photograph of their meter or oil tank and upload it to prove they were running low. Ironically, those who were likely to benefit the most from this scheme were the ones who often found it most difficult to access.

Similarly, for those applying for universal credit, a social security benefit and oftentimes a lifeline paid to those on a low or no income. Access requires a person to have an email address and the use of a smartphone. Most of us are fortunate to have these, together with the digital skills required to take a selfie and upload it in order to meet the identity check requirements. However, the consequences for those that do not are that they may be further excluded from vital services that are designed to help them with fundamental needs such as food, heat and shelter. For those who struggle to keep their online universal credit journal up-to-date, they risk a sanction, which may mean a withdrawal of payment.

All EU or EEA nationals living in the UK are now required to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme or they could start to lose access to benefits and healthcare, but application to the EU Settlement Scheme is digital only. A further barrier is added when you take language into consideration. An applicant who has internet connectivity and digital skills can use translation apps, download the EUSS app, scan the required proof of residency documents and upload them in order to apply for settlement status without assistance from anyone else.

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However, for those who didn’t have access to the internet, either through lack of funds or knowledge, the world in the middle of a pandemic was a dangerous place Those who are not digitally included, which is a pre-requisite to this scheme, risk further stress, being denied access to some social security benefits and ultimately the possibility of deportation, unless they can find the necessary support.

Improving access to the many everyday services transitioning to online must include an understanding of and address the digital inclusion pre-requisites, such as issues of affordability and availability of Internet connectivity. A recent message posted by an adviser to an Advice NI member forum evidences very well the difficulties that such assumptions, i.e. that everyone has the required connectivity, can present. The adviser was supporting a client who had run out of data and was trying to access an emergency fuel payment.

He asked: “I have a tenant who only has 2GB of internet data each month.

Doesn’t renew until 14/2/22. She has no family or friends in the area. Is there a telephone number?”

Unfortunately for the client, there isn’t. Access to the scheme is online only.

For many people now forced to make difficult choices about their spending as the cost of living rises, internet connectivity will become unaffordable. This risks leaving those who could benefit from online services becoming even more excluded from them.Yet, ironically, it is by conducting much of our daily activities online that we can save money. Cost comparison websites, online deals and discounts from utility providers all help to keep the cost of living under control.

Advice NI continues to help address some of the issues preventing people from accessing their rights and entitlements that result from digital exclusion, through its digital programmes. We are currently training up volunteer Digital Money Champions who have a language in addition to English. Our Digital Champions are delivering digital skills courses and we are engaging with programmes that enable us to distribute devices and data.

The internet has become an essential utility for conducting our everyday lives, just as water and electricity is. It should therefore be treated as such. Everyone should be entitled to internet connectivity so that we can all access our rights and entitlements.

• Helpline Details Advice NI provides free and confidential advice on benefits, tax & HMRC products, business and personal debt and the EU Settlement Scheme. For advice just call 0800 915 4604 or email advice@adviceni.net.

• For any other information or to find your local advice provider visit www.adviceni.net

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Our rural communities must not be left behind Nigel McKinney, Project Consultant with the Rural Community Network for the 5G New Thinking Project, says the digital divide must be ended ural Community Network is a membership organisation supporting rural communities across Northern Ireland, working with them on issues around poverty, inequality and community relations, and to help develop ability to advocate to policy-makers.

The digital divide has concerned us for years – poor connectivity and the lack of skills and resources to buy and use connectivity has a negative impact in rural areas.

Alongside highlighting this to policymakers, for the past two years we’ve been a partner in a project, UK 5G New Thinking, developing a community toolkit for the creation of rural connectivity networks.

Twenty years ago, home internet access was novel. In the 1999-2000 Continuous Household Survey, 87 per cent of households surveyed didn’t have home internet access. That has flipped and in 2019-20, 87 per cent of those surveyed do have home internet access.

About 650,000 of the 1.8 million people here live in rural areas, the highest proportion of rural dwellers within these islands. We have many benefits as a result: higher life expectancy, more likely to be in full-time employment, be more highly skilled and have greater job satisfaction.

But it’s not all positive and the urban/rural divide is real. We spend more time commuting to work, we have less access to public transport and key services, and broadband speed and availability, though improving, remains much lower in rural areas.

Sixty six per cent of rural premises

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Nigel McKinney have access to superfast broadband (the UK average is 81 per cent) and data shows that 19 per cent of our rural premises are unable to get a good speed (the UK average is 10 per cent).

In 2000 home internet was nice to have – but we are well beyond it as a plaything for early adopters. Accessing and using online services permeates every aspect of our lives – we work, learn and shop from home, access and stream entertainment, spend our leisure time on social media, engage with family and friends remotely. We also engage and access an ever-increasing range of public services, as a quick check on NI Direct attests.

The centrality of digital connectivity, embedded in the pandemic, is a fact of life as is the fact of poorer rural provision. A sure lesson is that the ability to be connected should be considered from a

rights perspective not a market one.

The digital divide must end. Policymakers increasingly recognise this with interventions such as Project Stratum and connectivity as a theme in the draft Rural Policy Framework.

More must be done and now is a strategic moment to think about our future digital strategy.

• Better information on the connectivity support currently available must be provided in one place.

• We need to consider providing universal basic internet, a free level of minimally decent infrastructure alongside community training and support to use it.

• We need policies to support rural regeneration and development, building on the need and appetite for more flexible/remote working.

• What will be done about any remaining ‘not spots’ and how might the opportunities provided by developments in technology including mobile and 5G be harnessed for rural areas?

• What are the implications for rural communities as public services are increasingly developed and delivered online – how can we best engage with and shape developments?

Finally, as rural community organisations, what do we need to do to develop our digital strategies and consider how our digital and face-to-face work fits together? If the last 20 years have seen a total transformation in provision of connectivity and its use – the developments in the next 20 years will be even more so. Rural communities and people must not be left behind.

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Speaking out: Caroline Rice from Fermanagh single mother with a 11-year-old daughter has told VIEW editor Brian Pelan about her daily economic struggle as the cost of living soars.

Caroline Rice, who lives near the border in County Fermanagh, said she felt compelled to speak out about her hardship and the failure of politicians in Northern Ireland to effectively tackle poverty.

“I first got involved with two online projects called Covid Realities and UC:Us. They examine the experiences of people in the UK and Northern Ireland, in terms of low income and poverty. I was also also a registered childminder for 13 years.

“I’ve decided to speak out because of my frustration with the lack of transparency, the lack of resources, and not knowing where to go to get advice. I’ve also noticed that things have got a lot tougher for me.

“I work around 23 hours a week, and because of the lack of child support, I’m also dependent on universal credit which is a very basic level of support.”

Caroline said she is totally opposed to anyone who would try to stigmatise people on low incomes. “Stigma comes from people who judge other people without knowing the full circumstances. I would never judge anybody. I take people as they are and I expect the same in return.”

Caroline also spoke about how she relies on broadband despite rising costs.

“I’m totally dependent on it,” she replied. “During the lockdown when my child had to be home schooled, I was at the stage where I was ready to cancel my internet because I couldn’t afford to pay for it, but I couldn’t do it because my daughter needs her education.

“I had been with BT but the service wasn’t very good. I then went to Sky. It was a little bit better, but not much better. It’s a lot of money when you're talking about £35 to £40 a month. I’ve now switched to Fibrus for £20 a month. It’s a fixed rate for

Having broadband and access to a mobile phone is no longer a luxury.

It’s a necessity

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UC:Us is a group of people in Northern Ireland who receive Universal Credit. Our aim is to share our experiences and insights so that things might change for the better in the future.

The group came together in June 2019 as part of a participatory research project which looked at experiences of Universal Credit in Northern Ireland. Researchers Ruth Patrick (University of York), Mark Simpson (Ulster University) and Ciara Fitzpatrick (Ulster University) supported the group to share experiences of Universal Credit and come up with recommendations to improve things. To find out more go to www.ucus.org.uk/about-us

COVID REALITIES – The project seeks to find out how Covid-19 is affecting families living on a low income. For example, we want to explore families’ experiences of benefit claims, of paid work, and of looking after children and getting basic essentials like food during the crisis. Find out more at covidrealities.org/about/getinvolved/info

a year. But when my deal finishes, it’s going to double in price to £40 a month.

Caroline said that the impact would be massive on her life if she didn’t have access to broadband or a mobile phone. “You would get isolated very quickly,” she added. “I think the internet should be a basic utility. You need to have digital techology to access your journal for universal credit, or take part in Zoom calls and online projects. Without it I’d just be at home, frustrated and without a voice.

“Also, broadband and access to a mobile phone is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Covid and the lockdown have taught us that,” said Caroline.

“You need digital devices, whether it’s a laptop, a tablet or a mobile phone. It’s a resource for our children, it’s a resource for education.”

Caroline ended our interview by saying that she is going to continue to speak out about low pay and poverty. “I am very strong-willed,” she said.“I am not going to let the system beat me.”

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During the pandemic, we had kids who couldn’t access their education because they didn’t have laptops Damon Gibbons, executive director with the Centre for Responsible Credit, talks to VIEW about the effects of digital exclusion and trying to help tenants with debt issues recent blog, posted on the website of the Centre for Responsible Credit in the UK by its director Damon Gibbons, said that “during the lockdown we saw a glimpse of the extent of digital exclusion brought about by a lack of access to laptops”.

In the same article, Damon also wrote that “It is wrong to think of digital exclusion in a binary fashion: where people are either excluded or included. Digital exclusion is a broad spectrum. People can be excluded or included at different times.”

I started off by asking Damon to tell me about the background to the Centre for Responsible Credit and its aims.

“We wanted to set up an independent research centre, that wasn’t being sponsored by the industry or government, to actually write reports, but which was researching stuff from communities.”

Damon, who lives in Leicester, went on to talk about the impact of the pandemic on frontline debt advisors and the people who turn them for help.

“During the pandemic, they’ve been hugely impacted in terms of their work with people, they’ve been unable to have face-to-face appointments and had to follow up by phone or, you know, by email and that sort of stuff. And they were finding that a lot of people were dropping out. A lot of people weren’t able to cope with the advice in those sorts of ways. So the outcomes for their clients were getting worse.”

I also asked Damon about his blog when he pointed out that “according to (the regulatory body) Ofcom only 1.5 million households in the UK are completely off-line, but nine million people cannot use the internet without help. And Lloyds Bank research indicated that 11.7 million people do not have ‘Essential Digital

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Research: Damon Gibbons Skills for Life’, whilst 17.2 million do not have ‘Essential Digital Skills for Work’.”

“I think we we need to take a step back a little bit and just have a think about how we calibrate the pace of change,” said Damon. “And also to think about what [type of] support are we putting in for people so that they can move forwards?

Because it seems to me that it’s peanuts that are going into improving actual digital skills in comparison with where all the big money is going, which is the investment in the digital platforms.”

I asked Damon did he think governments should supply digital devices to people, especially those in low-income households, as a way of tackling digital exclusion?

“Absolutely,” he replied. “In Britain, during the pandemic, we had kids who couldn’t access their education, because they didn’t have laptops. People were having to donate kit to these households. It

was scandalous that the government didn’t step in and provide it.

“The number of households who were digitally excluded only came to light in the pandemic because of the closure of schools. I think we’ve got a major issue and just giving an old (computer) kit to somebody isn’t really the answer.”

The Centre for Responsible Credit is currently working on a trial project called Rent-Flex – a free digital platform which allows social housing tenants to create personalised payment plans for the year ahead.

“Assuming it works, we think it could be rolled out across the sector,” said Damon. “We think there are savings for the social landlords that use it. Because fundamentally, instead of chasing for missed arrears at certain times a year, they’re actually getting prior notice of when people’s financial pinch-points are.”

My final question to Damon was to ask him what was the biggest challenge which his organisation faced?

“It’s when people have complicated problems. People often try to find the simplest solution to their problem. And we see that all the time in the credit market, people go online, and they get loans out often at a very high cost. It might be an immediate solition but it’s not the right solution. It is going to have longer term consequences.”

• The Centre for Responsible Credit was founded in 2010. They drove the campaign for caps on the total cost of credit that could be charged by payday lenders. For more information go to their website: www.responsiblecredit.org.uk/

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Forging a bond Brian Pelan talks to digital skills volunteer Asma Niazi orty-two-year-old Asma Niazi from Pakistan is definitely a natural when it comes to teaching digital skills classes to groups of older people who are keen to learn.

She came to Northern Ireland seven years ago from Pakistan, along with her two children, as part of a scholarship. “I completed a Master’s in educational studies at the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work in Queen’s University,” she told me during our Zoom call. She has now embarked on a postgrad course in anthropology at the same university.

Volunteering seems to be a part of Asma’s DNA. She initially carried out volunteer work with the Belfast Unemployment Resource Centre, teaching English language to asylum seekers and refugees. This led on to her volunteering to be a tutor for a digital inclusion programme, led by the Northern Ireland charity Advice NI. “Northern Ireland is the only place I’ve lived in since leaving Pakistan. I had never been abroad before. I liked it a lot when I came. As a mother with two children it’s also a very easy place to navigate. People are quite surprised when I say I like the weather here.”

She is also very proud of her educational achievements.

“It was a fantastic day when I got my Master’s because it had always been a dream of mine. The staff at Queen’s were so helpful to me.

“My background is teaching so I was also looking for something that had an element of teaching to it when it came to volunteering. I also wanted to try and help older people.”

Asma’s first class, ran by Advice NI, had only two people in it, then it went up to around eight students.

The age group she generally teaches are between 65 years of age and 80 years of age.

I asked Asma what was the interaction like in terms of a woman from Pakistan teaching older men and women from Northern Ireland?

“I was apprehensive at the start,” replied Asma. “Thoughts would go through my head: ‘What are the students going to be like’? ‘Will they like me’?

“But the way I was treated, and the response I received was phenomenal. They have been so welcoming.

“They’re not just focused on the one thing. They would chat to me about all sorts of things. I mentioned once that my daughter had an allergy, and one of my learners advised me to use a certain type of cream. We have developed a kind of a bond and I always feel really sad when the class eventually finishes.”

Many of her students are starting from scratch when it comes to learning digital skills.

According to Asma, remembering passwords and a fear of online shopping and scams are some of the initial concerns she faces from those in the classroom at the beginning of her digital inclusion classes. She also teaches her students how to use emails and how to make online complaints.

Asma also believes that more digital online courses should be provided for asylum seekers and refugees. “I think it would be a really good thing to happen, especially if the funding was made available for translators.”

Those of us who have digital skills can often forget those who haven’t any. A huge debt of gratitude is due to volunteers, such as Asma, who are helping to bridge the digital divide.

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Northern Ireland consistently ranked worst in the UK for its digital divide

By Andy Woods, Design Director, Rouge Media very year, the Office for National Statistics publishes figures to show how many people across the UK are internet non-users. An internet non-user is any adult over the age of 16 who has never used the internet in their lifetime, or it has been over three months since they last went online.

Over recent years, there’s been a growing focus on so-called “internet nonusers” as part of the debate about the UK’s digital divide and its impact on inclusion. And the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide like never before, as communication and many vital services moved online.

In an analysis of this public data set, Rouge Media has found that Northern Ireland consistently ranks worst in the UK for its digital divide, with the largest percentage of its population being recognised as internet non-users.

The average digital divide across the whole of the UK was 7.8 percent in 2020.

This means it’s estimated 4.16 million people were non-users across the nations and regions of the UK. In comparison, 11.8 percent of adults over the age of 16 in Northern Ireland lived offline in the first three months of 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, down from 13.2 per cent in 2019. This is a yearon-year decrease of 193,000 people.

However, despite this progress and Openreach announcing plans to invest £100m into NI broadband, Northern Ireland’s digital divide remains the highest in the UK when population size is considered. This means many local residents were left unable to access important online services or benefit from

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Debate: Andy Woods communication apps during the first national lockdown last year.

What’s more, Northern Ireland has consistently had the largest digital divide when compared against the other nations and regions of the UK. Available figures date back to 2017 and since then, Northern Ireland has ranked in first place for the percentage of its population living offline.

Diving deeper into the data, we can see Mid-Ulster had the largest digital divide in Northern Ireland in 2020 – 17.8 per cent or 21,000 adults. This is the fourthhighest percentage of people living offline in the whole of the UK. Slow internet speeds could be partially to blame – internet speeds in MidUlster are 51.58 percent worse than the United Kingdom national average of 32.98 Mbps. Causeway Coast and Glens had the second-largest digital divide in Northern Ireland, with 14.9 per cent of the local population considered to be internet nonusers, followed by the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area (13.8 per cent).

The capital Belfast is home to 29,000 adults classified as lapsed or internet nonusers in 2020. This equates to 11.1 percent of the city’s population.

However, looking ahead it’s important to consider that as the portion of the population who were born before the internet becomes smaller and the first generation of “digital natives” reach adulthood, the digital divide is expected to close further and at an accelerated rate across the whole of the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

However, enduring social and economic issues will remain, preventing people from using or benefiting from the internet fully. The Covid-19 pandemic has increased inequalities between rich and poor households, squeezing budgets further. This is something we need to address in the coming years to ensure no one is left behind.

According to the Resolution Foundation thinktank, UK families took a bigger hit to their income during the pandemic than their European counterparts due to the structure of the economy and rising income inequality.

This could impact the number of households who are able to afford internet access and IT equipment, with other vital goods and services being prioritised.

It’s clear that while positive progress has been made, an enduring digital divide remains nationwide which appears to be impacting older residents and poorer households unequally.

• The Great Digital Divide: Mapping the UK’s Internet Nonusers – www.rouge-media.com/ukinternet-non-users/

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The Covid-19 pandemic has increased inequalities between rich and poor households, squeezing budgets further

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Once they are connected a whole world opens up Journalist Mary O’Hara reports on how grassroots organisation Mighty Writers is helping thousands of young people to access vital internet services ike so many grassroots organisations, when the pandemic hit, Philadelphiabased child literacy non-profit Mighty Writers had to close its doors and swiftly reconfigure its services for young people.

The organisation provides writing workshops for youngsters primarily from disadvantaged and immigrant communities at sites around the city and increasingly beyond it, but the onset of Covid-19 meant an abrupt switch to online.

“Over 3,000 kids in 2021 logged on to our online programmes,” Rachel Loeper, Mighty Writers’ education director, explains. The “pivot” to virtual was more of a challenge for some than others, Loeper points out, with many young people unable to access the internet at home and cut off from facilities at schools and public libraries.

Mighty Writers is “embedded” in the community and it was because of this Loeper says that it could continue connecting with children and their families through outreach, including distributing books and food parcels. As a result, staff were aware of the digital access issues facing families and worked to bridge the gap by, for example, highlighting needs to city government officials and raising awareness with families about publiclyfunded subsidies for paying broadband bills.

Once children had internet access, Mighty Writers’ online mentoring programme with professional writers in particular “flourished” she added.

Today’s America is increasingly defined by gaping divisions politically and culturally, but it is also characterised by a digital chasm that leaves tens of millions of people, including children, excluded from or with restricted access to vital online products and services such as affordable, reliable high-speed internet and devices like laptops. Estimates vary (ranging from 14.5 million people to a whopping 157 million) but it is widely understood that not only do millions of households across the country lack access to modern internet services, Americans generally fork out more for worse services compared to most other wealthy nations.

The deep-rooted ‘digital divide’ in the US predates the pandemic and has long been connected to factors including high levels of poverty and prohibitive broadband costs. However, more recently Covid-19

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Residents queing to use the services provided by the nonprofit group Mighty Writers in Philadelphia has thrust the issue to the fore as poorer, low-income and other historically marginalised communities, including those of colour, have been hit the hardest.

Advocates have highlighted that a lack of digital inclusion has exacerbated existing inequities in key areas including education.

Threadbare welfare protections provide scant support meaning poorer families battling to keep their heads above water are unable to find spare cash for high speed internet access or computers.

According to one recent study by the Pew Research Center published in the autumn of 2021 – a year and a half into the pandemic – 46 per cent of parents with low incomes whose children had been affected by school closures said their child faced one-to-three obstacles to learning while schools were shuttered.

Even before the pandemic a Pew 2018 survey found that nearly one in five teens (and one in four black teens) ‘sometimes or often’ couldn’t complete homework due to a lack of reliable access to an internet connection or a computer.

However, from grassroots inclusion drives by groups such as Mighty Writers to action at a federal level, efforts have accelerated to close the digital gap. For example, last spring in Los Angeles, the California Community Foundation launched a Digital Equity Initiative that aims to help communities advocate for legislative and regulatory change, including for broadband to be treated as a basic utility.

Further north in the city of Oakland near San Francisco, a city-funded initiative saw $10,000 grants awarded to 10 local

organisations in an effort, among other things, to enhance digital literacy.

Administered by the Greenlining Institute, an economic equity non-profit focused on communities of colour, the grants have been awarded to organisations already engaged with and trusted by local people, including those who are homeless or recently released from prison.

Vinhcent Le, legal counsel at Greenlining, said a priority is to help community-level organisations integrate digital literacy into their services and acquire expertise that enables them to help clients obtain appropriate support. It’s still early for the initiative he says, but in the longer term he hopes it will help “create an ecosystem” at a community level that promotes digital inclusion.

On top of local undertakings, the state of California has recently seen the largest ever public investment in broadband infrastructure and expansion of internet access. In July, governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation introducing a $6bn multiyear investment. Along with moves at the national level to foster digital inclusion, such as the Affordable Connectivity Programme (ACP), a $14bn programme that, as of December 31, replaces a temporary pandemic federal benefit and subsidises broadband costs for qualifying households, Le believes a shift in priorities is underway and that the latest government moves represent a “massive commitment” to tackling digital exclusion.

Back at Mighty Writers, Loeper places the issue in a more personal context. For children, she explains, “once they are connected, a whole world opens up to them.”

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Today’s America is increasingly defined by gaping divisions politically and culturally, but it is also characterised by a digital chasm that leaves tens of millions of people, including children, excluded

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Tackling the huge digital divide by connecting people with disabilities to the online world he ONSIDE project is an EU-funded cross-border initiative. It was established in late 2019 to address and reduce the social isolation often experienced by disabled people.

It supports participants to create community connections by providing help to establish social connections alongside digital skills training. To date, ONSIDE has supported more than 1,580 participants.

This is no mean feat given the fact that the project was launched on March 12, 2020, just before the first Government-enforced lockdown took place.

VIEW spoke to Orla McCann, who is the ONSIDE project manager at the charity Disability Action.

Orla said: “My traditional area of work would have been looking at access issues for people with disabilities, including transport and the natural environment. To be honest, a digital project was new for me, but in terms of accessibility, digital is the dominant issue now.

“After a successful pilot in the northwest of Ireland in early 2020, and a launch in Derry in March 2020, we had no idea of the catastrophic impact Covid-19 would have on the world.

“ONSIDE was impacted early on by the pandemic as the equipment required to deliver the project was coming from Wuhan, China, where all manufacturing was ceased because of the pandemic. But we did not let that stop us.

“With the continued lockdown restrictions and mindful of the health and well-being of our participants and staff, many of whom were shielding on Government guidance, we acted quickly.

We redesigned the digital training programme so it could be delivered solely online by our digital training team.

ONSIDE strategically pooled our

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Reaching out: Orla McCann, ONSIDE project manager at the charity Disability Action resources so our disability, health and housing officers could deliver equipment to participants’ homes safely. All four partners (the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Independent Living Movement Ireland, Supporting Communities and the Disability Housing Forum) worked together to ensure ONSIDE provided the right level of support to each participant so they could connect to digital training sessions. It was no small feat as many had never used IT devices before.”

Free tablet devices were given to people with disabilities who participated in the ONSIDE project. Some of those who took part went on to become peer volunteers.

They played an invaluable role within the ONSIDE project by supporting participants in one-to-one settings to further develop their digital skills and

understanding of how to create community connections online.

These sessions were in addition to a six-week training programme. The aim of the peer learning sessions was to offer further training in an area the participant felt they needed additional support with.

Orla also spoke about how social isolation was a ongoing reality for many people who are living with disabilities.

“A lot of people have been in an isolated state for a long time and it is their day-to-day reality. The opportunity that the internet could present to enable people to continue to engage with friends and family was one of the early attractions of this project.

“The pandemic has proven the worth of the ONSIDE project in enabling our participants to become or remain connected to their family and friends and wider community using the skills and contacts they have developed during their time with us,” added Orla.

“Looking forward we hope for a continued easing of Covid-related restrictions that will enable us to build upon our achievements to date. We anticipate that participants who have reached out to online services will embrace these in ‘real life’. We will continue to upskill and equip people with disabilities so they can avail of all that the internet has to offer in a safe and informed way.

“We look forward to working with, and alongside many more disabled people to overcome the barriers they experience in becoming socially active. ONSIDE has recorded these experiences to inform government departments, legislators, service providers and others in how they can make their services and activities more accessible to people with disabilities.”

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‘It’s all about bringing the online world into people’s lives’ Nigel Flynn, who has a disability was asked to participate in the ONSIDE project. He went on to become a peer volunteer.

Above: Participants Alison McClean and Betty Roberts, from Headway Newtownabbey, are supported through their digital training by Selina Allen, Community Navigator, and Tracey Mimna, Digital Trainer, at the ONSIDE project

First digital training session with Foyle Down Syndrome Trust. ONSIDE team members Andy Mullan and Matthew McKeown guided the group through the initial set up and using their tablets for the first time via Zoom

“I suffered a brain brain haemorrhage four years ago whilst I was living in Scotland,” said Nigel. “I had to come home to Northern Ireland. I can’t walk independently, and I have a lot of other complications.

“I was one of the first people to take part in the ONSIDE project which lasted around eight weeks. The training was fun, and it was great to interact with other people who took part.

“One of the big things about suffering from a disability, and especially if you are living on your own, is to find a purpose to your life. This course was great because it provided me with a purpose.

“I’ve been a peer volunteer for over a year now. Anyone who joins the group is given a free tablet. How to use Zoom has become a huge part of the project. I'm a big fan of it. And teaching those in the group how to use it has made a big difference to their lives in terms of communicating with other people.

“We also teach them how to do online shopping, how to send emails, and how to look out for scams when they are online.

“It’s all about bringing the outside world into their homes.

Also, social isolation was a big factor for me deciding to take part in the ONSIDE project. I used to have a very full life before I suffered my disability, and I was also very fit. I cannot travel now which is terribly frustrating. I cannot go for a run or swim now.

“We also need to remember that a lot of older people who know nothing about the online world can very quickly become second-class citizens. Projects, such as ONSIDE, can be a great help to them.”

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CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Adrian Johnston, Director of Strategic Business Development at Catalyst

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Adrian Johnston, Director of Strategic Business Development at Catalyst, and Chair of the Community Foundation Northern Ireland, talks to VIEW editor Brian Pelan about his belief in equality of access for everyone when it comes to digital innovation erry man Adrian Johnston, the recently-appointed Director of Strategic Business Development at Catalyst, is passionate about the need for young people from disadvantaged areas to have equality of access when it comes to getting involved in the world of digital.

An independent, not-for-profit organisation, Catalyst works to develop Northern Ireland’s tech industry through fostering entrepreneurship and innovation and supporting transformative businesses.

I caught up recently with Adrian, via Zoom, to learn more about his role in the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland and to listen to his views on how digital exclusion can be effectively tackled.

“I’ve been involved in the intersection of digital and technology and social innovation for maybe 20 years,” said Aidan.

“I’ve held a number of posts. I was chair of the International Fund for Ireland.

And I’m now the chair of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland. I’ve also been involved with the community and voluntary sector for 25 years in a number of different guises.

“But at the same time, I’ve had a career in technology with Seagate Technology, who are a large multinational company located here in Northern Ireland.

“In 2018, I became the head of Digital Catapult for Northern Ireland, heading up their operations, which looked at the accelerated adoption of digital technologies across public sector, private sector and academia.

“I recently joined Catalyst in the Titanic Quarter. We also have a presence in the North West and Derry. My role, as Director of Strategic Business.

Development, is to make sure that there are stronger partnerships across academia, industry, public policy, and government in the provision of what’s required for accelerating the digital economy in Northern Ireland.

I asked Adrian did he think that there was a digital divide in Northern Ireland, and if so, what steps are required

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Digital divide: The Third Sector has a huge role to play in helping the digitally excluded, says Adrian Johnston to address it?

“Absolutely,” replied Adrian. “The digital divide exists in two ways.You know, as a region, Northern Ireland has quite a large rural population. One of the things that we've looked at in the last couple of years and which will be rolled out over the next number of years, is Project Stratum, which is looking at giving high speed broadband internet access to rural communities. That in itself highlights that there is a real deficiency, there’s an inequality in the access to high speed broadband. And that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“We also have a digital divide in terms of the older members of our society who are less likely to use digital technologies.

“Because of Covid, they have become excluded from all of the things which are important to them, such as access to health, access to social engagements, access to family, and banking, which has been completely transformed in the last few years.

“The socioeconomically disadvantaged within our community also did not have access to technology for home schooling.

“As we look for new solutions and more digitally-engaged work, we have to make sure that those who are digitally excluded are part of the development process. The third sector has a huge role to play in that.

“The Community Foundation runs a project called Techies in Residence which is co-funded with Comic Relief. It looks at new creative solutions to societal problems. It has been hugely successful, but it’s something that needs to be scaled at a much higher level.”

Adrian also spoke about the costs involved in getting digital access. “There should be some level of support provided to ensure equity of access to the technology.

“Opportunity can’t be based on a socioeconomic postcode. I also look at organisations such as Catalyst who have very much brought inclusive innovation to the heart of what they do.”

• For more information about Catalyst, go to www.wearecatalyst.org

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An overview of the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland

Figure 1: The percentage of broadband coverage in the Council areas of Northern Ireland.

Figure 2: Summary of central issues characterising the Digital Divide in NI

This blog article by Niamh McHugh provides a brief overview of the ‘Digital Divide’. Drawing on the Northern Ireland experience, it explores key characteristics of the Digital Divide, as well as the importance of closing this divide, especially given exigencies we have faced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

What is the ‘Digital Divide’?

The Digital Divide broadly refers to the gap between people, households, businesses and areas in both accessing information and communication technologies (ICTs) and using those technologies – that is, opportunity and ability. Critically, there are different components of the digital divide, encompassing a wide range of features, such as broadband and mobile coverage, as well as digital skills needed to engage with technology.

The divide is not only a technological problem, but also a social and economic problem as those not connected cannot access services, goods, knowledge and opportunities, which gives rise to inequalities.

What does the Digital Divide look like in Northern Ireland?

In respect to the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland continues to have the highest proportion of internet non-users; standing at 14.2 per cent. The Digital Divide is a serious challenge facing Northern Ireland today. However, not all areas in Northern Ireland are experiencing the divide in the same way.

First, Northern Ireland is sparsely populated, and as such, district councils are experiencing the divide differently. For example, using broadband speed as an indicator, it can be seen that there is great variation amongst the councils.

Niamh McHugh (above) is currently undertaking a PhD at The University of Leicester and Loughborough University in the UK. She recently undertook a three-month internship at the Northern Ireland Assembly in the Research and Information Service (RaISe), which enabled her to explore and research the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland Unsurprisingly, a relationship between population density and broadband speed can be found, with lower speeds found with those council areas with a sparser population. Causeway Coast and Glens, however, goes against this trend. Figure (above) highlights such variation: It seems that assessing the percentage of those who receive a broadband coverage of less than 2 Megabits per second (Mbps) could be a concern under the UK’s broadband Universal Service Obligations (USO). This is because individuals now have the right to request a broadband connection of at least a download speed of 10 Mbps and an upload speed of 1 Mbps.

Comparing these coverage rates to the rest of the UK: Northern Ireland continues to have the lowest coverage of

superfast broadband in the UK (90.2 per cent); with England having the highest (97.5 percent); followed by Wales (96 per cent) and then Scotland (94.8 per cent).

Within the context of Northern Ireland, Fermanagh and Omagh present the highest rates of poor broadband coverage of 2 Mbps, which is below the USO. However, this can be associated with the broader urban-rural Digital Divide. Within the UK as a whole, there is an urban-rural divide; with many rural areas experiencing poor or even no access to broadband and mobile coverage services. Notably, 5.4 per cent of premises located in a rural setting do not receive the USO broadband connection requirement; compared to 1.2 per cent in urban areas. While 44 per cent of rural areas receive 4G coverage, in comparison to 84 per cent of urban areas across the UK. Moving beyond the indicator of broadband coverage, and trying to understand why Northern Ireland continues to have the highest proportion of internet non-users, it is important to explore the broader context of the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland, which reveals many outdated data sets. Moreover, there is a severe lack of data on a yearly basis.

Also, widescale index reports, such as the Lloyd’s Consumer Digital Index report, often exclude Northern Ireland from its data sets, due to the smaller scale of analysis that is required.

Consequently, there is an apparent need to gather data more frequently in the case of Northern Ireland. This is important to note given the pace of digital technology and its rollout throughout society.

As such, accurate platforms that enable comparisons to be made across the UK, and allow for the tracking of progress, are needed to identify patterns and trends.

Such monitoring and evaluation are imperative if existing Digital Divide issues are to be addressed and progress to be

VIEW, Issue 61, 2022 made, including reducing any inequalities arising from the divide.

Figure 2 (left) highlights the interrelationship between the different factors that collectively produce the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland. It shows that the divide goes beyond the ability to receive a decent broadband connection.

There appear to be three broad categories of issues driving the divide in Northern Ireland: access, infrastructure and demographics.

One of the most notable factors of this divide is the high number of individuals who are of working age (16-65) and those who have little to no basic digital skills. Essential digital skills fall into five central categories: managing information, communicating, transacting, problem solving, and creating. These categories encompass everyday activities such as using a search engine, sending an email, ordering shopping online or creating a document such as a CV. In the UK, eight per cent of people (4.3 million people) have zero basic digital skills, with a further 12 per cent (6.4 million adults) estimated to have limited digital skills (unable to perform at least one of the basic digital skills). Breaking those figures down by region: 20 per cent of the populations of England and Scotland have no basic digital skills; while in Wales this figure stands at 34 per cent. In the case of Northern Ireland, 32 per cent of the working age population (16-65) have limited or no basic digital skills. That is higher than the UK average of 26 per cent.

It is inevitable that existing digital skill gap levels throughout the UK population will influence, to a lesser or a greater extent, employment aspirations, social relationships and in turn the broader economy.

This is because many work-related activities are moving online and changes to home working patterns require employees to operate technologies remotely. Over the last couple of years, that trend was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has required employees to have basic understandings and an ability to use digital technologies.

In Northern Ireland, this seems to be especially acute given that rural areas are home to more than a third of the population; and that the rural population is growing. Rural areas are home to 58 per cent of businesses in Northern Ireland; with 74 per cent of the population being in either full-time or part-time employment.

As of 2019, only four per cent of the rural population worked from home.

However, this figure is expected to increase, following the shift towards remote working following the Covid-19 pandemic. A good case therefore exists for expanding broadband, and in particular superfast services to rural areas. Doing so has the potential to attract business investment to rural areas in Northern Ireland and boost workers’ productivity, enabling them to access and use fast, reliable broadband.

In Northern Ireland there is a strong

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Figure 3: The benefits of bridging the Digital Divide to the individual (left) shows some of the vast savings potentially made in a digitally inclusive society, not only to the economy, but also to other sectors in Northern Ireland, such as education and health: Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Digital Divide

Why is closing the Digital Divide important?

The impact of Covid-19 has shown how important digital technologies are in keeping people connected. This can be seen through the shift of essential services online, such as medical and banking appointments and education services, alongside an increase in the number of people working from home. The current climate has further highlighted the importance of digital connectivity and the subsequent need to tackle digital exclusion.

Although some may not want to be online, many may be left behind in this increasingly digital world.

The World Economic Forum has labelled the Digital Divide as one of the central global risks facing the world today.

They note: “Covid-19 has accelerated the Fourth Industrial Revolution, expanding the digitalisation of human interaction, e-commerce, online education and remote work. These shifts will transform society long after the pandemic and promise huge benefits, but they also risk exacerbating and creating inequalities…”

In summary, this blog article has shown that the Digital Divide is a serious issue facing Northern Ireland today.

Critically, there are a number of factors which are contributing to this divide, which has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Through identifying three broad categories (demographics, infrastructure and access) which characterise the Digital Divide, it demonstrates that this divide is not only a technological problem and that it is in fact an issue which has broader implications to society and the wider economy.

Reducing the number of those who are offline, and unable to both effectively access or use such technologies, may provide benefits to individuals and society as a whole.

First, from the perspective of the individual, it strengthens that person’s employability, as well as ability to interact with others, reducing the chances of social isolation, as highlighted in Figure 3 (above).

Taking a more strategic look, Figure 4

• This research blog was first published for Research Matters, A blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service on the November 16, 2021. The link to this article can be found at – https://www.assemblyresearchma tters.org/2021/11/16/anoverview-of-the-digital-divide-innorthern-ireland/

Figure 4: The wider benefits of a digitally-inclusive society crossover with ageing populations, rural areas, and access and ability to use digital services. Across the UK, 80 per cent of those who are offline are aged 50 and above; likewise, 90 per cent of those who cannot perform essential digital skills are over the age of 55. In Northern Ireland, 18 per cent of the rural population are aged 65 and over. Drawing upon the aforementioned statistics surrounding the relationship between age and digital exclusion, rural communities with older populations pose a problem in attempting to tackle the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland, leaving them at further risk to being left behind.

Furthermore, with a growth in rural populations in Northern Ireland, there could be an increased demand for services such as broadband and mobile network coverage, which could further widen the Digital Divide between urban and rural areas. This is very significant as the Digital Divide gives rise to inequality as those not connected cannot access services, goods, knowledge and opportunities.

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Rise of the hub network in the Republic of Ireland he Republic of Ireland’s first national network of remote working hubs was launched last year.

Currently, there are around 400 remote working hubs in the Republic in total and the overall goal is to get every hub joined to the network.

According to the website ConnectedHubs.ie, the National Hub Network provides a vehicle for individual hubs to come together under a shared identity to maximise the economic opportunity of remote working. The National Hub Network has the support of the Irish government, remote working advocacy groups and industry representatives. In this way, ConnectedHubs.ie also encompasses a range of key features that deliver significant benefits to member hubs, hub clients, employers, local communities and the wider economy.

VIEW spoke to Stephen Carolan, the National Hubs Programme Manager at the Western Development Commission, about why the netwok was set up.

“The network is an initiative run by the Department of Rural and Community Development. And it is project managed by the Western Commission.

“A team of four of us oversee the National Hub Network project.

“This initiative, first started in 2019, sought to create a collaboration network along the western coast, from Donegal down to Kerry. The Western Development Commision got the remit to coordinate any projects that ran through it.

“It’s very important to understand that the hubs are a broad church; there are many of them that are enterprise-focused, some of them are community-focused with an element of enterprise. And there are some of them that are very much community-focused.

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Passionate: Stephen Carolan “When Minister Heather Humphreys took over the Department of Rural and Community Development she decided that she wanted to roll it out nationally. So around September-October in 2020, we started putting the preparation in place for a national hubs network.”

What is the relationship between the the network and the individual hubs?

“That’s a very good question,” said Stephen. “We estimate there’s in excess of 400 hubs across the network. The strategy that we’re working on at the moment, which will need to be updated, is the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) strategy which stretches along the western seaboard of Ireland.We are focused on four areas: infrastructure, technology, the community, which is the most important pillar, and marketing.”

What sort of financial assistance would community groups, who want to set up a hub, get in terms of broadband provision and office space?

Stephen replied: “Those community

centres are providing a vital service to the community in their area. If they become a hub, they have the option of providing remote working facilities, and meeting rooms. There will be a number of funding programmes available to them. We can talk to them about the whole hub network environment, we can provide them with publications and toolkits. We can talk to them about how to manage and run a hub.”

Stephen gave an example of a community hub in Co Longford which is working well.

It’s called co:works. Literature on their website (https://coworx.ie/) describe it as an initiative of a voluntary committee called the Edgeworthstown Enterprise Hub CLG. Stephen added: “We believe there is a great opportunity in the Republic for hubs to play a key role in the digitisation of communities.”

What are the challenges facing different groups, such as the unemployed and older people, becoming part of the digital hub network?

“We see the hubs as being activation points for bringing those people closer to government services,” said Stephen.

“The hubs offer an opportunity for them to engage with digital services in a way that’s not intimidating, because it's in their locality and it’s in a place that's very close to them.”

Stephen firmly believes that the hubs, with remote working facilities, are also a good way to attract young Irish people, who are presently working abroad, to return home.

He ended our interview by quoting the line, ‘The savage loves his native shore’ – from The Irishman by poet James Orr. Let’s hope that the hub network continues to thrive and grow as the future belongs to our youth.

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For more information on the Republic’s National Hub Network, go to https://connectedhubs.ie/

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COMMENT

Internet access needs to be treated as an essential utility rather than a convenience Dr Hannah Holmes and Dr Gemma Burgess argue that to improve access to online opportunities, housing must support digital inclusion igital exclusion – characterised by a lack of access to a good internet connection, a lack of access to a suitable device, a lack of motivation to get online, or difficulties with digital literacy – affects millions of people of all ages in the United Kingdom.

The consequences of digital exclusion are serious. People who are digitally excluded may struggle to apply for work, lack the skills needed for employment, or be excluded from online learning opportunities. Being unable to get online creates barriers to managing finances without being able to keep track of funds via online banking, and those with low levels of digital literacy may face an enhanced risk of falling victim to online harm.

Importantly, there is a close relationship between poverty and digital exclusion: low-income households are far less likely to have home broadband than higher income households. If digital exclusion is to be overcome, it is essential to recognise and understand the reasons for this, and to examine the factors which shape or limit opportunities to get online.

Housing inequality is one such factor.

Housing matters for several reasons: for some people, their addresses make accessing home broadband impossible. For instance, living in temporary accommodation can make signing up to a lengthy broadband contract, or paying installation fees, unlikely to be feasible. And some types of housing can prevent you from using certain services even if you can get online, as delivery service providers may be unwilling to deliver to some highrise flats, or to some rural locations.

Housing inequalities can further compound digital exclusion, as rising housing costs have led to an increase in poverty rates, which reduces people’s ability to pay for internet access. Indeed, studies carried out by the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research

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People who are digitally excluded may struggle to apply for work, lack the skills needed for employment, or be excluded from online learning opportunities shows that when money is tight, rent, utility bills, and other essential expenses are often prioritised before Wi-Fi. Of course, housing isn’t the only barrier to securing broadband access. Poor credit ratings can preclude people from entering into a broadband contract. For many, paying for broadband is unaffordable.

Whatever the cause, those who cannot access home broadband often have to rely on expensive mobile data instead. But housing can be a barrier to this, too. Just

under 40,000 homes in the UK are in areas which are unable to get access to either strong 4G signals or broadband at sufficient speeds.

This is not just inconvenient. Digital exclusion has serious repercussions for access to a whole range of opportunities.

For instance, many housing associations now operate an online bidding process for properties, wherein prospective tenants must view properties online, and make an online application for them.

If being online is necessary for full participation in society – and this is increasingly the case – internet access needs to be treated as an essential utility, rather than a convenience or luxury. We need affordable broadband, alongside an improved supply of high-quality affordable housing and social housing, and for the necessary infrastructure for home broadband access to be made a default for all communities. The need for homes to be warm, damp-free, and safe, secure places in which people can build their lives has long been recognised. But it is essential, now more than ever, for homes to also be digitally connected. We know that digital exclusion exacerbates poverty, and in doing so contributes to all the negative effects which come with it, including poorer health and lower educational outcomes. To improve access to online opportunities, housing must support digital inclusion.

• Dr Hannah Holmes is a Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, University of Cambridge • Dr Gemma Burgess is Director of Research and Centre Director of the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, University of Cambridge

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COMMENT

Online support for refugees and migrants SaorEd, a free digital platform in the Republic of Ireland, is helping to play a vital role in tackling barriers to accessing education and training, says John Lannon, Chief Executive of Doras ne of the biggest integration challenges facing migrants and refugees is access to the training or education needed to try and get employment. Not having the required language skills is often a major barrier, as is the affordability of education or training.

Even the lack of extended family childcare support can block access to education, as women in particular are often unable to attend courses held at fixed times during the day or evening.

A new online education and training platform called SaorEd (www.saored.com) has just been launched to help overcome these barriers. It provides free access to a range of courses including English language, information technology skills, healthcare, and career preparation courses. Courses are available in English or Arabic, with other languages in the pipeline.

SaorEd is a collaborative initiative between three non-profit organisations, Doras, New Horizon, and Dignity Partnership. It is built on the Kiron online learning platform which has been designed specifically for refugees and underserved communities. This is already available in Europe and the Middle East, and it provides a vast range of courses suited to the needs of new or experienced learners.

The new platform is intended to fill gaps in existing education and training programmes. English language classes are already provided by further education colleges, resource centres, communitybased language programmes, and other not-for-profit initiatives.

SaorEd also provides access to good quality resources that help people communicate effectively in English. But it also offers a wide range of classes to suit learners’ existing English language proficiency, and has courses specifically designed for sectors like healthcare.

It also has specialised courses like intermediate English for university, English for Arabic speakers, and advanced English

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It opens up opportunities and pathways that are critical for people who may have fled war, persecution or poverty for the workplace.

The IT Skills study track covers basic digital skills in English and Arabic; intermediate IT skills, including a course on ‘Living in a Digital World’; as well as more advanced courses like web design with HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

The career development track includes basic professional skills development and preparation for job applications in English and Arabic. These have been identified as particularly relevant based on a survey of more than 100 refugees and migrants, but the platform contains many other similar courses.

SaorEd provides study programmes using open online courses from reputable education providers like Coursera and FutureLearn, with many of the study programmes offered exclusively to asylum seekers, with certificates provided on

completion of the course.

The restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have shown us that online/technology-based solutions are more viable that we would have previously imagined.Yet SaorEd’s underlying platform is designed in the knowledge that many refugees and migrants may have limited internet access. Images sizes are reduced with low connectivity users in mind, and a range of tricks are used to make videos directly accessible. This and the fact that courses can be accessed at any time makes them more accessible, even for learners using older devices.

At the launch of SaorEd, the founder of Dignity Partnership Rosemary Kunene described education as the key to unlocking individual talents, and one of the best investments for the future of any community or society. Dignity Partnership is a work integration social enterprise that promotes personal and enterprise development for people from a refugee and asylum-seeking background.

Rosemary herself has the lived experience of being an asylum seeker for many years. For many in that situation, education is a doorway to inclusion, connection, and dignity. It opens up opportunities and pathways that are critical for people who may have fled war, persecution or poverty. Making education and training as accessible as possible is therefore vital for their well-being and development.

Since its launch on January 14, the level of interest in SaorEd has been quite phenomenal, with more than 500 people across the island of Ireland already registering for courses. The organisations behind the initiative are now hoping that funders will come on board to help develop this exciting platform further.

• To contact SaorEd email saoredinfo@gmail.com. or follow them at @saor_ed on Twitter.

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