Digital exclusion With much of life suddenly moving to online during lockdown, those without sufficient access often found themselves unable to learn, work or access services online. Researching the issues, Ethel Ng found that charity and community organisations mobilised in unprecedented ways to support those most at risk.
Findings
Digital exclusion – felt by those with inadequate or non-existent access to information and communications technology – is a relatively new form of social deprivation. However, it is a deprivation that is exacerbated by, and contributes to, existing lines of inequality and poverty. In addition, with ongoing exponential digital innovation, this divide is widening. The last decade has seen Bristol’s economy grow faster than any other city in the UK outside of London. Priding itself as a leading city for digital innovation, Bristol is simultaneously rife with deep-rooted socio-economic inequalities. The benefits brought about by the digital age are not felt universally, nor are its outcomes equitable. The pandemic has shone a spotlight on how the vulnerability of the socially excluded has been further compounded by digital exclusion. These sentiments are echoed by Bristol’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and other local actors who, especially since March 2020, have dedicated their physical and human resources towards connecting the disconnected.
All participants in this research have either a background within digital literacy work or have tangible experiences of digital exclusion, either themselves or through the communities they support. The research drew out the following findings.
Adjusting to lockdown Thrust into a national lockdown in early 2020, it was clear that the VCSE sector was unequally equipped for migrating online. Organisations fortunate enough to be adept with digital technology transitioned far more smoothly than their counterparts. For example, John Bradford, CEO of Bristol based education charity DigiLocal, was able to quickly mobilise his resources: “When the UK went into lockdown in March, we migrated everybody onto Google Workspace for education, and that evening of lockdown, we hosted our first online session.”
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