Improving Digital Inclusion in Disaster-Prone Communities - AIDA October 2021 Meet Up

On Tuesday, 5 October 2021, the ADIA held an event with Connected Future – a shared value partnership between Great Southern Bank, Australian Red Cross and Infoxchange – launching a report that looks at how to improve digital inclusion in disaster-prone communities.

Motivated by the bushfires that ravaged much of Australia in 2019/20, the partnership recognised people with low levels of digital inclusion are often worse-off in disasters, and set about understanding how to better support people living in disaster-prone areas to improve their digital confidence and capability.

A design-led approach was used to explore a solution. Throughout the process, it was realised that to see the best results it was necessary to focus on people’s genuine needs, interests and aspirations, as well as their desire to connect with others.

By focusing on what was important to the participants, conversations around disaster preparedness and technology happened organically and led to the participants being motivated to learn.

The panel was moderated by Convenor of the ADIA, Ishtar Vij, and included:

• Katharine Hopper – Manager – Community, Great Southern Bank
• Anna Morgan – Social Innovation Lead, Infoxchange
• Carolyn Ratnik – Community Action Coordinator, Australian Red Cross
• Karina Smith – Principal, Meld Studios

About AIDA

The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) is a shared initiative with over 500 business, government, academic and community organisations working together to accelerate action on digital inclusion.

Our vision is to reduce the digital divide and enable greater social and economic participation for everyone in Australia.

The alliance is supported by Infoxchange and backed by Google and Telstra, with participants throughout the country from all sectors.

Our purpose

Digital technology plays a central and empowering role in our lives. With services increasingly being delivered online, it is more important than ever that no one gets left behind.

The Australian Digital Inclusion Index shows that while online participation is increasing across Australia, gaps continue to exist between those who are digitally included and excluded – linked closely to social exclusion and disadvantage.

We know that people with low levels of income, education and employment, along with older Australians, people with a disability, remote Indigenous communities and people in regional areas are more likely to be digitally excluded.

Digital inclusion is based on the premise that everyone in Australia should be able to make full use of digital technologies – to manage their health and wellbeing, access education and services, organise their finances, connect with friends and family, and the world beyond.

It goes beyond simply owning a computer, or having access to a smartphone.

At its heart, digital inclusion is about social and economic participation: using online and mobile technologies to improve skills, enhance quality of life, educate and promote wellbeing across the whole of society.

We believe everyone in Australia should be able to make full use of digital technologies.

Sign up for the ADIA Newsletter for invitations to events like this: https://bit.ly/3mBUYK6