Culture & Society :: Inclusion > Overview

An information society for all

While Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) can reinforce social inclusion, offering new opportunities for many people currently excluded from today's society, we must make them accessible to everyone if we are to avoid creating a new divide between the "digital haves" and "have nots".

Overview ¦ Example Projects

"Many Europeans still get too little benefit from information and communication technologies, and millions are at risk of being left behind"
- Viviane Reding, Riga; June 2006

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Ageing well in the Information Society

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Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are central to modern life. They are increasingly used at work, in day-to-day relationships, to access everything from public services to culture and entertainment, and for community and political participation.

Unfortunately not everybody fully benefits. Anything from 30-50% of all Europeans still gain few or none of the ICT-related benefits described on this website. The main reasons are lack of access to equipment or networks, the limited accessibility of user-friendly technologies, price, motivation, limited skills and different generational attitudes to advanced technologies.

The most excluded groups are therefore the elderly, the unemployed and those with a low level of education. In addition, only 3% of public web sites fully comply with web accessibility standards, creating additional hurdles for the 15% of the EU population with disabilities.

If we are not to to create more social divisions, rather than use ICTs to bridge the ones we already have, we need to build an information society for all - an e-inclusive society. Action is needed at all levels of government - from local to European - and across the private sector, with particular emphasis on promoting equal digital opportunities, avoiding new forms of exclusion, ensuring all parts of Europe can enjoy high-speed internet access and making ICTs accessible to everyone.

Further Details and Quicklinks

Policies
Activities
See Also

Relevant Policies

eInclusion Policy and Web Accessibility are covered extensively in the eInclusion site
i2010: the Inclusion, better public services and quality of life pillar promotes an inclusive European Information Society. Hence:
- "Bridging the Broadband Gap": a Communication of March 2006, followed by a Conference and Exhibition in May 2007;
- The Ministerial Declaration on eInclusion (pdf), adopted at the ICT for an Inclusive Society Conference (Riga, June 2006)
Europe's commitment to empowering women in the context of a more widespread use of ICTs is reflected in the Council's Resolution on Social and Human Capital Building and the Parliament's Report on Women in the Information Society.
Wider Context: more on the EU's overall Social Inclusion Process;

Relevant Activities

Browse some relevant Example Projects or jump straight to the following sites:

Research: see the Research & Innovation theme for an introduction, or visit:
- One of the seven main challenges under the EU's new ICT research programme (FP7, 2007-2013) is Independent living and inclusion;
- Under FP6 (2002-2006), one Strategic Objective addressed eInclusion directly, with another developing the computing and software technologies that can offer Broadband for all
One of the main themes of the ICT Policy Support Programme ('ICT PSP', 2007-2013) is to focus on ICTs for accessibility, ageing and social integration.
- ICT PSP builds on - among others - the eTEN programme, which also prioritised eInclusion
The Structural Funds have been reinforced to stimulate the Information Society and innovation in general in Europe's regions, ensuring everyone, regardless of location, benefits from the Information Society. See:
- The new Strategic Guidelines (2007-2013), which include "encouraging innovation ... including new information and communication technologies".
- Structural actions supporting the information society
- Structural actions supporting research and innovation
- Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions - e-EuropeRegio: allowing regions to experiment in regional development, including a new Regional Innovation Award in 2007;
The EQUAL Community Initiative promotes a more inclusive work life through fighting discrimination and exclusion. 'ICT & knowledge society' is one of its themes by which it classifies its activities, results and products;
the epractice.eu - new service for the eGovernment, eInclusion and eHealth professional communities;

See Also

Elsewhere around this Portal:

Helping everyone master ICTs is increasingly important to their inclusion in modern society - see the Education & Training > Digital Literacy theme;
Other EU Policies and Activities aim to ensure people are not excluded from the Information Society simply because they live in poorer or remote regions and countries: see the Regions theme and the International Relations site;

Highlights from the eInclusion Newsroom and Library:

Press Pack: Bridging the Broadband Gap (March 2006)
Factsheet 12: An Information Society Open to All
Brochure: Information Society and Inclusion (October 2006)
For the latest eInclusion news, publications and more from the Newsroom & Library, see right hand column, or select Society & Culture when you subscribe to the Portal Newsroom Update;

Last Updated March 2007