The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) has called upon the Albanese Government to expressly recognise the link between digital inclusion, personal prosperity and lifting national productivity in its 2023-24 Pre-Budget Submission.

In addition, the ADIA outlined the following key actions the Government could take to work toward addressing digital inclusion in Australia:

  • Ensuring affordable access to the internet for all Australians. The ADIA is a signatory of ACCAN’s No Australia Left Offline initiative, which calls for a 50 mbps service for $30 per month to be available to households receiving income support.
  • Supporting access to affordable devices by encouraging device donation in safe and appropriate ways.
  • Supporting the creation of a common language to describe digital ability for all Australians. This would allow efficient communication, collaboration and alignment of existing efforts to lift digital ability.
  • Ensuring all Government websites are compliant with the latest accessibility standards; and ensuring whole of government adherence to the Australian Standard AS EN 301 549:2020 – Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services.
  • Continue partnering with First Nations Australians on bridging the digital divide and deploying robust data collection.

With the Federal Budget to be handed down on Tuesday 9 May, Treasury has published the 732 submissions received during the consultation period in December and January.

Click here to read the ADIA submission.

Recently the ADIA hosted our final event for 2022 with a meetup on device access and affordability.

Moderated by ADIA Chair and Infoxchange CEO, David Spriggs, we were joined by an expert panel of leaders across the technology and not for profit sectors who contributed to an insightful discussion on both community needs and the intricacies of device donation and refurbishment. It is clear that there is an appetite for more work to be done in this space, not only to address digital inclusion challenges, but to contribute to circular economy goals as well.

Many thanks to our speakers:

You can watch a recording of the meetup on the ADIA’s YouTube channel (Click here to watch).

The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance welcomes the Albanese Government’s recognition of the
importance of supporting all Australians to be digitally included. Affordable access to the internet,
combined with accessibility measures, and supporting Australians to be digitally capable of leaning
into technology, will together help narrow the gap between digital haves and have-nots.

Efforts to improve connectivity and affordability of internet access will help improve participation in
education, employment, health services, government services, and more. In particular, the targeted
affordability initiative, through which up to 30,000 families with no internet at home will be provided
a free NBN service for 12 months, will help support the ongoing digital inclusion needs of low-income
families with school-aged children.

We also welcome the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia and the establishment
of a First Nations digital advisory group to provide advice to the Minister for Communications.
Working in partnership with First Nations people is critical.

Moves to provide school based digital literacy support in partnership with the Alannah and Madeline
Foundation will complement the array of programs in place. It is also pleasing to see that the
Government will develop and deliver a new national study on adult literacy, numeracy and digital
literacy skills, led by Jobs and Skills Australia.

“We welcome the digital inclusion initiatives announced in the Federal Budget. These are important
steps but there is still more to do. We know that 17% of the national population remains digitally
excluded, with a vast number lacking the foundational digital skills necessary to fully participate in
employment and society more broadly” said David Spriggs, CEO of Infoxchange and Chair of the
Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA).

Australia is missing a common understanding around what it means to be digitally capable. At
present, ‘digital skills’ means different things to different people and in different sectors. There is a
need to create a common language around what it means to be digitally skilled, including at a
foundational level, through the establishment of a Digital Capability Framework. The ADIA
encourages the Government to lead the creation of a common understanding and set of objectives
that would better harness the currently fragmented efforts of those in the digital inclusion space.

The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance congratulates and welcomes the incoming Albanese Labor Government. We look forward to working collaboratively to close the digital divide in Australia.

There is a tremendous opportunity to better coordinate and lead the investments currently being made by numerous organisations across the sector. A whole of Government digital inclusion strategy; along with a digital economy Minister with clear authority to lead on digital inclusion would be welcome steps.

We recognise Labor’s commitment to supporting all Australians to access quality, high speed internet as an essential 21st century service. This affordable access, combined with accessibility measures and supporting Australians to be digitally capable of leaning into technology, will together combine to help narrow the gap between digital haves and have-nots.

We thank the outgoing Government for their ongoing engagement and attentive work in this area.

About the state of digital inclusion 
The latest Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) survey was released in October 2021 and showed:

  • The number of Australians who are highly excluded remains substantial: 11% of the Australian population is highly excluded, registering an Index score of 45 or below.
  • People who fall into the lowest income quintile (57.7), people who rent from a public housing authority (57.2), people who did not complete secondary school (57.0), people over 75 years of age (53.5) and mobile-only users (43.4) are being left behind.
  • The divide between metropolitan and regional areas has narrowed but remains marked. Regional areas record an Index score in 2021 of 67.4. This is 3.6 points less than the national average (71.1), and 5.5 points less than metropolitan Australia (72.9).
  • Affordability remains central to closing the digital divide. Based on the Affordability measure, 14% of all Australians would need to pay more than 10% of their household income to gain quality, reliable connectivity. For Australians in the lowest income quintile, most (67%) would have to pay more than 10% of their household income to gain this same connection.
  • Digital Ability has slightly improved, with the national average increasing 0.8 points from 2020 to 64.4 in 2021. But the score for basic operational skills—such as downloading and opening files, connecting to the internet, and setting passwords—has fallen slightly: from 73.5 in 2020 to 73.1 in 2021. This is potentially related to a growth in new users due to the digital uplift of services during COVID-19.
  • People living in Australia’s 1,100 remote First Nations communities are among the most digitally excluded people in Australia. ADII data shows that the gap has been widening over recent years.

We recently held a meetup focussed on Indigenous Digital Inclusion. Our panellists encompassed people working in communities, researching, and delivering programs to close the digital divide for First Nations peoples in Australia.

Our sincere thanks to:

  • inDigiMOB’s Steven Tranter and Ben Smede,
  • Dr Lyndon Ormond-Parker and Dr Daniel Featherstone from RMIT/‘Mapping the Digital Gap’, and 
  • eSafety’s Julie Gibson.

We also heard from Laurence Wilson from the National Indigenous Australians Agency, who shared an overview of what they’ve heard from stakeholders on the proposed National Indigenous Digital Inclusion Plan.

If you missed out on the day, you can watch the meet up on our YouTube channel (Click here to watch).

In November 2021 the ADIA prepared a submission to the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) on the Australian Government’s Indigenous Digital Inclusion Plan (IDIP).

The ADIA’s recommendations are to:

  • Consult and co-design with First Nations people. 
  • Partner with First Nations organisations and communities. 
  • Invest in gathering and understanding the data. 
  • Invest in evaluation of measures taken under the Plan. 
  • Ensure the Plan is part of a wider strategy on Digital Inclusion.

Submissions have now been released through the National Indigenous Australians Agency and we encourage our members and supporters to take a look.

Read the ADIA Submission. 

Once again, Australia is nearing polling day, with the Federal Government due to call an election by May 2022. In the leadup to the election, there is an opportunity for all political parties to commit to tangible steps that will help all Australians thrive in a digital society.

The ADIA has released our Election Policy Recommendations, advocating for policies that will see more people in Australia get online and the digital divide lessen. We encourage politicians running for re-election to adopt these policies and show that digital inclusion is a priority for them and their party. 

ADIA Policy Recommendations

  • Create a Whole-of-Government Digital Inclusion Strategy that is managed by a dedicated departmental team so Australian businesses, nonprofits and government can work together in a coordinated manner. One way to accomplish this would be by making the Digital Technology Taskforce (DTT) out of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet  permanent. 
  • Establish a Digital Capabilities Framework to provide a common understanding of what it means to be a digitally capable individual. A framework would outline which digital skills are associated with which level of learning or competency and allow organisations to tailor their training programs to a common reference, ensuring everyone is working towards the same goal.
  • Enshrine a Low-Cost Broadband Option for people on low incomes that still delivers quality speeds. The ADIA is a signatory of ACCAN’s No Australia Left Offline initiative, which calls for a 50 mbps service for $30 per month to be available to households receiving income support. 
  • Upgrade all Federal Websites to be Compliant with the latest accessibility standards (eg Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and build new websites and platforms to be accessible from release. Accessibility should not be an afterthought and all Government services should be built for all Australians. 

While steps are being taken to improve digital inclusion in Australia, there is still a long way to go. Each year, the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) tracks digital inclusion throughout Australia. The latest survey was released last week and showed: 

  • Digital inclusion at the national level is improving, from an average Index score of 67.5 in 2020, to 71.1 in 2021.
  • The number of Australians who are highly excluded remains substantial: 11% of the Australian population is highly excluded, registering an Index score of 45 or below.
  • People who fall into the lowest income quintile (57.7), people who rent from a public housing authority (57.2), people who did not complete secondary school (57.0), people over 75 years of age (53.5) and mobile-only users (43.4) are being left behind.
  • The divide between metropolitan and regional areas has narrowed but remains marked. Regional areas record an Index score in 2021 of 67.4. This is 3.6 points less than the national average (71.1), and 5.5 points less than metropolitan Australia (72.9).
  • Affordability remains central to closing the digital divide. Based on the Affordability measure, 14% of all Australians would need to pay more than 10% of their household income to gain quality, reliable connectivity. For Australians in the lowest income quintile, most (67%) would have to pay more than 10% of their household income to gain this same connection.
  • Digital Ability has slightly improved, with the national average increasing 0.8 points from 2020 to 64.4 in 2021. But the score for basic operational skills—such as downloading and opening files, connecting to the internet, and setting passwords—has fallen slightly: from 73.5 in 2020 to 73.1 in 2021. This is potentially related to a growth in new users due to the digital uplift of services during COVID-19.

We released our Election Policy Recommendations in connection with Get Online Week, Good Things Foundation Australia’s annual digital inclusion campaign. The ADIA is proud to be an Official Supporter of Get Online Week. 

The ADIA would like to thank our members for their support. We are united in our desire to address the digital divide, and the ADIA will continue to advocate for policies to ensure all Australians have the ability and tools to thrive in a digital world. 

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

Click Here to Read the Report


Watch the Meet Up:

6 May 2021

ADIA Calls for Government Action on Digital Inclusion

The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) today welcomes the Digital Economy Strategy announced by the Government, but is disappointed it does not include digital inclusion as a cornerstone.

The ADIA applauds the inclusion of connectivity initiatives and digital skills training in the strategy, and looks forward to learning more about these programs. However, the strategy announced today focuses on advanced digital skills and emerging technologies, without addressing the needs of Australians lacking basic digital skills. In order to make Australia a leading digital economy, we must ensure all Australians are able to participate in that economy. Without laying the foundations to increase digital inclusion, the strategy is hindered from day one.

The ADIA released a position paper last year outlining in detail what needs to be done to address digital inclusion in Australia. The ADIA is once again calling on the Government to:

  • Create a whole-of-government approach to digital inclusion so businesses, nonprofits and government can work towards the same goal.
  • Build a Digital Capabilities Framework that provides a common understanding and goal for what it means to be a digitally capable individual.
  • Take action to ensure permanent internet affordability measures.
  • Ensure all federal, state and local government websites are compliant with the latest accessibility standards.

The Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) shows a large number of Australians are digitally excluded, especially seniors, those in low-income households, rural and remote Australians, people with a disability, and First Nations People. In a time when services – both public and private – are moving online, Australians must be digitally included to participate in the modern economy.

The ADIA acknowledges this strategy is a living document, and we are committed to working with the Government on initiatives to increase digital inclusion, so all Australians can participate in our rapidly-digitising society.

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On 25 March 2021, the ADIA held a virtual meet up to discuss mental health and digital inclusion.

The panel provided an overview of research on mental health and online forums, discussed designing online programs that meet the needs of people with complex mental health issues, and innovation in health and wellbeing technology, amongst other topics.

The panel was moderated by ADIA Chair David Spriggs and included:

  • Anthony McCosker – Associate Professor, Media and Communication at Swinburne University
  • Dr Michelle Blanchard – Deputy CEO at SANE Australia
  • Professor Jane Burns – Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne

 

Please see below for resources and programs mentioned by the panelists:

  • A note from Anthony McCosker written after the event, including links to relevant research
  • National Stigma Report Card – SANE Australia
  • TogetherAI – A mental health & wellbeing app for families
  • a*kin – Empathic technology
  • Hitnet – Brings information and services to Indigenous Australians


Watch the Meet Up here: