From Digital Exclusion to Inclusion: New report by Healthwatch Islington
Back in September 2020 we launched our #DigitalForAll campaign with Healthwatch Islington and Help on Your Doorstep, and highlighted a few examples of the growing digital divide facing people in Islington.
Now, Healthwatch Islington has launched a report highlighting the learnings from their digital inclusion work, a series of small projects funded through both local and national charitable trusts, covering the last four years. The report also provides suggestions on ways to make Islington a digitally inclusive borough.
Young woman with autism and other learning disabilities using laptop for remote learning by Sharon McCutcheon via Unsplash
Digital divide initiatives around Islington
Thanks to a collaboration between Islington Council, Islington Giving, Cripplegate Foundation, and the Richard Reeves Foundation, together with government funding and Arsenal in the Community, 3,000 devices were donated to the most vulnerable pupils in the borough between March and December 2020. This has led to more students accessing education, reconnecting with friends and participating in online activities.
Other Islington Giving partners such as YES Outdoors and Mer-IT launched different tech appeals throughout 2020. In addition, Healthwatch Islington and others have been offering online training for parents and carers, and mobile providers have offered free mobile data increases to vulnerable families.
