This edited collection explores the role of digital inclusion in the welfare and social inclusion of vulnerable people. With interdisciplinary contributors from six continents, working in diverse fields such as digital media studies, social computing, community informatics and cultural studies, the collection brings together theoretical and applied research evidence on three vulnerable population categories: ethnic minorities, older people and people with disabilities. Each section is accompanied by a critical commentary on the research insights presented, from third sector community and policy experts. The collection explores whether vulnerable populations face similar experiences and challenges in relation to their digital inclusion status, stressing the central presence of intersectionality, and arguing for the inclusion of the age, ethnicity/immigration status and disability aspects of one’s identity. At the same time, it argues for multi-directional action that tackles intersectional discrimination in the digital realm on behalf of more than one single population category or group. Challenging popular discourse on the overcoming of digital inequalities in the West, this essential book contends that accounts of non-western contexts do not focus on the parameter of vulnerability or on particular population groups. Chapter 'Enhancing Older Adults’ Digital Inclusion Through Social Support: A Qualitative Interview Study.” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2022-007/ This study, focuses on how we can bridge the digital gaps that digitalisation brings about. It has to be top of mind to leave no one behind, by thinking inclusiveness in to every part of the digital transformation of our societies. Through cooperation, knowledge gathering, monitoring and policy actions on digital inclusion it is possible to drive a sustainable and inclusive digital transformation forward. The study provides a knowledge-based foundation for potential common Nordic-Baltic actions on digital inclusion. It is structured by four thematic areas: Defining digital inclusion, Monitoring digital inclusion, Snapshot of digital inclusion, and Nordic-Baltic added value. The study is performed by the consortium Digital Europe and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers (MR DIGITAL).

The Wales Office and the Welsh Assembly Government must ensure UK digital inclusion initiatives meet Welsh needs and build on existing good work to deliver on Welsh digital ambitions, says the Welsh Affairs Committee in a report published today. This report "Digital Inclusion in Wales", examines the use of digital technologies in Wales, highlights the urgent need for the eradication of broadband ’notspots' - areas with limited or no access to high speed internet connections - and says this issue must continue to receive priority attention. There should be more support to help a wider range of people use technology effectively. Employers told the Committee they need staff with better IT skills and more training opportunities. The Committee recommends the Welsh Assembly Government explicitly includes this issue in its digital inclusion strategy. The digital inclusion agenda is a complex mix of reserved and devolved matters. This brings a risk that key issues can be overlooked, for example no account has been taken of Welsh language speakers' needs in the Government's Digital Inclusion Action Plan. The Secretary of State for Wales must ensure that bodies in Wales across all sectors are fully engaged with initiatives and that the next stage of Digital Britain adequately reflects Welsh needs. Higher education institutions also have a vital role to play and should be involved in any new research opportunities. The Welsh Assembly already has successful digital inclusion projects in Wales and it should find a way to become fully involved with the UK digital inclusion and Digital Britain work so it does not miss out on policy developments and funding opportunities. The Committee also recommends the creation of a one-stop shop providing advice on the risks for young people using technology, and commends the Assembly's work tackling internet related crimes which it says should be promoted as part of the economic development strategy in Wales.

With the history of multilateral governance and the impact of the global pandemic, there is no doubt that we are at a transition between the system that marked the decades after the Second World War and a more extensive system of international governance that will characterize the world for the next generation. That system may keep the long-standing promise to serve the world's least advantaged, or it may serve to marginalize them further. For more than a century and a half, the most powerful national governments have created institutions of multilateral governance that promise to make a more inclusive world, a world serving women, working people, the colonized, the “backward,” the destitute, and the despised. That promise and the real impact need deliberation and discussion. The Handbook of Research on Global Institutional Roles for Inclusive Development examines the concepts that have powerfully influenced development policy and, more broadly, examines the role of ideas in these institutions and how they have affected the current development discourse. It enhances the understanding of how these ideas travel within systems and how they are translated into policy, modified, distorted, or resisted. Covering topics such as ethical consumption, academic migration, and sustainable global capitalism, this book is an essential resource for government officials, activists, management, academicians, researchers, students and educators of higher education, and educational administration and faculty.

Written by key names in the field, this book explores the impact of digitization and COVID-19 on justice in housing and special needs education. It analyses access to justice, offers recommendations for improvement and provides valuable insights into administrative justice from user perspectives.

The rapid and ongoing digital transformation of government, economic, and social sectors holds immense potential to improve outcomes across the SDGs for smallholder farmers and rural communities more generally. [Author] However, it is also widely recognized that digitalization alone does not guarantee inclusion. [Author] Rural residents and marginalized groups have the most to gain from digitalization but are also the most at risk of falling further behind due to digital divides. [Author] The resulting paradox may leave rural development actors unsure about how to best approach rural digital transformation. [Author] This report helps rural development practitioners and decision-makers work through this paradox. [Author] It does so by highlighting the factors that lead to digital exclusion, providing evidence regarding how digital divides play out, and providing recommendations on how to improve digital inclusion for rural areas and marginalized groups. [Author]

With the increased digitisation of society comes an increased concern about who is left behind. From societal causes to the impact of everyday actions, The Digital Disconnect explores the relationship between digital and social inequalities, and the lived consequences of digitisation. Ellen Helsper goes beyond questions of digital divides and who is connected. She asks why and how social and digital inequalities are linked and shows the tangible outcomes of socio-digital inequalities in everyday lives. The book: Introduces the key theories and concepts needed to understand both ‘traditional’ and digital inequalities research. Investigates a range of socio-digital inequalities, from digital access and skills, to civic participation, social engagement, and everyday content creation and consumption. Brings research to life with a range of qualitative vignettes, drawing out the personal experiences that lay at the heart of global socio-digital inequalities. The Digital Disconnect is an expert exploration of contemporary theory, research and practice in socio-digital inequalities. It is also an urgent and impassioned call to broaden horizons, expand theoretical and methodological toolkits, and work collectively to help achieve a fairer digital future for all. Ellen J. Helsper is Professor of Digital Inequalities at the Department of Media and Communications at London School of Economics and Political Science.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 17th IFIP WG 9.4 International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, ICT4D 2022, which was supposed to be held in Lima, Peru, in May 2021, but was held virtually instead due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 40 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 58 submissions. The papers present a wide range of perspectives and disciplines including (but not limited to) public administration, entrepreneurship, business administration, information technology for development, information management systems, organization studies, philosophy, and management. They are organized in the following topical sections: digital platforms and gig economy; education and health; inclusion and participation; and business innovation and data privacy.