Governments globally are committed to closing the gap between citizens who are digitally engaged and those who are not. Digital inclusion is a government policy response aimed at addressing factors associated with digital inequities. States across the globe have developed digital inclusion policies and strategies to try to reduce inequalities within their societies but there is little research that conceptualizes digital inclusion policy at an inter-country level. This study examines how digital inclusion is represented within the government policies of five different jurisdictions. The five digital inclusion policies were coded and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Deductive and inductive coding identified five main areas of concern across the policies: core pillars of digital inclusion; goals of digital inclusion policies; groups targeted by digital inclusion policies; drivers of digital inclusion policies; and responsibility for change. Within these, the evidence suggests that government policies are concerned mainly with access and attitudes and there is an emphasis on skills development in the workplace and throughout the education system. Collaboration and partnerships between governments and commercial partners are positioned as fundamental to achieving change and supporting the digital inclusion of those currently disengaged.
Wiley, K., Goulding, A. (2023). The Conceptualization of Digital Inclusion in Government Policy: A Qualitative Content Analysis. In: Sserwanga, I., et al. Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity. iConference 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13972. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28032-0_40
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