Rethinking digital inclusion: an actionable, cross-sector view

This post, authored by The Connection Project's Nic Littlejohn, challenges common assumptions about who is excluded and why. It introduces a practical, needs-based segmentation to help organisations better understand and support digital participation across different groups.

When we talk about digital inclusion, everyone uses a different definition:

“it's people without devices or internet”;

“isn't that just about old people who haven't grown up with tech?”

In reality, we all experience levels of digital exclusion at one time or another and whilst we can't solve for everything, there are some basic interventions we can and should do better to ensure everyone can thrive in a digital society.

And by the way, this doesn't mean everyone being online!

Over the past 6 months I have led work at The Connection Project to determine what an actionable needs-based citizen segmentation for digital participation could look like for the UK.

By grounding our approach in lived experience and drawing on trusted research – such as OfCom digital literacy, Lloyds Digital Index, FCA Financial Lives survey, and Liverpool University and Good Things Foundation Minimum Digital Living Standards – we build a more complete, human understanding of digital participation.

And importantly, as well as being interesting, this insight is practical, giving organisations clear direction on what to do next.

This unlocks a needs-based segmentation that works across sectors, not just inside them. By combining learning from leading studies, we’ve created a shared way of understanding digital participation through a common taxonomy.

This brings valuable consistency to how we describe and address a lack of participation. In turn, this will help organisations design better, more inclusive products and services, regardless of their industry.

This is about turning insight into action, and action into impact, so that digital inclusion becomes something we actively design for, rather than something we hope will happen.

Please take a look at our segmentation and get in touch to learn more. 

The Connection Project Segmentation paper.pdf

Download PDF • 1.28MB

I'd love to work with your teams to help them use this insight and start making a difference today.