Mind the Digital Gap Join the Revolution! Nigel Lewis, CEO - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mind the Digital Gap – Join the Revolution! Nigel Lewis, CEO AbilityNet

Mind The Digital Gap - Its bigger than you think  Strategy premise  More and more people have to digital self serve  People’s capabilities not keeping pace  6 key policy areas to try and make step change  One of these is Professionalising the IT industry on inclusion 2

Professionalising Inclusion  Key challenge is to educate and embed inclusion into learning  NOT just for key specific IT roles  But all IT professionals need an appropriate level of understanding on inclusion and accessibility  Designers, developers, testers, project managers, marketing, support etc.  But we have to go further than IT, need to engage early 3

The Challenges  Inclusion and accessibility is seen as niche  Business doesn’t get inclusion and accessibility  Seen as an IT issue for web designers & developers  No formal / recognised learning and accreditation exists  Courses exist, but lack consistency and pervasiveness  No recognised body (Listen to Rob later!)  Organisations don’t demand IT professionals with inclusion skills 4

What Have AbilityNet Done – Inclusion is Niche  We have to break out  Inclusion challenge is where Global Warming was 20 years ago  We need a very clear consistent message  One we all sign up to, and can articulate  We have to join forces  We have One Voice in the UK  Working to join digital inclusion groups 5

What Have AbilityNet Done – Learning & Accreditation  We recruit experienced staff  But they are a scarce commodity  Need personal development time, research, play with tech  Created our own 15 module training pack  Used for existing staff, stay fresh  Graduate recruitment, make our own professionals  A product we sell  Work to educate the market  Online learning Digital Accessibility: Web Essentials 6

What Have AbilityNet Done – User Centric Design 7

Why User Centric Design Is Important 8

What We Have To Do  Work together  Same message, consistently used  Join together to drive inclusive digital take up through such organisations as One Voice  We have to generate demand  Training is key, for experts, IT professionals and wider business and government people  Join Association of Accessibility Professionals  Individuals  Organisations  We need your support for this initiative 9

Contact Nigel Lewis CEO, AbilityNet nigel.lewis@abilitynet.org.uk www.abilitynet.org.uk/mindthegap 10