Make it easy for people to find out about you
There is a growing awareness of DI and people ARE interested and open to being involved. But don’t expect them to come to you or read your new “Digital Inclusion Newsletter”! Go where they are! Use the comms channels they’re already on, talk at team meetings, present at cross-department events or on-going learning sessions. You'll probably be surprised by the positive response you get.
Get senior leaders volunteering
Backing from senior stakeholders can make all the difference. A surefire way to turn them into advocates for digital inclusion is to get them some hands-on experience doing it themselves. A hour as a volunteer helping someone with digital skills and seeing the difference it makes - will be priceless in getting their support for a wider project.
Find the touch points
We always say this in approaching new learners: don’t confuse them with broad conversations about “skills and inclusion.” Instead, find the things they want to do and help them learn the skills they need to do them. It’s the same with colleagues.
Work together to establish what good digital skills could make easier – from residents filling in applications, to colleagues sharing diaries – and use that as the hook to get people involved.
Recognise Silos
Any big organisation will have pockets of digital inclusion activity going on in different places. Don’t try to control them but find out who’s doing what and network people together for mutual support and extra impact.
Weave in inclusion where you can
There are often lots of places where digital inclusion projects can meet existing goals and complement work that’s already going on. For example, we’ve just done a project with physiotherapy students from Keele University. The students need to do placements and to have EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) experience as part of one of their pillars of good practice. Learning about digital inclusion and helping patients with digital skills fits brilliantly in here (as well as being hugely beneficial for students and patients).
Do our Inspire Course!
It was designed to raise awareness of digital inclusion across organisations. It takes an hour and it helps people understand what it is, why it matters and galvanises them to make a positive, practical difference no matter what their role.
It's the starting point of a journey that could take your organisation to all sorts of digitally inclusive places!