Digital participation
Hilary E. Davis, Jane Farmer · 2016
Digital participation is emerging as a key issue for HCI researchers as government and others seek to include people in decision-making about all aspects of their lives. However digital participation is still most effectively utilized by particular sections of society. Socially excluded, diverse and marginalized people, such as people living with disability, older people, disadvantaged youth and women, people identifying as LGBTI, and Indigenous people and others, are particularly vulnerable to digital non-participation, and under-participation, thereby compounding disadvantage. Further, particular communities are disadvantaged due to place or location, often due to lack of access to resources, digital technology or telecommunications infrastructure. This workshop provides an opportunity for HCI researchers and others working with diverse or disadvantaged people to identify practical, innovative, and sensitive solutions to support sustained digital participation for disadvantaged communities. We particularly focus on fostering digital skills at home and in communities; adapting and utilising digital technology to include marginalised and diverse communities; the role of proxies for digital inclusion; recognising research sensitivities when including diverse and marginalised communities; and sustaining digital inclusion beyond the life of the research project.