Presentation given by Jonathan Hassell (Head of Audience Experience & Usability) and Robin Christopherson (Head of Accessibility Services, AbilityNet) at Internet 2010, London in 2010. Covers: how many people in the UK are still unconnected from the internet, and how 25% fewer disabled people are using the internet than the general population; what the reasons for this lag in usage by disabled people might be (and definitely are not); how use of assistive technologies in the UK is much lower than the expected percentages (from Microsoft Forrester research in 2003); how My Web My Way (bbc.co.uk/accessibility) provides information on assistive technologies and browser/OS accessibility settings to help disabled people; how website personalisation technologies can help all users (no matter how contradictory their needs) get a better user-experience; how the BBC ATK is aiming to provide these features on bbc.co.uk

1. Social inclusion in a Digital Age Jonathan Hassell Robin Christopherson Head of Audience Experience & Usability Head of Accessibility Services BBC Future Media & Technology AbilityNet Internet World 28 th April 2010

4. 21% of UK adults do 67% are C2DE vs 45% of UK population not have net at home or use elsewhere 10.5m adults aged 15+ Their average age is 61 . More than half are 65+

5. 2. Disabled people ’ s use of the web in the UK… … compared to what it could be

8. Missing disabled internet audience… EEDP (2008) and ONS (2007) 58% of 11m = 6.4m

10. 3. Encouraging disabled people to get online

12. Initial claimed barriers often mask different or deeper reasons Majority Minority Limited understanding Low perceived benefit vs cost Low confidence / skills Acquisition & installation process Basic affordability Impact on life Literacy & social exclusion Safety & security concerns Primary barriers Secondary barriers

13. Emotional engagement & reassurance can increase understanding and consideration “ Now that you have shown us all that and explained it all, I’m quite a lot more interested. Maybe I’ll go to a course now to try and learn a bit more or ask my daughter to show me.” 75-84, Non User

14. Primary barriers: lack of skills & confidence means many do not see net as available to them 75-84, Non User “ You’ve got to learn a new keyboard. All those computer controls! On my TV you’ve got buttons all over the place, I can barely cope with that!” “ I’d be frightened I’d do something and it’d go boom!” 75-84, Non User

15. 4. Why this is so important – what disabled people have to gain from web usage…

16. Disabled people say the web makes them feel less isolated 48% of disabled people say the internet would help them feel less isolated 51% of disabled people who use the internet daily say it helps them feel less isolated Source: EEDP

19. 5. Skills and education for inclusion…

20. Access tools/Assistive Technologies are crucial for those who need them You know as a visually impaired person I am already different, and if I can't have access to things that other people my age have access to then I'm made further different. Visually Impaired, London The thing is we are so much slower than sighted people. Technology goes two step forward for everybody else and one step forward for us. Male, Visual Impairment, London

24. 6. My Web My Way – a partnership between the BBC and AbilityNet

27. 7. How personalisation of websites could really help

33. e: jonathan@hassellinclusion.com t: @jonhassell w: www.hassellinclusion.com Contact me