Digital inclusion

Every day, we use the digital world to perform a range of tasks. We can use the Internet and new technologies to work from our homes, learn new skills, watch tv and films, and find out the latest news with the click of a button.  

Indeed, the transition to the digital world has brought us many new and exciting opportunities. However, not everyone has equal access to these opportunities. For some people, the digital world is not yet fully accessible. For others, it is not affordable. And others were not taught the skills to participate fully.  

The EU is working to make life online more accessible for everyone, everywhere, with actions:

• Web accessibility: making ICT more accessible for all, especially those with disabilities, and fostering the development of accessible technologies; 
• Digital skills: improving a diverse and capable workforce, through ICT in Education and fostering the participation of women in ICT and other areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM);
• Linguistic barriers: language technologies can overcome the predominance of English online. Our language tools are free to the public sector, NGOs, SMEs and academia all across the EU;
• Connectivity: reliable, fast and secure connectivity is needed for everybody and everywhere in the Union, including in rural and remote areas, such as islands and mountainous and sparsely populated regions, as well as the outermost regions. By 2030, networks with gigabit speeds should become available to those who need or wish to have such a capacity: 
• Access: the WiFi4EU initiative offers free access to Wi-Fi connectivity in public spaces including parks, squares, and public buildings in municipalities throughout Europe.

The reasoning behind the EU's initiatives in digital inclusion is captured in the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade, Chapter II - Solidarity and inclusion: "Technology should be used to unite, and not divide, people. The digital transformation should contribute to a fair and inclusive society and economy in the EU."