How do you define “inclusion?” What does it mean for an environment to be inclusive?
Inclusion provides equal access to opportunities or resources to everyone, especially marginalized groups. So, to me, digital inclusion means that all digital technologies like the internet are accessible to everyone regardless of their background. For an environment to truly be inclusive, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in our current digital world. As it stands, our current web is broken, as Chris Gilliard (2013) says. He later explains that the web isn’t necessarily broken, as it works perfectly for those it benefits, but it puts lower-income individuals and people of color at a disadvantage by walling off information and opportunities (Gilliard, 2013). So for an environment to be inclusive, we must actively put forth the effort to remove socioeconomic barriers that might prevent individuals from being included. Ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities, support, and resources is the bare minimum and a step towards inclusivity. It only takes one person to start a chain reaction, like Chris Gilliard did when he started calling attention to the discrimination highlighted by Ring’s camera systems (Oremus, 2021). If others follow suit and call out discriminatory things that they see, we work closer to true inclusivity.
What do you think are the particular benefits of online environments for inclusion?
There are many benefits when it comes to having an online environment for inclusion. Online spaces allow for more anonymity which can help reduce biases. Online, identities can be hidden or altered by allowing for usernames or aliases instead of legal or visual information like age, race, gender, etc. There are also accessibility options like subtitles or screen readers which can help individuals with disabilities. Because the nature of online environments are usually more relaxed, it allows people to engage with content at their own pace instead of feeling the pressures of real-time interactions. This can help create opportunities for more equal participation. There’s more convenience to online engagement that allows a variety of people access. By being able to log on from home, or on the go, it can reach more groups of people and make them feel included despite their lifestyle. For example, someone with a busy work schedule or someone with mobility issues may want to attend an event but due to their challenges, they aren’t able to go in person. Luckily, the event is broadcasted online so those who can’t be there in person can still participate and feel included. The flexibility and convenience of an online environment makes that possible. It can also bring in a larger variety of participants than just an in person event. By being online, it allows individuals from different cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to participate. Without that, many of these individuals may not have had the opportunity to interact in person or with a diverse group of people.
What do you think are the particular challenges in online environments for inclusion?
While there are many positives to an online environment for inclusion, it doesn’t come without its challenges. Not everyone has the same access to the internet or the technology needed. That can be for a multitude of reasons like income, geography, or digital redlining, where some individuals are discriminated against by their internet service providers based on their income, race, ethnicity, or area of living (National Digital Inclusion Alliance, 2017). But the divide doesn’t stop there. Once you’re able to get online, some apps or websites are poorly designed or inaccessible to people with certain disabilities. Examples of this could be a lack of compatibility with screen readers, unclear navigation tools, or insufficient color accessibility. Whether this is by design or an act of negligence, we need to work towards lessening the divide.
References:
Gilliard, Chris. “Pedagogy and the Logic of Platforms.” EDUCAUSE Review, 3 July 2013, er.educause.edu/articles/2017/7/pedagogy-and-the-logic-of-platforms.
National Digital Inclusion Alliance. (2017, January 18). Definitions. National Digital Inclusion Alliance. https://www.digitalinclusion.org/definitions.
Oremus, Will. “A Detroit Community College Professor Is Fighting Silicon Valley’s Surveillance Machine. People Are Listening.” Washington Post, 17 Sept. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/16/chris-gilliard-sees-digital-redlining-in-surveillance-tech.
Mahina Apuna 