The MEDICI project supports the exchange and replication of good practices among stakeholders involved in the digital inclusion ecosystem. Its key aim is to contribute to bridging the ‘digital divide’ affecting in particular vulnerable groups in society, including older people, people with disabilities, ‘left behind’ youth and adults and migrants. Digital exclusion is shown to be closely linked to social exclusion generally. Limited access to digital tools, low digital skills and poor quality of engagement in the digital society all contribute to ‘dual exclusion’, where digital exclusion exacerbates, rather than reduces, social inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic has in turn amplified ‘dual exclusion’. People with limited access to digital technologies, or without the skills to use them, were hit harder by the effects of the pandemic, leading to what might now be called a situation of ‘triple exclusion’.
Against this background, MEDICI sets out to develop and disseminate an interactive catalogue of good practices within an online platform. Each practice is mapped geographically, and thematically, within the platform. This platform summarises the existing good practices that take place at local, regional or national level to better integrate vulnerable/disadvantaged groups in the digital society across the EU Member States and also identifies areas where no initiatives exist to tackle digital exclusion and where vulnerable people are therefore more at risk of exclusion. Each practice within the MEDIC ‘Catalogue’ is evaluated and scored according to its ‘evidence effectiveness’ and ‘replication potential’. The Catalogue is supported by an online ‘Knowledge Community’ that enables stakeholders working in the field of digital inclusion to upload their own examples of good practices, which are then rated by the Community.
Partners
Co-ordinator: Universidad Internacional De La Rioja, Spain
Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and Arcola Research, UK
Lifelong Learning Platform, Belgium
Kethea, Greece
Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal
Smart Bananas, Italy
Regione Basilicata, Italy
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission, project No. LC-00943537