E-INCLUSION POLICY SURVEY RESULTS: EUROPE
VS. POLAND
Elżbieta MIŁOSZ
Lublin University of Technology,
Associate Professor, Department of Management
ul. Nadbystrzycka 38D, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
tel. +48 81 525 4214
e-mail: [email protected]
Marta MIŁOSZ
Lublin University of Technology,
Assistant, Department of Management
ul. Nadbystrzycka 38D, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
tel. +48 81 525 4214
E-Inclusion is one of main duty of society which aspires to be the Information Society. The
essence of e-Inclusion is an adaptation of all participants to new reality where everyone
thanks to Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) can take part in wider
society.
Introduction
Development of new technologies, especially ICT, changed meaningly a way of functioning
of people and gave them new opportunities in many areas of their acting, from job apply to
leisure activities. It leads to more effectible and comfortable life and work. It also creates new
barriers and there appears the gap between people who have an access to ICT and ones who
cannot benefit from it. This situation inevitably leads to dividing and discrimination in
society. E-Inclusion is an idea of including every person to the Information Society.
The first task on the roadmap of e-Inclusion is defining groups of people which are
particularly threatened with exclusion, determined by age, place of living, gender, literacy,
ability (Brochure, 2006). Additionally some of these groups have other difficulties like e.g.
problems with getting job or education. An example can be elderly or disable people, who
often cannot adapt to new condition and stay on the margin of society (especially that
demographic trends show significant rise of percentage elder and disable people in society in
next decades).
ECDL Foundation survey on e-Inclusion policy
A realization of e-Inclusion is based on wide, regular surveys, which point main problems,
determine proper policy and regulate actions. ECDL Foundation examined twenty five
countries to collect opinions about e-Inclusion policy (ECDL Foundation, 2007). Survey
results will be submitted to European Commission and help to choose course of action.
Survey was based on the questionnaire placed on ECDL Foundation website
(www.ecdl.com). It examined most important topics and shown that an idea of e-Inclusion
developed mainly in Europe (82% respondents of ECDL Foundation survey).
Questionnaire contained the following questions:
Question 1. To help us analyse the following survey in most efficient way, would you please
indicate where are you based?
Question 2. Which social group are threatened to be left behind in the development of the
Information Society?
Question 3. The EU has identified the key policy areas of the e-Inclusion initiative in the
Riga Declaration 2006. Please order these areas according to priority knowing
and understanding the circumstances in your country (1 means least and 6 the
most important).
Question 4. What are the most important barriers to the creation of an e-inclusive society in
your country?
Question 5. The EU and the Member States have expressed their special interest in securing
the participation of the elderly people to social and economic life. According to
your opinion, what would be the 3 most important steps in a long term strategy
this group?
Question 6. In your opinion what instrument should be mobilized in the implementation of
an e-Inclusion strategy? Please select up to 3 opinions.
There was an analogical survey in Poland (realised by authors) in which took part a group of
seventy six students of age twenty to twenty four. The purpose of the survey was study of
awareness of problems of the Information Society in a group of young, well educated, Polish
people in comparison with EU society.
Results of surveys
The questionnaire of Polish survey consisted of five questions because the group of
respondents was well-defined so the first question was unnecessary. Answers of respondents
of ECDL Foundation survey (ECDL Foundation, 2006) compared with equivalent ones of
Polish students are shown below.
Question 2: Which social group are threatened to be left behind in the development of the
Information Society?
ECDL-Foundation survey: Over 71% respondents point older workers and elderly people as
a group threatened with being left behind in the development of the Information Society.
People with lower level of education come second (almost 68%). It gives weight to role of
education and being opened minded. Psychological barriers like: treating one's own education
as completed, anxiety, disbelief in one's capabilities or fear of competing make people resign
from benefits of ICT and retreat from some areas of social or economic activity (fig.1).
90%
82,05%
74,36%
80%
71,7%
67,9%
70%
60%
46,15%
50%
41,5%
40%
28,3%
30%
28,3%
30,2%
28,21%
26,4%
12,82%
15,38%
20%
12,82%
3,8%
10%
2,56%
0%
Older workers
and elderly
people
People with
disabilities
Unemployed
ECDL Foundation survey
People living in
remote
geographical
areas
People with lower
level of education
Immigrants,
refugees and
asylum seekers
People with lower
accessibility to
ICT supported
services
Others
Polish survey
Figure 1. Social group which are threatened to be left behind in the development of the
Information Society
Comparison: As in Europe the first place is occupied with older worker and elderly person
but the second one bears witness to the fact how important is accessibility to ICT. More then
74% respondents consider that people who have lower accessibility to ICT supported service
have a problem with being member of the Information Society. Surprisingly lower level of
education is perceived as a significant factor only to 12.82% of Polish respondents (67.9% in
Europe) in contrast to the accessibility to ICT supportive services – 74.36% (26.4% in
Europe).
Conclusion: Both surveys corroborate that older workers and elderly people can have the
biggest problem with adapting to new reality of the Information Society.
Question 3: Please order these areas according to priority knowing and understanding the
circumstances in your country.
ECDL-Foundation survey: Improvement of digital literacy and competences is considered
as the key area for e-Inclusion (the most important for more than 41% respondents). The
second place is occupied with addressing the needs of older workers and elderly people (more
than 23% - rate 5, 17% - rate 6). PC computer is still relatively very new invention, but the
leap in this field has been enormous. Software has become sophisticated, and using it is often
indispensable in everyday life. The youth which is taught of computer science at primary
school easily enters into the Information Society. Others, especially elderly have to make an
effort to adopt some necessary skills often off their own hand (fig.2).
25%
20%
22,83%
18,75%
20,87%
19,05%
17,64%
17,70%
12,94%
14,71%
16,39%
15,87%
15%
11,64%
11,60%
10%
5%
0%
Address the
needs of older
workers and
elderly people
Reduce
geographical
digital divide
Enhance
eAccessibility
and usability
ECDL Foundation survey
Improve digital
literacy and
competences
Promote cultural
diversity in
relation to
inclusion
Promote
Inclusive
eGovernment
Polish survey
Figure 2. Key policy areas of the e-Inclusion
Comparison: According to the survey better e-Accessibily and usability (22.83%) as well as
a reduction of geographical digital device which comes the second (19.05%) and
improvement of digital literacy and competences – the third (17.70%) are a key policy area in
Poland. Surprisingly addressing the needs of older workers and elderly people has the lowest
rate.
Conclusion: For Polish respondents improving of infrastructure is generally more important
than encouraging people to use ICT.
Question 4: What are the most important barriers to the creation of an e-inclusive society
in your country?
ECDL-Foundation survey: Lack of necessary user skills (almost 68%) and ignorance of the
fact of how ICT can improve the quality of live (over 62%) are main barriers. It implies that
awareness of capabilities of CTI is still very low (fig.3). Popularisation of CTI probably will
correct it. Respondents specified a few different barriers (mentioned as Others) like:

lack of special equipment and government support to disabled people,

lack of ideas formulated by politicians and corporate organisation,

lack of strategy for the Information Society supported by government,

lack of training materials for disabled individuals,

lack of willingness to invest in basic level training.
80%
74,36%
67,9%
70%
62,3%
56,41%
60%
50%
37,7%
40%
33,33%
41,03%
28,21%
28,3%
28,3%
30%
23,08%
18,9%
20%
9,4%
5,13%
10%
9,4%
0,00%
0%
Limited
broadband
coverage
High cost of
internet
access
Lack of
necessary
user skills
Lack of ICT
facilities
Legislative Ignorance of
Lack of
and
how ICT can online public
regulative improve the
services
barriers
quality of life
ECDL Foundation survey
Polish survey
Figure 3. The most important barriers to the creation of an e-inclusive society
Others
Comparison: Once again technical aspects of e-Inclusion seem to be the most important
(limited broadband coverage - 74.36% and high cost of internet access - 56.41%). Comparing
to Europe lack of skills and ignorance of advantages are mentioned by more or less a half of
respondents from Poland.
Conclusion: Answers of Polish students reaffirm lack of well-developed, inexpensive
infrastructure.
Question 5: The EU and the Member States have expressed their special interest in
securing the participation of the elderly people to social and economic life. According to
your opinion, what would be the 3 most important steps in a long term strategy this group?
ECDL-Foundation survey: Launch public campaigns with the aim of rising awareness of the
benefits of ICT (over 71%) and ensuring that elderly people will have access to the IT
facilities (over 54%) are the most important steps as a long term strategy (fig.4). As Others
respondents specified a few steps for successful targeting elderly people as follows:

on-line services,

providing free or funded training.
80%
71,7% 69,23%
69,23%
70%
60%
54,7% 53,85%
53,85%
49,1%
50%
33,33%
37,7%
40%
24,5%
30%
43,4%
28,21%
20%
10%
0%
Ensuring access to
IT facilities
Provision of free
Providing the use of
Launch public
online training
public facilities such campaigns with the
content and courses
as school and
aim of rising
libraries for training
awareness of the
courses
benefits of ICT
ECDL Foundation survey
Creating financial
incentives to
encourage the
purchase of the
necessary
hardware/software
products
Creating financial
incentives to
encourage the
enrolment of the
appropriate training
courses
Polish survey
Figure 4. The most important steps in a long term strategy of securing the participation of
the elderly people to social and economic life
Comparison: Courses on-line and public campaign are indicated as the best solution for this
group (69.23% both). The interesting thing is that as opposite to Europe respondents Polish
ones consider that financial support of purchase of software or hardware is more important
than support of training courses.
Conclusion: Online courses have been chosen by the students as important instrument of eInclusion policy. They probably appreciate possibilities which that kind of learning gives, but
they are not aware psychological barriers of older people.
Question 6: In your opinion what instrument should be mobilized in the implementation of
an e-Inclusion strategy? Please select up to 3 opinions.
ECDL-Foundation survey: According to the survey private - public partnership (over 73%)
and public funded and managed project (almost 55%) are the most important instruments of
implementation of e-Inclusion strategy (fig.5).
80%
73,6%
66,67%
70%
60%
50%
54,7%
52,8%
46,15%
54,7%58,97%
43,59%
41,03%
40%
30,2%
30%
20%
10%
1,9%0,00%
0%
Industry
Cooperation Mechanism to Public funded Private-public
management
between
encourage and managed partnerships
projects
governments the exchange
projects
funded by
of good
national or
practice
EU authorities
between
countries
ECDL Foundation survey
Others
Polish survey
Figure 5. The most effective instrument which could be mobilized in the implementation of an
e-Inclusion strategy
Comparison: For Polish respondents projects funded by national or EU authorities is the
most effective instrument (66.67%). Subsequent places are occupied with: public founded and
managed projects (58.97%, which is more or less on the same level like in ECDL surveys)
and cooperation between governments (46.15%).
Conclusions: Low rate of private-public partnership may be an effect of lack of practise in
this area. Greater hopes are rested in EU and cooperation between governments.
Final conclusions
Surveys have great weigh to create global e-Inclusion policy as well as a local one. Surveys
reveal differences between countries as well as between different social groups.
ECDL Foundation survey on e-Inclusion policy let indicate:

social groups threatened with being on the margin of the Information Society,

key areas for e-Inclusion policy,

the most important barriers,

steps in a long time strategy for elderly people,

proposed instruments.
The survey on the group of students in Poland let come to following conclusions:

it confirms that it is necessary to help older people to include to the Information
Society, especially that their situation is worse than in Western Europe (Bulletin,
2007),

in Poland infrastructure and cost of access to it are still unsatisfactory.
Bibliography
1.
ECDL Foundation survey on e-Inclusion policy, 2007
2.
Brochure of European Commission Information Society and Media, e-Inclusion,
Information
Society
and
Inclusion:
Linking
European
Policies
(http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/policy_link/documents/inclusio
n.pdf), 2006
3.
The Contribution of ICTs to Equal Opportunities and Work-Life-Balance of
Informal
Careers
for
Older
People,
eInclusion@EU
Bulletin
(http://www.einclusion-eu.org/NewsLetter.asp?MenuID=159), 2007
4/2007