Gypsies and Travellers are less likely to possess digital skills and than the majority population. It is vital that this inequality is kept in mind when commissioning digital health and social care services and that decisive steps are taken to narrow the digital divide.
This is from the September 2018 report (pdf) from Friends, Family and Travellers (FFT)on Gypsy and Traveller communities and digital participation.
FFT interviewed 50 people from Gypsy and Traveller communities across the UK to get a better understanding of their access to the digital world.
The report finds:
- One in five Gypsy and Traveller participants had never used the internet, compared to one in ten members of the general population
- Over half of Gypsy and Traveller participants said that they did not feel confident using digital technology by themselves
- Only two in five Gypsies and Travellers surveyed said that they use the internet daily, compared to four out of five of the general population.
The report recommends:
- NHS England should develop partnerships with the voluntary sector and industry to support digital inclusion for people with low literacy
- Public health messages and digital health services should be designed to be accessible for people with low literacy
- All government services which take a digital first approach should ensure that other options are available to populations experiencing digital exclusion
- Policy makers should consider the digital exclusion faced by Gypsy and Traveller communities when carrying out Equality Impact Assessments.
