The appointment app
Mr Evans is 78. His doctor says: "Book your next visit in our new app."
He opens the app. The buttons are tiny. The words are pale grey on white. There is no way to talk to a person.
He gives up and does not book. The app works. But it does not work for him. Who did the team forget when they built it?
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Digital inclusion | Making sure everyone can use digital services. | An app that works for older people |
| Accessibility | Designing so people with extra needs can use it. | Text that a screen reader can read |
| Bias | Treating some people less fairly, often without meaning to. | A program that works well for only one group |
| Dataset | A large collection of data used to train or test a program. | 10,000 photos of faces |
| Literacy | How well a person can read and write. | Reading a long form without help |
| Connectivity | Being able to get on the internet. | Fast internet at home |
| Screen reader | A tool that reads the screen aloud. | Used by a blind person |
| Alt text | Words that describe a picture. A screen reader reads them aloud. | alt="The team before a match" |
| Captions | Words on a video that show what people say. | Text under a speaker |
| Public sector | Organisations paid for by the government. | A council (local government) or the NHS (the UK health service) |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: who is left out?
Have a go
Quick check: who is left out?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
What is digital inclusion?
Digital inclusion means everyone gets fair access to digital services. Not only young people. Not only people with the newest phone.
People are left out for many reasons. Money, age, skills, language, disability and where they live all matter.
There are four things a team can do to include people.
Four ways to include people
| Way | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable technology | Hardware and software that people can use | A site that works on an old phone and with a screen reader |
| Good connectivity | A way to get online that people can pay for | A page that still loads on a slow connection |
| Fair data | Check datasets for bias | Train a voice tool on many accents |
| Codes of good practice | Follow the rules the industry agrees | Follow the web accessibility guidelines |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Bias in a dataset
A program learns from data. If the data leaves people out, the program may fail for them. This is bias.
Example. A phone unlock program learns from 1,000 photos. 900 show one group of people. Only 100 show everyone else.
The first group is 90 out of every 100 photos. The program will work well for that group and badly for the others. A team should check who is in the data before the program is used.
Quick check: spot the bias
Have a go
Quick check: spot the bias
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.