RE: The Digital Economy Strategy: Opening the conversation Response from the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) to Question 21

The ADIA (www.digitalinclusion.org.au) emerged from the momentum developed by the National Year of Digital Inclusion (2016) which was an integral part of the Go Digi Program (www.godigi.org.au), and the 2016 release of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au ) where a number of community, corporate and government bodies identified the need to work in partnership in. [...] Supported by not-for-profit Infoxchange and backed by Australia Post, Google and Telstra, the ADIA’s vision is to harnesses the collective skills, knowledge and capabilities of organisations across the country to help reduce the digital divide. [...] What opportunities do we have to bridge the ‘digital divide’ and make the most of the benefits that digital technologies present for social inclusion? The ADIA is well placed to work closely with the Australian Government to advance the capacity of all Australians to participate in the digital economy. [...] Clear calls were made at the 2017 Broadband for the Bush Forum’s ‘Indigenous Focus Day’ to include digital inclusion as a ‘closing the gap’ indicator and to develop pathways towards including Indigenous Australians in the digital economy.14 The Strategy must also recognise that there will always be a proportion of the population that will never engage with the digital world and should ensure that. [...] The ADIA and the government share the key aim to empower all Australians through digital skills and inclusion, positioning the Alliance as a strategic platform that could extend the work of the government.