Digital access is not available for everyone.
The obsession with 'digital first' by both businesses and government is leaving large portions of the New Zealand public behind, according to a report from Citizen's Advice Bureau.
In a three month period the CAB assisted 4379 people for whom digital access was impossible at worst and difficult and frustrating at best. "It is experienced across age demographics ... youth in itself does not guarantee digital inclusion," the report said.
Māori and Pasefika people in particular are included in that number, accounting for 20 per cent and 17 per cent of CAB clients.
The digital transformation of government services is not serving the needs of people equally, the report said. It is transforming itself into a digital-only culture, with no options for those without access or the ability to negotiate successfully in an online world.
Some of the reasons people from this brave new world are excluded are: lack access to computers and internet, lack the skills or confidence to operate online, can't afford either a computer or internet, literacy difficulties, language skills, disability, not to mention a lack of desire to operate online, preferring person-to-person contact instead.
Government departments, such as immigration, tenancy services, the passport office and employment mediation services no longer provide paper forms.
Many find their digital services far from straight forward. Negotiating RealMe (needed when accessing government services) or the KiwiSaver withdrawal process throw up many additional digital barriers. Community services such as CAB are left to fill the gap, spending money on printing off forms for clients and spending time trying to negotiate the digital platforms with their clients.
It is critical that services are designed to be people-centric, prioritising the needs of the people who use the services, not the needs of the agency providing them.
The report pleads for government to provide services in a manner of ways, not just digital, and insuring face-to-face contact is possible for those who need it. A range of payment options should also be available and "no-one should be penalised for not being able to pay online".
Breakdown of the clients referred to in this report by age is as follows: Two per cent aged 0-24 years, 6 per cent are aged 25-29, 13 per cent are aged 30-39, 14 per cent are aged 40-49, 15 per cent are aged 50-59, 18 per cent were aged 60-69, 16 per cent were aged 70-79, 80 per cent were over 80.
Of the 4379 people surveyed for this report 54.5 per cent are female, and 45.5 per cent are male.
NZ European – 28 per cent, Māori 20 per cent, New Zealander 29 per cent, Pasefika 17 per cent, Asian 12 percent, European 3 per cent, African 2 per cent and 3 per cent were of other ethnicities.
Regionally the figures include: Ōtaki 30 per cent, Te Kuiti 23 per cent, Papatoetoe 20 per cent, Mangere 37 per cent, Glen Innes 29 per cent, Hauraki 27 per cent, Porirua 22 per cent, Petone 25 per cent.
People come to a CAB for help with getting an ID, a passport, find social services, dealing with MSD, immigration and inland revenue, registering the birth of a child, for example.
The report is full of examples of why people are asking CABs for assistance.
"Older people feel change is being forced upon them and are frustrated at being left out."
Not everyone has a computer or internet at home, said the report.
"In the 2013 Census, 23 per cent of New Zealand households were without access to the internet. The 2018 Census showed a substantial increase in digital access with only 14 per cent of participating households stating they don't have access to the internet. However, given the digital exclusion issues with the most recent census and the all-time low response rate, this is likely to be an under-estimation."
The report said the Government has refreshed its goal around delivering better public services by stating that improved interactions with government mean that:
"People have easy access to Public Services, which are designed around them, when they need them."
"This goal has been accompanied by a new target that: 80 per cent of the transactions for the twenty most common public services will be completed digitally by 2021. Based on the experiences of digitally excluded CAB clients we can see that these two things may sit in uncomfortable tension with each other.
"To achieve this, the report recommends that in its delivery of public services the government must:
• Provide genuine choice,
• Address barriers to inclusion,
• Ensure services are people-centred, and
• Increase support for intermediaries.
The CAB's report recommends that the Government takes action to:
• Increase access to free Wi-Fi and digital devices for those in low income households and those suffering disadvantage as a result of a lack of access. For example, enabling free internet access and computers in homes for all public housing tenants.
• Support people with disabilities to be able to access appropriate equipment and technology that is best suited to their needs. Ensure that all public services are accessible to people with disabilities and that service design is informed by consultation with and involvement from people with disabilities and by principles of universal design.
• Ensure the availability and accessibility of offline services for those who choose not to use digital services, who struggle to make the transition, or who just fall through the gaps.
• Ensure that offline channels are part of the proactive design of improved public services, rather than being seen as a glitch in the overall vision of digital transformation.
• Make access to paper copies of government forms and resources as easy and straightforward as possible. For example, having 'Request a paper copy be sent to you' as a visible, upfront choice on all government websites and via government call centres.
• Ensure free-access computers, printing services, and facilities for scanning and uploading documents are readily accessible in the community, to support people in carrying out interactions with government.
• Ensure free language assistance is available to people who need it to successfully interact with government, ie, to fully understand information and make informed decisions.
• Provide ongoing learning opportunities for people experiencing digital exclusion with the aim of increasing basic digital literacy and confidence. This needs to include ongoing 'helpdesk' type support for learners so that assistance is there when learning is put into practice and when any problems arise.
