Go ON UK Launch Campaign to Help Disabled People Surf the Internet

Go ON UK (formerly RaceOnline 2012) has today launched a new national campaign (Go ON Gold) that aims to help disabled people get online. Apparently 43% (4 Million) of disabled people in the UK have never surfed the internet, which equates to roughly half of the UK’s total offline population.

The campaign, which is supported by the BBC, Age UK, the Post Office and Paralympic athletes, claims that many disabled people don’t use the internet due to design barriers or because they may be unaware of advances in technology that can make access easier.

Go ON UK Chairman, Martha Lane Fox, said:

“Disability often leads to a lack of independence and social isolation. Full access to the internet can be hugely empowering and even transformative for people with disabilities, whose mobility may be compromised or who lack the resources to get out and about as much as they would like.

Digital inclusion can be life changing – socially, psychologically and economically. In front of the screen, we can all be equal and Go ON Gold is set to make this a reality!”

So how will they do it? Firstly, some 1,000 new digital champions will be trained in the use of accessible technology and commanded to help educate businesses and other groups to be more aware of the needs of disabled people, not to mention what benefits they can bring. The campaign will also highlight what help and new technologies are available for those who might want to get online.

ISPreview.co.uk doesn’t like it when governments or other organisations try to bully people online by imposing new requirements but this is different. We fully support initiatives that help to connect those whom actually want to get online and experience the internet, which is exactly the situation that many disabled people continue to find themselves in.