Olympics and Inclusion

This year’s Labour Party Conference had many interesting fringe events and a couple I found particularly interesting.

I agree totally with Tessa Jowell who spoke at the fringe event on the 2012 Olympics. She said that she was tired of hearing people criticizing how it is being handled, instead, she felt that Britain should be proud and be praising this phenomenal event, the preparation for which we have never seen the like before. It is going to change the landscape of the East End forever, most likely for the better providing housing, jobs and facilities that will bring long-term benefits certainly to London, but hopefully to the whole of Britain. So come on let’s stop being ‘glass half- empty’ and let’s start ‘celebrating’ the fact that we’ve won the right to hold the next Olympics here and the phenomenal opportunities it will bring both immediately and for the long-term.

The future of digital inclusion

On another note, I attended another interesting fringe, hosted by EDS, on digital inclusion and the information gap. Working with MPs Sarah Hamilton-Fairley and Alun Michael, they have developed a product, StartHere, designed specifically for those who are not currently digitally included. How great it is to see technology being used to benefit people who are not IT literate but who have day-to-day life problems and needs that IT can help with. My understanding from the fringe is that it provides easy access to valuable resources in Britain that people otherwise wouldn’t know anything about. A simple solution that with one press of a button can provide information and access to the police, legal support, education, medical information, the list goes on. All of which will be accessed on a system supplied in the middle of our high streets, local libraries or cinemas.

Sue Grant