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"In the ordeal we are going through, the need for digital mediation is enormous"

Published on 03 April 2020
Update on 26 September 2022
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Summary

The confinement creates important needs for the use of digital tools to get information, to work remotely, for telemedicine, to maintain social links, to do online procedures.

In order to obtain the derogatory certificate, millions of French people had to deal with the lack of computer equipment or difficulties in using it, reinforcing their feeling of exclusion.

This context gives rise to very important needs for digital mediation.

In the region, social workers, CCAS, communities, neighborhood mediators, associations, and educational teams are mobilized to try to maintain support at a distance.

The Union nationale des centers communaux d'action sociale (UNCCAS) has undertaken a survey of the facilities set up in the social action centers: the activities they maintain, the organizations set up. Many CAS have set up a telephone hotline.

Référence :

"Containment also acts as a revealer of inequalities in digital access."

Jacques-François Marchandise, co-founder and General Delegate of the New Generation Internet Foundation (Fing), talks to the Tribuneabout this new situation of confinement that pushes people to do as many things as possible from a distance."The confinement also acts as a revealing of the inequalities of access to the digital. In addition to the development of telecommuting, the Internet has become a tool to be used for many daily tasks. The French are being pushed to teleconsult instead of going to see their doctor, to have their groceries delivered instead of going to the supermarket. And high school students are asked to take their classes online. The problem is that not everyone has access to, or masters, these uses... This is a very big concern. These examples illustrate what happens when suddenly we have to do everything remotely. What is remarkable is the mobilization of digital mediators. We are lucky to have a fairly rich history in this field in France. We have thousands of experts on the uses and difficulties of uses, who have often been doing this for 20 years. They are hardly recognized: they rarely appear in the organization charts of local authorities and are part of sometimes fragile associations. But many of them have answered the government's call. They will help. The problem is that they will have to act at a distance, which complicates everything ... In the ordeal we are going through, the need for digital mediation is enormous.

Référence :

Confinement and digital inclusion: recommendations of the Human Rights Defender

The Defender of Rights has reviewed, in the Municipalities Gazettethe increased difficulties faced by vulnerable populations during the period of confinement. He notes that while dematerialization has ensured the continuity of public service, the period of confinement may further increase the difficulties of access to rights for certain publics."The most vulnerable people, who were already experiencing difficulties in accessing their rights, may, when their access to digital technology is limited, be in great difficulty if their actual situation is not taken into account. This risk is all the more important as the support services to which these people usually turn for their procedures (delegates of the Defender of Rights, public writers, associations, Communal Centers for Social Action, etc.) no longer provide physical services. Moreover,for people with disabilities, most public sites are still not accessible.

The Human Rights Defender makes a series of recommendations.

"It is necessary to make, as much as possible, the sites accessible to people with disabilities, to make available, on all public sites, documents in a language called "easy to read and understand" (FALC), to develop the use of pictograms, to make available information in different foreign languages".

It also recommends that social organizations (CPAM, CAF, MDPH, etc.), "if their staffing levels allow it, send letters or even text messages to their beneficiaries, particularly those awaiting a decision to extend an aid scheme, to inform them of the measures that have been decided. The same applies to local authorities, for the procedures that fall within their competence.

"Finally, "taking into account the provisions relating to containment,it is advisable to support, develop and promote public or associative initiatives for the most vulnerable people or those who simply cannot carry out their procedures on the Internet.

 

Référence :

A toll-free number and 2,000 volunteer digital mediators to help people with their online procedures

The Mednum, launched Thursday, March 19 an initiative to federate initiatives and mobilize digital mediators, paid and volunteer, social workers.

A toll-free number ( 01 70 772 372 ) allows advisors to assist users remotely by telephone: Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.

In less than 2 weeks, nearly 2000 digital mediators volunteered to advise people on the phone.

More than 50 tutorials are online and explain how to proceed for procedures such as printing the travel certificate, checking if I am entitled to social aid, finding out about short-time working, sending a registered letter, consulting a doctor remotely, connecting to an ENT...

Référence :

Emmaus Connect: free phones, recharges and computers to break the isolation of the digitally excluded

The Emmaus Connect association, with the help of SFR, solidarity networks, major companies and the public authorities, is setting up a number of exceptional exceptional measures to help those most affected.5,000 free top-ups for people in difficulty who can no longer access them at a solidarity price at Emmaus Connect

The Emmaus Connect reception points, which usually offer phone/internet top-ups at solidarity prices, have had to close their doors. In order not to leave the beneficiaries without a connection solution, SFR has activated free unlimited sms/call recharges with 10 GB of internet data.

20,000 phones and 20,000 free top-ups for people in very precarious situations 

With material assistance from SFR, Emmaüs Connect will make 15,000 basic phones, 5,000 smartphones, 20,000 unlimited call/SMS top-ups + 5 GB of data and 50,000 12 GB top-ups available to the social exclusion networks.

Hundreds of computers/tablets and 50,000 internet recharges to enable young people to continue their education.  

Emmaus Connect is working with a number of grassroots organizations and the French Ministry of Education and Youth to distribute hundreds of computers/tablets and activate 50,000 free 12GB Internet data recharges provided by SFR.

Emmaus Connect relies on a network of local associations to distribute to people in need and does not distribute equipment directly.

Référence :

Sources

"In the ordeal we are going through, the need for digital mediation is enormous"

The confinement creates important needs for the use of digital tools to get information, to work remotely, for telemedicine, to maintain social links, to do online procedures.

In order to obtain the derogatory certificate, millions of French people had to deal with the lack of computer equipment or difficulties in using it, reinforcing their feeling of exclusion.

This context gives rise to very important needs for digital mediation.

In the region, social workers, CCAS, communities, neighborhood mediators, associations, and educational teams are mobilized to try to maintain support at a distance.

The Union nationale des centers communaux d'action sociale (UNCCAS) has undertaken a survey of the facilities set up in the social action centers: the activities they maintain, the organizations set up. Many CAS have set up a telephone hotline.

Référence :

"Containment also acts as a revealer of inequalities in digital access."

Jacques-François Marchandise, co-founder and General Delegate of the New Generation Internet Foundation (Fing), talks to the Tribuneabout this new situation of confinement that pushes people to do as many things as possible from a distance."The confinement also acts as a revealing of the inequalities of access to the digital. In addition to the development of telecommuting, the Internet has become a tool to be used for many daily tasks. The French are being pushed to teleconsult instead of going to see their doctor, to have their groceries delivered instead of going to the supermarket. And high school students are asked to take their classes online. The problem is that not everyone has access to, or masters, these uses... This is a very big concern. These examples illustrate what happens when suddenly we have to do everything remotely. What is remarkable is the mobilization of digital mediators. We are lucky to have a fairly rich history in this field in France. We have thousands of experts on the uses and difficulties of uses, who have often been doing this for 20 years. They are hardly recognized: they rarely appear in the organization charts of local authorities and are part of sometimes fragile associations. But many of them have answered the government's call. They will help. The problem is that they will have to act at a distance, which complicates everything ... In the ordeal we are going through, the need for digital mediation is enormous.

Référence :

Confinement and digital inclusion: recommendations of the Human Rights Defender

The Defender of Rights has reviewed, in the Municipalities Gazettethe increased difficulties faced by vulnerable populations during the period of confinement. He notes that while dematerialization has ensured the continuity of public service, the period of confinement may further increase the difficulties of access to rights for certain publics."The most vulnerable people, who were already experiencing difficulties in accessing their rights, may, when their access to digital technology is limited, be in great difficulty if their actual situation is not taken into account. This risk is all the more important as the support services to which these people usually turn for their procedures (delegates of the Defender of Rights, public writers, associations, Communal Centers for Social Action, etc.) no longer provide physical services. Moreover,for people with disabilities, most public sites are still not accessible.

The Human Rights Defender makes a series of recommendations.

"It is necessary to make, as much as possible, the sites accessible to people with disabilities, to make available, on all public sites, documents in a language called "easy to read and understand" (FALC), to develop the use of pictograms, to make available information in different foreign languages".

It also recommends that social organizations (CPAM, CAF, MDPH, etc.), "if their staffing levels allow it, send letters or even text messages to their beneficiaries, particularly those awaiting a decision to extend an aid scheme, to inform them of the measures that have been decided. The same applies to local authorities, for the procedures that fall within their competence.

"Finally, "taking into account the provisions relating to containment,it is advisable to support, develop and promote public or associative initiatives for the most vulnerable people or those who simply cannot carry out their procedures on the Internet.

 

Référence :

A toll-free number and 2,000 volunteer digital mediators to help people with their online procedures

The Mednum, launched Thursday, March 19 an initiative to federate initiatives and mobilize digital mediators, paid and volunteer, social workers.

A toll-free number ( 01 70 772 372 ) allows advisors to assist users remotely by telephone: Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.

In less than 2 weeks, nearly 2000 digital mediators volunteered to advise people on the phone.

More than 50 tutorials are online and explain how to proceed for procedures such as printing the travel certificate, checking if I am entitled to social aid, finding out about short-time working, sending a registered letter, consulting a doctor remotely, connecting to an ENT...

Référence :

Emmaus Connect: free phones, recharges and computers to break the isolation of the digitally excluded

The Emmaus Connect association, with the help of SFR, solidarity networks, major companies and the public authorities, is setting up a number of exceptional exceptional measures to help those most affected.5,000 free top-ups for people in difficulty who can no longer access them at a solidarity price at Emmaus Connect

The Emmaus Connect reception points, which usually offer phone/internet top-ups at solidarity prices, have had to close their doors. In order not to leave the beneficiaries without a connection solution, SFR has activated free unlimited sms/call recharges with 10 GB of internet data.

20,000 phones and 20,000 free top-ups for people in very precarious situations 

With material assistance from SFR, Emmaüs Connect will make 15,000 basic phones, 5,000 smartphones, 20,000 unlimited call/SMS top-ups + 5 GB of data and 50,000 12 GB top-ups available to the social exclusion networks.

Hundreds of computers/tablets and 50,000 internet recharges to enable young people to continue their education.  

Emmaus Connect is working with a number of grassroots organizations and the French Ministry of Education and Youth to distribute hundreds of computers/tablets and activate 50,000 free 12GB Internet data recharges provided by SFR.

Emmaus Connect relies on a network of local associations to distribute to people in need and does not distribute equipment directly.

Référence :

Sources

Labo Société Numérique

Labo République Française Agence nationale de cohésion des territoires
"In the ordeal we are going through, the need for digital mediation is enormous"