Society for innovation, technology and modernisation

Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 100017520 [post_author] => 887 [post_date] => 2020-09-23 10:20:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-09-23 10:20:24 [post_content] => Socitm’s digital ethics policy briefing addresses the ethical issues arising from the use of emerging technologies and data analytics across the local public sector. It provides thought leadership, tools and practical insights to support local public service organisations champion leading-edge ethical practice as part of their wider digital placemaking and service transformation activities in support of the people and communities they serve. [post_title] => Digital ethics: the ethical use of emerging technologies and data [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => digital-ethics-the-ethical-use-of-emerging-technologies-and-data [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-09-23 10:20:24 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-09-23 10:20:24 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://socitm.net/?post_type=wpdmpro&p=100017520 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => wpdmpro [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )[1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 100017715 [post_author] => 887 [post_date] => 2020-09-23 09:00:40 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-09-23 09:00:40 [post_content] => Attempts to use algorithms to calculate grades for pupils have highlighted the importance of ethics in technology. This issue of In Our View focuses on ethical practice in areas including algorithms, artificial intelligence and blockchain, accompanying Socitm’s Share National event on this topic. It also covers how local authorities can make virtual council meetings work effectively and Socitm’s research on the development of homeworking, as well as new vice-president Mark Lumley discussing his career. [post_title] => In Our View, issue 21: Adding ethics to computing [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => in-our-view-issue-21-adding-ethics-to-computing [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-09-23 09:00:40 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-09-23 09:00:40 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://socitm.net/?post_type=wpdmpro&p=100017715 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => wpdmpro [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )[2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 100016879 [post_author] => 1104 [post_date] => 2020-09-04 11:49:01 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-09-04 11:49:01 [post_content] =>

Socitm and Silktide’s recent report highlighting the most common accessibility issues on UK council websites made for interesting, albeit familiar reading.

By Jack Niland, UX Designer, JaduComing not long before WCAG 2.1 standards come into full force for all public sector sites, and at a time when channel shift has been accelerated through the necessity of the Covid-19 crisis, the findings show the important work still to be done in making digital services fully inclusive.

Navigational issues

The report highlights the extent to which navigational issues in particular continue to persist. These issues greatly hinder the experience of those using assistive technology. According to the findings, 57.95% of council websites currently fail to include a ‘Skip to Content’ navigation option, which can make for long-winded and frustrating experiences for the visually impaired using screen readers to interpret text and imagery. Without a ‘Skip to Content’ option, users can be forced to tab through tens or hundreds of navigational links before reaching the main content.The report also shows that close to three-quarter of council websites have at least one “failure to mark navigation elements as list items”. This means assistive technology users can be forced to go through hundreds of links at a time. When navigation is tagged correctly however, assistive technology users can skip an entire list in one step and even search inside lists, making for a much better (and quicker) experience.Nearly all (94.87%) of the tested councils fail on at least one page to use the same link text for different locations. This means that screen readers cannot correctly contextualise text on a page. As the report explains, “if you have two links on a page navigating to different places, but they are both labelled the same, the user has a 50% chance of navigating to the wrong page.” For example, if links to ‘Product News’ and ‘Company News’ pages are both labelled ‘News’, there is no way to distinguish between them.

Use of screen readers

A recent assistive technology survey by gov.uk found that 29% of respondents use screen readers, illustrating just how many people these issues impact!There is no better way of understanding accessibility than by putting yourself in the position of those using the site. The not-for-profit organisation NV Access offers a free screen reader. The NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) Screen Reader is free to download for Windows users, with the option of making a donation. Mac users have access to an inbuilt screen reader VoiceOver, which can be accessed using the shortcut: cmd+f5.I also recommend these videos, which shows how people use screen readers to access the web (flash must be enabled to view): http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/best_practice/case_studies/robin.shtmlEnsuring council websites are fully accessible to those using screen readers is absolutely imperative. The new accessibility regulation deadline is fast approaching (23 September) and the reasons behind the regulation becomes very clearer when you experience the frustrations first-hand.We mustn’t forget that many councils are making great strides in accessibility; if you’re a website owner, content editor, designer or developer, hopefully the navigational issues identified in the Socitm report help keep navigation front of mind!Shared with permission from Jadu. [post_title] => Navigation: 3 of the 5 most common accessibility issues on UK council sites [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => navigation-3-of-the-5-most-common-accessibility-issues-on-uk-council-sites [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-09-04 11:49:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-09-04 11:49:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://socitm.net/?p=100016879 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )[3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 100016821 [post_author] => 1104 [post_date] => 2020-09-01 12:59:18 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-09-01 12:59:18 [post_content] =>

Behind the headlines on Ofqual U-turns and councils scrapping prediction algorithms in benefit and welfare decisions is a wider debate about how our public administrations use technology and data.

Written by William Barker, Associate Director (Digital Ethics and Cyber Resilience) at Socitm and Mark Lumley, Socitm Vice President and Director Digital & IT at London Borough of Hounslow.Current events follow recent Socitm work and studies by the Cardiff Data Justice Lab, the Committee for Standards in Public Life, and the Information Commissioner on re-thinking the challenges of AI and data analytics use in the public sector. Together they highlight the need for a forensic look at the way in which we use smart information systems to inform decision-making in public services.Navigating our way through the complexity of these issues is not easy but research has been done across various disciplines. The stark conclusion emerging is that if you don’t fully understand how a program is working and what it will do if you use it with your data in your social, operational and political context, you are running a huge risk. If it will affect decisions about real people’s lives, you will want to think long and hard about whether using it is a good idea.As you would expect, official guidance to the public sector stresses that the use of AI and data analytics should be considered, proportionate and ethical rather than the automatic first choice in all circumstances and situations. But if we are to do things successfully it is essential that we learn to identify, define and understand the potential of algorithmic risks from the outset so that we avoid discriminatory and adverse personal outcomes. The following steps start to provide a basis for how we do that.

1. Question

Is the proposed approach proportionate and ethical? This requires forensic questioning.

• Is the system right for the purpose and better value than other solutions?
• Will its use in the intended context be lawful, safe, acceptable to stakeholders, beneficial, and not have bad side effects?

2. Test

Rigorous testing in the operational setting with relevant data is critical. An algorithm’s use needs to be examined case by case, addressing the following alongside the questions above.

• The precise calculations and data processing methods used.
• The exact nature of the data used in the development and testing of the program, and in its intended operation.
• Its purpose in relation to the social, political, professional, environmental and operational process and practice contexts within which it will be used — these are where consequences will be felt.

3. Review

It is essential to underpin these two initial steps with a robust set of checks and balances built into accountable governance, including political and executive scrutiny, due diligence, and appropriate standards.Join us at Share National on 24 and 25 September 2020 to discuss in detail the use of algorithms, and more. Hosted by Vice President Mark Lumley of our Presidents Team, hear from and talk with your peers and expert guest speakers and practitioners on the topic of Ethical use of emerging technologies and data. Twice daily sessions at 10:30–12:00 and 14:00–15:30 will cover digital ethics, security, emerging technologies and harnessing data. [post_title] => After the “problem algorithm” headlines — learning the lessons [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => after-the-problem-algorithm-headlines-learning-the-lessons [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-09-03 12:46:28 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-09-03 12:46:28 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://socitm.net/?p=100016821 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ))