The Digital Inclusion Framework (DIF)
There is a difference between a digital service being available and working for the people who need it. What holds organisations back is not intent — it is the lack of a structured way to see who cannot benefit, what creates barriers, and what needs to change.
Digital services are now a main route into healthcare, public services, education, housing, benefits and support. When people cannot access, trust or complete them, exclusion can deepen inequalities, create poor service experiences, increase staff workload and undermine confidence in services.
Many organisations are committed to digital inclusion. Yet teams are often designing, commissioning and improving digital services without a structured way to see where exclusion happens, who is affected and what to do about it.
Standard markers of success show part of the picture: the page loads, the form gets submitted, the pathway exists and some people complete the task.
DIF looks across the service journey: where people are blocked, delayed, pushed to rely on others, lose confidence, make mistakes, abandon the task or never start.
DIF turns digital inclusion from a broad ambition into a practical toolkit and self-assessment. It gives organisations a structured way to assess digital exclusion across a service, product or pathway and turn that evidence into practical action.
Digital inclusion resources that help you assess digital exclusion and act on it — the Barrier Library, DIF personas, applied guidance and an emerging self-assessment.
The Digital Inclusion Framework was first developed at the University of Sussex by Professor Debbie Keeling and Dr Maja Golf-Papez, in collaboration with NHS Sussex and with support from Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, especially Katherine Sykes.
The first version was informed by academic research, national reports and digital health inclusion pilots. It was then tested and refined with clinicians, commissioners, support workers, patient representatives, digital teams, and digital inclusion and accessibility specialists across NHS Sussex.
Today, Maja and Debbie lead the continued development of DIF. The framework is kept current through ongoing academic research and direct evidence from people using digital services. It is now expanding beyond health and care, with tailored versions, a growing Barrier Library, personas and practical resources that help organisations across sectors assess, evidence and act on digital exclusion.
DIF is built to be used - independently or with our support. Teams can draw on the framework, Barrier Library and Personas directly. Or work with us to apply DIF to a specific service, product or pathway through a facilitated workshop, a full digital inclusion assessment, or a longer-term strategic partnership. We also collaborate on research, evaluation and grant applications and can support organisations in building their own digital inclusion maturity over time.