OU concludes key role in PRIME project on digital inequalities

The Open University (OU) has played a pivotal role in the PRIME (Protecting Minority Ethnic Communities Online) project, a major three-year research initiative led by Heriot-Watt University, which is set to conclude at the end of March 2025. The project has uncovered how the rapid digitisation of essential services in the UK - particularly in healthcare, housing and energy - has exacerbated inequalities for minoritised ethnic communities, especially those already facing digital exclusion, language barriers, and systemic discrimination.

PRIME’s research has identified significant regulatory gaps across these sectors, with no clear framework to ensure fair access to digital services and limited accountability for addressing digital inequalities. To tackle these challenges, the research team, which included collaborators from Heriot-Watt University, The Open University, Cranfield University and the universities of York and Glasgow, has developed a range of practical solutions, including a Code of Practice for service designers, policy briefs for different sectors, multilingual awareness videos, and the PersonaCreator app - a machine learning-based tool designed to analyse the experiences of minoritised communities with online services.

The Open University led the dissemination activities and impact, and played a crucial role in creating the multilingual video assets designed to raise awareness of digital exclusion issues. These resources will support policymakers, service providers, and community organisations in making digital services more accessible and inclusive.

Dr Liz FitzGerald, Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University, highlighted the significance of the project’s findings: “PRIME has provided a crucial evidence base demonstrating how digital inequalities disproportionately affect minoritised ethnic communities. Through our contributions to the project, we have ensured that real-world solutions, including accessible awareness videos, are available to drive meaningful change in service design and policy.”

With its findings applicable on a global scale, PRIME’s tools - especially the PersonaCreator app - can be adapted to analyse similar data worldwide, supporting the development of more inclusive digital services across different contexts.