According to a growing number of reports, conferences, academic papers and popular media sources, more and more people are living in an “information society.” Wikipedia, arguably an archetypal result of the information society, defines this term as “a society where the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic, political and cultural activity.”

But what does an information society look like? Does it look, behave and respond the same way for everyone? Who is part of the information society and who is not? How does participation vary by gender, ability and literacy? How can information and communications technologies (ICTs) worsen existing inequities and further marginalize disadvantaged groups? As with any society, an information society is composed of individuals and groups occupying a shared territory – a virtual one, in this case – and is characterized by relationships, expectations, institutions and varying levels of influence and participation. This chapter examines two central questions that are closely linked: how can inequities of access to ICTs be redressed and how can access to ICTs potentially facilitate or inhibit social inclusion?

It would be foolish to assume that just using ICTs alone could redress inequities that persist within and among these groups. There are myriad factors and complex dependencies underlying if, how and to what extent social exclusion is experienced. Similarly, the ways in which social inclusion can be made possible through the use of ICTs are equally complex, interdependent and non-linear in nature.