Digital Reading: Inclusivity, Versatility, Engagement. Supporting underserved communities and emerging reading cultures in developing countries.

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Digital Reading programmes have demonstrated the potential for new technologies to provide solutions for developing countries where the logistics around access to and upkeep of print books may be hindering the growth of robust reading cultures. Programmes have also been designed to specifically target population groups 'left behind' because of cultural norms and stigmas specific to the local context. For example the Ana Soma project set up by Worldreader in Kenya aimed to encourage women to use a smartphone app to allow them to incorporate reading into their daily routines and duties. Nevertheless, most research and the main focus of digital reading initiatives in developing countries has been on classroom-based situations, meaning that the wider social impact of digital reading on readers' lives is barely discussed. The proposed new network will bring together researchers, stakeholders and policy makers from multiple nations, academic disciplines and knowledge bases, to work closely with readers in some of the poorer parts of Kenya. Focusing specifically on promoting gender equality and social inclusion for people living with various kinds of disability, the network will examine current provision and best practice and work with readers and providers to identify gaps in provision and social and cultural barriers to engagement to ensure that future provision takes a more holistic and responsive view of the role technology can play in enhancing readers' lives. The first workshop will focus on gender equality and digital reading, engaging with participants from the Ana Soma project from the Kibera slums outside Nairobi, and bringing together experts on gender equality in the region with stakeholders and policy makers to work on identifying measures to ensure that future provision is focused on sustainable solutions and building resilient reading cultures and communities. Following on from this, the second workshop will examine how assistive technologies already available can address the specific needs of readers with various kinds of physical or learning disabilities, minimising the risks of social isolation and enhancing their life opportunities. The workshop will include contributions from charities and organisations working with disabled groups in the region, as well as from end-users, and will reflect on the importance of an intersectional approach to gender and disability. Attendees will also be offered the opportunity to take part in a field trip to a deaf school in Mukuru which has been working with Worldreader to use digital devices to enhance provision for reading for its pupils. In the final workshop, participants from the first two workshops will be invited back to work with DigiTales, a participatory media company, to create and produce short multimedia films reflecting on their experiences of using digital devices and the impact this has had on their lives. The stories will be produced over three days, and screened at an event on the final day which will be open to network members, the wider community of CUEA and friends and family of the storytellers to attend.