DIGITAL INCLUSION AS A DIRECTION OF MODERN COMMUNITY SOCIAL WORK

Abstract

Introduction. In the current context of the digital transformation of society, community social work is acquiring new substantive and technological characteristics associated with the need to ensure equal access for all categories of the population to social services, information, communication, and support resources. This issue becomes especially relevant in the context of the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, older adults, internally displaced persons, families in difficult life circumstances, and other vulnerable groups, for whom the digital environment may simultaneously serve both as a space of new opportunities and as a factor deepening inequality. In this dimension, digital inclusion appears not only as the technical provision of access to electronic services, but also as a comprehensive social process that encompasses the development of digital literacy, the creation of an accessible communication space, the adaptation of digital tools to the needs of different population groups, and the strengthening of a community’s capacity for social support. Purpose and objectives. The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical substantiation of digital inclusion as an important direction of modern community social work and to determine its significance for expanding vulnerable population groups’ access to social services and mechanisms of social participation. To achieve this purpose, the study is intended to clarify the essence of the concept of “digital inclusion” within social work discourse, outline its main components and functions, characterize the possibilities of using digital technologies in community social work practice, and identify the key barriers and risks that complicate clients’ engagement in the digital environment. Results. The study found that digital inclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon that combines technological, social, educational, and communicative components. It was proved that its implementation in community social work practice contributes to increasing the accessibility of social services, improving the efficiency of social support, developing remote counseling, strengthening interagency cooperation, and enhancing clients’ participation in solving their own social problems. It was substantiated that the effectiveness of digital inclusion depends on the level of digital competence of both social service professionals and service recipients, as well as on the availability of adapted digital resources, barrier-free service design, and a supportive social environment within the community.