Data, Tech & Black Communities

BMJ analysis of 48,000 records also finds one in eight patients die within four months of discharge

There is a growing body of evidence, however, that pulse oximetry is less accurate in darker skinned patients. Given the increased mortality amongst ethnic minority patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is possible that the differential accuracy of pulse oximetry is a contributing factor to this health inequality

In the U.K., a recent poll suggested that while Britons were strongly supportive of vaccine passports in principle, agreement broke down when asked whether they should be compulsory for pub visits. For marginalised groups, this feels like nudge theory to overcome a reluctance (based on real trauma) to trust public health services: “some employees who don’t want to get the vaccine feel harassed and ostracized.”

High levels of deprivation and job insecurity, vast income inequality, housing discrimination and medical disparities have long had a severe impact on the tangle of communities and ethnic minority populations that live in these boroughs. But when combined with the necessity to go to work, to take public transport and to share space in densely packed housing, they also provided the perfect breeding ground for a deadly virus. The domino effect would prove catastrophic.

Actor David Harewood's BBC documentary explores why people of colour are more likely to die from Covid-19.

With remote learning now the norm, universities are using surveillance software to keep tabs on students who are not engaging with their studies

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) presents risks to equality, potentially embedding bias and discrimination. Auditing tools are often promised as a solution. However our new research, which examines tools for auditing AI used in recruitment, finds these tools are often inadequate in ensuring compliance with UK Equality Law, good governance and best practice. We argue in this report that a more comprehensive approach than technical auditing is needed to safeguard equality in the use of AI for hiring, which shapes access to work. Here, we present first steps which could be taken to achieve this. We also publish a prototype AI Equality Impact Assessment which we plan to develop and pilot.

Mapping a child's digital footprint across England's state education landscape. Policy recommendations for building a rights' respecting digital environment

The EdTech R&D Programme has grant funded £420k to EdTech companies and will test improvements in partnership with 58 schools this academic year.

Nesta surveyed over 7000 teachers via Teacher Tapp to better understand the challenges that they have been facing over the COVID-19 crisis.

Government considers shelving service again as figures suggest evidence of growing inequality. “The excuse is likely to be that businesses are badly hit right now but actually, it is employees, especially women and minorities, who have been badly hit.”

Birthrights is convening an inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care, led by an expert panel with barrister Shaheen Rahman QC as Chair.

Childbirth rights group supports examination into disproportionate health outcomes

NHS England is facing growing criticism from public health leaders over its failure to publish data on the ethnicity of people who have been vaccinated against covid-19

Concerns about the low take up of vaccines by black & Asian community. Calls for data on ethnicity to be collected as part of vaccine uptake data collection

Charities warn of ‘devastating effect’ as most vulnerable households left without access to web

“That’s not a chip on my shoulder, it’s your foot on my neck.” Malcolm X’s words in 1962 have a prophetic feel today.

Disparity with white women shows need for action, doctors say, despite slight improvement in mortality rate