Digital Access

Digital access is a foundation, a prerequisite for digital literacy. I was challeneged by the web site's definition: full electronic participation in society. I must confess that I've never framed the debate over the "haves" vs. "have nots" of technology access quite that way before. I've taught urban kids my entire career, so the fight to help them acquire the tools they need to succeed has always been part of who I am. However, to think of limited-access individuals and groups as unable to fully participate in society was a new worldview lens for me. The more I ponder it, in the context of our 21st-century global world, the more I believe it fits.

“Digital Access” means different things to different people:

-internet availability of any kind

-broadband or other high-speed access

-hardware

-software

-training/education to use key programs

Schools, businesses, families, socio-economic groups, ethnic groups, rural areas, and individuals can all suffer from digital access limitations. If people or groups are cut off from information, communication, and business opportunities, then they are unable to achieve full electronic participation in society.

There are numerous studies and articles that demonstrate the reality and depth of this problem, and the effects it has on individuals and groups. There’s even a Digiteen project on it. It's not only an American issue, either. Many groups worldwide are raising awareness of this issue and tackling it head-on in creative ways.

In Asia, the Digital Divide Institute is working to provide “meaningful broadband” to “the next two billion” people, with a wide variety of projects, from the installation of large wireless networks to tablet distribution for school children.

**I love this one because it's a huge organization that takes each project and asks the community what they need to achieve digital access. Each solution has a global stamp, but is fitted to the local people's desires and needs.

In Central and South America, there's the Center for Digital Inclusion. The CDI is a network of 753 regional community centers throughout Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. They provide technology access and training to impoverished communities.

**My favorite thing about this one is that it started as a small, local initiative, but blossomed and spread across geographic boundaries to meet needs of the poor in each nation.

In the U.S., many heavy hitters are giving funds and creating programs to close the digital divide. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for instance, channels their grants primarily through urban schools and community centers. Our school has part of a Gates grant through Street School Network, one of our accreditation agencies.

**I love how the organization doesn't just throw money at a problem, but seeks to understand it in the bigger context of the community and seeks long-term solutions. That said, the most effective programs are still local initiatives that see a need and meet it.

The Technology Access Foundation is based in Puget Sound, and uses funds donated from individuals and an alliance of area businesses to strengthen STEM education in schools, online, and through community partners. Their programs now reach thousands.

Even larger is the Digital Access Project. This began as an 18-month initiative to bring free wireless to Minneapolis through the Digital Access + Equity Campaign. When they realized the scope of need was broader than just free wireless, the Community Technology Empowerment Project was born. This program now recruits, trains, and pays AmeriCorps volunteers to equip and train citizens at centers in the Twin Cities, focusing on new immigrants and low-income areas. What began as a response to a specific hardware and service need is now an onging regional program, all because some local business and education leaders took the initiative. (Minneapolis did get the free wireless, too!)

**Probably my favorite thing about DAP is that they now sponsor the Technology Literacy Collaborative, to share their experience and support similar efforts in other geographic areas.


Electronic participation is now an integral part of being a global citizen. The debate is no longer whether people need computers; it's what kind, what speed, and what access is needed. In order to adequately assess those needs, it is imperative that community groups work with local governments and businesses to make a plan and advocate for resources. The funding sources may be multi-national, or they may be the coffee shop and grocer down the street. You never know who will step up until the need is presented. We need brave, global thinkers who live next door, not just those in government. As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."