Equity isn’t just an ideal. It is an outcome. Different groups must work together to address multiple areas of need. It takes collaboration to address structural inequalities that prevent people from having their needs met. Our shared goal is to ensure that people have what they need to fully participate in society.
Technology touches every part of daily life. We use technology to learn, work, obtain social and healthcare services, and maintain contact with loved ones. In their Healthy People 2030 agenda, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services talks about “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age.” These conditions are known as Social Determinants of Health because they play a part in long-term health outcomes. Because technology is an underpinning to these factors, it plays a major role in the quality of a person’s life. Our digital inclusion goals exist to make sure that everyone can access, afford, and use technology to achieve all the benefits that it can offer and achieve the best health outcomes possible.
Annual Report
In 2024, Metro Information Technology Services released Metro Digital Inclusion's first annual report. This report details all of the work that has gone into building Metro's work toward digital equity, from 2015 until today.
National Digital Inclusion Alliance Visionary Trailblazer Award
In 2024, Metro Nashville and Davdison County earned the National Digital Inclusion Alliance Visionary Trailblazer award, honoring Metro's pioneering work in digital inclusion.
Digital Navigators
Our digital navigator program will train nonprofit staff to help residents enter the digital age. These staff already support key needs like housing, education, childcare, food, and government benefits. They have built trust with the communities we serve.
As digital navigators, they can help residents find digital skills training, internet service, and devices. Without these things, many of our neighbors cannot apply for basic services, reach out to loved ones, or apply for jobs. A trained navigator can help guide them to the right resources.
This program will also engage hubNashville, our 311 resource, to direct requests to the right place.
To support this program, this office will conduct an asset mapping of digital inclusion resources in our city.
Community Asset Mapping
The world’s reliance on technology means that digital inclusion is inclusion. Digital exclusion does not occur in isolation, and our residents often have intersecting needs. So, any organization working to improve the lives of residents is part of the digital inclusion ecosystem. Our shared goal is to ensure that people have what they need to fully participate in society. We also want to make the best use of resources. To do this, we must have a clear picture of what is available.
The Metro Digital Inclusion Asset Mapping is an ongoing initiative that focuses on resources we have locally to help us develop solutions from within. This process began with a survey to collect information about how local organizations/Metro partners 1) serve the community, 2) interact with one another, and 3) play a role in digital inclusion.
If your organization provides support to the community in any form, we want to hear from you.
TechTies Nashville: Connected Services for the Community
TechTies Nashville will enable digital workforce development, virtual health monitoring, technology education, computer access, and broadband access.