What is the digital divide?
Not everyone can afford high-speed internet. Not everyone has the skills to use computers and all the apps that help us live life. You might have someone you can call when you have a question about doing something online. Not everyone has that. All these things and more make up the digital divide. It’s the gap between people who have what they need to live in an online world and people who don’t.
What is digital equity?
We want everyone to have the right tools and skills to be a full part of society. To be a part of democracy. To contribute to the economy – and to benefit from it. Everything happens online. Digital equity is when everyone has what they need to vote online. To learn online. To build a resume. To apply for a job online. To pay bills online. To buy groceries online. To see the doctor online. To learn online. The list goes on. Everyone else should be able to do everything you can online, too. That is digital equity. And to get there, we must provide more than help and resources. We also have to work together to knock down barriers, some of which have been in place for hundreds of years.
What is digital Inclusion?
Digital inclusion is the work we do to ensure that everyone in every neighborhood can access and use information and communication technology. Technology doesn’t stay the same. It changes in a snap. And people get left behind, especially people of color, Indigenous people, low-income households, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, older adults, and formerly incarcerated people. Some of our neighbors have more barriers they have to overcome. There are historical barriers, institutional barriers, and structural barriers. It’s our job to break these down to cut a clear path to equity. National Digital Inclusion Alliance says that our digital inclusion work is making sure that everyone has these five things:
- Affordable, high-quality internet service
- Devices that can access the internet and meet their needs
- The right training to help them get and stay up to speed
- Technical support
- The right applications and online content that help people take care of themselves, participate in society, and connect and work with others.