Narrowing the Digital Divide Gap: Improving Accessibility

 

By Aileen Flores

 

            The term “digital divide” has been associated primarily with economic accessibility of individuals to the Internet. In other words, people who are financially stable can afford to buy a computer and access the Internet whereas those who have insufficient funds find it more difficult to attain these resources. However, according to the Premier’s Technology Council (PTC) (http://www.gov.bc.ca/prem/down/the_ptc_report_q1.pdf), other aspects of the digital divide are a cause for concern. That is to say, economic access is only one out of the four areas defined by the PTC that affects the digital gap. Besides economic access, it is necessary to improve other forms of accessibility such as network access, skills access and impact access in order to give everyone the opportunity to use the Internet.

            Since economic access has already been defined, it is essential to provide a brief explanation of the remaining areas of access. This will help clarify the main objectives and goals of related websites that will be included in the rest of this web guide. For the PTC, network access is “the ability of communities and citizens to access broadband Internet resources”. Basically, the future of the Internet depends on broadband connections as opposed to narrow band telephone lines because of its high-speed, “always-on” capabilities. Once broadband connections are extended to communities and technologically deprived countries, only then can improvements of network accessibility occur.

            Skills access is a significant factor that affects a majority of the global population. In this case, individuals need to have particular skills in order to use the Internet effectively and efficiently. Today, many people lack the resources such as education and training programs to learn the basics of Internet use. Hence, the problem of digital illiteracy continues to limit access to the Internet among these individuals.

            Finally, the PTC defines impact access “as people having the necessary personal, social, cultural, and economic incentives to incorporate computer and the Internet into their daily lives”. Until people realize the impact of the Internet on their lives, only then can it be beneficial to them and only then will they demand for public Internet access sites and more terminals in their community.

            As soon as improvements are made on these four areas of access, bridging the digital divide gap will be an easier task. Fortunately, many web sites are dedicated to improving accessibility by mainly focusing on the economic situation of specific countries, expanding networks among local communities and altering web site formats for those who are digitally illiterate.

            The Community Technology Center’s Network (CTC) (http://www.ctcnet.org/) is one example of a web site that promotes accessibility in developing countries or local communities that are deprived of Internet resources. More specifically, this national, non-profit organization provides citizens with community technology centers where they can get free or inexpensive access to the Internet along with educational programs to help them discover and explore these resources. This web site’s mission is to alleviate the problem of economic and network access so that more individuals can have the opportunity to become involved in advanced information technologies.

            A similar site known as Neighborhood Networks (http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwaboutnn.html) is a community-based program developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Like CTC, this program provides community technology centers to places that lack resources needed for Internet accessibility. This program is only involved with urban and rural areas in the United States and has as many as 800 Neighborhood Networks centers. Furthermore, this web site not only allows people to find a center that is closest to them, but it also allows individuals to start their own centers. As a result, the expansion of Neighborhood Networks is rapidly progressing as more members join or become involved and a majority of American citizens are now able to experience the practical implications and benefits of the World Wide Web.

            Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education Center (AWARE) (http://aware.hwg.org/presentations/kbartlett-slac-interlab99.html) is a site that deals with creating a web site for individuals who are digitally illiterate. The reason for facilitating the format of certain web sites is to make it more accessible for people who have difficulty using a computer or who lack the skills to surf the Internet. According to AWARE, the web site should avoid posing any challenges to potential users. For example, the web site should have no barriers to information access, everyone should be welcome to go onto the web site and the web site should be easy to search and use.

            The CTC, HUD and AWARE promote the different forms of accessibility mentioned by the PTC. These are just a few of the various web sites found on the Internet that try to bridge the gap of the digital divide. However, it is important to note that the economic access of a particular area is only a part of the problem. Other factors of access must be considered in order to solve this contemporary issue. Once the other areas of access are realized, only then can more people have the opportunity to discover the wonders of the Internet.