Digital Equity Podcast: Exploring This Modern Civil Right

Did you know that an estimated 1 in 4 Americans - or 62 million – do not have access to the internet in their homes?  12 million of these individuals live in rural areas, and the other 50 million in cities.  How does this fact impact your adult learners?

Join us on November 5th, for a panel of experts and community members to discuss the Upskill with Edtech podcast episode, “Digital Equity: Exploring this Modern Civil Right”, found in the LINCS Resource Collection. The discussion will highlight the importance of digital access, connect practitioners working on reducing barriers to access, and discuss national supports to increase digital access in underserved communities.  

PLEASE listen to the 25 minute podcast in advance of our discussion and come prepared to learn from our panelists, ask questions, and share experiences from your work supporting digital access in your communities.

Panelists will include:

  • Norma Fernandez. As the Chief Programs Officer of EveryoneOn, a national nonprofit that creates social and economic opportunity by connecting everyone to the internet (https://www.everyoneon.org/), Norma sets the vision for and manages the organization's national and regional initiatives focused on creating digital equity through broadband adoption activities and digital and tech literacy trainings, focused on engaging and impacting low-income underrepresented communities.
  • Frank Martin. Frank leads World Possible's U.S. Justice Chapter, which supports installations of RACHEL for U.S. Justice at youth correctional facilities and adult prisons. Frank was an early advocate for bringing Open Educational Resources and Creative Commons-licensed technologies to correctional facilities during his work with the Oregon Youth Authority. RACHEL for U.S. Justice has a wealth of courses and research materials, mostly aimed at high school, college and vocational students. In addition, RACHEL  for U.S. Justice features FairShake Reentry Resources with information and support for incarcerated individuals, plus a curated version of Wikipedia that meets the requirements of U.S. prisons.
  • David J. Rosen. David is the moderator of the LINCS Integrating Technology Group. For over three decades, as Director of the Adult Literacy Resource Institute sponsored by the University of Massachusetts Boston and President of Newsome Associates, he has been an advocate and provider of training for adult digital literacy.