How Can We Ensure Digital Equity in a Hybrid World?

Main street, non-profits and marginalized communities face challenges to improve their digital lives. Here is how the Seattle Public Library is working with the community to promote digital equity.

Did you know that more than 60 million people in America are living in digital darkness? During the past decade, we have seen technological advancements fuel digital adoption. Access to smart phones, computers and internet are essential for earning livelihoods, being part of community and upholding citizenship.

The Digital Divide is Real

Even a developed nation like the United States still faces huge divides between the "haves" and "have-nots". According to Deloitte, the US alone loses more than $130 million a day in economic activity because so many are being left behind in the digital revolution.

Businesses and non-profits grappled to cross the chasm between "high-tech" and "hi-touch" during the pandemic and lockdowns. Small and medium business and non-profits struggled to survive amidst dwindling foot falls. The digital divide is pronounced among business run by people of color, refugees, and low-income populations. These woes are exacerbated by high inflation, economic volatility, and talent shortages. Now they face turbulent recovery ahead. Several of them on the bleeding edge face basic technological challenges. How will they provide access to their workforce with computers and laptop to ensure business continuity? How can they leverage hotspots provided by the community? How do they promote digital literacy for their workforce?

In comparison, Big Tech companies overcame the challenges quickly and continued to show exponential growth to gain market might. They poured in millions of dollars to advance Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hyper-scale computing. How would it improve the lives of people who do not yet have access to the basics in this digital age? The gap between those who have digital capabilities, skills, and tools and those who don't, has never been greater.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Voices from Seattle

How can the community get together to solve digital equity issues that small businesses and non-profits are reeling under?

In these turbulent times, The Seattle Public Library (SPL) has acted as a connecting node for the small business community in the Seattle area. Jay Lyman has been instrumental in growing The Seattle Public Library's Library to Business program. The program acts as a binding force for the public, community change makers, small business, and non-profit founders. “We started the program as an in-person opportunity. The pandemic meant we had to pivot to the virtual version, which was different and evolved the program,” said Jay Lyman.  

Walter Terry, President & Founder of Nat Turner Revolution (NTR) has benefitted from this connection "The Seattle Public Library’s entrepreneurs' program is the only reason (NTR) exists. The professional expertise provided is critical for a small business to get started on the right foot."

Another non-profit founder, Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, Executive Director, Refugee Artisan Initiative, adds "Often I don't even know where and how to start my search. Especially with new ideas and demographics. Jay Lyman has always stepped up and gone beyond to make sure my questions are answered and shows me the tools to do so.”

During the pandemic SPL’s Library to Business team with the help of its partners, launched the Virtual Business Resource Open House (BROH), to help business owners navigate digital challenges and make connections they need to succeed in their efforts. The BROH initiative is a free series of online events co-created by Beacon Business Alliance and SPL’s Library to Business. It is further supported by a mix of neighborhood community-based organizations through the Essential Southeast Seattle (ESES) Collective, with partial funding from the Office of Economic Development and others. 

Angela Castañeda, the Director of the Beacon Business Alliance and one of the key people involved in taking the BROH virtual. She says, "Currently we are launching a Digital Navigators ‘Train the Trainers’ Program to strengthen the coordinated outreach we do with other community-based organizations and resource partners that share mission to increase access to digital training and peer networking — the process to include and amplify diverse voices is very important part in attaining digital equity.”

Sabrina Roach is a Digital Equity Consultant. She brings more than two decades of organizing for media and technology that serves all of us. While at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, she facilitated development of the Digital Navigator model. She has been working on the Washington State Digital Equity Act for three years. How can change makers help amplify these efforts? Sabrina suggests, "Participatory research and human centered design combined with successful programming can play a dynamic role in scaling up the efforts to enhance digital equity."

The Long Road towards Digital Equity

The collective experience of the pandemic has shown us that those digitally connected have been able to access education, healthcare, and community services. There are so many people who do not have this access or knowledge: they have been left behind in the digital dark ages.

The community now needs to come together to create impact in their lives that helps them to get connected and stay connected.

ABOUT US: IMPACTIKA CONSULTING

We at Impactika Consulting help do-gooders do better through purpose-propelled® consulting. We are a digital marketing, strategy, and social impact consulting firm. We help for-purpose organizations take on the world’s toughest challenges in digital rights, social and economic justice, education, and more.

As an advocate for both business and doing good, Impactika is a women-led team committed to helping organizations around the world find impactful and meaningful ways to market their purposes and connect with others.

We don’t do memes. We will never buy followers. We will not create spam. We believe in creating and spreading the word about purpose-propelled people and businesses.