May 30

Older Americans Month, the ACP ending & more

May is Older Americans Month

Adults over the age of 65 made up 20% of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) recipients. In fact, over 10 million older adults from low-income households were enrolled in the ACP, thereby receiving a discount of $30 or more on their home internet bill.

All of this changed on April 30, 2024, as the ACP ran out of federal funding.

Now, this May, millions of Americans are scrambling to figure out what to do next. They’re calling their internet service providers (ISPs) to learn about other low-cost options (which not all ISPs offer), and are faced with a hard decision: what costs can they cut in order to continue paying for their internet? Food? Rent?

If you want to support older Americans during this difficult time, here are some steps you can take:

 In case you missed it…

Online Courses Available

We recently announced Community Tech Network’s online course offerings to help digital equity practitioners get their communities online! We offer courses for technology instructors, managers, and specialists. All courses are self-paced and provide a certificate upon completion.  Browse our course catalog to learn more!

Further Reading

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! According to one of CTN’s Vietnamese digital literacy instructors, “Because of the model minority myth, people think that the entire AAPI community is tech-literate and living in Silicon Valley…[But] some of my learners are very marginalized. We have to showcase diversity in the community — we’re not all like in the movie Crazy Rich Asians. There is really a need and a demand for services [like CTN provides].” Learn more about the digital divide in the AAPI community.

AAPI

Barriers

Older Adults’ Barriers to Sustaining Digital Skills: CTN’s Hyewon Park, Ph.D., recently conducted in-depth research and found that physical challenges, technical troubles, rapidly changing systems, and lack of ongoing support can also prevent older adults from maintaining their newfound digital skills after receiving initial training. Read the full report to learn how this research can impact your program development and funding.

Upcoming Events

  • NTIA’s DELN Monthly Meeting: On May 23, in honor of Older Americans Month, CTN’s Sabrina Tam spoke at the Digital Equity Leaders Network (DELN) meeting in a session entitled “Adult Literacy and Digital Skills for an Aging Population.” She discussed adult digital skills education and lifelong learning in relation to digital equity and the country’s aging workforce.
  • Lunch & Learn Webinar: Mental Health Matters: Join the next installment of our webinar series TODAY, May 30, at 11:00 a.m. PT. For individuals on the wrong side of the digital divide, the inability to access digital resources can perpetuate feelings of exclusion, inadequacy, and frustration, potentially impacting their mental well-being. Digital navigators must therefore provide not only technical, but also empathetic, support as they work to understand folks’ challenges. Thus, integrating mental health awareness into digital skills education is not just a matter of technical proficiency but a vital component of fostering inclusive, supportive communities in the digital age. Register today.