MAY IS OLDER AMERICAN MONTH!
This month, we are raising awareness about older adults’ lack of internet access and how it negatively impacts their health outcomes.
About 42% of senior adults lack broadband access, and these rates are even higher in communities of color.
Without adequate access to technology, older adults are unable to connect virtually with family and friends – which can greatly affect one’s mental health – and are also unable to find important health information online, schedule telehealth appointments, receive contact tracing notifications about COVID-19, or even sign up for food deliveries.
To learn more about how seniors’ lack of internet access is a public health crisis, check out the recent CTN blog.
You can also donate here as part of our May campaign to get older adults connected.
COMMUNITY TECH NETWORK SPOTLIGHT
LEARNER SPOTLIGHT: WILMA
Wilma learned technology basics through Community Tech Network, but she was unable to put them into practice, as she could not afford to pay for internet coverage at home. However, with the help of CTN’s Jannette Estrada, Wilma signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program and received discounted services. Read Wilma’s story here.
LEARNER SPOTLIGHT: DAMARIS
Damaris moved to the United States from Mexico with little knowledge of technology, and she found herself feeling overwhelmed at the start of the pandemic as her young children transitioned into online classwork. Unsure of how to perform simple tasks such as helping her children log-in to Zoom or emailing their teachers, Damaris turned to CTN for help, through which she received free digital literacy training in her native Spanish language. Read more about Damaris here.
DIGITALLIFT
Want to learn more about CTN’s new pilot program, DigitalLIFT? Check out our recent blog providing more information about the program, which will provide 10 qualified partner agencies in Caldwell County, Texas, with the knowledge, training and support needed to integrate digital literacy programming into their daily service delivery.
IN THE NEWS
The Federal Communications Commissioner, Geoffrey Starks, visited CTN and Hamilton Families this month. Passionate about digital equity, he wanted to learn more about CTN’s work and discuss how to get more people signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program. Learn more about the Commissioner’s visit in our blog post.
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