Digital Inclusion Week 2022, held October 3-7, was another record-breaker for the digital inclusion community! Over the course of the week, hundreds of participants turned our digital equity moment into a MOVEMENT. NDIA is so thankful for all the participants – from community-led affiliate organizations, to elected city leaders, and other activists across the country.
This year, 238 organizations, cities, entities, and Tribes took action for Digital Inclusion Week — a 133 percent increase from last year’s record. On the ground, this looked like community-driven sign-up events for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), special digital skills workshops, rich discussions to further the digital equity movement, and official proclamations of Digital Inclusion Week in many cities. Some other stats highlighting the reach of the week:
- 238 participating organizations
- 16 cities took major actions
- 2,690 mentions of “Digital Inclusion Week,” #DIW2022, #DigitalEquityNOW on Twitter
- 513 mentions of “Digital Inclusion Week” in the press
- Press hits totaled a reach of 3.91 million
NDIA Affiliates Share the Impact for Digital Inclusion Week 2022
“With so many volunteers helping sort, and people dropping off their used technology, we greatly increased our supply of components.”
“Rural outreach starts with the community connections that already exist. We were lucky to meet an amazing church leader who brought her energy and enthusiasm and fully embraced the digital inclusion opportunity. We talked to the community about the ACP, ensured the local ISP was on site to provide their information, partnered with the local health clinic to provide health information and offer flu shots and supported the mobile library van. Each partner reported it was a capacity building opportunity and increased the number of people they would normally be able to reach in this little town on a beautiful fall afternoon.”
“We outdid ourself this year! To close the week out, our Tech For All Fest was a major success. City leaders and partners agree – we want to make Tech For All Fest an annual tradition for Austin DIW. Our hearts are so full with an amazing Digital Inclusion Week, thank you!” (Photo from DIW coverage in the Austin American Statesman)
More Noteworthy Actions & Progress
Proclamations of Digital Inclusion Week
- Prince George’s County, MD
- Hawaii – the first state to make a DIW Proclamation
- Birmingham, AL
- Austin, TX
- Dallas, TX
- City of Boston, MA
- Clayton County, GA
- Kansas City, MO
- Columbus, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Albany County, NY
- Denver, CO
Other High Profile Participation
- Angela Thi Bennett, Digital Equity Director, NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)
- FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
- Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver
- Mayor Bruce Harrell, Seattle
- Mayor Robert Garcia, Long Beach
- City of Pittsburgh announced the formation of the Pittsburgh Digital Equity Coalition (PDEC).
- City of San Diego launched a new Digital Navigator program, including a toll-free helpline.
- City of Portland hosted a roundtable, including U.S. Representative Bonamici.
- Mayor Greg Fischer, Louisville
- Digitunity submitted a letter to Senate leadership with 70+ signatures supporting Computers for Veterans and Students Act.
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced new Digital Equity Assessment results.
What’s Next for the Digital Equity Movement?
The digital equity movement will continue to grow and get stronger from here. NDIA just opened up registration for our 2023 Net Inclusion conference in San Antonio. This will be a can’t-miss opportunity for anyone involved in digital inclusion to connect with others in the community, share resources with each other, and continue to build this movement together. Join us on February 28!
Thanks Again to Our Digital Inclusion Week 2022 Sponsor
Special Thanks to Our Digital Inclusion Week 2022 Committee
Oneisha Freeman – Inspiredu in Atlanta, GA – Committee Co-Chair
Aneta Lee – FUSE Corps in Birmingham, AL – Committee Co-Chair
Lily Abha Cratsley-Tech Goes Home, Lauren Cotter-Community Tech Network, Brittany-Rae Gregory-Next Century Cities, Claire Hegstrom-Alliant Credit Union, Abjot “Abby” Kaur-City of Long Beach, Sammy Lowdermilk-Tech Goes Home Chattanooga, Barbara McDonald Loe-VIA3, Patricia Oppito-VIA3, Jess Ross-Austin Free-Net, Ricky Santiago-City of Louisville, Patricia Steward-Chicago Housing Authority, Lupe Valenzuela-Chicanos Por La Causa, Crystal Yamasaki-Crystal Clear Communications