NDIA is excited to announce the publication of ‘State of Digital Inclusion in the States’, which serves as a resource for state leaders, policymakers, and advocates to learn about and replicate the activities and policies that propel digital inclusion work forward.
States can take meaningful action to bridge the digital divide for their residents–and many already are. With generous support from AARP, we’ve done the research to understand what state governments are doing to help people live, work, and thrive in the digital world. We’re pleased to share the ‘State of Digital Inclusion in the States’, which provides a comprehensive and ongoing assessment and celebration of digital inclusion work by the states. NDIA’s prior efforts to learn about state digital inclusion initiatives (previously titled the ‘Digital Equity Scorecard’) were heavily focused on digital skills. This new evaluation reflects a broader focus on other components of digital inclusion and reflects a range of activities that state governments can engage in:
- State Capacity & Organization – The state dedicates human or financial resources to digital inclusion
- Community Engagement – The state contributes to the digital inclusion ecosystem and has established a mechanism for ongoing public feedback
- Digital Skills – The state connects residents with digital skills resources for education and training opportunities
- Devices – The state creates and contributes to pathways for device access or low-cost device ownership
- Affordability & Adoption – The state supports affordability through competition and consumer assistance
- Data – The state shares digital inclusion data with the community and uses these data to inform digital inclusion work
The ‘State of Digital Inclusion in the States’ gives a summary of the number of states engaging in the activities above and showcases examples to give an idea of what that work looks like in action. We find this work inspiring (and think you will, too). We encourage you to share this resource with your state leaders, policymakers, and other advocates to inspire ideas and align efforts.