Welcome
The Digital Inclusion Start-Up Manual is intended to provide guidance to organizations looking to increase access and use of technology in disadvantaged communities through digital literacy training, affordable home broadband, affordable devices and tech support. These efforts might take place within a community-based organization, a library, a housing authority, a local government or other community locations.
We focus the detailed guidance on creation of a community digital inclusion program which is a local nonprofit, public or private initiative aimed at making at least one of the “five elements”—affordable broadband, internet-enabled devices, digital literacy training, technical support or empowering applications or content—more accessible to community members, especially the “most disadvantaged.”
Public and nonprofit leaders have created practical, hands-on digital inclusion programs in communities throughout the U.S., such as digital skills training centers, public computer labs, nonprofit computer refurbishing, community wireless broadband and others. Some of these programs have served their neighbors since the 1990s. Others have just started up recently.
Learning from NDIA’s affiliates, this guidebook shares strategies and recommendations from digital inclusion programs around the United States.
The Startup Manual Version Two was made in collaboration with Chicago Connected, a partnership program between the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and community organizations.
A previous version of this manual was made with support from Google Fiber.
Authors
National Digital Inclusion Alliance
Angela Siefer, Bill Callahan, and Paolo Balboa
Explore the Guidebook
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is a “community digital inclusion program”?
Chapter 2: Choosing your focus—How community digital inclusion programs approach the five elements
Chapter 3: Getting started: Three important questions
Chapter 4: Digital Literacy Training
Chapter 5: Affordable internet access
Chapter 6: Affordable devices
Chapter 7: Tech Support
Chapter 8: Building long-term support for your digital inclusion program
Appendices
Acknowledgements
Thank you the NDIA Digital Inclusion Start-Up Manual Working Group for their guidance:
- Ed Blayney, Louisville Metro
- Jacob Brace, Google Fiber
- Juanita Budd, Austin FreeNet
- Clement Buchanan, King County
- Bruce Clark, Digital Charlotte
- Shauna Edson, Salt Lake City Public Library
- Parisa Fatehi-Weeks, Google Fiber
- Sammy Lowdermilk, Tech Goes Home Chattanooga
- Leana Mayzlina, NTEN
- Barry Glicklich, Partners Bridging the Digital Divide
- Cristina Graham, Mobile Beacon
- Munirih Jester, San Antonio Housing Authority
- Ricky Santiago, Louisville Metro
- Dan Noyes, Tech Goes Home
- Vicky Yuki, City of Seattle
- Heidi Ziemer, Western New York Library Resources Council