Digital Accessibility

Mar 23, 20224 min read

As a student who has experienced half of their college education through remote learning, one of the largest issues presented during the pandemic is digital accessibility. While this is not a new problem, the pandemic surfaced an already widening gap in the digital divide as a result of an extreme dependence on technology for education, work, and communication purposes.

MIT Technology Review. (2016). The Unacceptable Persistence of the Digital Divide. Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://www.technologyreview.com/2016/12/16/155240/the-unacceptable-persistence-of-the-digital-divide/.

What is Digital Accessibility and The Digital Divide?

Digital accessibility is the practice of ensuring that technology is accessible to all users. This process includes the thoughtful designing and removing of barriers to make technology tools interactive for all individuals. More specifically, "these “digital resources” include websites, emails, documents, video, web and mobile apps, instructional technologies, software, computers, kiosks, telephones and more" (Runde, 2021). The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to communication technologies, internet service, or digital literacy and those who do not. This divide is constantly shifting as modern technology is developed and other forces such as the COVID-19 pandemic affect the digital age. Both a lack of digital accessibility and a growing digital divide can negatively impact individual's mental health, educational development, and career opportunities.

PwC. (n.d.). Stepping forward Connecting today’s youth to the digital future. Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/upskilling/digital-divide.html.

Four Factors of the Digital Divide

Connectivity: The first aspect refers to access to reliable internet and physical devices.
Access: This factor refers to access to a safe environment where an individual's dietary and mental needs are met. In such an environment, one can be properly supported when using technological tools.
Digital Literacy: The third stepping-stone refers to having an adequate education about how to use technological tools. More specifically,"this information should include native language educational resources, awareness of online dangers and basic literacy skills" (PwC, n.d).
Work-Ready Skills: The final factor of the digital divide refers to individual's opportunities to acquire technological skills that are necessary for future employment or education.

My Experience

Just over two years ago, Rutgers University, along with nearly every university, sent their students home to complete remote instruction due to the COVID-19 virus. While this transition was difficult for many students, it was especially difficult for those who relied on their university for digital access. I was a part of this particularly challenged group of students, as I do not have access to WIFI at my home. I have lived at Rutgers for the entirety of my college experience, which has provided me with constant access to the internet to complete assignments using my computer.

My lack of internet at home was not a result of financial struggles, but rather a lack of access to quality internet providers. Not having access to internet at home would normally not have been an issue; however, most public places that offer free internet, such as the library, were also shut down during these times. While I do have an unlimited phone data plan, the same unlimited access does not apply for personal phone hotspots. This made my learning experience during virtual instruction very difficult and that spring semester of 2020, I performed the most poorly I ever had in all of my academic career. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that a personal phone hot spot is not a reliable source of connection for taking exams, nor participating in Zoom meetings. As someone who has always loved school, I never thought I would be in a position where I had to decide which course work was the largest priority to use my personal hotspot for.

Once universities began to offer in-person instruction agian, I was able to move back to my off-campus housing, and I had the most successful semester of my academic career. While digital access cannot be entirely blamed for my struggles during a global pandemic, it was a main contributing factor, one which affects countless students across the world and needs to be resolved. This semester, I participated in a research study that focused on the impact of the pandemic on digital access, which inspired me to research the topic myself with the hopes of spreading awareness and educating others.

Runde, C. (2021). Digital Accessibility: A Pandemic Look Back—And Forward. UW–⁠Madison Information Technology. Retrieved from https://it.wisc.edu/news/digital-accessibility-a-pandemic-look-back-and-forward/.

The pandemic didn't create the digital divide, but it has certainly exacerbated it." -WIRED Staff (2020)

A Global Problem

Unfortunately my experience with virtual learning during the pandemic is one of millions around the world. An article from PwC Network, states that, "according to UNICEF, one-third of the students around the world—some 463 million—were unable to access remote learning when the COVID-19 pandemic hit" (PwC, n.d). This lack of access meant that millions of students would potentially fall even farther behind in their education journeys. While schools, teachers, and families were making efforts to "provide students with internet access and a stable environment to learn in, a lack of federal resources has made it difficult to guarantee these things" (WIRED Staff, 2020). These challenges brought on by the pandemic, forced everyone to face the digital divide as a global issue of the utmost priority. It was clear that investments needed to be made by larger forces in communication technologies, broadband internet services, and digital literacy training. With these innovations and collaborations, there can be more inclusivity and connectedness for all individuals across the globe. It is crucial that there are meaningful permanent changes made to close this gap of inequality, so that one day soon, we can ensure that all individuals have access to the technology necessary for education and work purposes.