The Venn Diagram illustrates four different user groups to consider when addressing digital equity issues:

 

1. No Access/ No Device/ No Literacy

2. No Literacy/ No Device

3. No Access/ No Literacy

4. No Device/ No Access

 

 

A user that lacks any one of these things is unable to fully participate in the digital world. Each one of these categories, as well as the overlap that can exists between categories, offers a unique challenge to digital equity.

 

It is essential to understand Internet access across different neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. Internet speed, types of devices, number of internet service providers, and free Wi-Fi locations can differ across the city.  In understanding access, the City can better evaluate the steps it needs to take to equalize access across neighborhoods. Baselines of average Internet speeds can be established using nationally available data, and citywide surveys can be used to bolster this data. Pilot neighborhoods can then be identified, where the City can initiate programs to address digital inequity issues caused by access.

 

Regardless of whether internet access occurs at home or not, people need to feel comfortable using devices to access the internet. This requires training programs and continuing education around digital literacy. Currently, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offers programs around digital literacy, but they cannot be expected to support the entire city. Programs should be part of public school education, offered at flexible times and locations to accommodate work schedules, and available as one-on-one instruction. City Senior Centers and Recreation Centers would be great locations to pilot digital literacy programming. There is a continuum of literacy, in terms of the complexity of tasks someone can complete with a device, and therefore training programs need to be robust.

 

It is important that the City of Pittsburgh better understand where residents fall in the Venn diagram, so that the most effective programs can be developed to bridge the digital divide. The recommended technology survey and stakeholder discussions will be key in understanding the distribution of users in the city. Specific recommendations for the types of users the city can expect to find in the complete report file.