As your constituent, I am reaching out to you at this crucial time in the budget process to highlight a critical matter: the urgent need for state funding and policy support for digital equity and inclusion programming.
Numerous nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and digital inclusion coalitions work diligently to advance digital equity. They provide wraparound digital equity services, including connecting clients to free or low-cost internet solutions, providing tech skills education, and distributing Wi-Fi hotspots to people seeking to advance themselves in employment and education, create better lives for their families, and improve quality of life in the region.
The digital divide--a lack of access to device ownership, basic tech skills, and affordable internet--hinders economic growth, access to social services, educational opportunities, and workforce participation. Millions of New Yorkers are disconnected from basic digital tools and resources that are essential for success in today's digital world:
• Approximately 2 million households (27%) lack high-speed wireline internet subscriptions (New York State Library, 2021)
• 1.6 million households (22%) are without a computer at home (New York State Library, 2021)
• 46% of New York’s working households (3,547,620 households) struggle to afford necessities, including internet services. (The United Way's ALICE--Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed--Report for New York State, 2022)
• 35% of job seekers identified a lack of modern digital skills as a barrier to employment, while employers ranked the quality of the available workforce--which includes digital proficiency--as a top challenge in hiring (NYSDOL 2024 Workforce Survey)
These disparities highlight the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to ensure all residents have access to essential digital resources that build opportunities across all areas of life. I implore you to give this matter the immediate attention it deserves as you work on the budget and consider your legislative agenda.
▶ Created on January 15 by NYS Digital Equity Network
Text SIGN PIPPUI to 50409