Building for Digital Equity Podcast Institute for Local Self-Reliance

In this episode of the Building for Digital Equity Podcast, Chris interviews Paul Goodman from the Center for Accessible Technology (C4AT) about his work advocating for broadband accessibility and affordability. They discuss the importance of community input, California's exciting broadband initiatives, and the challenges of making technology accessible for people with disabilities.

In this episode of the B4DE Podcast, Chris talks with Abraham Camez, a digital navigator at Hoopa Valley's Acorn Wireless ISP, about the impact of the Affordable Connectivity Program's end. With 40% of Acorn Wireless's customers facing potential disconnection, including 80 individuals helped by Abe, they explore the challenges and hopeful stories amid the uncertainty, highlighting the importance of ongoing efforts to address digital equity.

This episode of the Building for Digital Equity Podcast features Dr. Shaun Glaze, Research Director, and Chris Webb, Digital Equity Lead, from the Black Brilliance Research Project in Seattle, Washington. They discuss the project's roots in response to George Floyd's tragedy in 2020 and their unique research approach, emphasizing the transformative power of connectivity in uplifting marginalized communities.

Our Building for Digital Equity podcast series is back with an insightful conversation with Pierrette Renée Dagg, Director of Research for the MERIT Network in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Pierrette discusses the importance of using research to inform community engagement and digital equity strategies, as well as the use of community-facing research methods like surveys and qualitative/quantitative analysis. She also highlights the importance of considering broader systemic issues that should be taken into account when forming digital equity strategies.

Ebony Cooksie is the Market Development Manager and Government Affairs Coordinator for NextLink Internet and we talked at Net Inclusion about how she transitioned from working in education to digital equity. With so many people new to this field, transitioning often from health and medical fields, we thought it would be helpful to talk about the transition. 

Dave Sevick, Executive Director at Computer Reach in Pittsburgh, has taken his experience helping people with devices and supercharged it for digital equity work. Computer Reach refurbishes computers and sends digital navigators into the home in both urban and rural areas, which is an interesting challenge that many have not attempted. We talk about how they are funded and why they often use Linux-powered devices, among many other topics.