Woolwich Community Health Centre has taken steps to help residents who may face barriers accessing technology.
“When we shifted from in person communication in our everyday life, including accessing social services to the virtual platforms, there was a gap in accessing digital services and communicating with others has been difficult for many people, the affordability and availability of internet, for example, in rural townships, it has been difficult to access the internet,” said Gebre Berihun, WCHC’s manager of community programs and services.
“Digital inclusion became a new conversation before the pandemic because programs, community programs, fitness, work, doctor’s appointments, going to social services were all in-person, so that conversation about digital inclusion and exclusion became a conversation specifically in rural areas,” he said.
The health centre has a mobile lending library with a total of 25 cell phones and three tablets. Funded by Ontario Health, Alliance for Healthy Communities and Woolwich Township, the pilot project will run for a year.
According to Berihun, there are many groups of people that face barriers to technology, including isolated seniors and large families.
“If you have a large family of five or six children [who] have had to do their schooling, you need devices for all of them, including tablets, computers. The pandemic has brought many challenges to the community as individuals and families,” he said.
Even for those who have cell phones accessing data might be out of reach, Berihun said.
“People with low income can’t afford data. You may have a phone, but sometimes it is hard to afford the data. Digital device cost is high, especially in Canada. Some people may have the phone, but without the data. You might just call and talk to people, but it may be difficult to have virtual access nowadays to zoom and other platforms using mobile phones,” he added.
The phones come with 1.5 GB of prepaid data. They also include texting to anywhere in Canada and the United States. The phones will also help those who have difficulty accessing services that the health centre provides.
“We have lots of programming that we offered over the last two years, but we have left out some of the people who don’t have access to these digital devices. So we are lending those mobile phones and tablets to people. We are also offering training for people how to use their devices and how to join Zoom, etc.,” he said.
“This lending library hopefully will really increase the participation of those people who have been participating virtually in social programs.”
Ontario Health and Alliance for Healthy Communities provided the devices, while Woolwich Township provided $11,000 in funding. Residents can borrow a device for up to three months, with the possibility of renewal.
