With ubiquitous free and affordable Internet Access as its foundation, the City and County of San Francisco is developing a citywide Digital Inclusion initiative in order to bridge San Francisco's digital divide amongst San Francisco's socio-economically diverse communities. The Digital Inclusion Strategy documents lay out a comprehensive framework that will guide the development of Digital Inclusion programs in order to reach the following objectives:
- Support all San Franciscans in acquiring the technology and skills needed to use the Internet to access jobs, education, healthcare, government services and other information services.
- Create a more vibrant San Francisco by leveraging the Internet to enhance communication, empower new voices, enhance civic engagement and increase the connectedness in physical and cultural communities.
- Further enhance San Franciscos role in the local, regional and global economy by expanding opportunities for innovation and participation.
- Encourage collaboration throughout San Francisco by partnering with existing organizations serving the community, strengthening technology adoption and digital empowerment.
Serving all San Franciscans
San Francisco's Digital Inclusion initiative will focus on the City's most underserved neighborhoods as well as disadvantaged residents and families: low-income, limited English speaking and disabled populations.
On a national level, while 68% of Americans have access to the Internet, access and use in some segments of the population is much lower:
- 57% of African Americans are online;
- 38% of Americans with disabilities are connected;
- 37% of Hispanics have access;
- 29% of people who have not graduated from high school are connected;
- 26% of people who are over age 60 are online.
Applying these statistics to our community of 777,000 residents and 330,000 households, suggests that at least as many as 200,000 residents lack home internet access. Local studies also suggest that while San Francisco generally reflects this national divides, the City's digital divisions are more significant for certain demographics.
- Seniors are even less likely to be online than in other cities.
- Women in San Francisco are less likely to access the Internet than men, a divide not seen in other major cities.
- San Francisco's non-white population is substantially less likely to have home computers and internet access than the City's white population.
Digital Inclusion Strategy
The San Francisco Digital Inclusion Strategy (Word) focuses on six major programmatic areas which together promote Digital Inclusion and more broadly empower people to effectively use computers with Internet access. Programs will be implemented in collaboration with partners across the community.
- Free and Affordable Wireless Internet Access throughout all of San Francisco will be offered through our partners, Google and EarthLink. In addition to a range of low cost, high bandwidth offers, the San Francisco program will offer a free basic service, designed for reading email and surfing the Internet.
- Computer Ownership and Basic Training Programs will expand PC ownership for all residents and to provide the basic skills training that will help new users effectively leverage these tools.
- Digital Safety and Responsibility Resources will be integrated into all programs to encourage people to use the Internet responsibly while protecting their digital privacy and security. Parents and other caregivers will be provided training and resources so that they can actively guide their childrens on line activities and protect their childrens digital safety.
- Accessible Solutions will be sought and shared to enable people with disabilities, seniors and those who need some form of accommodation to more easily use a computer and access the Internet.
- Enhanced Digital Literacy Programs that go beyond the basics to develop and support programs that enrich users experiences and enable people to move from novice to expert users, and for some to become digital innovators or professionals.
- Relevant, Multi-language Internet Content and Online Services such as the promotion of multi-lingual web portals, promotion of community based web sites, content development training programs, and new collaborations across San Franciscos communities.
See Digital Inclusion Documents, to review the Digital Inclusion Strategy (Word) and Executive Summary (Word) and supporting documents. For more information about the Digital Inclusion Task Force and their upcoming meetings, go to TechConnect Task Force.
