Hello, my name is Colin Standish, and my pronouns are he/him. I am from the WSU Vancouver campus and I’m majoring in DTC with a superpower in Animation. My favorite things to do are to be creative and enjoy the sunshine with friends. I’m going camping at Bend Oregon so if there are any cool hikes or waterfalls up there you would recommend, please do tell. I have a dog named Amadeus who is trained to be a service dog for my fiancé and a bearded dragon named basco. I’m getting married soon and I am very excited about that. The wedding will be at the coast, one of my favorite places to relax at. If the shows “Invincible” (great show by the way) or “the boys” have shown me anything, having superheroes in real life would be terrifying. Most superheroes are gods and if they lose their temper the whole world could end which wouldn’t be great. I was confused about the due date for this post, but I am now realizing it was due last Thursday.
Inclusion means inviting different people no matter their differences in an environment where we can all work together. In this current day in age there is more diversity than ever before which is why it is so important to be inclusive. Inclusivity can be hard for some people because change can be uncomfortable. The best thing we can do is to keep in mind other people's feelings and thoughts and to keep an open-minded head. It is always possible for a person's views to change because of a simple open-minded conversation. Because we have entered into this digital world it has created jobs and there are more opportunities for people to express themselves. For example, people with down syndrome can enter into fields such as modeling and art critiques whereas before people with down syndrome were shunned by society for their disability. In most online environments many people’s real identities are hidden which serves as a benefit and challenge for digital inclusion. This helps because it allows for a judge free zone because of people not knowing anyone's real life identity but at the same time it is easier to be rude to someone when you're hiding behind a screen than in real life situations.
The Digital divide in terms of technology is slowly shrinking due to an increase of technological advances as well as increased accessibility for technology world-wide. Many places such as India were slow to gain access to the internet, but now more than half the population of India have internet. Due to India’s large population and cultural influence, content from India is now booming. T-series, an Indian music channel has nearly 250 million subscribers and is now the largest channel on YouTube by a mile. Deaf and blind people are receiving more help through increases in technology and accessibility. These are amazing ways access to technology is growing, however there are still major things that threaten the access and freedom of the internet to many. Repealing Net neutrality is a major problem which gave telecommunication companies the power to restrict access to and slow down sites.
Access to technology is more important than ever which is why making a small difference can be huge. An example of people bridging the gap is Black Girls Code: an organization aimed to introduce black and brown girls ages 7-17 to code and computer programming. Through inclusivity Black Girls Code has jump started the careers of many young and talented black women. Another example of digital inclusion is Global accessibility awareness day. This day is aimed to get people talking about digital inclusion and internet accessibility for everyone.
How would I bridge the gap of the digital divide? One thing I can do is to hold classes for all kinds of diverse people on Photoshop and Illustrator so I can share my knowledge of digital art. I think this would be very fun. I could possibly be able to build up future digital artists which couldn't be cooler. I also think it would be cool to create a foundation for low-income families that can’t afford adobe programs. Adobe programs are expensive and it’s difficult to grow as a digital artist without them. This could bridge the digital gap and create more opportunities for kids for their future careers. Being in an ASL class this semester I have this new love for wanting to help deaf and hard of hearing individuals feel included. There are many devices that help them adapt in a world full of hearing people, however they are all very expensive and are hard to access. Most deaf alerting devices and implants are only found at special retailers which create a huge problem for the deaf community. I could create a day for deaf awareness that reminds companies and others to have more options and accessible tools for deaf people. On this day people can donate to help raise money to fund digital devices for the Deaf community. I hope that one day I can create these organizations so that I can contribute to bridging the gap to the digital divide. Creating a world full of digital inclusion and accessibility to everyone is a must and I’m excited to make a difference.
References:
https://wearebgc.org/
https://accessibility.day/
What I've learned about digital diversity and inclusion is that it is constantly changing. Every year a new problem arises and new solutions to past problems are aided through groups actively trying to make a difference within the digital space. The digital space changing makes sense because technology is ever evolving. We are frequently developing new ways to connect with one another, and all technology is becoming more accessible on a global scale. As this tech becomes more accessible, big companies such as internet providers, social media sites, and several telecommunications companies want to limit this access for financial or political gain. These companies have the tools and resources thanks to lawmakers that are highly uneducated with current technology. Voting on repealing net neutrality was a huge topic we discussed in class. Net Neutrality was put in place to protect the internet from being an open and free place. Voting to get rid of Net neutrality put all of the power into telecommunications companies to slow down any website they want. The problem isn’t only our current law makers but how reliant we are on these companies to give us access to sites. In order to have a digital space we need to rely on these companies which gives them more power to create tools which limit diversity and inclusion. This creates a situation where it seems like there's no escape from avoiding a world with companies ruling over the internet with no repercussions.
This doesn't have to be the end to the war of preserving digital inclusion. There are still many organizations and solutions working towards this goal that we have discussed in class. One of these being the prevalence of Global accessibility awareness day: a day where we can create awareness for the individuals that don’t get as much of an opportunity due to their location or financial struggle. There are also multiple coding organizations for increased diversity in the field of coding these being Black Girls Code and Digicode. Net neutrality has also been aided through the Digital Equity Act of 2019 which limits the control telecommunication companies have on the World Wide Web. The Internet is a large grouping of people’s shared thoughts and feelings on one digital platform and it’s truly amazing to see everyone come together and fight for what's right. We have seen in the past that giant movements can be organized through a digital space such as the BLM movement in 2020. BLM was huge and it brought to light the discrimination of the police against black people. Without the internet this movement wouldn’t have made nearly as a worldly difference as it did thanks to the internet’s accessibility. Digital inclusion is important and should always be taken seriously.
References:
https://www.digitalinclusion.org/blog/2019/04/11/senator-murray-introduces-digital-equity-act-of-2019/
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/net-neutrality
https://accessibility.day/
https://wearebgc.org/
The digital world has brought many opportunities for economic growth, social development, and access to information. However, a significant digital divide persists in many regions across the globe, particularly in Africa. This digital divide limits ideas and opportunities for thousands of African people in the digital space. It's important that we bridge this gap so that we can all share the knowledge of the digital world and its ability to bring people together. I will be going into detail of the challenges contributing to the digital divide in Africa and will explore solutions to bridge this gap to create more inclusive connectivity.
References:
Armstrong, Martin, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: Internet in Africa: Progress and Potential.” Statista Infographics, 4 Feb. 2022, www.statista.com/chart/26781/internet-penetration-africa-progress/.
“Collaborate - Innovate - Transform - Monetize.” Connecting Africa, www.connectingafrica.com/author.asp. Accessed 15 June 2023.
“Connect2recover Initiative.” ITU, www.itu.int/itu-d/sites/connect2recover/. Accessed 15 June 2023.
“Going Digital Is No Longer an Option: Addressing Barriers to Digital Inclusion in Africa.” World Bank Blogs, blogs.worldbank.org/youth-transforming-africa/going-digital-no-longer-option-addressing-barriers-digital-inclusion. Accessed 15 June 2023.
To Close Africa’s Digital Divide, Policy Must Address the Usage Gap, carnegieendowment.org/2022/04/26/to-close-africa-s-digital-divide-policy-must-address-usage-gap-pub-86959. Accessed 15 June 2023.