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convergence: ontario
DIGITALLY DIVIDED:
ACCESS INEQUALITIES ARE PANDEMIC By Matthias Sturm //
PhD Candidate in Education, Simon Fraser University
a n d C h r i s t i n e P i n s e n t - Jo h n s o n / / O r g a n i z a t i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t Consultant, AlphaPlus The COVID-19 pandemic and limited face-to-face interactions with community organizations, education providers, govern ment services and consumer services have raised concerns that marginalized citizens may not be able to mitigate the effects of the digital divide on their lives. More and more of our interactions with government and community services, our workplace, financial institutions and other businesses are taking place online. But differences in income, age, education, immigration and migration status, as well as urban or rural location, lead to disparities in our Internet access.1
devices, rather than home computers, as the primary means by which they access the Internet.3 Complex activities, such as filling out an online form, using a learning management platform or conducting online research, are challenging. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ontario Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) centres have estimated that 55% of learners likely had no Internet access at home, while 27% had limited connectivity, using cell phones and limited services.4
LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS AMONG LEARNERS
In Ontario, a 2018 TrendSpire survey had already identified issues related to online connectivity, activities and advantages. The experiences of low-income adults can also be seen in some of the centres they turn to for support. Prior to the pandemic, 39% of centres were experiencing connectivity issues. More than half (52%) of the approximately 280 respondents reported that they needed additional training and support to integrate educational technology. An even greater number (62%) ex pressed a need for training to integrate mobile technology, the devices that many learners rely on. They also reported not be ing able to make good decisions about new devices and soft ware because they had not had the opportunity to use them.
National statistics do not reflect the unknown number of Canadians accessing the Internet using pay-per-use and limited data plans or public WiFi. A regional survey found that 23% of adults in Kitchener used public WiFi. 2 When public WiFi is the primary means of connecting to the Internet or when it is used to supplement limited access, people have to spend a great deal of time, effort and planning to get online. They are also more vulnerable to security and privacy violations. They are taking risks by exposing their personal information and trans actions online. Low-income individuals rely more on mobile
LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS AMONG EDUCATORS
Michael Haight, Anabel Quan-Haase and Bradley Corbett. “Revisiting the Digital Divide in Canada: The Impact of Demographic Factors on Access to the Internet, Level of Online Activity, and Social Networking Site Usage,” Information, Communication & Society, Volume 17, Number 4 (2014), pages 503–519. 2 Jackie Sharkey, “Wi-Fi hotspot loans from Kitchener, Ont. library a Canadian first,” CBC News, October 8, 2015, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-library-lends-portable-wifi-1.3258791. 3 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, “Communications Monitoring Report 2018,” last modified July 29, 2019, https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/policymonitoring/2018/cmr1.htm. 4 Christine Pinsent-Johnson, “Results from our remote delivery survey now available,” AlphaPlus, October 7, 2020, https://alphaplus.ca/download/shift-remote-delivery-report/. 1