[Advisors] Ryerson digital access session

[Marita Moll]

Hi Brian. Nice to hear from you and thanks for these thoughts. It was a 
link offered during the workshop and the article is fairly short. I 
don't know the authors although they seemed to be known to others in 
that session. I could have done more research, I guess, but I just 
thought it was a slightly different take on the usual conversation 
around access. You are completely right about the perspectives which are 
not there. We have so much work to do to make sure our thinking around 
these issues remains inclusive and properly considers the needs of all.

Thanks again for chiming in.

Marita

On 6/2/2021 8:17 PM, Brian Beaton wrote:
> Marita .. Thanks for all you do and share with us. I do appreciate 
> being a part of this discussion at this point in my life. The 2020 
> article shared, "The ‘digital divide’ is about equity, not 
> infrastructure", left me feeling uncomfortable for a number of 
> reasons. I will also add that I do agree that the issue of equity is 
> critical in any discussion about the "digital divide" but equity comes 
> in many forms missing in this article .. in particular access to the 
> necessary connections to even participate in any effective manner in 
> the other equity issues discussed.
>
> 1. I wondered about the authors and their experience in working and 
> serving remote and rural communities across Canada to take the 
> position they are taking in this article.
> 2. The article seems well positioned for those located in well-served 
> environments and looks to address the very important "effective use" 
> requirements for everyone to be able to access online services and 
> applications.
> 3. Knowing that any community in Canada remains disconnected or 
> underserved from the necessary infrastructure required to effectively 
> access online services, applications and opportunities makes the title 
> and the discussion privileged, colonial with some very systemic issues.
> 4. Stating that "Rights protects Canadians from discrimination" and 
> recognizing various marginalized groups in one sentence without 
> addressing systemic and environmental racism within a very 
> corporate-captured government and the telecom industry across Canada 
> is another issue I have with the article.
> 5. Lobbying for programs from positions of privilege to support 
> equitable access to services is great but I believe it requires a 
> level of sensitivity that avoids pitting one marginalized group (those 
> without infrastructure) against others. We all have been involved in 
> similar types of struggle for far too long to ignore this one.
>
> Anyway, I share these thoughts in the hope that the issues raised in 
> the article can be prioritized in such a way that when the last 
> community and every household in that community is able to decide if 
> they want or refuse to connect to fibre-to-the-home, then the programs 
> and support services advocated for in this article.
>
> I hope this reaction avoids offending anyone .. With all good thoughts ..
>
> Brian
>
> On Wed, Jun 2, 2021 at 2:28 PM Marita Moll <mmoll at ca.inter.net 
> <mailto:mmoll at ca.inter.net>> wrote:
>
>     Hello advisors. Just got off the Ryerson Leadership workshop on
>     digital access. It is thoroughly interesting to see the amount of
>     activity this topic is suddenly generating -- after being dormant
>     for so long. A bit of déjà vu alright -- what is being discussed
>     looks a lot like the CAP program.  It was lively discussion with
>     lots of input from libraries (Vancouver, Toronto), the Toronto
>     Digital Access Project and and a former colleague from the days of
>     the CRACIN SSHRC project (2001-2005) Michael Lenzner who started
>     the Montreal open wi-fi project called Il sans Fil.
>
>     Here is an interesting article about the "digital divide" you
>     might enjoy. I will send around a link to the session recording
>     once it comes through.
>
>     The ‘digital divide’ is about equity, not infrastructure - First
>     Policy Response
>     <https://policyresponse.ca/the-digital-divide-is-about-equity-not-infrastructure/>
>
>     Marita
>
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>
> -- 
>
> Brian Beaton
> Box 104, Fredericton, NB, E3B 4Y2
> C:  506-261-1344
> E: brianbeaton.nb at gmail.com <mailto:brianbeaton.nb at gmail.com>
>
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