October 1, 2000

abd_gci.pdf

Getting Communities Involved in Addressing Technology Access is directed to community leaders, organizations, and those interested in promoting a community voice in the technology revolution. It grew out of conversations with people from community organizations across the country. We heard many different views about technology and its potential benefits and dangers, and each conversation added a new twist to the tasks and dilemmas around increasing access to the new technologies. People told us what they were worried about and where they could use help.

In this document, we offer general advice and an overview of strategies that can help you advance access. It is the introduction to a collection of materials that go into greater depth about the issues and processes. For example, we give you an idea of why you might want to organize community conversations about technology and what's involved. A separate publication provides step-by-step guidance for actually conducting these conversations.

Every group has its own way of doing things. Set up a process that makes sense according to the way you normally do things, and adapt our suggestions to the values, norms, and modes that are important in your culture and community.

Note: In some places, we recommend websites that you can visit on the Internet for information. All the ones we've listed were in operation when this document went to print, but bear in mind that websites come and go. We have also listed the name of the organization and contact information for securing materials by phone or mail, if you prefer to have the actual printed versions or if you don't have access to the Internet. If you're not connected and want to get to the material online, your local library may offer public access to the Internet.