Internet Accessibility Issues

By Cheryl Cheifetz

Introduction

Although computers seem to be everywhere today, the concept of equal accessibility seems to escape us.  Computers can be provided in many communities, but without appropriate training this access will be useless and/or counterproductive.  (Warschauer, 2002)  There are a number of issues described below which help in understanding the inequalities of the digital divide.

Home Usage

Data from October 2003 shows that computers are found in 61.8% of all households in the United States and that 87.6% of those are Internet accessible.  (United States Department of Commerce, 2004)  Three years earlier in August 2000, only 51% of households owned computers and a surprisingly low 42% had Internet access.  In three short years, Internet access in the home has more than doubled.  Today, nearly 75% of all U.S. families make use of the Internet from their homes on a regular basis.  (Greenspan, 2004)

Income

Ninety-eight percent of public schools have computers with Internet access.  (Howland, 2004)  This has facilitated improved access to students who are poor and may not have a computer at home.  Ninety-seven percent of high income families have a home computer while only 85% of low income homes have computers.  (Eamon, 2004)  For continued advancement in social, employment, and academic situations, it is imperative that home access to computers is provided to poor students.  Some assistance has been provided by both private and government programs to increase this access.  In July 2004 for example, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois granted Elgin Area School District U-46 $50,000 to make the Internet available to students who may not otherwise have access.   He did this through his Opportunities Returns program which was put in place to restore economic opportunity in Illinois. 

Education Levels

It seems logical that the higher your level of education, the higher your accessibility to the Internet.  Those with college degrees are more than eight times as likely to own a computer as non-degreed citizens. (Yoder, 2001)  Of adults who did not complete high school, only 28% are Internet users.  Fifty-seven percent of high school graduates use the Internet regularly.  Seventy-nine percent of those who attended some college are Internet users.  Finally, 89% of college graduates use the Internet on a regular basis. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2005) Education will surely affect income levels, and therefore you must consider this as well, when examining the data.   

United States Geography

Between 2000 and 2003, Internet usage in every state has increased.  The number of states where less than half of the population uses the Internet declined from four to one, Mississippi, while the number of states where over 70 percent of the population uses the Internet grew from one to six: Alaska, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.  (United States Department of Commerce, 2004)  Broadband connections continue to be more prevalent in urban areas versus rural areas.  The low subscriber rate in these regions is due primarily to the technology being unavailable in less densely populated territories.

World Geography

Although the United States accounts for over 27% of computer usage in the world, technology is gaining ground elsewhere.  Eighty-eight percent of Internet users live in industrialized nations where only 15% of the world’s population resides. (Charp, 2001)  While many wealthier nations provide access to millions of Internet users, Third World countries lag far behind in technology use.  Link to Table of Population and Internet Use.  Nations at the lower end of the United Nations Human Development index of 175 countries had life expectancies of under age 50, adult literacy rates of less than 46%, and average incomes of under $1000.  (Charp, 2001)  These factors alone could explain why Internet use is not a priority.  It is projected in 2007 that there will be well over 1 billion Internet users worldwide. (Computer Industry Almanac, 2005)  As non-industrialized nations attempt to solve their larger problems, the use of technology is sure to follow.

Race

The digital divide is shrinking between ethnicities.  Table 1 examines Internet users as of May 18, 2005.  The Hispanic community continues to increase usage at unprecedented rates.  This may be due in large part to the whole idea of community itself.  Ricardo Villalba manages DCLatinos.com and claims the Internet is a very powerful tool which helps bring the Latino community together.  (Lemke, 2002) 

Table 1

Source:  Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2005

Although this data looks promising, only 54% of Hispanics own their own computers compared to 67% of non-Hispanic users.  One significant reason is that the content on the Internet is predominantly written in English.  Websites such as MiGente.com and Univision.com are working to bridge that gap.

Lower income families that are Black are less apt to own a computer and use the Internet as indicated by the above data.  Blacks with incomes above $40,000 are as likely as Whites to own a computer and have computer access at work or school. Blacks and Whites with middle to upper level incomes use the Internet with approximately the same regularity.  (Appiah, 2003)

High-speed/Broadband Access

One of the latest issues regarding accessibility is high-speed Internet connections.   These connections will allow the United States to be more competitive in the global marketplace.  The U.S. Department of Commerce declared that “high speed networks provide the power to erase geographic, economic, and cultural gaps.  Small businesses can have global markets; rural doctors can consult with specialists; and students can take classes that are taught from across the country.”  (United States Department of Commerce, 2004)  President Bush has declared an initiative to provide affordable, universal high speed access by the year 2007 to help both industry and quality of life for individuals.  (United States Department of Commerce, 2004)

It is evident in Figure 1 that the number of computer owners, internet users, and broadband users are increasing at a fairly steady rate.  Taking a closer look at the data from September 2001 and October 2003 gives us a better picture of the almost 10% increase in broadband internet use versus the much smaller increase of only 4% still investing in basic internet service.  Dial-up connections actually declined by 12.7% overall.  This implies, and is confirmed by Figure 2, that high speed access significantly affects the manner in which communication, entertainment, transactions, and information are shared.

Figure 1: Percent of Households with Computers and Internet Connections,
Selected Years, 1997-2003*

*Note: 2001 and 2003 reflect 2000 Census-based weights and earlier years use 1990 Census-based weights.

Source:  United States Department of Commerce

Figure 2: Online Activities by Type of Home Internet Connection, 2003
(Percent of Internet Users 15 and Over)

Source:  United States Department of Commerce

Conclusion

The issue of accessibility continues to fluctuate.  There are several gaps that have narrowed over the years.  There are additional gaps that will persist.  As technology transforms over time, so will the digital divide.

Recommended sites

An Educator's Guide to Access Issues (1999)

George Lucas Educational Foundation

Digital Divide Network

No Child Left Behind

Children's Partnership

A Nation Online:  Entering the Broadband Age

References

Appiah, Osei.  “Americans Online:  Differences in Surfing and Evaluating Race-Targeted Websites by Black and White Users”.  Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media.  2003.  23 July 2005.  <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002445688>

Charp, Sylvia.  “Bridging the Digital Divide”.  T H E Journal.  2001.  23 July 2005.  <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001007765>

ClickZ Stats Staff.  “Population Explosion!”  ClickZ Network.  7 July 2005.  23 July 2005.  <http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/geographics/article.php/5911_151151>

Computer Industry Almanac, Inc.  “PCs In-Use Surpassed 820M in 2004, PCs In-Use Will Top 1B in 2007.”  9 March 2005.  22 July 2005.                           <http://www.c-i-a.com/pr0305.htm>

“Fox Valley in 60 Seconds”. Daily Herald.  21 July 2004.  21 July 2005.  <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5006504726>

Eamon, Mary Keegan.  “Digital Divide in Computer Access.”  Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare.  2004.  22 July 2005.  <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5006702749>

Greenspan, Robyn.  “Three Quarters of Americans Have Access From Home”.  ClickZ Network.  18 March 2004.  21 July 2005.  <http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3328091>

Howland, Jane and Judy Wedman.  “A Process Model for Faculty Development:  Individualizing Technology Learning.”  Journal of Technology and Teacher Education.  2004.  23 July 2005.

Lemke, Tim.  “Hispanics Log on to Change”.  The Washington Times.  28 January 2002.  23 July 2005.  <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000689471>

Pew Internet & American Life Project. “Demographics of Internet Users”.  Pew Internet & American Life Project.  18 May 2005.  23 July 2005. <http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/User_Demo_05.18.05.htm>

 United States Department of Commerce.  “A Nation Online: Entering the Broadband Age”. September 2004.  18 July 2005.  <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/NationOnlineBroadband04.htm>

Warschauer, Mark.  “Reconceptualizing the Digital Divide”.  First Monday.  14 June 2002.  20 July 2005.  <http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue7_7/warschauer/index.html>

Yoder, Maureen Brown.  “The Digital Divide”.  Learning & Leading with Technology.  February 2001.  23 July 2005.  <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002385881>