Digital Inclusion Announcement

Washtenaw County and the “Wireless Washtenaw” project team today announced the formation of the Digital Inclusion Task Force, charged with reducing the disparities of Internet accessibility and computer literacy in our community.

As recently as last year, more than two-thirds of the area in Washtenaw County did not have access to high speed Internet connections – an alarming circumstance in one of Michigan’s most prominent counties which hosts two of the finest state universities in the nation. Wireless Washtenaw, the private-public collaborative that seeks to blanket the entire 750 square miles of Washtenaw County with high speed wireless Internet access, has already begun the process of healing this “Digital Divide”, but the initiation of the Digital Inclusion Taskforce sends an even stronger message.

“’Wireless Washtenaw’” and its mission to extend Internet capacity with high speed access throughout the County was the crucial first step – but it is just one step in bringing the bounty of technology to every resident, every home and every institution in our community,” said Derrick Jackson, Chair of the Task Force and Washtenaw County’s Director of Elections. “This Task Force will set an agenda that builds on that access to help assure affordable computers are available and that residents can receive the appropriate skills and knowledge to safely use this technology.”

Numerous services continue to migrate “online” and require a computer savvy population to access and use them. The Task Force is charged with developing a strategic plan that will incorporate programs designed to bring the offline community online.

“This is no ‘add-on’ to this Wireless collaboration. From the earliest stages of Wireless Washtenaw, every stakeholder from every sector - private, public and non-profit - saw the Digital Divide as unacceptable in this community,” said David Behen, Washtenaw County Deputy Administrator.

Like the Wireless Washtenaw initiative itself, the new Task Force is comprised of local leadership from municipal and county government, schools, colleges and universities, and other not-for-profit organizations. Initial partners include 20/20 Communications, Ann Arbor District Library, Ann Arbor SPARK, City of Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan Township Association, Ozone House, Power Marketing, University of Michigan, Washtenaw Area Teens for Tomorrow, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County and Washtenaw Intermediate School District.