Universal access to technology

Summary form only given, as follows. A complete record of the panel discussion was not made available for publication as part of the conference proceedings. Universal digital access to technology can be as seemingly straightforward as providing electricity access to a remote location or as overwhelmingly complicated as developing a healthcare system that provides immediate and secure access to medical experts, insurance companies, and all of their accompanying infrastructure. This session, featuring members of the SSIT Technical Committee on Universal Access to Technology, discusses how scholars, researchers, practitioners, and educators can actively reduce this digital divide which separates communities and individuals on the basis of ethnicity, religious conviction, sexuality, gender identity, income, age and in many other ways. Drawing on their professional experiences, panelists will discuss strategies for placing humanitarian concerns at the centre of all we do as we strive towards universal digital access; they will demonstrate how to carefully and ethically balance social, cultural and technological dimensions of society to the benefit of all people, particularly those living in rural and underserved areas; and they will elaborate on the role of education, encouragement, and empowerment in the pursuit of these goals.