As the Digital Access for All initiative team has discovered, we live in an age when digital access has become the “Internet of everything. Regardless of whether someone chooses to participate or has the resources to do so, the world is increasingly going digital. Significant interactions in these areas assume that citizens, workers, and students are connected with the right devices and skills to participate. Our ability to use the internet in meaningful ways can either enhance or constrain opportunities for participation in modern society.

*Both digital literacy and digital skills are essential. Digital literacy is the foundational digital knowledge required to interact on a basic level with computing devices and the internet. Examples include booting up, plugging in a battery, launching a browser, connecting to WiFi, etc.

Digital skills are all tasks outside of a basic understanding of the internet and computing devices, such as email, productivity software such as Microsoft Excel, cloud tools such as Google Workspace, apps, etc. The level of sophistication with digital skills varies significantly from user to user.

Since we all have fragmented digital skills – computer and internet knowledge that is contextual, specific, and relevant to what you might need to succeed in your job – it’s crucial to return to the beginning. Understanding the basics is key to connecting the pieces in this larger technology puzzle.


*Source: Digital Navigation Basics Course Manual By Maribel Martinez