Participate 3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community

In looking deeper into access to the digital community, I gained great insight to the irregular nature of broadband.  To highlight what I discovered I compared two counties- where I live and where I teach.  Although ranked much higher in terms of broadband access, the download speed at my work is extremely inconsistent.  While at home I experience great access capabilities and good download speed, yet my community is ranked much lower overall.

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I cannot begin to explain the purpose for this ranking or that I truly understand all the technical reasons for it.  However, I can attest that I have taken for granted accessibility in both my personal and professional communities.  I was also surprised to find that broadband access is extremely inconsistent, even within the same community.  Although we've come a long way from the dial up modem of the past, there is no doubt that geographic location can be one of the greatest obstacles for virtual students.

As much as teachers try to eliminate barriers for their students, broadband access based on geographic location is not a barrier that will disappear with strategies and tips.  While it is a requirement for virtual students to have access to the internet, I've discovered in this quest that such access can be sporadic to say the least.  Although teachers cannot eliminate this particular obstacle, we can compensate for the irregular access by providing resources that can be downloaded and utilized both online and offline.

For a different perspective on barriers to acces based on disabilities and tips on how teachers can eliminate them, visit Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) .