Donate

Digital Inequalities, E-Waste, & Right-to Repair

Digital Inequalities Photo

Digital inequalities, e-Waste, and Right-to-Repair are three policy sectors informing device access.

How can government policy handle computer ownership?

Though the government has long played a key role in promoting internet and computing access, a review of U.S. and international legislation reveals an emphasis on internet access over other factors necessary for holistic digital connectedness, such as device access and digital skills training. 

Digitunity commissioned leading expert Amy Gonzales, an Associate Professor of the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to highlight government legislation from around the globe that primarily informs personal ownership of computing devices.

This original report provides information to identify policies that practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and other digital opportunity practitioners might target to optimize computer access over the coming decades. Register below. Then, click the download button to receive a PDF copy of the report.

Download the Digital Inequalities, E-Waste, & Right-to Repair Report

An open laptop on a desk next to papers and shelves; overlaid text shows a research report on digital inequalities, e-waste, and right-to-repair by Amy L. Gonzales, April 2022.

Other Recent Posts

An older woman speaks into a microphone while sitting with a walker in front of a screen displaying her photo and an award announcement.

From One Classroom to a National Movement: Dr. Yvette Marrin on Digitunity and Computer Ownership

“Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes For over four decades, Dr. Yvette Marrin has been at the forefront of a movement to make computer ownership possible for everyone. Her journey began with a powerful moment at a children’s rehabilitation center in 1981, when she witnessed how a simple switch could unlock a world of possibilities for a child with disabilities.In her

Several people work on laptops at a crowded table; a woman in the foreground focuses on her computer screen, while others type or look at their devices.

Calling on Companies to Help Expand Computer Access Across the South

Across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, thousands of people still lack some basic tools needed to participate fully in modern life. Although the internet is essential for education, employment, healthcare, and everyday tasks, more than one in five households in these states lack a home computer. This creates barriers that no community should face, especially given the thousands of usable computers retiring from corporate IT cycles every year. Today, Digitunity is calling on companies to be

An adult and a child sit at a computer in a library, with the child pointing at the screen and the adult using the mouse. Bookshelves are visible in the background.

Digitunity and AT&T Partner to Expand Digital Navigator Services and Computer Ownership in Rural Communities

Digitunity is proud to announce a new collaboration with AT&T, which will connect more than 13,000 people across rural Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi with the tools they need to fully participate in today’s digital world. Through $725,000 in support from AT&T, this 12-month initiative will strengthen community-based organizations by equipping them with resources to expand computer ownership, digital skills training, and affordable internet access. Why This Matters Nearly 1 in 4 households in these three

Translate »

The need for computers has never been greater.​ Sign up for our newsletter.