Circling back to this meme about how technology can improve the lives of the poor, there's an article from WIRED Magazine about laptops for the homeless, brought to my attention by Bill McIver on the Digital Divide Network listserv. Here's a brief bit from that article:
"Many of those now living without a permanent roof over their heads have cell phones in their pockets or laptop computers at their hips. While people living in shelters and alleys have found it difficult to cross social divides, the digital divide seems to disappear on the streets. Nearly all homeless people have e-mail addresses, according to Michael Stoops, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. 'More have e-mail than have post office boxes,' Stoops said. 'The internet has been a big boon to the homeless.'
Helping the homeless get e-mail addresses has been a priority for years at shelters across the country. And in an age when most every public library in the nation offers internet access, the net has proven a perfect communication tool for those without a firm real-world address."
Clearly, there are some implications here for public health and public health practitioners. It might be possible to get health information to homeless people via email, and certainly those who want to work with this population need to know how to help people set up email accounts.
And, even more encouraging is this story:
"Terri Hellerich's connection to the information superhighway is all that made life livable on the streets. 'It kept me sane and provided my income,' she said. Hellerich found herself homeless after a landlord in West Sacramento kicked her out and kept her belongings to make up for a debt. She didn't have a change of clothes, but she did have an old cell phone that she could use to stay online and check her inbox.
Hellerich slept on benches but she frequented a women's shelter with a cluster of internet-connected computers used mostly by the children who arrived at the safe house with their mothers. She started blogging and conducting a business. As an independent internet marketer, she was able to maintain bank accounts, nurse existing client connections and forge new business relationships. The business brought in only about $100 a month, but that was enough to help get her life back on track."
The article goes on to mention the blogs of several other homeless folks, including Kevin Barbieux, a woman in the UK known as Wandering Scribe, Willie York, and another blog written by a young woman who wrote about being homeless and now has housing.
9 comments:
I have to admit that I was certainly skeptical about using new technology to help the poor, homelesss, undereducated, etc. I guess I was a bit jaded that if we can't teach people to read or provide proper vaccines, how will teaching them to use the Internet help? After a few of our discussions, and certainly many of the blogs, I am beginning to see how and why this may be useful. Thank you for all the useful info about this topic. I am quickly being converted from an 'old school' public health professional to the 'new age'. And, in my opinion, it is about time I finally jumped on the bandwagon. It truly seems that this is part of the future of public health (and everything else in our lives) and has the potential to benefit many people.
kate
Interesting...seems to counter much of what I am seeing at my work. I wonder what the figures are in NYC. I might try to do some investigation about this in NYC. Will get back to you with what I find out.
This is very intersting. Am I being ignorant for thinking that this must be a small percentage of the homeless population that use the internet though? As Steffie mentioned, I wonder if this applies to our city? It just becomes more difficult for me to believe when I pass the same homeless people day in and day out on the streets. I often wonder if many homeless people wonder off their little block that I repeatedly see them on. Would they have the drive to go to a public place to learn to use a computer and the ineternet? I'm not sure, but I can certainly see the benefits if they were to use them!
I don't know about this, how will being able to to use the internet help a homeless person unless they are looking for a job or place to live. I don't see why else would using the internet be of an advantage for them. Maybe I am a little ignorant, please enlighten me.
Maybe I am very oldfangled, but I believe that homeless people need warm clothes, good food, home at the first place and only then we can rise a laptop question.
There are many people who are homeless who live in shelters, have jobs, are looking for jobs, have families...so access to the internet could actually be integral in helping them move out of poverty and helping their children with their schooling, etc. The Daily Census for June 23, according to the NYC Department of Homeless Services is: 8,111 Families, 7,427 Single Adults = 31,303 Total Individuals who are homeless. In addition, there are others who may not be included in these figures. Again, will try to get some insight from homeless rights advocates on the trends of internet use and ownership.
Tx Steffie. 31,000 homeless in NYC. We probably recognize 100 on the streets. There is an entire community of homeless that don't dress in hefty bags and push carts on 42nd street (I see this guy every day) or live in the PABT.
For the percentage that is trying to make headway, internet access and email is gr8.
But the article say they'll give them labtops. Big difference from internet access.
I once worked with the Floating Hospital which worked with the Emergency Assistance Unit in the Bronx, the employees didn't even have updated computer systems at the time. So I guess alot has progressed in 4 years.
I just wanted to let people know that I spoke to an advocate who works representing homeless new yorkers and he claimed that in his 5 years of doing this work (and he has represented many many clients and has spent lots of time at the EAU) only about 5 people have made mention of the use of an email address. I really don't think that it is that common in NYC.. not yet at least. Also, to expand on what Kezzie said, HRA's computers are a disaster zone. They are in charge of administering welfare benefits in the City.
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