Barriers+to+Access

=Barriers to Internet Access=

toc Economic, Budgetary, Cost, Income Barriers and Education
 * There are people who have a fear of using the new technology
 * Those people are usually accompanied by social illiteracy
 * Lack of updated equipment and technology
 * Most of the world's population lacks basic access to a telephone
 * Difficulties for those whom english is not their first language
 * The Internet hasn't really been able to keep up with language responsiveness
 * Some say English is unquestionably the dominating language on the Internet.
 * Lack of access for special needs/disabled people
 * Accessibility is a prominent issue for those with special needs and the disabled
 * With higher levels of education demands an increase use of computers and the Internet because of the greater standards that are placed on University and College students. “Those with a college degree are more than //eight times// as likely to have a computer at home, and nearly //sixteen times// as likely to have home Internet access, as those with an elementary school education.” (Part I **Household Access)**

The barriers to access is a main reason why there is a digital divide between social classes and geographical location. These users that do not have access are known as non-users.


 * also see Global divide and social divide

Ways to Remove Some of these Barriers

 * For most of the world’s populations who cannot afford to have a computer, a possible solution for the more affluent countries to help is by collecting used computers and donate them to third world countries.
 * We are constantly upgrading our computers and buying the latest models and simply discarding our old computer. But apparently, Internet connection is relatively the same on any type of computer. Therefore, it would not matter to those receiving these second hand computers so long as they can connect it to the wired world.
 * For the elderly, who lack the interest of using the Internet, there should be free training sessions and informal seminars conducted to entice the seniors to make use or make more frequent use of the Internet. This could be accomplished by showing easy navigational tools and familiarizing the senior citizens with Internet 'lingo', and usage.
 * The government can provide free public computer services for people to get more access to the internet.
 * For the minorities in the States (the African Americans and Hispanics), the government should invest more of its annual educational spending in equipping public school with more computers and wireless Internet connections throughout the schools where Internet access is very low due to outdated technology or lack of resources.
 * Internet Subscribers can decrease their user fees. This will allow more people to have the chance to be connected within their homes at a reasonable monthly rate.
 * Adaptive Technologies can aid those with disabilities.
 * Can use advertisements to increase the awareness of the possible benefits (ex: conveniece, cost savings from online shopping, ability to communicate with relatives from other countries with visual and sound, etc) from computer and internet technology.

=Works Cited=

__PART I **HOUSEHOLD ACCESS**__**.** Available from: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn99/part1.html [accessed 23 February 2006].