Mary Roby
Use of digital distress metrics to assess digital exclusion can obscure vulnerable groups: the case of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina
Broadband internet and the skills and devices necessary to use it for full participation in society are recognized as important aspects of digital inclusion. Historically, digital divides—now often termed digital exclusion—were well documented and patterned by position within a society.
Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Digital Inclusion Planning in North Carolina
Digital exclusion is a challenge in rural North Carolina, where agriculture is the leading industry. Agricultural workers such as migrant and seasonal farmworkers are disproportionately impacted by digital exclusion. As part of an effort to address digital exclusion, funders and state agencies in NC have promoted the development of county and regional plans for digital inclusion. From July 2023 to July 2024, we identified a total of 30 digital inclusion plans that covered 50 of NC’s 100 counties.