Adrianne B Furniss Announces 2022 Charles Benton Digital Equity Awards

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Adrianne B Furniss announced the 2022 Charles Benton Digital Equity Award winners at The National Digital Inclusion Alliance's Net Inclusion 2022 event. "We are here to honor three people who have demonstrated commitment, innovation, leadership, and collaboration: the very skills we need to navigate us through very trying, interlocking crises—and to steer us to a more equitable, more just society," said Furniss. "Our 2022 Emerging Leaders are Erica Camacho and John Torous, both at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Erica is the Director of Digital Inclusion and John is the Director of the Division of Digital Psychiatry. Erica and John have fostered two community programs that focus on digital inclusion for an underserved population—those with serious mental illness needing to connect to care during COVID-19."

Furniss then announced the 2022 Digital Equity Champion Award winner, Tobey Dichter. "Tobery Dichter founded Generations on Line in 1999 (1999!) with a unique approach to digital literacy for low-income, vulnerable older adults: nationwide, free, person-centered learning." She continued, "Tobey has sought to reduce major barriers to true universal broadband—including access, skills, and, well, the intimidation factor which works against so many people new to the internet. She made the program free and built alliances with five familiar outlets: public libraries, senior centers, assisted living and low-income subsidized housing, and retirement communities...Everyone, please welcome the 2022 Digital Equity Champion Award winner: Tobey Dichter, Founder & CEO of Generations on Line."