Digital Skills, New Opportunities: Bridging Digital Divide for Women with Disabilities 

2020 was the first presidential election where a limited group voted using a smartphone app created by Voatz, expanding access to people with disabilities, those in Covid-19 quarantine, and people out of state due to an emergency. Advocates say it is cost-effective and secure, though many disagree. Voters are biometrically identified and matched to legal records. Ballots are cast on mobile devices and stored on the blockchain until Election Day, when they are printed and counted with other mail-in ballots. Use is expected to increase in the future and pilots are planned in Brazil and other locations.

In response to a lack of action from local government, individuals are turning to digital platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook groups to avoid scammers and price gouging in the rental industry. These groups have thousands of members and allow landlords and tenants to interact directly without middlemen interfering and charging unnecessary fees.

The BrandTell Nigeria Business Group is a WhatsApp group that provides daily interactive sessions on building online brand visibility to business owners with little to no online presence. Those subscribed to the group also have access to online tools for bookkeeping, graphic design and content creation to help grow their business.

The Tufunguke initiative works to raise awareness, educate and provide a community for those experiencing mental health issues. Tufunguke creates a safe space both online through social media platforms and in person through events for people to come together to discuss mental health and get connected with care resources Tufunguke reaches about 100,000 people a month through its many social media accounts.

The Peniel Foundation virtually connects people with disabilities with mentors to help them learn to achieve their goals, level up their career skills to access to better jobs and become financially independent. Since forming, the foundation has seen thousands join the program and go on to have great success in their careers and personal lives.

In a country where the prevalence of blindness for all ages is 4.2% of the population, Zions Assistive Tech Solutions (ZATS) trains people who are blind on how to effectively use technology like phones and computers.

For many refugees living in camps and on the move, mobile phones can be a life line to families and the outside world. Phones can help organize political activities, arrange medical supplies, and so much more. But although SIM cards are fairly cheap now, data can be expensive. To address this, a Facebook group called Phone Credit for Refugees and Displaced People, or PC4R, raises funds for refugees to top up their mobile phones to support free and dignified communication.

Organized labor unions in WalMart used an app called WorkIt to mobilize workers. The app answers common questions that concern things like paid leave, absences, wages, and legal rights. “Eight years later, OUR Walmart, the flagship project of Organization United for Respect, has claimed a number of victories, including substantially better corporate-wide pay and leave policies.” Key to that has been WorkIt. Now organizers are looking to expand the app to other companies.

Chatbots don’t sleep. They can respond to citizen inquiries 24 hours a day. From North Charleston to Singapore, automated conversation platforms are improving the connection between governments and the people they serve by providing an easy channel for information exchange and public consultation.

Disabled farmers in Kashmir are adapting agricultural practices through locally-fabricated tool modifications, adjusted work timing, and traditional soil/seed management techniques that reduce physical labor by 15-50% and enable them to continue farming despite increasing climate stress.