[music playing]

Speaker: California Adult Education Digital Learning Guidance. Chapter 2, Ensuring Equity and Access. Technology is built into nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Today, digital equity is crucial for everyone to ensure access to essential services, civic and cultural participation, employment, and lifelong learning.

The three essential components necessary for ensuring digital equity are connectivity to broadband internet, access to digital devices, and digital literacy skills. With digital literacy competency, adults can use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information.

Digitally literate adults are more likely to be successful with participation in adult education programs, job readiness and occupational training, and to meaningfully participate in digital learning. Adult educators can improve equity and access for their learners by being aware of the resources available to provide low-cost broadband connectivity, reliable and appropriate digital devices, and content that will support the needs of diverse learners. For information about how to ensure equity and access, see the guidance at otan.us.