A Lesson in Cultural Humility

During my whole career in high tech, I have designed, owned, managed and ideated digital solutions that have been exclusively relevant to digitally savvy audiences.  In the past year, as I built a technology stack to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in digital health, I wanted to understand first-hand the gaps that exist in the digital divide in America, specifically in Colorado, where I live.  I started volunteering as a digital literacy instructor for Americorps.  This experience has taught me an incredible lesson in cultural humility.

Jeffrey, a veteran who served in the military as a jet mechanic, has not used computers in a decade.  He was recently accepted into the University of Denver’s graduate program in Library Science.  He was using a computer available at the library’s tech center when he asked for my assistance with filling out a form in pdf format.  He was writing to his college counselor to request delaying his program’s start date till the spring.  He then shared with me he needed more time to save for a computer and to ramp up his digital skills. 

I was able to procure a complimentary laptop for Jeffrey thanks to the generosity of Comcast and The Learning Source's partnership with PCs for People, the national nonprofit social enterprise.  I also had the opportunity to coach him through using his new device as well as familiarize himself with applications that will be useful for him as he works on his master’s degree.  When Jeffrey enters his virtual classrooms, I anticipate we will schedule additional one-on-one training sessions to ensure his continued success.

Working in situations like Jeffrey's has been a humbling realization for me.  I can no longer assume digital skills and access to technology are mainstream.  As a founder striving for an inclusive and equitable digital health platform, I have an imperative to ensure people like Jeffrey are considered in the deployment process.