A new partnership between several local organizations is making it easier than ever for all Chatham-Kent residents to be able to connect to the services they need most.
Chatham-Kent Public Library (CKPL), Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services (CKESS) and Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team (CKOHT) have recently partnered to reduce the digital divide for residents in Chatham-Kent through the ‘Connect CK’ initiative.
The digital divide refers to the gap between people who have access to modern information and communications technology and those who do not. It can be especially prominent in rural communities such as Chatham-Kent, where residents continue to face limited access to high-speed internet.
According to CKPL CEO and Chief Librarian Tania Sharpe, Connect CK will formally connect the health system to the library system in Chatham-Kent through a variety of different methods, helping to bridge the local divide between demand and access to virtual health care.
"Our library staff saw the digital divide broaden during the pandemic," Sharpe explained. "During the first wave we could see people huddled up in our alcoves. We left our Wi-Fi wide open so that people could at least still log on...People were looking for access to the internet to stay in touch with their families, to do school work, lots of different things."
In a recent 2022 ‘Let’s Talk Health, CK’ survey conducted by CKOHT, 75 per cent of respondents reported in the last year they had health care appointments that were conducted over phone or video conference, but only 35 per cent of respondents reported that they had everything they needed for a video health care appointment.
The initiative will allow residents to attend virtual appointments for medical care as well as virtual meetings for social services, court services, employment resources, community navigation, library services and more.
For people with library cards, all 11 library branches in Chatham-Kent will lend Wi-Fi hotspots to make it easier for people to connect to the internet and access vital appointments.
"The Wi-Fi hot spots are literally like a portable modem, a little tiny thing about the size of a phone," Sharpe explained. "You can log onto that and access the internet for free."
Wi-Fi-enabled laptops will also be available to use at the library or to borrow for people with a library card.
Sharpe said it helps to eliminate the need to travel long distances to access internet or services and further reduces health inequities for residents of Chatham-Kent
"We will sit with folks before they borrow [the laptops] just for a couple of minutes to walk through some of the tips and tricks to logging onto it, just so people are aware," she said.
In the coming weeks, 'quiet pods' will also become available for all Chatham-Kent residents at the Chatham and Wallaceburg branch as well as at the Community Human Services Building in Chatham.
Sharpe said people will be able to use them if they need to virtually attend any kind of appointments.
"You can book them for things like a doctors appointment, or one-on-one counselling session. They'll be completely private," she said. "You'll be able to use a phone or laptop."
In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Sharpe said some residents and organizations may also qualify to receive a free refurbished laptop.
To learn more about the Connect CK initiative, Sharpe recommends that individuals contact the library directly.
