DELN BULLETIN: AUGUST 31, 2026

Local Updates

Registration Now Open: Gathering for Access & Equity 2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 Gathering for Access & Equity! Join digital equity practitioners, community organizations, public agencies, and partners from across Seattle and King County for a day of learning, collaboration, and shared strategies to advance digital inclusion throughout our region.

Seattle Public Library - Central Branch

Wednesday, October 7th 9am - 3pm

Sept. 10 at Seattle Public Library Greenwood Branch: "AI, Privacy, and Data"

The Seattle Public Library is hosting an in-person, interactive workshop exploring AI and data privacy. Participants will examine real-world risks, tradeoffs, and safeguards—an increasingly important topic for organizations and community members navigating AI-enabled technologies.

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Sept. 17: Beginning Computer Skills with Adult Learners

Adult language learners with little digital exposure require a more scaffolded practical approach to learning computer skills than National curricula like North Star and Dart can offer. In this workshop, Literacy Source Staff will outline the units and instructional routines we developed. Participants will receive hands-on tools for teaching basic computer skills.

Technology Matching Fund Spotlight: Building Digital Confidence for DeafBlind Adults

A Seattle Technology Matching Fund project is helping DeafBlind adults build the digital skills and confidence needed to navigate everyday technology. The work responds to accessibility barriers that can make it harder for DeafBlind community members to find information, pursue employment, maintain independence, and stay connected.

Read the Spotlight

Resources / Webinars / Tools

Learn practical ways to securely share your screen when getting remote technology help from someone you trust. Presented by Bridget of Gentle Tech Help, this session can help participants build confidence accessing remote support while protecting their privacy and personal information.

This introductory, hands-on session explores how job seekers can use AI tools to strengthen their resumes and navigate an increasingly AI-driven hiring landscape. The training may be especially useful for workforce and digital skills practitioners supporting community members with employment readiness.

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The Colorado Adult Education Coalition is hosting a virtual week of learning, connection, and conversation focused on technology, digital equity, and expanding opportunity for adult learners and communities. Taking place October 5–9, 2026, the event is designed for adult educators, libraries, workforce professionals, employers, corrections, adult literacy programs, and community partners.

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The Broadband Equity Explorer provides internet adoption and device access data across more than 500 U.S. metro areas, with ZIP-level information available for populations including seniors, veterans, and rural communities. DELN members can explore the tool as a resource for understanding local digital access patterns and informing outreach, planning, and program development.

explore the data

Join NDIA in Columbus, OH, February 24-26, 2027, for the opportunity to gain digital equity insights, ignite change, and amplify your impact in the digital inclusion movement.

Articles & Research

The U.S. Department of Commerce is targeting December 2026 for reopening applications to the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, according to an August 3 federal court status report. The potential timeline is important for organizations following federal digital equity funding and planning future programs or partnerships.

A related analysis from the Benton Institute examines the timeline surrounding the potential reopening of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. For cities, counties, nonprofits, libraries, community colleges, workforce organizations, Tribes, and Native entities preparing for a possible December application window, the article highlights a comment docket on the program’s application paperwork that closes October 26, 2026.

read the analysis

Digital access is increasingly connected to financial access as banking and other financial services move online. Authors Ambika Nair, Lisa Locke, and Crystal Flynn examine how limited access to reliable internet, smartphones, and digital skills can create new barriers to financial participation and deepen existing inequities..

A story from the Peekskill Herald illustrates the real-world impact digital literacy programs can have on employment and economic opportunity. It follows Mariana, a 53-year-old Colombian immigrant whose participation in free computer workshops helped open a pathway to employment - offering a human-centered example of why accessible digital skills programs matter.

read the story

The FCC’s latest Broadband Deployment Report has prompted concerns about how the nation measures progress toward connectivity. NDIA Executive Director Angela Siefer points to the removal of metrics related to affordability, adoption, and digital equity, arguing that measuring broadband availability alone does not capture the barriers many unconnected households face.

read the report

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced $6 million in Digital Literacy Training Grant awards aimed at helping close the digital divide among Work First New Jersey recipients. The investment offers an example of how workforce systems can incorporate digital skills development into broader efforts to expand access to employment and economic opportunity.

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DE Community Involvement

DELN is looking for advocates who want to help shape policy and push for meaningful change. If you’re interested in advancing digital equity through local and statewide policy efforts, we invite you to join our Advocacy Working Group. We meet virtually on Microsoft Teams the first Tuesday of each month at 2:00 PM. Help us amplify community voices and drive systems-level impact!

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