Listening and Learning Are at the Core of CDE Advocacy

Key Result: Host three (3) focus groups/listening sessions focused on covered populations for updates to the People’s Policy Agenda.

This year, the Policy and Advocacy workstream has continued listening sessions (and added learning sessions) so that it can continue to address the needs of covered populations, create opportunities for knowledge sharing across the ecosystem,  and update its policy agenda accordingly.

Three listening sessions in total were planned; one has been completed, with two more scheduled:

• Deaf, blind, and hard-of-hearing population (completed)
• Re-entry population (scheduled)
• Non-English speaking population (scheduled)

The session with the deaf, blind, and hard of hearing serves as a great example of what the CDE and its partners are learning by talking directly with covered populations.

Listening Sessions with the Deaf, Blind, and Hard-of-Hearing

Listening sessions are focus groups with particular covered populations held with the goal of collecting information about that population’s barriers, strengths, and needs.

Our listening session with the deaf, blind, and hard-of-hearing population revealed some new insights for us. For example:

• The unemployment rate is extraordinarily high for this group—hovering around 70%. This makes it extremely difficult to purchase digital devices and maintain an internet connection.
• While there are multiple kinds of software and devices that can help the deaf, blind, and hard-of-hearing use digital technology, these tend to be prohibitively expensive…especially considering the unemployment statistic above.
• There are limited public sector resources to help people procure the software and devices they need to thrive, meaning that there is also a very long waitlist.
• The Mecklenburg County library was singled out and recognized as having a really innovative program addressing the needs of this population.
• Lions Services (a local non-profit organization) continues to embed powerful digital inclusion work into the community with the new Lions Denn, focused on increasing digital skilling for internal team members and, soon, transitioning those services to clients.

This work continues to feed and update our People’s Policy agenda to focus our attention on opportunities and gaps. 

Learning Sessions

Learning sessions are a new kind of event for the Community Council, where we bring in service providers of a covered population and ask them about their experiences related to digital inclusion. The intent of these sessions is to create connections across the ecosystem and to share knowledge that can influence how different initiatives create a greater impact on communities across the region. 

Sample questions we may use to gain insight include:

• What sorts of barriers are being encountered when serving the covered population and others?
• How can the CDE ecosystem be a better collaborator?
• What kind of services and support can we offer or connect you with?
• How can we help organizations already serving covered populations collaborate on digital inclusion? 

Our first learning session was held during the October Community Council and featured the following panelists: Dana Draa (Lion Services), Lindsey Braciale (Advocations), Brenda Freeman (NCDHHS), and John Sherwood (NCDHHS). The session went well, and we feel well-positioned to provide better support to our partner organizations.

This work continues to feed and update our People’s Policy agenda to focus our attention on opportunities and gaps.