Chair Lee on digital systems barriers for seniors and limited-internet residents
Lee asks how DOF ensures digital systems don't create barriers for seniors and those with limited internet access. Commissioner Lee highlights business centers providing language access and disability services, and increased in-person community affairs outreach events.
Okay, your plan also referenced expanding the use of technology to improve customer service.
How is your agency ensuring that increased reliance on digital systems do not unintentionally create additional barriers for seniors and residents with limited digital literacy or New Yorkers with limited internet access?
I would say that for all of our systems, we ensure that all New Yorkers are able to reach our services, especially at our business centers.
Our business centers are a core piece of connectivity with the community, and all of our business centers, we ensure that we provide things like language access services, services for the hearing impaired, vision impaired.
And so we are actively ensuring that all of our services are going to be met by those in need.
Outreach events handled by our community affairs division has had more in-person events more than ever in all of our communities.
And we're well aware that most of our, you know, Scree, Tree, Shihi, Dihi are primarily offline.
And so we're working to improve that across the board and have more opportunities for people who might not have access to technology to be able to apply and get these benefits.