Washington, D.C.---The Alliance for Public Technology (APT) recently announced the winners of its second Broadband Changed My Life! contest at a briefing on Capitol Hill. The first place winner, Nancy Reid, who is dealing with her job displacement as a truck driver by using broadband to get a college education and change careers, spoke at the briefing and urged Congressional staffers to “think of me” when they were thinking about broadband policy initiatives.
As part of its goal to bring the personal to policy, APT had conducted a nationwide contest asking people to share their personal stories about how broadband had changed their lives. The 2008 contest urged contestants to “Tell the Next President” how broadband had made a difference in their lives, and the best stories are to be compiled in a memorandum to President Barack Obama. There were three cash prizes awarded and one honorable mention, representing a broad range of technologies and applications. In addition to Nancy Reid, of Southhampton County, Virginia, the APT judges selected the following: Joanna Romanyshyn, second place winner, who is successfully using a broadband connection through a cable provider to increase awareness and usage of the emergency medical service on the campus of Virginia Tech; Jeanette Landin, third place, is using wireless broadband to deliver highly effective and relevant teaching to adult learners in Windsor, California who are training for 21st century careers and to make informed decisions about our country's democratic process; and Honorable Mention goes to Martha Mowatt, who works with ALS patients living in the Midwest where neurologists specializing in ALS are scarce. DSL technology is providing remote doctor visits with medical evaluations. It is also preventing isolation for the patients making it possible for them to communicate with their friends and family and participate in "support groups."
The full stories of the winners, who were chosen from almost two thousand entries, from all over the country are attached. The purpose of the contest was to demonstrate the importance of broadband and the many ways it is changing the way we work, play and live.
WINNING ENTRIES
FIRST PLACE WINNER
Nancy Reid
My name is Nancy Reid and I live in Southampton County Virginia, which is a rural farming community. Being rural means you know your neighbor, and your children begin and finish school with their best friends. It is a slow and peaceful life. As wonderful as that is, being rural also means technologies like cable and broadband are not an option for us. We must rely on antiquated, slow phone lines for dial up internet service. To say our dial up is slow is an understatement. Logging in can take up to 30 minutes! In fact, it takes 3 hours to download and send pictures, and online banking is out of reach due to time limits set by our bank. Our computer became more of a frustration then a working tool.
Earlier this spring, I lost my job and like many other Americans, have had a hard time finding a new one. Deciding that I would have to go to college in order to update my skills was a hard decision as the nearest community college is 50 miles away. Losing a paycheck has been a financial strain, so to add to it by driving 100 miles a day, well, I had to find a way to lessen the financial blow. My option was to take as many online courses as I could. The problem, our internet couldn't keep up with all of the information I needed to be a successful student.
I was so close to achieving my academic goals but had a huge and very frustrating problem, now I would have to drive if I wanted to continue. That is when a close friend told us about his satellite broadband access. I was skeptical but after some creative financing had it installed. To say it has made an impact on my life is so true in many ways. I am now able to download and send pictures to my mom in California in seconds, online banking is a breeze, and school, well, my first 2 reports were given A's! How is that for a morale boost!!
If I was given the chance, I would like to tell our next President," If America is to compete in today's Global Market, everyone, regardless of where they live should have access to broadband and the tools needed to succeed in this new technology world."
SECOND PLACE WINNER
Joanna Romanyshyn
There are many reasons why students on a college campus don't call the rescue squad EMTs when they should: "it's too expensive", "I don't want to get in trouble", "I'm not sure if my injury is serious enough", and the list goes on and on. All around the country, these misunderstandings prevent students from getting treatment when they need it, and causes unnecessary permanent damage and in the worst cases, death. When I was elected Public Information Officer of my university's rescue squad, my first line of action was to address these concerns. But how do we get the information out there in a way that students will actually read it (and for cheap, we're a volunteer squad after all).
The answer was simple- why not utilize an extremely popular program already instituted by the university? Broadband Internet. Between blogging, Facebook, and checking their e-mail, students spend a considerable amount of time online. Broadband internet has revolutionized the way we obtain information. With websites appearing on our screens at such high speeds, it's no longer a pain to go online and explore all the information available.
Our rescue agency had a website already, but it was old and very out of date. I worked with a web designer to give the website a facelift by using modern color schemes, posting current information, and adding new applications. Not only would students find information telling them our rescue services were free, but also about common health problems afflicting students today and how they can gain valuable experience by joining the agency. The final step, we handed out a flyer to all campus residents about our agency, directing them to the website to have all their questions answered.
The results were better than I could ever have anticipated. Almost immediately, we began to receive more requests for our standby presence at sporting events and fundraisers as well as invitations to come present about our organization at programs in residence halls and fraternity houses. Over the next few months, we noticed an increased call volume by 33% compared to the previous year. We also began receiving twice as many applications, over half of which were online.
The website's success was, without doubt, a direct result of broadband internet. If the university provided slow, or even no, internet services we never could have accomplished this project. So as you can see, broadband internet not only changed my life and that of the community, but also has the potential to save lives.
THIRD PLACE WINNER
Jeanette Landin
Without broadband, the activities in my life and my quality of living would be nearly impossible to maintain even five years ago. Because of broadband, I am able to support my family with one parent's income without having to be away from home, which enriches not only my life but also lives of my children. Broadband has touched my family's existence in many positive ways. We are now able to communicate via webcam with family in other parts of the country, which keeps the family ties strong.
Because of broadband, I am able to deliver highly effective and relevant teaching to adult learners who are training for 21st century careers. The internet via broadband allows me to tap resources from around the world to bring concepts to life for my students and to help reach displaced workers and students in remote areas who would otherwise not have access to rich learning opportunities. With broadband access, I am able to attend my own courses from anywhere in the world at any time. The experience I gain from internet-based communications enhances both my teaching and my learning.
Broadband access enables me to make informed decisions about our country's democratic process by allowing me to compare our presidential candidates without media intervention. I am also able to participate in the process by joining the presidential campaign effort. Broadband has helped me to become a more productive and effective citizen of not only the United States but of our world.
HONORABLE MENTION
Martha Mowatt
High speed internet technology has revolutionized the world. It has made obtaining information and communicating with others easy and accessible from the comfort of one's home.
I work with people diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) also known as Lou Gherig disease. ALS robs people of all voluntary and involuntary movement, rendering the person totally paralyzed including their ability to speak, chew, swallow and breathe. The internet has made it possible for ALS patients to communicate with their friends and family through e-mail and instant messaging. It allows pictures to be sent in an instant and communicating through the use of web cams. ALS people become home bound when their condition deteriorates and going out becomes impossible. They are able to participate in "support groups" through chat rooms and post messages to each other. The internet prevents isolation.
The internet has allowed a 75 year old ALS patient who has lost her ability to speak to send e-mails to her family and friends. She is able to express her thoughts and share her intimacies. She has a web cam and "visits" with her family members in other states. She can see her grandchildren grow and feels a part of their lives. Prior to having access to the internet, she had minimal contact as she could not speak her thoughts in an intelligible way. This was frustrating for both herself as she was not understood and her loved ones who did not understand her.
For those ALS patients living in the Midwest where Neurologists specializing in ALS are scarce, the internet allows doctors to conduct medical evaluations using web cams and digital medical equipment that allows doctors to obtain vital signs remotely. Through the use of advanced technology, electronic records and distance medical monitoring, visits to specialized care is no longer out of reach. Doctors are able to "see" more patients and patients can obtain much needed specialty care.
Broadband technology has revolutionized how we communicate with others and has minimized isolation for disabled individuals. It has also made remote specialty care accessible in rural areas where without this advancement patients would go with out care. We must continue to find innovative ways to reach out to others unable to use conventional communication methods and facilitate medical care for those living too far from medical services.
