Access

Device access is critical to bridging the digital divide. While many people have smartphones, these devices are not sufficient for essential tasks like job applications, schoolwork, and more. Having a laptop, desktop, or tablet is crucial for full participation in today’s digital world.

Once individuals have a device, they also need to be able to use it, with the help of accessibility tools, tech support, and Wi-Fi access. Below are resources for individuals and organizations to secure devices and connectivity.

Device Distribution

Organizations located in Santa Barbara

American GI Forum (AGIF) provides eligible households with a free HP Chromebook once the family enrolls in a low-cost internet plan. AGIF assists the households in finding a plan that works for them and filling out the applications.

Partners in Education distributes free computers to individuals in need across Santa Barbara.

California Organizations Supporting Santa Barbara Residents

Human-I-T offers new and refurbished devices at significantly reduced prices. Low-income individuals, people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, schools, and nonprofits may qualify for additional discounts through the Human-I-T Gold Member program.

Computers 2 Kids (C2K) sells low-cost laptops ($100–$200) to low-income families and individuals through its Technology Assistance Program. Based in San Diego, C2K ships nationwide and offers options for various age groups.

Tech Exchange (TEX) provides a free laptop to anyone who completes its eight-hour digital skills training. Classes are offered throughout the Bay Area for adults 18 and older. TEX also sells low-cost refurbished devices, both online and at its Oakland store, with discounts for organizations making bulk orders.

Community Tech Network (CTN) assists nonprofits and other agencies by helping them secure funding for digital equity initiatives, facilitating device setup, coordinating device shipments, and distributing the devices among community members. CTN also delivers digital skills training.

PCs for People provides refurbished computers to eligible customers for affordable prices and helps connect the recipients to low-cost, high-speed internet.

Additional Resources

EveryoneOn Tool: Find low-cost device options in your area by entering your zip code and benefit status.
Chromebook Rentals: The Santa Barbara Public Library allows users to check out Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots for up to one week.
Device Donations: Have a device you no longer need? Donate it to Partners in Education, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit, to be refurbished and given for free to someone in need.

Public Wi-Fi Locations

While affordable home internet is the ideal solution (check our list of low-cost options), public Wi-Fi remains a valuable resource for many. Below are guides to finding public Wi-Fi nationwide, as well as specific resources for California and Santa Barbara County.

Check out this guide from the Federal Trade Commission to learn how to connect to public Wi-Fi safely.

WiFi Map: A global map of free Wi-Fi locations, searchable by zip code.

Wi-Fi Free Spot: A directory of free Wi-Fi locations across California, broken down by town.

Santa Barbara Public Library: Free Wi-Fi is available at all three locations: Central, Eastside, and Montecito.

Accessibility Tools

Modern devices include many built-in accessibility features to enhance usability for people with disabilities, and external assistive technologies are also available. While this list is not exhaustive, below are some key tools.

If you want to try out any of these tools, the Santa Barbara Public Library offers assistive technologies, such as screen readers and magnification software, on public computers. Staff can also help set up accessibility features on personal devices. Click here to see locations.

Wearable Tech

Bluetooth-enabled Headphones: These types of earpods or hearing aids amplify sound, offer noise cancellation, and integrate with voice assistants, allowing hands-free control. They are especially useful for people with hearing impairments or limited mobility.

Smartwatches: Smartwatches track health and fitness with biotrackers like heart rate monitors, blood oxygen sensors, and sleep trackers. They can detect falls, send emergency alerts, and use haptic feedback (vibrations) to notify users with hearing impairments about calls and texts.

Wearable Biometric Sensors: Devices like BioSticker and Dexcom G6 track health data such as temperature and glucose levels. Worn on the skin, they connect via Bluetooth to apps, sending real-time updates and alerts. They’re ideal for managing chronic conditions like diabetes.

Other Assistive Technologies

Refreshable Braille Displays: These devices convert on-screen text to Braille, allowing users who are blind to read digital content.

Speech-to-Text (STT) Tools: These tools convert spoken words into written text, often simply by clicking a microphone icon. In this way, users can dictate text in documents, emails, text messages, and other fields without having to type. This is especially useful for people who struggle with spelling or have limited mobility. Many devices include built-in STT tools.

Text Readers and Screen Readers: Text readers can help people with dyslexia or mild vision impairments by reading text aloud. Screen readers, designed for those who are blind, provide more details by also describing images, formatting, and screen layout. Free screen reader options include NVDA (Windows) and VoiceOver (iOS), while JAWS (Windows) is a powerful paid tool. Screen readers can work with refreshable Braille displays, too.

Captions and Transcriptions: Captions display spoken words as text, helping those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or non-native English speakers. Zoom, Google Meet, and YouTube all offer captions. Transcriptions, meanwhile, convert speech into text for later review. Tools like Otter.ai provide real-time options, and voicemail transcription is available on iPhones and some Android devices.

Screen Magnifiers: These enlarge text and images for users with low vision. Both Windows (Magnifier) and macOS (Zoom) offer built-in options.

Switch Control: Available on both iOS and Android, Switch Control allows users with limited mobility to navigate devices by connecting adaptive tools. These include eye- and head-tracking technologies, which control the screen through eye or head movements, and the sip-and-puff joystick, which responds to breath actions, like blowing into a tube.

Adaptive Keyboards: Specialized keyboards with larger or programmable keys help individuals with limited hand dexterity.

Color Contrast: Many devices offer settings to adjust color contrast or enable dark mode, which can be helpful for people who are colorblind or prone to migraines.

Community Support

Even for those familiar with their devices, questions and technical issues are bound to arise. The following organizations offer tech support, which is a key aspect of digital inclusion:

Partners in Education, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit, offers free tech support in English and Spanish. Support in some dialects of Mixtec (an indigenous language from Southern Mexico) can also be arranged. For support, call 805-964-4710 ext. 5454 or email cff@sbceo.org.

Santa Barbara Public Library provides basic assistance through its Tech Coaching program, through which patrons can schedule one-on-one appointments to ask questions about using their devices. Please note that coaches are unable to assist with hardware issues.

Human-I-T provides tech support in English and Spanish from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM PT. Reach them by call or text at 888-391-7249 or fill out an online form. They also offer support plans for organizations.

Cyber Seniors provides free, one-on-one tech support through scheduled phone calls with an expert. You can book online or call their toll-free number at 1-844-217-3057. They also offer Tech Drop-In sessions on Zoom every Thursday at 11 AM PT.

Senior Planet offers a tech support hotline for speaking directly with a trainer or scheduling a Zoom appointment. The hotline is available at 888-713-3495, Monday to Friday from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT, and Saturdays from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM PT.

Tech Exchange’s Techub offers in-person support for hardware and software issues in English, Spanish, Korean, Mam, and Mandarin. The hub, located in Oakland, is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM PT. Virtual support is also available at 510-866-2260 or by emailing support@techexchange.org.

Community Tech Network (CTN) partners with organizations to provide devices, digital skills classes, and ongoing tech support for community members. Multilingual virtual Q&A sessions are held weekly, and in-person tech support workshops and pop-up events are organized based on community needs.