Myth Busted: Participants Are More Technology Savvy Than Many Thought
There is a belief that low-income individuals who participant in programs such as TANF and SNAP lack both access to technology and the skills to use it. That is totally NOT true. As a technology company we’ve know this to be a myth all along, it’s just that COVID and the subsequent need for virtual services, helped us to prove the case.
What has been reported by the Colorado Works and Michigan Works! programs operating in both urban and rural counties, is that a large majority of participants have use of a smartphone, if not access to a computer, whether it’s a relative’s or friends’ or even a desktop resource in the library or human services center.
Participants served by these TANF agencies are using TuaPath to watch orientation videos, complete online assessments, fill out forms and electronically sign paperwork, entirely online.
Additionally, TuaPath supports participants working virtually with their case manager to identify goals and action steps and track their progress toward goal achievement in real-time.
As one coach put it, “If they can use Facebook on their phone, they can use TuaPath it’s that easy.”
There will always be those exceptions where access to technology or the skills to use it are just not there. In those cases, case managers can enter the information on behalf of the participant to ensure full transparency as the participant will still have access to it.
But for those who can get online and have basic technology skills, TuaPath is empowering as it gives control to the participant, and it meets them where they are at. It also a tool that helps participants to practice and improve these basic technology skills, skills that employers expect employees to possess and utilize in the workplace.
These past two years have certainly tested the ability of our nation to adapt and persevere through crisis in ways we previously thought would not work. If nothing else, the pandemic exposed the resiliency of people and the importance of participant-facing, self-service tools that allow individuals and their families to interact in a far more effective and dignified manner.
See for yourself how easy TuaPath is to use and how its empowering participants. Request a demonstration!