Community computing: Perceptions of technology access, use and policies in urban Ontario

The perceptions of community service providers about access to public technology and uses of technology to support population health were investigated. Perceptions about policies regarding access to technology for the public were also pursued. Qualitative semistructured interviews with service providers in the community were used. One-hour semistructured interviews were conducted with representatives from five community organizations and one business in an urban centre with a population of 400,000. Respondents believed that computers are here to stay, that that they can provide a valuable means for information access and that they have the potential to support communication in local communities. Perceived barriers were also identified.