At Converso, our dial-out Virtual Town Halls help our clients reach the hard to reach participants - people who would like to be more informed and involved, but who face barriers to participation. The governments, elected officials and member-based organizations we work with recognize their responsibility to include people who are being left out of a lot of community engagement because they do not have internet, tech skills or tech access.
But doesn't everyone have internet access?
One of Converso's clients asked our operators to invite their Virtual Town Hall participants to provide an email address to sign up for the office e-newsletter. Several participants told our operators that they don't have an email address and don't use computers.
If our client hadn't reached out to their residents with a dial-out Town Hall, these participants wouldn't have known the event was happening, wouldn't have had access to the important information being shared, and wouldn't have been able to have their voices heard by asking questions or answering keypad polls.
If you are reading this, you have internet access. It's easy to take for granted. So many times we are referred to get more information from a website, tune in to a webinar, or watch a Youtube video. However, Many Canadians can't afford smart phones, computers or internet in their homes. Many Canadians rely on public libraries for free wifi or computers, and currently the libraries are closed. Many Canadians live in areas with low-speed internet that is unsuitable for web streaming and video conferencing. Should these voices be ignored? Of course not.
Every Virtual Town Hall we produce gives us a window into the ways we are helping our clients reach out to, and hear from, their stakeholders.
"I really appreciate this conversation we've had for the last hour, and that it's not on the computer, but on the phone. That was wonderful. I had two calls from the emergency department to remind me to tune in. I was very glad that they called and reminded me to tune in. So thank you for doing that. I hope we can do it again sometime." - Virtual Town Hall participant voicemail, May 2020
When we hear participants thank our clients for doing an event, we are renewed in our commitment to public participation through the humble phone system.
- Christine Kemp, Partner