By: Alex (freelance writer) London, United Kingdom.
A lot goes on every day in a corporation. So much so, a department is created and regulated for just about every aspect of the company. But, one thing that seems to be puzzling corporations is what to do with items they no longer need. Those no longer needed computers, routers, servers, chargers, and more, are piling up, taking up valuable time and space.
Socially focused business venture, SocialBox.Biz, is taking excess laptops, computers, business computers, chargers, servers, routers, and more, and donating them to benefit the homeless and refugees in London and United Kingdom. Their “Laptops For The Homeless Initiative” is delivering those in need with re-usable laptops deemed outdated by corporations.
A mutually beneficial business partnership, corporations can now call on SocialBox.Biz to collect their redundant computers and re-home them to grateful recipients.
By providing electronic devices to the marginalized member’s of society, they now have a chance to join the workforce, possibly even work for a participating corporation one day.
Contact SocialBox.Biz today
https://www.socialbox.biz/contact-us/
Still need more information ?
PC and Laptop donations exceed environmental standards because re-use is above recycling and corporations, municipalities and private institutions need to make an effort and go an extra mile to demonstrate their green credentials. But more importantly this is also good for the local community – Well done
This is excellent work done by Socialbox on helping those disadvantaged groups re-join our society via donations of laptops, this is how digital inclusion is tackled in a very practical way.
I am going to try and add some value with my perspective and research on
why having a computer is important.
Disadvantaged people especially those living with disability can limit an individual’s range of communication and degree of independence in day-to-day life. Limitation breeds the assumption of limitation, but often these are invalid assumptions. Ideally, we need to find ways to have skills and abilities for each individual, so that these
abilities are available for use in any other parts of of life for example
at home, in school, at work.
How? An ordinary personal computer can make a major contribution in efforts to reach this ideal. And here I’m not talking about the computer technological device for IT savvy people. I’m talking about an alternative to a pen and paper; a way to write for people who have difficulties with hands and arms; a way to keep personal information; a way to speak; a way to read and write without sight. Computing for life.
Much of what is needed will cost money … initially. In a business and government
environment where cost reduction and management to reduce expenditure is a very high
priority it may be hard to contemplate investment in these areas. There are also
advantages to be gained for individuals and organisations. Intelligent,
flexible computing is modern, efficient computing. Many of the most important principles
apply to all-users of ICTs – computers, laptops, donations of laptops etc…
Improve access to and uptake of ICTs. This is not an end in itself, but also a means of
delivering services, conquering isolation, empowering individuals and bringing people with
like interests together. Skills of how to access and use vital information is one of the key skills for employment and involvement in the digital age.
The technology available today to empower and enhance the lives of disadvantaged people.
Vital and difficult questions arise. Where can the needs of an individual and the best solutions for them be professionally assessed? Who will pay? Who will provide the vital training and support? The answers can be fragmented and unclear – one thing in employment, another in
education, another for life at home. The disability maze is a phrase we use. But solutions can be found – and are found, for many people, transforming their lives and enriching the lives of others. Computer technology gives us a new set of options, new
possibilities. But then people need to take over. Computers and laptops only makes solutions possible – it’s people who change lives, using computers for real life improvements.
Computers, Laptops and ICTs in general, have the potential to offset and overcome some of the disadvantages faced by disadvantaged groups, sometimes to a quite remarkable extent. For some people these benefits achieved by owning a computer and working in a standard way and for others the just by being able to access one. ICTs provide access to local and world wide information, often supplementing information available in television and radio programmes and provide a direct route to remote education and learning opportunities. ICTs also provide a remedy to isolation by enabling contact with people who are not in the same physical environment. ICTs can therefore potentially help to improve the quality of life of older people by helping them to live more independently, maintain mental skills and hopefully live with better quality and longer. ICTs also enable participation – with more local, national and European Government interactions
being available electronically, ICTs enable older people who cannot get to their local politician’s
office to still be “visible”, and have the opportunity to campaign, question, and inform political
debate. ICTs also have the potential to enable more older people to participate as consumers, and
further to this, exercise their right to complain. Computer skills and confidence in using computers and the Internet gained from access to ICTs can enable older people to find paid employment, research for career changes or have a greater involvement in voluntary or free time activity. ICTs directly enable home based employment. For the individual, this enhances self-esteem because they no longer see themselves as part of an “illiterate” underclass but a part of an inclusive, modern society.
According to AgeConcernUK; Older people with mobility problems can work, do their shopping, and exchange virtually every type
of information imaginable without needing to go out if they have access to ICTs. People with hearing
difficulties are able to communicate in new ways. For people with impaired vision, the Internet
offers access to new resources.
Many older people are persuaded of the benefits of ICTs or accessing training/learning opportunities
by the fact that they provide an additional way to keep in touch with their grandchildren, or help
their grandchildren with homework, or the fact that by acquiring, then applying computer literacy
skills older people have the ability to share their knowledge and wisdom with each other and the rest
of society, rather than as a means to an end for themselves.
However while technological progress offers new opportunities, it also introduces barriers.
Income is one of the biggest factors, it divides who can and cannot have access as they can not afford computers, laptops or tablets. Having the
financial means to buy a computer, software and training and meet the telephone expenses coupled
with the fact that manufacturers keep updating features and functions, denies access to many people.
One of the challenges that that we still see and possible barriers to digital inclusion is that interface and content are designed by computer technocrats, marketing and media interests and/or existing users. They give advantage to those groups. The medium used – primarily the written word – is often not the first choice of the target groups. Easy manipulation of the written word is not necessarily seen as an essential skill. The increasing commercialisation of the WWW aims more of the readily available content at those with reasonable levels of disposable income. The danger that the Government’s channel policy will have a similar, but more subtle effect needs to be recognised. It may be that not merely the content, but the means of delivery will be distorted to favour those for whom the market already works and thus further disadvantage those for whom it does not. Even where relevant, the purchasing advantage of the WWW is not available to those without bank accounts. ‘Information is power’ is only true if the possessor is able either to use the information or to communicate it. The amassing of facts in themselves gives little perceived advantage. I know this is a bit off topic from donating laptop computers but still would like to contribute.