The Seniors’ Agenda and the Digital Inclusion Workgroup for Older Adults is pleased to announce a three-part series in March 2021 addressing the Digital Divide and Older Adults. The series includes:
March 11, 1:30 to 2:30 PM – Use of Technologies with Older Adults to Help Support a Meaningful Life – Wesley Cheng, TeleVisit
Wesley Cheng is the founder and executive director of TeleVisit.org, a not-for-profit organization focused on mitigating social isolation and loneliness among older adults. He also started the PBC Village, a virtual village that serves the practical needs of older adults. He co-founded KonaWare, a wireless applications company and then HabitatCare, a research and consulting company focused on aging-in-place technology solutions. Wesley has spent 16 years in management positions at Hewlett-Packard and Cisco Systems. He is COO at Stack Labs, winner of the 2016 Aging 2.0 competition for its Smart Home solution. Wesley received his BS Computer Engineering from University of the Pacific, and MS Computer Engineering from University of Southern California.
March 18, 1:30 to 2:30 PM – Telehealth, COVID-19, and the Older Adult – Mei Wa Kwong, Center for Connected Health Policy
Mei Wa Kwong, JD has over two decades of experience in state and federal policy work. She is the Executive Director for the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), the federally designated National Telehealth Policy Resource Center. She has written numerous policy briefs, crafted state legislation and led several coalition efforts on a variety of issues and assisted states in their telehealth efforts, particularly in Medicaid and public health.
Ms. Kwong is recognized as a national expert on Telehealth policy. She helped create the model statute language that became the basis of the 2011 California state legislation that updated California Telehealth law, published several articles on Telehealth and Telehealth policy in various peer reviewed journals and is the co-author of CCHP’s 50 State Medicaid Telehealth Reimbursement Survey. She has been consulted by state and federal lawmakers on Telehealth legislation and policy and is sought out by the media to provide insight on Telehealth issues. Ms. Kwong is a sought-after speaker who has spoken to a variety of audiences including health industry executives, physicians, journalists, attorneys and various national organizations.
Prior to joining CCHP, Ms. Kwong was the Policy Analyst for Children’s Home Society of California where she worked on education and early childhood issues. She was recognized for her work by the Child Development Policy Institute.
Ms. Kwong is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School and has a BA in International Affairs.
March 25, 1:00 to 2:30 PM – Connecting the Unconnected: Programming in the Age of COVID-19 – Kami Griffiths, Community Tech Network
Kami Griffiths is the executive director and co-founder of Community Tech Network, a nonprofit with the mission to transform lives through digital literacy. With over 15 years of experience working in the public sector, Kami has developed a passion for helping people gain access and better utilize technology, after witnessing firsthand how the digital divide and low literacy levels were aiding the cycle of poverty. She has worked for the City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation, managing 27 public access computing centers, teaching computer classes and establishing their volunteer trainer program. As the Training and Outreach Manager for TechSoup Global, Kami greatly expanded her knowledge and understanding of the nonprofit technology field, having conducted over 200 interviews with librarians and producing over 100 webinars. She is a founding member of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and speaks nationally about digital inclusion.