Initiative Overview
Ageless Access was a statewide digital inclusion initiative designed to support aging adults by expanding access to technology, building digital skills, and strengthening trusted local support systems.
Administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging and implemented by the CDE, the initiative recognized the growing role technology plays in health, independence, and social connection later in life. Ageless Access combined statewide coordination with regionally embedded Digital Navigators, ensuring older adults could access hands-on, human-centered support in their own communities.
Program Snapshot
Requests for Help
Events Supported
NC Counties Served
What We’ve Learned So Far
At the heart of Ageless Access was a hybrid delivery model that paired statewide leadership with local presence. Over the life of the program, CDE deployed 11 Digital Navigators across 16 regions and all 100 North Carolina counties, allowing the initiative to scale while remaining responsive to local needs.
Ageless Access Digital Navigators worked in partnership with community institutions—such as senior centers, libraries, housing providers, and nonprofit organizations—to integrate digital opportunity into existing services and programming. These organization-facing engagements helped communities better understand how access to technology and digital skills support independence, service delivery, and the quality of life for aging adults.
Alongside this systems-level work, Ageless Access prioritized community-facing digital skilling opportunities. Ageless Access Digital Navigators hosted workshops and learning sessions in familiar, accessible settings where older adults could build confidence using everyday technology. Participants learned how to use smartphones and laptops, navigate social media, communicate online, and engage with digital tools that support connection and independence.
Depending on regional capacity and available resources, some Ageless Access teams also facilitated device distribution, providing tablets, smartphones, or laptops to aging adults who lacked access. Device support was paired with training and follow-up assistance to ensure technology could be meaningfully integrated into daily life.
Across its duration, Ageless Access received 858 requests for help from aging adults and supported 1,229 events statewide. The initiative demonstrated how combining statewide coordination with community-based delivery can expand digital inclusion while strengthening local capacity to sustain this work over time.
As the program concluded in December 2025, Ageless Access stands as a strong example of how digital navigation models can be adapted to support aging adults—meeting people where they are and helping communities across North Carolina build more inclusive, connected futures.
How the Work Happens
Ageless Access was delivered through a hybrid regional implementation model that balanced consistency with local trust.
- Statewide Leadership
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging, served as grant administrator, with CDE acting as grantee and program lead—providing coordination, training, and shared standards. - Regional Delivery
Digital Navigators were embedded within local communities, including placement through regional Councils of Government, ensuring support was accessible and culturally responsive. - Community-Based Partnerships
Work was carried out in partnership with trusted institutions—such as senior centers, libraries, housing providers, and nonprofit organizations—to support the development of digital opportunity plans. - Hands-On Support
Digital skilling, device support, and follow-up assistance were designed to build confidence—not just access—so technology could support health, independence, and connection.
