As a survivor of domestic abuse, I found myself jobless, and living out of my car due to my ex's manipulative control tactics and destructive behaviour. It was during this critical time that I faced the harsh reality of being without access to basic technology. This personal experience has ignited a spark in me and underlines the urgency of this petition. I run a non profit startup that repairs technology that is donated in the community, and return it to the community free of charge through homeless prevention and domestic violence survivor programs and shelters. The problem is there are barriers to how items can be donated, and with limited supply and resources, small programs like this can only make a tiny impact. We want to change that.

There remains a significant digital divide within our city, Kingston, ON, Canada, which is predominantly affecting low-income and vulnerable communities. Affordability should not be a barrier to accessing life-changing, and often life-saving technology for these communities. Yet, this is the harsh reality we face today.

The Right to Repair movement has been creating waves around the world, making technology more accessible by forwarding repairs rather than replacements, cutting costs and waste generated. But we need support from our government officials to move this further.

We urge them to back the Right to Repair, legislation that would mandate companies to make their products repairable, thereby reducing the costs associated with tech devices. By doing so, we can prevent corporations from monopolizing the repair market, and instead, foster local entrepreneurship and non-profit organisations that can provide little to no cost solutions for these communities.

We call upon government officials to take action, support local non-profits that are working tirelessly to provide low-cost/free repairs, and more importantly, support the Right to Repair. Bring affordable technology within reach of every individual in our city, regardless of their socio-economic status.

Your signatures can help us demand that tech accessibility becomes a priority. Please support this cause by signing and sharing this petition.