Vistabeam brings 'Empowerment Center' to Chappell

CHAPPELL -- Vistabeam has a program to make computer use less daunting. They are called "Empowerment Centers" where people not necessarily comfortable with megabytes and social platforms can learn how to navigate the web.
Vistabeam is providing the Chappell Senior Center with a computer, monitor, keyboard a mouse, a camera and microphone. The equipment allows seniors to take advantage of the Empowerment Center's digital skills program. Two employees in the Chappell area will act as "digital navigators" who will learn the computer program modules, and then train others.
"People can come here and they can get on the computer and they can learn how to navigate the web, or they can learn about online bill-pay. Some companies they say they want to charge you and extra $2 a month for paper billing. So if they went with online billing, they could come down here, hop on and go to a bill-pay site and pay a bill. Or, like I say, they can learn some skills on the computer," Matt Silverman of the Business Development office of Vistabeam Internet said October 25.
Silverman was present at the Chappell Senior Center during the presentation by Sedgwick County Health Center CEO Aidan Hettler. One of the questions asked of Silverman is if the computers at the Senior Center could be used for a remote medical visit. Hettler said Sedgwick County can do tele-health visits, but they prefer patients visit a physical location. He said it has to do with what insurance is able to accept and allow; they usually reserve tele-health for inclement weather.
Silverman said there are also programs for seniors to purchase desktop or laptop computers are a reduced cost.
Vistabeam offers Chappell area customers fixed wireless service, and fiber to the home. They offer high-speed internet to rural residents.