In August, FEMA changed its disaster policy, and everybody who receives federal aid from the agency must now have an email address and must register and deal with disaster-related issues through a FEMA portal. WIRED reported having seen an internal document from FEMA that said the change is “an important step to prepare for the transition to digital payment methods and enhance communication with survivors throughout the application process.” The change is the result of an executive order in March that tasks the entire federal government with going digital and discontinuing the writing of checks for payments.

This is the first time I can recall any government agency that is only willing to correspond with constituents digitally. A huge number of local, state, and federal government systems have gone online, but I can’t recall any government processes that didn’t allow people to do things in person or using a telephone.

FEMA told WIRED that about 80% of people who need aid already do the process online. For folks who are unable to do this online, FEMA has always sent people into disaster areas to meet with and talk to people. In my area after Hurricane Helene, FEMA set up tents at public sites that were advertised on the radio. In the worst hit places, FEMA staff went door-to-door. Apparently, such local efforts are not going to happen in the future.

This is a really big deal because there are plenty of people who are illiterate and can’t deal with an online system. There are more people with no digital literacy skills, particularly a lot of the elderly, who will not be able to figure out an online portal. There are still people in every community who don’t have home broadband, don’t have a computer or laptop, or don’t own a smartphone. These people are going to be unable to interact with the government if all communications are by email and a portal.

The FEMA online process will be a huge barrier for folks with no digital skills or broadband connectivity. The process starts by registering with FEMA through a portal. The portal will then ask people to verify who they are, which means taking and sending pictures of documents. The portal will be the only source of communication for the entire assistance process. My experience with government portals suggests it won’t be as easy to use as advertised, even for people with good digital skills.

This is particularly troublesome for an agency with the mission of helping areas struck by emergencies. My region of Appalachia was decimated by Hurricane Helene. Cities and towns mostly got power and cell coverage within a few weeks, and a few more weeks to get home broadband. But a few towns were so devastated that outages were much longer. A few towns were wiped off the map. There was a handful of rural areas that were without power for months. There are still some remote roads that have still not been opened a year later. Immediately after the hurricane, nobody here was able to connect with FEMA online.

I’m sure that this is only the start, and it’s not hard to envision that all interactions with the federal government will move online. The IRS has already stopped paying refunds by check. The agency encourages people to get a bank account, but will send money on a prepaid debit card or a digital wallet. I shudder thinking of the government helping somebody who lost a home by mailing a debit card.

What is probably the most disturbing about this is that these new requirements come on the heels of NTIA cutting $3.5 billion in digital equity grant funding that was aimed at helping people improve digital skills and learn how to get online.