This paper analyzes the barriers to information and communication technologies (ICT) use among extremelyunderserved minorities such as impoverished immigrants in the USA. In particular, we explore the physical and psychological barriers that prevent Hispanic day laborers in Seattle from making effective use of computers and the Internet. Based on a mixed-methods study that combined structured interviews, focus groups and observations among day laborers members of non-profit Casa Latina in Seattle, WA, we suggest a typology of barriers to ICT. We also suggest the use of a heat map for ICT training that addresses both the physical access and the emotional capacity barriers faced by underserved communities. Addressing emotional barriers as well as technical skills is critical for these extremely underserved populations to make effective use of ICT in ways that effectively meet their information and development needs.

We discuss access, skills, and emotional barriers to computer literacy among immigrant day laborers in the USA, and we prototype Fearless Cards (http://www.fearlesscards.org), a novel design to help these and other underserved communities overcome emotional barriers to computer and internet use. In addition to lacking technical skills, day laborers experience strong emotional barriers: fear, anxiety, lack of self‐confidence, and limited English language skills. Through an iterative process of design and testing in partnership with a non‐profit in Seattle, Washington, USA, we developed the Fearless Cards, a set of basic, easy‐to‐use instructions to help extremely underserved populations overcome their fears and lack of self‐confidence to learn to use computers and the internet in ways that help them improve their lives. Fearless Cards are important because they help reach the deep pockets of exclusion and allow people who are extremely marginalized to gain self‐confidence and break the emotional barriers that prevent them from starting to use computers and the internet.

We present a prototype for Fearless Cards, a novel design to help underserved communities such as Hispanic day laborers overcome emotional barriers to learn computer and internet use. Hispanic day laborers experience strong emotional barriers in addition to lacking technical skills: fear, anxiety, lack of selfconfidence, and limited English language skills. Through an iterative process of design and testing we developed Fearless Cards, a set of basic computer literacy instructions that are bilingual, familiar, and easy to use. Fearless Cards help reach the deep pockets of exclusion and allow extremely marginalized populations such as immigrant day laborers gain self-confidence and overcome emotional barriers that prevent them from starting to use computers and the internet to meet their daily needs.