Korea should develop and distribute senior-friendly digital devices and education programs to protect the rights of older adults so that they can access information and bridge the digital divide amid the ongoing digital transformation, the national rights agency said, Monday.
According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), it recommended the minister of science and ICT on Feb. 2 reduce the gap in digital connectivity for older adults and enhance their inclusion in digital-based activities by providing multiple options for them to access information and services necessary for their daily lives.
The recommendation comes amid the ongoing digital transformation, where mobile apps and digital kiosks have been increasingly introduced to replace in-person services since the COVID-19 pandemic.
From ordering food at restaurants to buying train tickets, several services in daily life here have gone digital.
However, older adults often remain less connected to the digital world and feel excluded from the changing trends, as many face difficulties learning and using new technologies due to age-related vision and hearing loss, the group explained.
According to the science ministry’s 2022 survey on the digital divide, the level at which older people used digital information technology stood at 69.9 percent.
This figure is lower than that of other socially vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities at 82.2 percent, low-income earners at 95.6 percent and farmers and fishermen in rural areas at 78.9 percent.
Meanwhile, older adults have also shown low digital literacy as the digital transformation continues rapidly, with only 14.4 percent of Koreans aged over 70 viewing smartphones as a daily necessity, according to the 2022 report by the Korea Communications Commission.
Thus, taking affirmative measures to lessen the gap in digital connectivity and skills is imperative in protecting their basic rights and upholding their dignity in their later years, the NHRCK said.
“The government should institutionalize (digital) education programs based on elderly people’s preferences and demands and foster a digital educator workforce who can provide specialized education based on seniors' understanding,” the group said.
Also, Korea needs to establish state-led policies in order to finance, develop and supply senior-friendly digital devices and technologies while encouraging companies to follow them and develop universally designed products that are accessible to everyone, regardless of their age, disabilities and other factors, the NHRCK added.
The government should also provide analog services as an alternative to digital ones, the NHRCK noted.
The government should provide information and services via mail, phone and in-person help that older people are more familiar with in order to prevent their exclusion from information and services necessary for their daily lives and help them develop digital skills.
Furthermore, the group recommended the government introduce relevant statutory provisions and state-led policies for grants and support the rights of older people to access digital information, the NHRCK added.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Lee Hae-rin
Quelle/Source: The Korea Times, 19.02.2024
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