Digital Exclusion and Its Impact on Older Adults
Digital exclusion is a nationwide issue that disproportionately affects older people. In a time when more and more essential services are moving online, many are getting left behind. According to research from Age UK, one in five people over the age of 65 do not use the internet at all.
The majority (67%) of UK adults who are “offline” are over 70, says the Centre for Ageing Better. This is why ACE IT exists, to improve the health and wellbeing of those over 50 by helping them to access the digital world and online services.
The Beginnings of ACE IT
ACE IT began in 2001 as a subset of Age Concern Edinburgh and became a charity in its own right in 2005. We ran the Edinburgh Silver Surfer’s group from 2003 to 2016, and have been running the Moose in the Hoose project in Edinburgh care homes since 2005.
This involves bringing digital devices into care homes to empower the residents using the digital world, such as quizzes and reminiscence activities like listening to their favourite music on YouTube or seeing their childhood home on Google Earth. One care home resident even created a chart-topping album, the Lost Songs of St Kilda, with the help of an ACE IT volunteer!
Current Initiatives and Services
Today, as well as the Moose project in care homes, we provide free one-to-one coaching to anyone over 50 in Edinburgh who needs help with a digital device or getting online. This can take place at our offices in central Edinburgh or at various community locations across the city.
Learners are paired up with a volunteer who will go at whatever pace they need to help solve their problems and learn new skills. We also run free online safety presentations throughout the year which cover common concerns such as online banking, password management, viruses, and avoiding scams.
Volunteer Opportunities
We rely heavily on volunteers to provide our essential services and are always looking for more, for both the Moose service in care homes and our one-to-one coaching. In 2023, ACE IT was awarded a Volunteer Friendly Award to recognise the effort we have made to make the charity a great place to volunteer.
You don’t need to be an IT expert to volunteer, but confidence with everyday digital devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) is necessary. For the Moose in the Hoose service, volunteers take on more of a socialising and befriending role rather than teaching or coaching. Ideally, volunteers will be able to provide two hours of their time a week.
More information on volunteering, and how to apply, can be found on our website.
Stay Connected
To keep up to date about ACE IT and what we do, subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media (we are @aceitscotland on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). If you need help with a digital device or getting online, feel free to send us an email at info@aceit.org.uk or call 0131 667 2053.