Digital Literacy Program for Immigrant Seniors

The first principle of Canada’s Digital Charter declares, under the topic of universal access, that “all Canadians will have equal opportunity to participate in the digital world and the necessary tools to do so, including access, connectivity, literacy, and skills.” While connecting Canadians to reliable and affordable internet access is essential, it is also vital that they know how to use it in ways that benefit them.

ANIW’s work plan is to address the digital gap by collaborating with seniors not only for technical proficiency in using digital tools, and encompassing a broader range of abilities, but also helping them understand digital content, critically analyzing online information, and creating and sharing digital content responsibly and ethically.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Digital Learning for Immigrant Seniors:

Since its inception in 1986, the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women (ANIW) has connected and empowered immigrant women across the province. ANIW has led and supported initiatives that foster equality, equity, justice, and learning.

In the past decade, with funding from the NHSP (New Horizons Seniors Program) program, ANIW has provided several training programs for immigrant women and immigrant seniors e.g., financial literacy; ageism; Covid19 restrictions and building resilience; fraud, scams and its impact on immigrant seniors and others.

Empowering Seniors Through Digital Literacy

The pandemic left elevated levels of social isolation among many of our most vulnerable citizens, particularly immigrant seniors.
To add to the initial and post-settlement challenges, information and communication technologies have become integral tools for accessing and disseminating information in Canada, where over 92% of the population uses smartphones, iPads, Smart Watches, and tablets.
Digital literacy plays a vital role in fostering social inclusion, empowerment, and participation across various domains such as the economy, education, politics, and culture. Seniors, in particular immigrant seniors, face unique challenges in navigating the digital landscape, which has been particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has highlighted the importance of digital inclusion for ensuring equitable aging experiences.
Some of the topics that will be included in the presentations will be:

Using Email
Responsible use of the Internet and Internet safety
Social Media (Navigating Websites/Safety)
Communicate/Use Social Networks
Artificial Intelligence AI
Using Google Tools
Using Other Tools
Cloud Services (What are Cloud Services)
Personal Safety (Health – Medic Alerts etc.)
Computer Skills (Basic)

One of the major benefits of digital literacy for seniors is social connectivity.
Seniors can leverage social media, video calling, and learn more about other technologies to not only connect with loved ones and reduce these feelings of loneliness but also find a new and productive avenue of learning.