Help for seniors, children and people with disabilities to access the Internet
From Channelnewsasia.com (24 Nov 2007):
IDA to spend S$2.5m to get senior citizens connected to the internet
The government plans to get three-quarters of all senior citizens aged 55 years and above to gain access to the internet within two years. Children and the disabled will also benefit under the InfoComm Development Authority (IDA)’s plans. IDA is extending its NEU PC programme, which has helped to equip 24,000 needy households with a computer bundle, to introduce an extra mile of financial support called iNSPIRE Fund. IDA’s iNSPIRE Fund will be administered by the Children’s Society.
Reported in The Straits Times (25 Nov 2007, via Asiamedia.ucla.edu)
8 centres for elderly to learn to surf Net and blog
The Silver Infocomm Initiative will train 30,000 senior citizens in courses ranging from basic computer appreciation to setting up a wireless network at home to blogging. The fund will be used to set up and run eight infocomm learning centres for senior citizens in the heartland.
Speaking at the launch of the first of the eight infocomm centres at Bishan Junction 8, Dr Balakrishnan vowed to increase the proportion of Net-using senior citizens to 75 per cent within the next two years.
Dr Balakrishnan, who is also the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said infocomm technology is essential to everyone today, but there were three groups of people who were at risk of being left behind — the elderly, the disabled and the less well-off families.
