Fear and lack of technical aptitude have left many elderly Americans on the forgotten side of the digital divide. That divide is even wider for those older U.S. citizens who don't speak English. Generations on Line (GOL) recently launched software that aims to reduce that digital divide and engage elderly Spanish-speaking Americans in the online world.

''Technology meant to facilitate communications, ironically, has alienated our oldest generation,'' says Pappas, COO of GOL, a small non-profit in West Philadelphia.

According to a 2007 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and Pew Hispanic Center, only 32 percent of Latinos who are Spanish-dominant use the Internet, and among those over age 71, only 17 percent are online.

GOL Espanol, made possible in party by a grant from IBM, is based on GOL's self-teaching onscreen tutorial that has been used in English in more than 1,300 senior centers, retirement homes, and public libraries throughout the country since 1999. The uncluttered, elder-friendly interface guides the user through basic applications like free e-mail, Web searches and useful links.

In addition to social implications, there are significant economic repercussions for the digital-less elderly with the advent of e-commerce. Travel and lodging are heavily discounted on the Web, information and access for government benefits are available online, and outdated items like paper airline tickets tack on more cost for many purchases.

Searching for deals on airfare might be a little further away for some older Latinos, but for now they seem to be enjoying their introduction to a new online world.

''In our beta tests, we’ve seen a lot of smiles, an awful lot of excitement and a lot of gratitude,'' says Pappas.

Source: V.J. Pappas, Chief Operating Officer for Generations on Line
Writer: Joe Petrucci

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