BT has supported RNIB to carry out a study to investigate why many older blind and partially sighted people aren't using the internet.
By talking to older people we learned that many believed that their sight loss prevented them from using the internet, and many weren't aware of how assistive technologies could help them. It is clear that service providers could do more to enable and support older people with sight loss and that local and national organisations for blind and partially sighted people play an important role in connecting people with local IT volunteers where the service was available.
Older people with sight loss who use the internet told us that they use it for communicating with family and friends, downloading music and books, and accessing information independently. They also emphasised that computer training and ongoing technical support, not only at the point of set up, but beyond, is crucial to ensuring they remain online.
The report includes a number of recommendations for stakeholders including RNIB, the government, internet providers, and older people with sight loss and their families, to address the barriers people face.
Full report into IT and older people, and the recommendations