Bridging Connectivity Issues in Digital Access and Literacy: Reflections on Empowering Vulnerable Older Adults in Singapore (Preprint)

Abstract

UNSTRUCTURED Socially isolated older adults of lower socioeconomic privileges are a significant fraction of technologically-advanced developed societies who are at a significant risk for both physical and mental health issues during this global COVID-19 pandemic. This article describes a ground-up initiative for a volunteer-run digital literacy program in Singapore targeting these vulnerable older adults and focuses on the barriers faced in empowering these participants with digital access and literacy in a multilingual society. This article further offers possible solutions to overcoming these hurdles that may provide insight into societies choosing to foray into equipping a vulnerable population with digital skills for the modern intra- and post-pandemic era.