We thank Ms Shermaine Ang for her letter (Set up office to help seniors the pre-digital way, Nov 16). The Ministry of Communications and Information is committed to help every Singaporean, regardless of his background and starting point, seize opportunities in the digital economy, and thrive in our shared digital future.
We adopt a multi-pronged approach to support seniors in their digitalisation journey. Programmes such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority's digital clinics, e-payment learning journeys, and the People's Association's Tech Connect initiative, which is available at 38 community clubs, are curated to cater to seniors' habits, needs and preferences.
Building upon these efforts, we set up the SG Digital Office (SDO) in June and brought together a network of digital ambassadors, volunteers as well as corporate and community partners to help more Singaporeans, including seniors, go digital. Since then, SDO has embedded 1,000 digital ambassadors on the ground, and also set up 60 SG Digital Community Hubs islandwide to provide personalised assistance for seniors to pick up digital skills to communicate, stay connected with their family and community, access and navigate digital government services, as well as conduct e-payment via their smartphones. More than 40,000 seniors have been supported so far.
Besides digital upskilling, the Government is also improving the design of digital government services to enhance their user-friendliness and accessibility. Government agencies adopt the Digital Service Standards, which comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, an internationally adopted standard ensuring digital accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Everyone can play a part in Singapore's digitalisation journey. We hope that seniors can adopt an open mind and be ready to learn. Families and friends can make a difference by supporting and encouraging them. As for the Government, we will continue to work with business and community partners to equip seniors with the skills and confidence to adapt to an increasingly digital society.
Grace Ng
Director, Digital Readiness and Learning
Ministry of Communications and Information
