Dot-com alliance to help the aged access Internet

Source: Xinhua | 2019-01-28

SHANGHAI will establish an alliance to make Internet services more accessible to the aged and disabled, the first of its kind nationwide.

The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information, together with top dot-com firms, will establish an “Accessibility Alliance.”

A number of Shanghai CPPCC  (Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) members told the meeting that many aged people didn’t know how to use online services such as online reservations, taxi-hailing and food delivery.

The commission will join with “several dozen” firms including Huawei, Didi Chuxing, Ctrip and Dianping to offer specialized accessibility designs for aged people and those with vision impairment.

The commission has cooperated with local community officials to train aged people to install and use applications, covering hospitals, food, transportation and banking.

In 2018, the commission held over 100 training sessions to help about 3,000 people over 60 years of age, said Qiu Wei, big data development division director of the commission.

“The alliance will debut in the first half — it should be the first nationwide,” Qiu said. The alliance echoed proposals from CPPCC members, including Tao Yinyan.

He said that although Shanghai is developing rapidly in information and services, aged people often face “embarrassing moments.”

They don’t know how to use new devices and new services, such as online reservations for hospitals and government bureaus, how to call a taxi using apps, and even picking up delivery items using code-scanning machines, Tao said.

Online services should be designed for accessibility, such as big characters and simplified processes, Tao added.