AN OPEN LETTER TO THOSE WHO SCORN OLDER COMPUTERPHOBES

I have found that is is often open season on chastising older individuals who   use apparently lame excuses to avoid learning how to use the Internet and or computers.  They believe they have considered every argument presented, such as "I might break it" or "I don’t need one."  They may even argue that, with the "accessibility" features built into newer computers, those with vision difficulties have no excuse to not learn this valuable tool.

Well, I am writing to challenge your thinking about seniors' reasons for avoiding the 'net.  I believe they are asking the wrong question ("why won't they learn") and instead should be asking "what are the barriers to their learning?"  One possibility is that some disease process is getting in the way of their learning.  For those with macular degeneration or other vision problems, utilizing unaccommodated technology may prove overwhelming and a stark reminder of the losses they are facing daily.  It is often argued that the accessibility components on newer computers should help those with disabilities, but these features usually require a specialized trainer to help those individuals access and tweak these special features as well as individualized training in using the computer and Internet.  Often, these bare bones "accessibility" features  are not adequate to work around a disability, and the appropriate technology is often at least as expensive as a basic computer system itself.  Even the venerable Microsoft acknowledges that it’s Windows Magnifier is inadequate for those with significant visual difficulties:

More importantly, for those even in the earlier stages of dementia, including Alzheimer's, new learning (learning new tasks or new ways of doing old tasks) becomes increasingly difficult.  On top of the humiliation of not being able to do these activities, there is often diminishing insight into the failures they face.