Digital Skills for Older Adults

Canada is facing a digital skills gap that is excluding older adults from digital society. This is a significant issue for a growing older population, with projections showing that Canada’s population aged 85 and older could triple to nearly 2.5 million people by 2046. Older adults encounter significant barriers to digital literacy including limited basic digital skills, affordability issues, lack of tailored training programs, disability-assisted devices, and concerns regarding their privacy and safety online. Although efforts have been made to address the digital skills gap, they have had little success in addressing the wide-ranging needs and challenges faced by the older adult population, especially those from equity-deserving groups. As such, targeted, evidence-based interventions are needed to ensure effective design and delivery of digital skills training programs.

This report aims to support national and local dialogue by presenting existing research on digital literacy including older adults including the latest data on the older population and barriers to digital literacy. The authors also provide insights into effective training programs and partnership opportunities.