By Sharron Callahan, Chair of NL Seniors & Pensioners Coalition

Note: The letter below was sent on March 18 to Minister Sarah Stoodley and Minister John Abbott to express concern with the rapid movement to online services and other digitally-based ways of doing business, resulting in many vulnerable persons, including seniors, being left behind.

I am writing to you now in relation to the efficiency drive by many bodies, including governments and the business and finance communities, to increase the use of digital services for purchases, registrations, recording information, making appointments, banking and many other transactions. While the Seniors & Pensioners Coalition is not opposed to this direction, I want to bring to your attention on behalf of the twelve (12) participating associations that it is important to not improve service delivery by sacrificing equality of accessibility.

As ministers, I know that that you know and appreciate that the basic tenet of a democratic society is ensuring that all citizens have equality of opportunity, of service delivery and of accessibility. Our tax system is progressive so that those who make more pay more and those with lower incomes have refundable tax credits. Our basic health care system is available to all, while drug coverage and financial assistance are available to many people in need. Legislation ensures accessibility; sidewalks have ramps; traffic lights have audio sounds; and, buildings have motion sensor doors or door opening apparatus. Our schools have student assistants, guidance counsellors, resource teachers, and employ technology to assist special needs students.

While these technologies have created opportunities in our society to reduce inequities, they have at the same time, created new inequalities, which is the purpose behind my communication to you on behalf of the Coalition. Let’s take parking in downtown St. John’s as one example of this new inequality. We are hearing from many sources that seniors will no longer go downtown because they have to use an app on their cell phone for parking. In most of these cases, these folks either do not have a cell phone, do not understand the technology if they did, and must walk a distance to find the toll booth.

In the last thirty years or so, our world has become digitized. It has brought wonderful opportunities in communication and efficiencies to production, transportation, medicine, etc., but as the pace of digitization is increasing, it is leaving a considerable sector of our older community behind.

Digitization is widespread and it implies a population that is comfortable with using it, but for many that comfort is not there. Digitization means less face-to-face contact and more electronic communication. If one does not have access to digital technology or the knowledge to use it, they are excluded.  Even though the pace of digital lines of work and business are expanding, provision must be made to ensure accessibility to public and private services until the digital processes and how to use and access them are available to everyone. The traditional service delivery methods must be retained until that has happened to ensure accessibility.

Our Newfoundland and Labrador community has many seniors and an increasing number cannot afford the technology and if they did, they lack the requisite skills to use it. Government and business services must be delivered so that seniors can access them. It is not sufficient to say “go online”, if there is no online available locally or the technology to access is neither available or affordable. Government and business need to find other delivery methods so that seniors can access the service or ensure that it is delivered to them.

Government has legislation and regulations that can be employed to ensure that other services offered by other sectors of society to seniors meet the bar of reasonable accessibility. For example, if the Post Office decided to completely eliminate home mail delivery, regulations need to be enacted to ensure that non-mobile individuals can retain home delivery in some form and/or mail boxes are situated and maintained in accessible local areas. Another example is the elimination of counter banking services. Many seniors still prefer to have face-to-face access to a customer service agent, do not like being bullied to use a scary bank machine, and deserve respect to complete their transactions. A third example I offer is the completion of tax returns online, applications for licenses, making health appointments, and so on. Many are being denied services and the help they need because they lack the knowledge and the technical skills to complete these online transactions.

This Coalition does not dismiss this move to a more technology-based method of business and commends the province in its energetic plan for broadband access throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. However, it is incumbent upon government to lead by example and it is also incumbent in the name of efficiency and a true desire to remove inequities that government is not creating new inequities.

All levels of government and business that deliver services to seniors must meet the seniors at their level to be fully accessible. Until access to digital learning and services is more advanced, seniors will need to continue to interact with a living, breathing human being in a timely and supportive manner. To not accommodate this is to create another inequity.