Fighting loneliness with technology: AbilityNet LIVE!

Watch the recording of this free webinar:

Part of AbilityNet Live!

It seems as if overnight public and private services, social lives and more switched from the physical to being online. 

However, not everyone has access to the devices or the infrastructure they need to help them to get online. In this FREE webinar, we'll hear from two charities who have been working hard to reach out to those who are isolated and don't have the technology. Devices Dot Now and Wavelength have both been funding devices in the community.

We discuss what impact technology can make, and how AbilityNet can help older and disabled people overcome some of the challenges of using them.

Wavelength: loneliness and technology charity

Wavelength gives out a range of devices to people who are lonely and living in poverty to enable them to participate in everyday life.

Devices include TVs, radios and tablets. 

People who receive the technology self-report better health compared to two months before and a reduction in loneliness. We'll find out more about the scheme, and who and how it can help.

The DevicesDotNow initiative

The DevicesDotNow initiative is a specific Covid-19 response from FutureDotNow, which is a collaboration between the private and charity sector. Founding partners are Accenture, BT, City of London, Good Things Foundation and Nominet. 

Its mission is 'to empower everyone to their in a digital UK'.

Specifically, DevicesDotNow has worked with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to get devices to the 1.9 million households who do not have access to the internet. It has asked for donations of tablets and other devices and distributed these to vulnerable people in the community.

The initiative has already launched an interim report, and so we'll hear about how it's going so far. 

How AbilityNet can help

AbilityNet believes in a digital world accessible to all. We help older and disabled people to use technology through a network of 300+ DBS-checked patient and passionate volunteers.

Our volunteers can help you adjust technology to make sure it works for you including making the text bigger if you have a visual impairment, or using a screen reader with your device - and everything in-between.

We provide general tech advice as well as specialist tech advice for those living with vision, hearing, cognitive or motor impairments. 

Support is available online and by phone. 

You can read more about how we have been supporting people through the pandemic

Date of webinar: 
30 Jun 2020 - 13:00