Focus ROMI.HR

MYTHS ABOUT AGING AND TECHNOLOGY

It is common to hear that older people struggle with technology because of age. While it is true that some cognitive and physical changes can come with aging, these differences vary greatly from person to person. Many older individuals are fully capable of learning new skills, especially when they are given the time, training, and support to do so.

The real problem lies elsewhere; most digital systems today are not designed with older users in mind. Instructions are often unclear, interfaces are complex, and support is limited. When people struggle under these conditions, they are quickly labeled as incapable, instead of questioning whether the system itself is accessible.

DIGITAL EXCLUSION IN ROMA COMMUNITIES

For Roma communities, digital exclusion is rarely caused solely by age, as many younger generations also face exclusion. It is shaped by a combination of structural inequalities, including poverty, limited access to education, unstable internet connections, and long-standing discrimination.

Older Roma people often face multiple layers of exclusion at once. They may have had fewer educational opportunities in their youth, less exposure to technology during their working lives, and fewer chances to receive digital training.

As a result, when public services move online, many are left behind. In daily life, this can mean difficulty accessing healthcare systems that require online registration, challenges applying for social support through digital platforms, and dependence on younger family members for basic digital tasks.

THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

What is often overlooked in discussions about technology is the value of older people’s knowledge and experience.

Older Roma individuals carry decades of lived experience, cultural knowledge, and community insight. Most have navigated complex social systems, adapted to change, and developed practical forms of knowledge that are rarely recognized in formal policy discussions.

Yet when it comes to technology and innovation, their voices are often missing. When systems are designed without input from those who will use them, they risk becoming less effective, inclusive, and fair.

WHO IS TECHNOLOGY REALLY DESIGNED FOR?

The way society discusses technology shapes who is included and who is excluded. If older people are consistently portrayed as passive, incapable, or resistant, policies and technologies will reflect those assumptions. They will be designed for them, but not with them.

This creates a cycle where older people are excluded from design and decision-making, systems fail to meet their needs, and difficulties are used to justify further exclusion. To break this cycle, perspectives must shift. Older adults, including those in Roma communities, should not be seen as a “problem” to be solved, but as active participants with valuable insights in conversations that affect them directly.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

Digital inclusion is not simply about teaching older people how to use devices. It requires broader changes in how systems are designed and how policies are developed.

This includes designing technologies that are simple, clear, and user-friendly, alongside targeted support through training programs tailored to older users, including those from marginalized and minority communities such as the Roma. It also requires inclusive policymaking that directly involves older people and recognition of knowledge by valuing lived experience as an important form of expertise. For Roma communities, this means addressing the deeper inequalities that shape access to technology.

PROJECTS FOR INCLUSION

Initiatives such as the Digital Inclusion for Roma Adults (DIRA) project (2021-2023), funded by Erasmus+ and led by organizations Romni-APS (Italy), Deaconess Foundation (Finland), St. George’s Day Citizens’ Association (Udruženje gradjana Đurdjevdan) (Serbia), Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies (FICT) - Bitola (North Macedonia), and Sumnal (North Macedonia), demonstrated how digital inclusion can be effectively addressed.

The project focused on providing adult education to 150 Roma adults and coaching 8 Roma trainers in Italy, Finland, Serbia, and North Macedonia, aiming to improve access to digital tools, e-services, and financial knowledge among Roma communities. It provided multilingual, accessible training resources through an online learning platform, responding directly to the rapid digitalization of essential services during COVID-19.

This example illustrates that the issue is not an inherent lack of interest or ability, but rather the absence of structural support. When access to training and appropriate resources is provided, engagement with technology increases, challenging dominant narratives that portray marginalized groups, such as the Roma, as resistant or incapable users.

DIGITAL EXCLUSION IN CROATIA

Research and policy reports from institutions such as the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG-JUST) highlight that the increasing digitalization of public services has deepened existing inequalities for Roma communities. In Croatia specifically, bodies such as the Government Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities (Ured za ljudska prava i prava nacionalnih manjina) have documented persistent barriers in access to essential services.

As healthcare, education, and administrative systems increasingly rely on digital platforms, many Roma individuals continue to face obstacles, including limited internet access, lower levels of formal education, and marginalization. In this context, older Roma people are particularly affected, as they often experience multiple and overlapping forms of exclusion. These dynamics reinforce the argument that digital inequality is not simply a question of age or individual capability but a result of how technological systems and policies are designed and who is considered within them.

TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE DIGITAL FUTURE

As societies continue to digitalize, the question is not whether older people will be included but how. Ignoring the needs of older Roma risks reinforcing existing inequalities and creating new forms of exclusion. Meaningful inclusion and knowledge recognition can strengthen communities, improve access to essential services, and create more responsive and effective systems.

Digital inclusion must go beyond infrastructure and skills, emphasizing dignity, participation, and recognition. Technology must work for everyone, not just the few it was built for.