Internet still ‘no-go’ area for over-60s

ILLIONS of over-60s are still struggling to adapt to an increasingly online world

Two out of five older adults feel they are anything but “tech savvy”, new research has found

And one in five are finding it hard to get to grips with the online tasks they are now required to carry out on a daily basis

In the survey of 1,500 over-60s, six out of every 10 believe it is harder for older generations to adapt to technology because they lived through a time without it –whereas younger people have never known any different

But the research by BT also shows many older people are keen to improve their online knowhow

Almost half of those asked want to learn more tech skills, as 46% feel they have to rely on gadgets and technology most days

And 65% believe you are never too old to learn new things Of those asked, 37% said doing so has made their life easier, while 18% said using technology has helped them feel less lonely n There are an estimated half a million people across Merseyside and Cheshire who remain offline The cost of living crisis is likely to lead to even more people being digitally excluded

Long lost pic turns up on online

IAM one of those over-60s who is far from being “tech savvy”

But using the internet as part of my job has at least given me a few basic skills, which makes life so much easier

It’s also just helped me find a copy of a long lost photograph

The last time I’d seen the cherished black and white school picture of me

by TOM DOWLING editor

and my brother, Jim, in our new Wolves footie kits, was in 1976, and I had assumed it was lost forever

That’s until I posted a request on Facebook’s

Liverpool Old School

Photos site

“Does anyone have footie images of Whitefield Road CP school during the early 60s?” I asked Amazingly, next day one picture was posted by someone unknown to me and it was the picture I’d been searching for all those years

Jim is holding the ball, I’m the little kid, freezing cold, front row, left A big thanks to Tony Holman for posting the picture and to those running this very popular Facebook page I’m hooked now

If you have the contacts and the desire to help us develop new relationships with public and private sector bodies, we’d be delighted to hear from you

End school segregation

THE FIGHT to end segregation and have all disabled children taught in mainstream schools is being stepped up.

The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) is working to build a coalition of disabled activists and allies who see inclusive education as a social justice and human rights issue.

Michelle Daley, ALLFIE’s director, said: “We know inclusion works But at the moment there is no meaningful investment or interest from government in making inclusion thrive and be sustainable ”

She said mainstream schools often refuse disabled pupils, particularly those with high support needs

Sight loss hits learning

A WORRYING gap in achievement between children with vision impairments and their sighted classmates has been revealed

And the difference in attainment lasts throughout their school lives, a sight loss charity has found

Caireen Sutherland, head of Education at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: “There are clear and concerning disparities in the quality of education from primary school all the way up to GCSE level and beyond.”