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Voiceover: Seventy-year-old Janet Lui is a retired childminder. She now enjoys her daily life, not only travelling or having tea with friends, but using computers and chatting online with elderly friends.
Voiceover: A year ago Janet had no experience in using a computer.
Janet Lui: Most elderly, including me, had no intention of touching computer, which was more for our sons or grandsons. I was so afraid I would cause problems with the computer, cause a hardware malfunction, or change the settings wrongly.
Voiceover: Last year Janet made use of the money offered by the Government’s Scheme $6,000 to buy her own computer.
Voiceover: With a great interest in learning, she started to train herself on computer knowledge. She trained her fingers to use a mouse by playing computer chess games.
Voiceover: After months of learning, Janet now has her own Facebook account. She watches videos on YouTube and browses the Internet for daily news. She also loves to share photos with friends.
Janet Lui: I like looking at other people's photos on the Internet, especially baby photos. The Internet makes my life happier.
Voiceover: Kwong Chun-hin is a Primary 5 student. Since Primary 3 he has started having computer lessons and homework. However, his family could not afford a computer for him.
Chu Lu-ching (Kwong Chun-hin’s mother): I went to the shops several times and found the minimum price of a computer is from $3,000 to $4,000. Also broadband Internet service requires $200 a month. I also worry about the maintenance fee. All of them are too expensive.
Voiceover: Chun-hin used his school library’s computer to finish homework during recesses and lunch times.
Voiceover: Last September the family bought a computer through the Government’s Internet Learning Support Programme. The price was about half the market price. Now Chun-hin can learn different computer skills with his mother, and they can use the Internet together.
Kwong Chun-hin: Mum used to have long-distance calls with relatives on the Mainland, but the service fee was expensive. Now, with webcams and related software, she can chat with relatives online for free. Also, I can do my homework and absorb knowledge through the Internet.
Voiceover: The Government has worked to build an inclusive, knowledge-based society. A survey found that computer knowledge and usage among the elderly increased from 5.8% in 2008 to 19.8% last year.
Voiceover: For children in low-income families, about 97% of them have computers connected to the Internet.
Government Chief Information Officer Daniel Lai: We are hoping that by the year 2014, all of them will have access to personal computer and Internet at home. And for the elderly persons those are the citizens above the age of 60, through recognition scheme, and through the operation of website and appropriate training programme, we are hoping that the number of persons that can use computer or access Internet could be one in four.
Voiceover: Computer usage for the disabled was 21.3% last year.
Voiceover: Mr. Lai said he would look forward to promoting the Government’s Web Accessibility Campaign to encourage more disabled people to use the Internet and access websites of interest to them.
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