​To allow the elderly to experience digital life, the Digital Policy Office (DPO) announced today (June 26) that a new round of activities under the "Smart Silver" Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Programme for Elders (the Outreach Programme) will be launched gradually starting early July. Since its launch in 2014, the Outreach Programme has been well received by the elderly, with the number of participation exceeding 150 000. For the new round of the Outreach Programme, it is estimated that no fewer than 45 000 elderly people will participate in the programme, and at least 400 mobile digital service station activities will be held.
      
     Through an open invitation, the DPO has earlier engaged three non-profit-making organisations (NPOs) - The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Yan Chai Hospital Social Services Department - to implement the new round of the Outreach Programme. Under the programme, ICT outreach activities focusing on using smartphones, tablet computers and other ICT solutions to help improve elderly people's quality of daily living and connect them to society will be organised for elderly people receiving day care centre services, the hidden elderly, and elderly people in the community. The activities include teaching elderly people to use applications closely related to daily life and helping them improve their muscle strength and eye-hand co-ordination through digital technology products, such as augmented reality games, smart robots and reaction lights. These allow them to experience the benefits brought about by digital technologies.
      
     The three NPOs will also organise mobile digital service station activities across the territory to proactively promote the series of activities under the "Smart Silver" digital inclusion programme for the elderly led by the DPO, introduce common mobile applications of public services to them, answer their questions on the use of smartphones and provide them with anti-fraud information and security tips. Relevant information about service hours and locations of mobile digital service stations has been uploaded to the Elderly IT Learning Portal (www.it2.gov.hk/tc/about/mobile_booth.php) (Chinese only) for reference.
      
     "We are grateful for the support of the NPOs in the previous round of the Outreach Programme and for their contributions to the promotion of digital inclusion. The DPO hopes that members of the public will actively encourage the elderly around them to participate in the digital inclusion activities of the 'Smart Silver' programme and join hands with the Government to promote the use of digital technologies by the elderly, so as to build a digitally inclusive and caring society," a spokesman for the DPO said.
      
     In order to allow members of society to enjoy the benefits of digital technology, the DPO promotes various digital inclusion measures under the "Smart Silver" programme to help those in need (especially the elderly) understand and use digital technology products and services. These measures include outreach programmes, mobile outreach service stations, regular and fixed-point training on digital technologies and technical support, enriched ICT training and a web-based learning portal, enabling them to use digital technologies effectively and safely and fully integrate into the digital society. Members of the public can visit the DPO website (www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/our_work/digital_government/digital_inclusion/) to learn about the details of various activities under the "Smart Silver" Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders.

Ends/Thursday, June 26, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:00

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