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Paper presented to the Third International Conference of the Australian Institute of Computer Ethics (AiCE) 2002, 30 September 2002
Helen Scott1, Oliver K. Burmeister2, and Steve Roberts3
1Information Manager
Council on the Ageing (Australia)
2Swinburne Computer-Human Interaction
Laboratory
School of Information Technology
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
3Senior Technology Specialist - Usability
National Australia Bank, Australia
Several recent initiatives have increased the accessibility of e-banking for older people in Australia. Government and the private and community sectors have built significant bridges to cross the digital generation gap. Yet there are policy deficiencies and a lack of partnering with the community to create interconnectedness, particularly in terms of resourcing. This is particularly evident in macro level issues which need to be better coordinated across tiers of government. Community and consumer groups need to be better resourced to enable people to take advantage of e-services. There is an ongoing need to be socially responsive and responsible toward senior citizens through better supporting their values of respect, dignity, independence and social-interconnectedness.
Ageing, digital divide, e-banking, e-commerce.
Significant progress has been achieved in crossing the digital generation gap that has kept large numbers of the Australian community from accessing e-commerce applications often taken for granted by the majority. Yet an inclusive approach that takes account of and gives dignity to senior citizens is only in its emerging stages. This paper examines the progress made, along with shortfalls in both government and the private sector that still need to be addressed. Discussion of e-commerce is limited to e-banking.
On April 15th this year the Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) released new voluntary Industry Standards aimed at improving the accessibility of electronic banking. Launching them, David Murray, Chairman of the ABA, said: "The Industry Standards are important steps in helping overcome the digital divide and will assist individual banks develop or enhance their electronic banking services for older Australians and people with disabilities." (ABA 2002a, p 1)
These new standards arose from identification of an emerging digital divide between those people who could utilise new technologies to improve their lives and those who could not, and were developed by working groups representing all sectors. The standards are designed "to begin the process of eliminating the digital divide by dismantling e-commerce access barriers" (ABA, 2002a, p 1). According to the (Commonwealth) Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) all services and facilities provided by businesses, be they government or in the private sector, are to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Sev Ozdowski, Disability Discrimination Commissioner, addressing the new ABA standards said "Many people with disabilities will for the first time be able to independently and privately conduct their financial transactions electronically ... This is something most of us take for granted. Now people with disabilities can enjoy the same right." (ABA, 2002b)
Maryanne Diamond, Blind Citizens Australia Executive Officer, similarly agreed that these new standards for electronic banking would improve the independence and dignity for older people and people with disabilities. [Note: throughout this paper older people are distinguished from people with disabilities despite the fact that approximately 50% of the Australian population over 60 years have a disability (ABA, 2002a). This is because most older people view their disabilities as the result of ageing, they do not consider themselves to be people with disabilities. Then too the reader should be aware that there are people with disabilities who are ageing and classify themselves both as ageing and as people with disabilities. A general guideline for talking with seniors is to use terms such as 'age-friendly' as opposed to 'disability-friendly' technological products.] Maryanne Diamond, who is blind herself, went on to state:
"Until now, I have been forced to rely on over the counter, face to face banking services, or to reveal personal financial information, including my PIN, to third parties. This was clearly unsafe, but equally important, it was demeaning. I'm blind, not incompetent ... Ready, independent access to services like ATMs makes banking faster, safer and more efficient. It also helps me to keep my self respect". (ABA, 2002c)
Older people are widely recognised as one of the population groups on the wrong side of the digital divide. When talking about older people it is important to stress their diversity, not just statistics about growing numbers due to population ageing (below).
The digital generation gap
Koehler (2001) defines the digital divide as two distinct but related social and ethical issues. These two issues are:
Both issues relate to the gap between those who have access to information and who are digitally literate and those without such access and literacy. This paper is concerned about the first issue only, and is further restricted to the "gap" in terms of it being a generational gap - a gap that excludes older generations from participating in the benefits, perceived and actual, of the information revolution known as e-commerce.
Information literacy and use of the basic technology tools is a pre-requisite skill for participation in Australia's economy and a matter for public policy. The reality is that people without computer literacy, or at least literacy in technology, are already becoming second class citizens. They are further disadvantaged by their inability to use computers to search for a job, to broaden their education, to socialise, to conduct their basic banking needs, access information or even participate as volunteers in community organisations.
Brink (1997) speaks of a 'Digital Dividend' defined as "the benefit from use of digital technology over and above other technologies, which may be economic or non-material in terms of time, effort, satisfaction and social capital". That is, aside from providing people with age-related disabilities access to e-commerce technologies, there is a wider dimension of social responsibility - this wider dimension is picked up on in the discussion of values below.
Senior surfers are one of the fastest growing groups on the World Wide Web (Scott, 1999) - Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show a 220% increase between May 1998 to May 2000 for persons aged 55 or older (ABS, 2001b). Despite this, the current generation of older Australians has a relatively low rate of use of electronic technologies and even lower rates of e-shopping and banking. Recent data shows that the "number of registered online banking users in Australia almost doubled in the past year to reach 5.23 million at the end of March 2002, up from 2.77 million in 2001. Users aged 50-plus recorded the biggest growth rate of 113 percent to reach 775,000 for the 12-month period." (Gal, 2002; note, these results were qualified by the comment that the proportion of active rather than registered users is quite small.)
The proportion of people aged 65 and over in Australia in 2001 was 12.6%, 2.38 million (ABS, 2002). This has been forecast to increase to 17.2% in 2025, and a quarter (24-26%, 6-6.3 million) by 2051, part of a common trend in the developed world where fertility and mortality are declining. The overwhelming majority live independently at home, either with a partner only (46%), family (17%) or alone (28%). (ABS, 1999)
Considering the needs of the ageing also has elements of self-interest. Vanderheiden (1994) pointing to US studies states that by age 55, 25% of the population will experience functional limitations, 50% by age 65 and 70% by the time we reach 70 years of age (should we be so fortunate). Australian data shows that 54% of over 65 year olds in 1998 had a disability, rising to 84% of people over 85. (ABS, 1998). So aside from considering the needs of the ageing, as though 'they' are some other group, we should give thought to our own ageing and to our desires for adequate access to technology in our own old age.
Socio-economic considerations
Designing for access to e-commerce needs to take into account that this requires use of low-cost technologies, readily available to people in the lower socio-economic bands of society - which is where most people with disabilities are located according to a study by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC, 1999). Income inequalities abound - some groups are well-off (the over 65's head up households owning almost half the deposits in the nation's financial institutions), but in fact poverty is the reality for many - 48% of retirees are among the poorest 30% of Australians (ASFA, 2001). Most older Australians are on a low income -75% of the eligible population receive government pensions as their principal source of income (ABS, 2001a).
Funding programs do not necessarily address these inequities. False assumptions are that funding generalist programs picks up everyone, and that community projects do not need ongoing funding after 1-3 years, particularly in rural areas relying heavily on volunteers. Training programs for example have been mostly in metropolitan areas and taken up by people with higher socio-economic status and education levels. Groups with multiple disadvantages, such as older people in rural areas with low income, limited education, low literacy, English as a second language, and indigenous groups miss out unless targeted. The needs of small communities are generally unmet, Tasmania being the exception. The pervasive nature of stereotypes about age result in age discrimination in employment and training for older workers.
In Australia the debate over the digital divide has taken a regional focus due to differences in metropolitan and regional rates of access. However, recent Australian research (NATSEM, 2000) supports overseas findings showing that socio-demographic factors are more important in influencing access to new technology, not regional ones. The most important drivers of Internet access are educational qualification, income, and age, not geography. These results suggest that supply-side policy solutions which have dominated so far will not be sufficient to overcome the digital divide. The Coalition Government's emphasis on private sector competition policy for infrastructure and increased data speeds, and on Networking the Nation funding for rural areas is not an overall or successful policy for addressing the digital divide, and specifically does not address use, access or building online communities for disadvantaged groups or older people. Very few Networking the Nation programs went to older people judging by the NOIE (2000) directory.
A related caution about training is that where age related functional disabilities require the use of adaptive technology, it is highly unlikely that the training facilities will have the appropriate technology. Currently the way training programs are funded, government assistance for adaptive technology is only provided for the individual enrolling in the course. Given the large expense associated with providing multiple, alternate adaptive technologies, few training organisations have this available. This further limits the ability of seniors with disabilities from being able to cross the digital generation gap.
One further consideration in regards to seniors and some people with special needs is that they can take significantly longer than younger people to perform tasks, which has a cost impact for them on ISP, particularly broadband, charges. As with utilities and councils there should be a reduced ISP charge for pensioners or people with special needs.
There are four main areas of e-banking addressed by the new ABA standards. As will be seen in the discussion that follows, the standards have so far only partly addressed the concerns of these citizens. Adoption of the new standards is voluntary, and consumers are sceptical about relying on good will, questioning whether major financial institutions which function quite independently for competitive reasons will be committed to adopting them and addressing any complaints or breaches that arise. Another reason for the financial institutions working independently on this topic is driven by restrictions placed on them by various legislations, such as the Trade Practices Act. Governments need to legislate to provide exemption where combined work would benefit the community.
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
One recent initiative to solve the needs of seniors and others with visual disabilities has been the introduction of voice-enabled ATMs (NAB, 2002), through an initiative jointly supported by the NAB's ATM supplier (Diebold) and Blind Citizens Australia (BCA). The first of these was installed at the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (RVIB), in Prahran, Victoria. NAB says that all their new ATMs from January 2003 onwards will be voice-enabled.
ATM users cite convenience, ease of use and time saving benefits. The major concern of non-users is safety (Owens, 2001, p 46); such as fear of mugging especially if frail. "I'm concerned about security, I don't go to ATMs in the street. I use ones that are under surveillance" (Owens, 2001, p 47).
A drawback in using an ATM or EFTPOS is that it can be a very public display of competence in a queue!
A problem for all users, not only those older or disabled, is the difference in design, user instruction and formatting at the various outlets.
Electronic Funds Transfer at the Point of Sale (EFTPOS)
In most cases where bank staff have performed field observations of customer use of this technology, the 'checkout' operator pressed most of the keys except for keying PIN number or pressing the Account selection key and then the OK key. That is, one advantage of the EFTPOS terminal was that there was a knowledgeable person there to assist.
Trainings with bank staff have led to observations that this is a technology in which support for the ageing is less likely to be an issue. This advantage of the operation of EFTPOS terminals is not just restricted to older people. It may be that the operators find it quicker for themselves to press the buttons. A considerable number of users are still confused when asked is 'that Credit, Savings or Cheque?'. Many people have to stop and think which account they want the goods charged against. The terminology used could be confusing especially if they have "nicknames" for their accounts (one is their 'cheque account', one is 'normal', one is 'savings' and another is for the 'car').
An additional advantage for seniors is that of a perception of safety, as seen in this quote by Owens (2001, p 49) "I prefer to use EFTPOS to ATMs, not open and exposed to the public".
Automated Telephone Banking [also known as Interactive Voice Response (IVR)]
Council on the Ageing (COTA, 2001) relates a respondent saying: "I recall my father in law just a month ago having a very deep conversation with 'a lovely lady' for several minutes only to be confused when he was abruptly cut off - when I re-dialled the number I found he had been talking to a machine!"
A good feature of the new standard is that it allows for the option to speak to an operator, and automatically transfer to an operator when the customer doesn't respond, without financial penalty.
Internet Banking
To keep electronic customers, systems must be excellent - software or hardware glitches are not acceptable, particularly now there are fees for using online services. Pet hates for any consumers are crashing servers, sites that rely on high speed connections and up-to-date computers (older people often have low performing "hand-me-downs") and site updates that make original set-ups invalid. Such difficulties would be largely overcome if website designers were fully cognisant of accessibility guidelines.
Internet banking facilities also need to have the ability to be customized by the user. For example, specific names attributed to different accounts by the user - "Sam's savings account", "Joint Mortgage account", "Mary's credit card account". Seniors find such name attributions helpful as this reduces the load on memory. It allows easy recognition of accounts by not having to associate a large string of numbers to an account type. (NAB allows customers to allocate a "nickname" to their accounts via Internet Banking.)
In summary, the above e-banking technology discussion illustrates that while the universal design principles adopted by the ABA and reflected in the new standards are a significant first step, there are universal design issues that are transgenerational, the implementation of which may be hindered through the independent nature of the standards implementation. Though the discussion is focussed on people with age related functional disabilities, the issues raised here are not issues that only affect a minority who have needs for separate, adaptive programs focusing on age or disability deficits. With each bank taking a voluntary, independent approach, the inter-bank or macro level issues can be overlooked - adopting a colloquialism, the focus is on the trees, not the forest. This is true too in the discussion which follows regarding the government approaches to solving the issues - individual department or tiers of government apply solutions to individual trees, but this is not 'universal'. A universal principle needs to be applied to the forest, at the macro level, for all the trees to get the benefit.
How do 'universal design principles' come into being? One could see these as transgenerational principles about the best fit (or interaction) between technology and people. But in order to better understand the human side of the equation, one has to consider the motivations and values people have. In that consideration this paper is again restricted to seniors.
West (2002), using data collected from 2000 participants in a Seniors-On-Line project and 337 participants in a Technology Classes for Older People project and by referring to the work of other researchers, identified three main motivational themes, that despite individual differences, appear to be significant in the lives of older people when using technology. These are:
In attempting to comply with the new ABA standards banks are implementing a number of initiatives. Amongst these is one by the NAB to train staff already dealing with the needs of ageing customers in better helping them with e-banking products. The following are a list of responses by those NAB staff, given when asked to describe what they thought the needs of their aged customers are, that is, based on their experiences with such customers, parents or grand parents.
The observations are similar to the research findings of Hawthorn (2000), who has carried out extensive studies of functional abilities amongst people from 20 to 70 years of age.
A HREOC inquiry into the Accessibility of Electronic Commerce and New Service and Information Technologies for Older Australians and People with a Disability (HREOC, 2000), as well as papers by Scott (1999, 2001a, 2001b) show that digital generation barriers include:
One might abstract from West's motivations, the values expressed by seniors to NAB staff, the HREOC study and work by COTA, the following higher order values for seniors when engaging in e-banking activities:
COTA has frequently argued that providers of online services - whether this be online bill payment, banking services or downloading publications, must provide alternative methods of access without financial penalty for those unable or unwilling to access them electronically.
When incorporating these values into universal design principles, the digital dividends increase significantly. No longer is the emphasis on the micro issues of enabling access to people with one or another type of disability. Nor is a solution by one bank or one government department sufficient. Solutions for the human side of the interaction between seniors and e-banking requires consideration of the motivations and values they have. Engagement with community groups at a level where they perceive real benefits will accrue to them from participation is required - the best way of spreading the word amongst older people is older people themselves. Here is a bridge to the digital generation gap.
Some of the solutions are inherent in the type of language used to describe the digital generation gap and the bridges across it. Terms such as 'age-friendly' as opposed to 'disability-friendly' technology, 'learning for life' as opposed to 'learning for work' and (Heath, 2001) 'connected community' as opposed to 'information economy', encapsulate the values of older people as seen above.
The HREOC (2000) inquiry's report specifically highlighted the difficulties around adaptive equipment, web page inaccessibility, access difficulties for e-banking facilities (ATMs, EFTPOS and IVR) and other automated devices. Its recommendations encompassed the need to complement online/automated services with human ones (as seen in the EFTPOS discussion above, and by COTA's continued representation of older people's desire to retain face to face services), information provision, community access points, education and training, recycling, standards development, universal design and website accessibility. It is to be hoped that users will be involved in design and trialling any new initiatives, as recommended by the standards.
Older people are a growth market for technology products and education, and need to be recognised not as technophobes, but as a vital consumer group who will purchase and access technologies if they are useful to them. Chronological age is less significant to utilisation of technology than the presence or lack of technological skills, disability, infirmity and dependency. Attitudes to technology are affected by the perceived benefits of using it, positive past experiences, quality of information and instructions about it, training and follow-up, hands-on experience, and the extent to which it meets user needs. (Scott, 1999)
Incentives for compliance or disincentives for failing to comply should be considered as part of the government policy. Current government policy is not an incentive to corporations/businesses as they are taxed for employing people through payroll taxes, superannuation charges, work cover and more. Tax incentives for those who are complying or heavy penalties for those not would encourage action to be taken.
The private sector
The private sector response to the voluntary standards of the ABA has been varied. The NAB are updating their own Disability Action Plan (DDP), expected to be released in September 2002. [There is a register of over 180 DDA action plans online at www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/action_plans/Register/register.html ]. They have also introduced training for staff as seen above, which shows an understanding that to properly address the needs of ageing consumers, not only do those consumers need to be trained in the use of e-banking technologies, but bank staff need to become better acquainted with the needs of senior citizens.
COTA in cooperation with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) introduced and resourced self-service banking programs to their network of approximately 2000 clubs. Retired CBA staff introduced club members to electronic banking by bringing ATMs and EFTPOS equipment, so that members could practice without the pressure of a public environment. No differentiation was made between CBA customers and customers of other banks. CBA also upgraded staff training, produced a specialist video and produced large print brochures. Since then the CBA has partnered with COTA NSW to establish the Sydney COTA/Commonwealth Bank Online Learning Centre to provide older Australians with access and assistance to online technology.
Further funding, sponsoring and partnerships to develop practical innovative grassroots education and access programs needs to come from the banking and finance industry, and government. Community partners should not be expected to subsidise commercial organisations or government by providing information, expertise and a constituent audience via their networks unless they are properly resourced, like the CBA did in the example above. The many good education programs run by COTAs, the Australian Seniors Computers Clubs Association, Universities of the Third Age (U3A) and similar initiatives (see Scott 2001a), where seniors help other seniors, could be extended to include e-finance.
This leads to a discussion of the roles governments can play in this process. For instance, governments could modify various Acts so that organisations can work together to provide consistent interfaces/solutions, so that confusions and the requirements on learnability, memory and cognitive load are reduced.
Tiers of government
Services and websites need to start focussing on customer group needs, rather than delivery according to departmental boundaries. Best practice is perhaps illustrated in the UK where its Audit Office has a mandate to focus on client groups, not the individual department. Australia needs a national strategy that similarly examines the role government can play across departmental boundaries for "joined up" service delivery to older people. We need to create a connected community, which the current top-down decision making between government tiers does not facilitate. A holistic, macro level approach requires the ability to cross departmental boundaries at federal, state and local government levels. Without this there is a risk that only individual accessibility guidelines, for people with certain disabilities, will be considered by disparate departments, and wheels go on being reinvented.
The conflicting agendas, delineation of boundaries and the brochure rather than user-friendly nature of government websites is illustrated by Singh (2002) in attempts to locate appropriate residential care for an 81 year old woman, and by a University of Technology Sydney audit (Dearne, 2002) of NSW government websites.
The 'e' in e-commerce is for electronic, not for exclusion. HREOC President Alice Tay points out that "human rights issues arise when people are excluded from services, information or opportunities because of avoidable barriers to access, rather than simply choosing not to participate" (Tay, 2001).
A holistic, macro level approach to the needs and values of older people requires the ability to cross government and departmental boundaries. What is also needed is commitment by the financial sector and equipment suppliers to make sure that the new e-banking standards are adopted and that there are transparent processes for monitoring progress, remedying problems and dealing with complaints. Laudable as the NAB project is to introduce voice-activated ATMs, this only addresses the needs of a few. Holistic, macro level social responsibility needs to consider the perceived needs of the ageing, as expressed in the values discussion above. This will pay digital dividends not only for the ageing in the community now, but also for you the reader, who like all of us increases in age with the passing of each day.
Copyright © 1997 Council on the Ageing.
All rights reserved.
Revised: 8 October 2002
COTA National Seniors Policy Secretariat [formerly Council
on the Ageing (Australia)
Level 2, 3 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne Vic 3004
Tel (03) 9820 2655 Fax (03) 9820 9886
email cota@cota.org.au