By Gabrielle Canon

The Borchardt Cyber Café might look to some like a classic internet cafe; patrons chat over coffee and pastries, while others use the computers lining the bright, windowed room. Upon closer inspection, however, one notices the cafe’s demographic difference. Housed in the St. Barnabas Senior Center, it serves a population of low-income and multiethnic elders drawn to its relaxed social environment, helpful volunteers and access to computers that are programmed in more than 200 languages.

St. Barnabas Senior Services (SBSS) has pioneered programs designed to bridge the technical divide between generations and help older adults take advantage of the digital age. The Mobile Tech Lab program at SBSS offers computer classes to elders in their communities; the elders can then use their newly learned skills at the Cyber Café.

Census Data released in 2011 shows computer usage more than doubled between 2000 and 2011 for those older than 65. Internet usage for elders grew even more, jumping from 15 percent to 42 percent during this time.

Despite this growth, there are still many who shy away from adapting to technology. The Senior Citizen Journal attributes the lag largely to anxiety over the unknown, highlighting that “misunderstandings are often an important cause of fear and objections.” This divide is even wider for minority elders, who stand to benefit from additional access to resources offered online. “The Encyclopedia of Aging,” published in 2006, attributes this digital divide to lack of access, noting that, “economic, political, and social ramifications for minorities who are not on the information superhighway are significant.”

The program was launched after SBSS President and CEO Rigo Saborio noticed that many of the elders frequenting the Cyber Café never used the computers. After asking around, he began to understand that intimidation and fear were at the root of the problem. “Seniors said that if classes were made available in a safe environment, they would be interested in learning to use computers,” Saborio says. “The research clearly affirms the need for innovative ways to address and overcome the digital divide among older, diverse adults,” he adds, “so rather than wait for people to come to us, we had the idea to take it to them.”

Hence the Mobile Tech Lab, which brings classes directly to participants and is structured to accommodate a diverse population. Bing, a 74-year-old Filipino immigrant who came to SBSS after participating in Mobile Tech Lab classes at her housing facility, remembers overcoming her nervousness. “Before taking the classes I would be afraid and worried about what would happen,” she recalls, “but now I am more confident in learning more.”

Andrés González, the St. Barnabas Coordinator for Special Projects and instructor of Mobile Tech Lab classes explains that many older adults were apprehensive in the beginning of the program, but the classes “knocked down that barrier and created a hunger for new knowledge.” Every class he teaches ends with eager seniors asking when he will be back.

Francis Allen, a St. Barnabas volunteer, agrees. “It can be a daunting task for (seniors) to get their minds around the digital age.” Elaborating, he adds, “the things valuable to seniors are much more web-based and this is a way for [elders] to find additional empowerment.” The “heartfelt thank you’s” he receives are a clear indication the program is making a difference.

With classes at the Mobile Tech Lab many older adults are able to overcome language barriers, generation gaps and geographical distances that separate them from their families living outside the United States. Elders at St. Barnabas also use computers to chart health indicators, such as blood pressure, play games and foster new relationships on social networking sites.

And Saborio says the program offers elders the chance to advocate for themselves. “I strongly believe in this program and its ability to make a difference in chipping away at the digital divide among older adults, especially elders of color,” he says.

Gabrielle Canon is the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for St. Barnabas Senior Services.

This article is brought to you by the editorial board of ASA’s Healthcare & Aging Network (HAN).