• Ofcom Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled People

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23 September 2010This paper reports a research study that looks at ways that technology can help people who are often at the periphery of our society to play a more active role in the economy and in their local communities.

Now that we are all going to be working for longer, and there is a desire to tackle worklessness and encourage the economically inactive to become economically active once more, technology can help people who are often at the periphery of our society ‐ such as disabled or older people – to play a more active role in the economy and in their local communities. It can also play a role in helping people remain independent, living in their own home, for longer. For younger disabled people it can play a key role in ensuring their lives are as diverse and media-rich as their non‐disabled peers. Text messaging has revolutionised the lives of young deaf people on the move in the past decade.  Next generation broadband has the potential to deliver the same impact in the home.

This report brings together examples of a wide range of applications that this technology has the potential to deliver. Some of these can be delivered only by next generation networks, whilst others can be delivered through more reliable and consistent broadband connections at current speeds, with more sophisticated, richer applications possible via next generation networks.

This paper reports a research study conducted by i2 media research, commissioned by Ofcom's Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled people (ACOD), on next generation services for older and disabled people.