ELDY - bringing the computer to the elderly

Acronym of the case:

ELDY

Web address of the case:

http://www.eldy.eu

Country of the case:

Italy

Posting Date:

27 June 2008

Last Edited Date:

22 September 2008

Author:

Enrico Neri (Eldy)

elderly | Seniors | freeware

Type of initiative

Project or service
Promotion/awareness campaign

Case Abstract

Eldy is a project to bring elderly to an enriching web and computer experience. Eldy is the name of the project, the name of the freeware software and the name of the no-profit organization behind the initiative. With Eldy senior can use email, browse the web, chat, get weather info, see digital pictures, streaming, etc, in a clear GUI, with big labels in a friendly language. Eldy is both easy and nice - so the experience is effective and entertaining. Eldy has over 150.000 users in Italy and is a fast growing community given the strategy of Local Public administration, that is strongly helping the diffusion of the software (i.e : over 1.400.000 cd's are being distributed and a lot of training initiatives are being put on place).

Description of the case

Domain

eInclusion

Topic

ICT and Aging | ICT and community development | Digital literacy and competences

Sector

Education, Science and Research | Culture and Media | Local/Regional Community Development

Start date - End date

August 2007 (Ongoing)

Date operational

January 2007

Target Users

Older people (60+) | Minorities and migrants | People with no or poor digital literacy

Target Users Description

We target the senior. Our payoff is "Tutti in rete appassionatamente" (All on Net with passion).

Scope

National

Status

Implementation

Language(s)

English | French | Italian | Dutch

Policy Context and Legal Framework

Project Size and Implementation

Type of initiative

Participation

Overall Implementation approach

Partnerships between administration and/or private sector and/or non-profit sector

Technology choice

Proprietary technology | Standards-based technology | Mainly (or only) open standards

Funding source

Public funding regional | Public funding local | Private sector | Charity, voluntary contributions

Project size

Implementation: €1,000,000-5,000,000

Yearly cost:

€500-999,000

Implementation and Management Approach

Local administration and local non profits can distribute the software and organize training courses in schools and social centers.

Technology solution

Eldy is freeware, released with standard EULA (end user licence agreement) perpetual and free-of-charge.Eldy is a Java desktop application, a desktop itself and a framework; Eldy is also a Linux distribuition. All servers are Linux Debian and web services based. Eldy servers provide all email, chat, RSS and web services.

19-9-2008. ELDY LINUX released: http://deb.vegans.it

Impact, innovation and results

Impact

Eldy is the first software to allow over 55 to enjoy the internet and the computer.

Eldy has over 150.000 users since January 2007. These users are mostly (>95%) over 55 and most of them (>70%) did not use computer before installing Eldy or having Eldy installed.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - If we provide senior and illiterate users a clear software, they get in love with technology.

Lesson 2 - Technology is empty without a community and friends to be found just a click away.

Lesson 3 - Software is a good starting point, but without traning, motivational support and - also - marketing, even the best software on a brillant CD is completely useless.

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This Freeware really applicable to the elder

05 December 2010 | 4101 Visits | Rating: 2.8 (maximum:5)

Though, I don't have comments on this idea, but was impressed the initiative set by on. As what I observed in many offices and home. People aging 50 above depending so much on their young worker, every time they call some assistance. I such case, disturbing so much on the part of the other worker.

Hoping that this freeware should be so friendly and easy to apprehend with the elder one.

This Freeware really applicable to the elder

05 December 2010 | 3970 Visits | Rating: 2 (maximum:5)

Hoping that this freeware should be so friendly and easy to apprehend with the elder one.

Eldy dissemination

03 July 2008 | 6533 Visits | Rating: 3 (maximum:5)

I think Eldy is a great open source contribution to help elderly use computers. You mention that Eldy is available in french but the package to download from sourceforge is only localised in english. Do you need contributions to build a french version or is the release available form another channel ?

What is particularly interesting is the access to public administration services and to e-health. I am keen on building such experiments in France using the software and your know how on e-health and public services.

Eldy dissemination & licence & versions

03 July 2008 | 0 Visit | Rating: 4 (maximum:5)

Dear Leroy, the actual "stable" release (1.6) had poor French translation. We had good translation from a French volunteer just some days ago: tumorrow we shall compile it with latest and I will provide the link both in our directory and to your email. The installation process for the moment will just be Italian-English.

The new version (Eldy 1.7) is under development and will soon be end of July in Franch too;I think in that version all the installation process shall be in French too.
One important note: Eldy is not open source, but has been published with a standard EULA (end user licence agreement) like skype or other common freeware.

this is a general view of the mainstream Eldy:
- Eldy 1.6 (stable) Windows: today on server
- Eldy 1.7 (July 2008) Linux, Windows : with skype integration and drawing
- Eldy for blind (Sept 2008)- Windows : Jaws compliant
- Eldy for people with very bad motion problem: for touchscreen with big button phone (Sept 2008)

"Tutti in rete appassionatamente! "
(all online with passion)

Eldy and training elderly on computer

03 July 2008 | 0 Visit | Rating: 4 (maximum:5)

Denise points out an important thing.
Eldy (freeware for the elderly , see the case) , even if you give user the CD at their hands of our software , can express it's real effect only if we support and at least some basic, even un-structured training, and motivation to proceed into digital life.

We work very hard to provide elderly different training opportunity.
- support from local (eg. at library , where they can find pc and a micro-training)
- at social centers (with training, with or without computer lab)
- at recovery house(with training, with or without computer lab)

One good thing we have seen is that - for the way Eldy has been engineered- in a matter of minutes elderly start chatting and writing email, so they get confident and get motivation.

we have seen that the "Train the trainer" approach is the best. The best is if the members of family are involved into teaching to elderly.

Since september there 's a brand new way of teaching: you will see in a matter of hours a new Case online here at eupractise from dott.ssa Anna Bianco, President of Eldy

Anomymous

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Josep Lluis de la Rosa

hi, i cannot access to the url. what is the correct one?

24 December 2010 | 0 Visit | Rating: 3 (maximum:5)

what is the correct one?

Leroy Christian

elderly | ICT | Accessibility

Enrico Neri

Eldy in French (with latest translations)

04 July 2008 | 0 Visit | Rating: No votes

dear all,
thank to GIlles Chapron, here's the link for latest Eldy in French.

http://toyux.vegans.it/eldy_1_6_FR.exe

Enjoy.
Enrico

Denise Senmartin

Question

02 July 2008 | 6513 Visits | Rating: 3 (maximum:5)

Do you also help elderly without a computer/without family to explain them basic uses? i.e. informing them where they can go to use a computer/find support?

elderly

practice ELDY - bringing the computer to the elderly