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LIVERPOOL MAN LEADS THE UK IN PIONEERING BT PROJECT TO CONQUER FEAR
OF THE INTERNET
A disabled man
from Liverpool is playing a leading role in a pioneering BT
initiative to tackle widespread technophobia and fear of the
internet. Ayotunde Falana is among the 1st people in the UK to
take part in BT’s ‘Crossing the Divide’ project, intended to
help internet novices take their first steps ‘online’.
Just 3 weeks ago the 44-year-old was one of the millions of people
who had never used the internet and was too daunted to surf the net
on his own. Now Ayotunde, originally from Nigeria, has taken
his first steps towards conquering his fear of the technology and
crossing the ‘digital divide’.
He now has his sights set on not only using the internet to keep in
touch with family and friends around the world, but also to access
up-to-date news and information, especially about his beloved
Liverpool Football Club and to launch a new charitable trust to
highlight and help disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa.
Ayotunde, who has lived in Liverpool since 2005, used to work in the
shipping industry until developing peripheral neuropathy – a
debilitating condition which causes a thickening of the nerves.
His restricted mobility brought on by the condition means Ayotunde
spends most of his time at home, so his new skills have helped him
to feel more in touch with the outside world. Ayotunde had
just started learning basic computer skills at a local
EverybodyOnline taster session, when he was approached by them to
take part in BT’s Crossing the Divide project.
He said:- “It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me. It’s
like bringing the whole world into my home. Getting started has been
a lot easier than I thought it would be. I’m baffled and astounded
by the amount of information there is at my finger tips and how you
can effectively go round the world in just a few minutes!”
Ayotunde has already begun surfing the net and emailing family and
friends across the world, and has even done some online shopping.
Over the next few weeks he is looking forward to learning how to
transfer digital photos from his camera onto his laptop and maybe
even experimenting with a webcam. He is also keen to try out
the city centre’s new wireless network when he is well enough to go
out and about with friends, following the launch of Liverpool as one
of BT’s first Wireless Cities at the end of last year.
Nearly 1 in 3 people in the UK do not use the internet and research
shows fear is often the main reason why these people miss out on a
whole range of potential opportunities only available online.
The BT project, the 1st initiative of its kind, will see internet
novices from across the UK setting out to cross the so-called ‘digital
divide’. Each participant is provided with computer
equipment and one-to-one lessons arranged by BT and delivered in
partnership with EverybodyOnline, to help them get to grips with the
technology and start to overcome the mental barrier of going online.
EverybodyOnline project co-ordinator Lucy Campbell has been working
closely with BT to deliver the training programme to Ayotunde.
By the end of the 8-week training Ayotunde and other participants
will have gained the confidence and know-how to email friends or
clients, shop online, contribute to social networking sites,
download music, access local government amenities and even set up
their own websites.
Ayotunde said:-
“Before my illness I felt little need to use the web, and if I did
need to use it, a colleague would help me but since it’s become
harder for me to get out and about, I have increasingly lost touch
with a lot of people and have felt more and more isolated.
I
found the prospect of going online a little daunting at first, but
I’ve been really surprised at how much I’ve been able to get out of
it and what a useful source of information and powerful research
tool it can be, even at this early stage..."
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"....It’s given me a
new lease of life and independence, as well as renewed confidence.
Learning to email is helping me to communicate quickly and
efficiently, bringing me closer to people even though they may be
thousands of miles away.”
Ayotunde is keen to
use his experiences to help others who may find themselves feeling
similarly isolated as a result of a disability, as well as to
develop his ideas for a new project, which aims to support
charities, hospitals and faith-based groups working to close the
poverty gap in the UK and Africa.
Peter Connor, BT’s regional manager for the North West, said:-
“The digital divide is a major problem in the UK. Millions of
people are missing out on the huge benefits offered by the internet.
It is vital for these individuals and for a UK economy increasingly
focussed on internet technology that they are able to get online.
Otherwise, a substantial minority of the UK population will find
itself even more isolated and excluded.
Crossing the Divide is an important part of BT’s campaign to make
the internet more accessible to everybody. Other initiatives include
our work with the charity Citizens Online, BT Community Connections,
which awards internet-ready computers to community groups across the
UK, and BT Internet Rangers, helping young people encourage adults
get online.
We really have seen dramatic changes in Ayotunde since he started
the internet training course. From increased confidence to genuine
excitement about developing his hobbies – Ayotunde has really
benefited. Above all, he has seen that the internet is not something
to be feared but rather an amazing tool that can help him further
his interests and passions, as well as help him stay in touch with
his family and friends, near and far.
He has also seen it can be tremendous fun and is looking forward to
inspiring other who are hesitant about the internet to face their
fears and get online too.”
As part of the Crossing the Divide project, psychologist, Dr David
Lewis, will be using the latest technology to investigate the impact
going online has on the brain and nervous system in order to explore
the differences in responses between a seasoned internet user and an
internet novice. He said:- “If you haven’t used the
internet before, going online can create the same level of anxiety
as that found in a learner driver taking the wheel for the first
time. In some cases we have even seen levels of fear as high as
those found on someone taking their first bungee jump! Yet for
seasoned users it can have the opposite affect and be as relaxing as
a massage.”
Dr Lewis is working with the participants to help them understand
and overcome the psychological barriers that have stopped them
getting online up until now. He said:- “What is interesting
about the digital divide is that it is not necessarily an issue of
accessibility - a quarter of non-users of the internet live in a
household with an internet connection. More often the barriers are
internal, stemming from a fear of the technology. It will be
interesting to see whether the trial will be enough to build the
participants’ online confidence, or whether more needs to be done in
terms of support and guidance to help them become tech savvy.”
Helen Milner, managing director of UK online centres, which provides
people with free or low-cost access to computers and the internet,
said:- “It’s easy to assume everyone is already online, and
that the ‘digital divide’ is dead, or at least on its last legs. But
the truth is it was never just about access - people need the skills
and motivation to use ICT too. And there are still a significant
number of people without the right combination to take part in the
digital revolution. Our research shows around one in 12
households don’t have access to a computer, a mobile phone or a
digital TV.
What’s more, those already at a social or financial
disadvantage are three times more likely to be on the wrong side of
the digital divide. 75% of socially excluded people are also
digitally excluded, and missing out on the benefits computers and
the internet can provide.” |
