Por Redaccion 
Minister of Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue, and Administrative Simplification, Antonio Sanz highlighted during his speech on the first day organized by the Sendertic Association, in collaboration with Ada and La Caixa Foundation, the Andalusian Government’s commitment to «Inclusive and transversal digitalization where no one is left behind». He emphasized the initiatives promoted by the Andalusian Digital Agency (ADA) to address the digital divide in the elderly segment.
Antonio Sanz argued that «Age should not be a barrier to embracing technological progress, quite the opposite» and stressed that «technology is a crucial ally for the elderly population to stay connected, informed, and entertained.»
The councilor assessed the interest of elderly individuals in updating their skills to navigate the current world during the event held at Caixforum Sevilla, emphasizing the importance of digital training that enables them to «Interact, learn, create, and be autonomous». He affirmed that «here in Andalusia, we are taking a step forward,» as evidenced by the Andalusian Digital Skills Report 2023 prepared by ADA, which certifies that Andalusian Internet users aged 65 to 74 with basic or advanced digital skills exceed the national average by 2.6 percentage points.
In this regard, he highlighted several initiatives promoted by ADA to educate digital citizens in general and specifically to combat the digital divide in the elderly population. Within the framework of Andalucía Vuela, a program that unifies actions in the field of digital transformation aimed at citizens, essential measures have been developed to ensure access to digital opportunities from any point in the Andalusian territory. The commitment to transformation Quema rojo rojo, composed of over 700 digital skills centers, promotes open innovation and internet access, reaching all municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants and disadvantaged areas in larger municipalities.
Furthermore, Andalucía Flues offers an Older Adults Digital Guide on its platform, starting with basic internet concepts and progressing to training on email and social media use for the elderly. It also covers essential digital security notions and applications that assist the elderly in communication, online shopping, and other online activities. It includes a digital management section facilitating obtaining a digital certificate or managing appointments for health centers, along with other online services offered by the Andalusian Government.
With the goal of ensuring digitalization reaches all citizens, the councilor highlighted the Click_a program, a project developed in collaboration with the Red Cross to provide personalized companions to the elderly and socially excluded individuals, aiding them in navigating digital environments independently, efficiently, and safely for inclusive digitalization.
Antonio Sanz emphasized that the council had all Andalusians in mind when embarking on the transition to Andalucía 100% digital, «regardless of their social status, age, or place of residence.» He stated, «We are all on board in this transition to a fully digital world because our challenge is to ensure no one is left behind; the new technological tools should not be a reason for exclusion but for inclusion.»
Under the motto «Combining longevity with technology,» the event was organized by the non-profit Senior ICT Association to contribute to the digital culture extension among the elderly population in Spain and Andalusia.
The event also featured interventions by Jiménez, General Director of ADA; Carlos Pérez, president of the senior association; economist Iñaki Ortega, and cardiologist José Ángel Cabrera. The closing ceremony was attended by Vice Presidency, Tomás Burgos, and the delegate of the Board of Directors in Seville, Ricardo Sánchez.