Older people are newly-discovered as an economic factor and the relevancy of ICTs for elderly people is an important topic for the government. But in spite of many awareness rising campaigns and projects the market of potential "Senior Citizens" is yet not realised in an adequate manner. Furthermore most of the projects aim at accelerating the access to the Internet for older and disabled people, whilst other ICT-based applications are discussed to a lesser extend.
The Federal Government pursues a policy on supporting all citizens to take an active part in economical and social life. Model of this policy is an activating and preventing welfare state. Poverty and social exclusion have to be prevented. Part of this guideline is a policy, which enables all citizens to take advantage of a fast developing economy and society.
In the "Nationaler Aktionsplan zur Bekämpfung von Armut und sozialer Ausgrenzung 2001- 2003" ("National action plan on fighting against poverty and social exclusion 2001- 2003") the Information Society and new ICTs are especially mentioned. A main objective of the German policy is to give access to the new ICTs to all societal groups with special emphasis on disadvantaged groups."
Concerning labour policy and elderly people the Federal Government noticed that the demographic change has an influence on the labour market. A provident labour market policy is necessary to prevent a shortcoming of qualified employees. The German "Bundesanstalt für Arbeit" ("Public Employment Office") has implemented a working group for elderly employees. This working group deals with image upgrading and further education to make elderly people interesting for the labour market. A lot of education training courses concern ICT in order to compromise elderly people at a growing labour market. Instead of early retirement from the labour market, the primary objectives of labour market policy measures should include in future increased employment of this group of persons, prophylactic prevention of unemployment and reinsertion of those who are already unemployed. A central element in improving the employment opportunities of older workers is to involve this age group more intensively in further training in companies. The partners in the alliance agree that further training in companies is a primary task of undertakings and of workers themselves.
The social legislation in Germany includes no special regulation for ICT. But some regulations allude to ICT. With regard to older people the majority of the legislations are integrated into the general Social Code, unless they are special regulations concerning care. ICT are not explicitly mentioned in the different parts of the German Social Code, but there are various passages which could be useful for the implementation of ICT.
Constructional equipment, means of transportation, technical objects of utility, systems for information diffusion, accoustical and visual information sources and communication institutions have to be created without barriers. 'Information technology without barriers' requires from public sector bodies to create websites suitable for disabled people. The Federal Government is working towards the creation of websites suitable for disabled people by commercial suppliers as well.
As mentioned, ICT are not especially mentioned in the laws listed above, but there are loopholes in the different laws, e.g. providing opportunities for financial support for ICT applications. In general the lack of knowledge of disabled and older people prevents an adequate exhaustion of the different laws.
In Germany there are numerous associations representing the special interests of older and disabled people. In order to not specify every single association, worth mentioning in the first place is the umbrella association "Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Seniorenorganisationen" BAGSO representing first of all older people organisations. The BAGSO stands up for the interests of older people in Germany and the main focus is on creating basic conditions to guarantee older people a self-determined way of life. In total, 78 associations, organisations and initiatives are consolidated in the BAGSO and altogether more than 10 million older people living in Germany are represented by the associations combined in the BAGSO.
In Germany there is one special party dealing with the interests of older people called "Graue Panther". Furthermore every large party in Germany has got a special working group for older people. These are, just to mention a few examples, "60plus" of the SPD or "Senioren-Union of the CDU. All these working groups are mostly members of the BAGSO. The main objective of "60plus" is to represent older people both inside and outside the SPD.
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