ESCAP Digital literacy toolkit for older persons
The ESCAP Digital Literacy Toolkit equips older persons and first-time users in Asia and the Pacific with the essential digital skills they need for everyday life. Developed under the project “Developing Tools to Increase Digital Literacy of Older Persons,” the toolkit was shaped by community-level needs assessments and pilot training with older people's associations in Cambodia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam, drawing on good practices from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
The toolkit includes:
- Video series – 21 short episodes (1.5-2.5 minutes each) across five skill areas, available with subtitles in English, Khmer, Hindi, Lao and Vietnamese, with International Sign Language integration in every episode
- Learner Guide: Digital Skills for Everyday Life – available in English, Khmer, Hindi, Lao and Vietnamese
- Trainer Guide: Facilitating Digital Skills for All Ages– available in English, Khmer, Hindi, Lao and Vietnamese
All materials are freely available, can be adapted to additional country contexts and languages upon request to ESCAP, and are released under a rights-based, gender-sensitive framework. Select an episode below to start learning.
Episodes
Episode 1:
Getting Started with Your Smartphone and the Internet
5 videos
Episode 2:
Social Media and Communication Skills
6 videos
Episode 3:
Information Skills – Searching Smart on the Internet
3 videos
Episode 4:
Safety and Privacy Skills
4 videos
Episode 5:
Online Services and Secure Transactions
3 videos
Guides
The Learner Guide and Trainer Guide are available for download in English, Khmer, Hindi, Lao and Vietnamese.
Learner Guide: Digital Skills for Everyday Life
1 January 2026
A step-by-step companion for older learners, covering all five episodes with practice exercises, tips and reflection activities. Available in English, Khmer, Hindi, Lao and Vietnamese.
Facilitating Digital Skills for All Ages: A Trainer Guide
12 March 2026
A comprehensive resource for trainers, facilitators and community workers delivering digital literacy training for older persons. Available in English, Khmer, Hindi, Lao and Vietnamese.
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