The Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, is going to initiate ex officio action against public administrations to ensure greater accessibility for citizens, face-to-face attention when necessary and easy-to-understand language in the current process of digitalisation.
Gabilondo considers that the use of simple, easy-to-understand language by the different public administrations – local, regional and national – when addressing citizens would solve many of the communication problems that currently exist. It also calls for face-to-face assistance to be provided to those who have problems with new technologies because they are victims of the digital divide: the elderly or people living in isolated areas, or those who do not have the necessary digital tools to resolve their doubts and respond to their demands.
The Ombudsman believes that the transition to new tools, new technologies and new ways of proceeding is necessary and essential, but it is also necessary to guarantee the rights that citizens enjoy, without producing greater vulnerability.
Ángel Gabilondo will also address the Bank of Spain, as supervisor of the Spanish banking system, to ask banks to provide face-to-face banking services to customers who do not have the means, devices or skills to access digitalised services -online banking-and ATMs.
Similarly, the Ombudsman is following up on ex officio actions in the different sectors of the Administration and public services to guarantee face-to-face attention when citizens require it, in order to ensure adequate accessibility.
