The presentations and transcripts of all M-Enabling Australasia 2013 sessions are now available. M-Enabling Australasia 2013, held on 14-15 August 2013, brought together the who's who of disability advocacy, policy makers, manufacturers, developers, service providers and consumers to discuss how to make technology more accessible for people with disability and older consumers.

The event included a stimulating program of speakers and panels discussing accessibility trends as well as a showcase of the latest related innovations. Several important announcements were made.

Please note that all presentations have been converted to Acrobat PDF from the versions supplied to us by the speaker. Further, the transcripts were produced by a live captioning service during the event and may contain inaccuracies.

Day 1, Wednesday 14th August 2013

9.00-9.20am  Opening Session
docxTranscript23.75 KB

Johanna Plante, Chairperson, ACCAN

Welcome to Country:

Cultural Representative,
Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council

Speakers:

Jill Riseley, General Manager for Digital Inclusion, Telstra

Teresa Corbin, Chief Executive Officer, ACCAN

9.20-9.35am  The view from Canberra
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Senator the Hon Kate Lundy,
Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy

9.35-10.15am  M-Enabling: The international perspective
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Moderator:

Dr Scott Hollier
,
Project Manager and Western Australia Manager,
Media Access Australia

Keynote address:
 

Axel Leblois
, President and Executive Director, G3ICT
pdfPresentation798.83 KB

Axel Leblois will provide an international overview of the rapidly evolving possibilities of mobile technology in providing greater access and inclusion for people with disability and older people.

Mr Leblois will highlight the success of M-Enabling initiatives around the world and outline how G3ICT promotes accessibility to information and communications for people with disability.

This opening session will include a moderated Q and A, setting the scene for two days of collaboration, discussion and exploration of the opportunities and challenges in the rapidly developing mobile environment.

10.15-10:45am  Why M-Enabling matters to Australia
docxTranscript20.89 KB

Speaker:

Prof. Graeme Hugo
, University of Adelaide
[Pressentation is available on request]

The session will examine the Australian context by highlighting current population figures of older Australians and people with disability, and identifying future demographic trends. From this solid evidence base, we can draw conclusions about current and future market demand for accessible mobile technology to meet the needs of an older population and those with disability.

10.45-11.15am  Morning break: M-Enabling Showcase opens

11.15am-12:30pm  Mobile technology: The great enabler
docxTranscript41.78 KB

Moderator:

Prof. Gerard Goggin, Chair,

Department of Media and Communications,
University of Sydney

Panellists:

Axel Leblois, President and Executive Director, G3ICT

Claire Tellefson, Digital Literacy Co-ordinator,
Able Australia
pdfPresentation409.93 KB

Greg Alchin, Technology Expert

Jeremy Way, General Manager, Jeenee Mobile
pdfPresentation747.99 KB

Mobile technology is a potential game-changer in improving economic, workplace, educational, political and social participation for people with disability and older people. This session will provide a deeper look into some of the issues raised in the opening presentations (on the international and Australian M-Enabling environments) including, for example, key areas of focus for M-Enabling, key barriers for the use of M-Enabling, and examples of successful M-Enabling programs.

12.30-1.30pm  Lunch

1:30-3:00pm  New service models using mobile devices
docxTranscript52.87 KB

Moderator:

Emma Dawson, Executive Director,
Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society

Panellists:

Sandy Gilliland, Chief Executive Officer,
Australian Communications Exchange

Harriet Korner, Client Services Manager,
Independent Living Centres NSW
pdfPresentation441.1 KB

Prof. Frank Vetere,
Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society
pdfPresentation1.83 MB

Assoc. Prof. Denise Wood, University of South Australia
pdfPresentation1.43 MB

Mathew Peterson, Owner, Shiny Things Software
pdfPresentation412.13 KB

This session will highlight and explore how mobile technologies are being used as innovative and effective models for everyday service delivery, with a range of apps and technology that engage with people with disability and older people being showcased.  There will also be a wide breadth of delivery services presented which will open the discussion to foster new ideas and ways of harnessing mobile technologies.

3:00-3:30pm  Afternoon break

3:30-5:00pm  Shaping future market opportunities
docxTranscript55.16 KB

Moderator:

Kursten Leins,
General Manager of Strategy and Government,
Ericsson Australia
pdfPresentation325.88 KB

Panellists:

David Powell,
General Manager of Device Experience, Aps & OS,
Telstra
pdfPresentation743.48 KB

Chris Althaus, Chief Executive Officer,
Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association
pdfPresentation407.64 KB

Wayne Hawkins, Disability Policy Advisor, ACCAN

Nan Bosler, President,
Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association

Peter Rossi, Chief Technology Officer, Huawei
pdfPresentation1.12 MB

This session brings together peak organisations (industry, manufacturers, end-users) to discuss opportunities benefiting all stakeholders in the mobile eco-system.  It will assist attendees and panel members in developing a constructive framework for future opportunities in mobile products and services.

Day 2, Thursday 15th August 2013

9.00-9.30am  21st Century communications and video accessibility
docxTranscript31.14 KB

Keynote speaker:

Karen Peltz Strauss, Deputy Chief,
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau,
US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
pdfPresentation2.24 MB

Ms Peltz Strauss will discuss the adoption and implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act signed into law by President Obama in 2010, how the FCC and G3ICT partnership is promoting the enabling benefits of mobile technology internationally and how Australia can contribute to and benefit from this international initiative.

9.30-10.45am  The role of public policy in M-Enabling and inclusion
docxTranscript38.93 KB

Moderator:

Asher Moses, Media and Communications Manager, ACCAN

Panellists:

Karen Peltz Strauss, Deputy Chief,
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau,
US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
pdfPresentation1.1 MB

Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner,
Australian Human Rights Commission

Paul Buckrell, Relay Contracts Administrator,
NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
pdfPresentation400.9 KB

The advent of smartphones and tablets has opened up a world of opportunity for people with a range of abilities. Apps can, for example, allow people with vision impairments to navigate independently, or allow older people to stay in their homes longer. What is the role for government and public policy in growing this mobile market?

10.45-11.15am  Morning break

11.15-11:30am  The view from Canberra – Greens' perspective
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Senator Scott Ludlam, Communications spokesperson,
Australian Greens
(via teleconference)

11.30-12.45pm  Mobile accessibility: The manufacturers’ perspective
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Facilitator:

Michael Milligan, Secretary General,
Mobile Manufacturers Forum
pdfPresentation3.38 MB

Speakers:

Megan Bootsma, Account Manager,
ZTE Australia
pdfPresentation1.38 MB

David Woodbridge,
Senior Adaptive Technology Consultant,
Vision Australia

Ken Joyner, Executive Technical Advisor, Samsung
pdfPresentation3.14 MB

Based on the premise that sooner or later everyone will develop at least some limitations in vision, hearing, dexterity and learning capabilities, this session will explore accessible products in the marketplace. With an initial focus on the Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI), the session will look at the ways in which mobile manufacturers are making their products accessible to people with disability and older people.

12.45-1.45pm  Lunch

1.45-3.15pm  Developing for all: Accessible websites and accessible apps

docxTranscript51.06 KB

Moderator:

Dr Scott Hollier,
Project Manager and Western Australia Manager,
Media Access Australia

Speakers:

Euan Ramsey-Stewart, Research Partner, UNSW/SIMO
(with Megan Taylor, Accessibility Coordinator and Strategist)
pdfPresentation1.88 MB

Brendan Fitzgerald, Digital Inclusion Manager, Infoxchange
pdfPresentation238.67 KB

Dr Andrew Arch, Assistant Director,
Web Advice and Policy – Accessibility,
Australian Government Information Management Office

Tony Bennetts, Chief Information Officer,
Australian Communication Exchange
pdfPresentation353.5 KB

Phil Offer, Vice President,
Mobility and Convergence, Optus Business

Well-designed websites and mobile apps can be made accessible to all, if developers are provided with the information necessary to build usable and accessible systems. This session will discuss the accessibility needs of users, the methods developers can use to test and market their work, and the opportunities for developers in building accessible websites and apps.

3.15-3.30pm  Afternoon break

3.30-4.45pm  Lost in (cyber) space: How do we connect people with M-Enabling services

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Moderator:

Peter Blasina, Telstra Technology Ambassador
pdfPresentation1.11 MB

Speakers:

Bert Ciavarra, Manager Disability Programs, Telstra

Jemma Toohey, Manager,
Albury Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau
pdfPresentation303.08 KB

Gunela Astbrink, Principal, GSA InfoComm
pdfPresentation587.82 KB

Phia Damsma, Director, Sonokids Australia
Presentation unavailable

Brad Kitschke, Public Policy Manager,
Vodafone Hutchison Australia
pdfPresentation735.74 KB

You have a revolutionary new service but how do you make sure people know about it? This session will explore how to connect consumers to the services they need. Panellists will discuss new and innovative models for joining-up mobile products and services with end-users. They will also discuss the importance of training and digital literacy initiatives to help consumers navigate the online world.

4.45-5.00pm  Wrap-up and next steps
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Speaker:

Teresa Corbin, Chief Eexecutive Officer, ACCAN