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A record 76 groups and individuals applied for a total of $250,000 in funding in the 2012 round of the ACCAN Grants Scheme, which closed on April 2.

ACCAN Research and Grants Officer Robin McNaughton said this year’s applications were of a very high standard and a great mix of projects targeting a diverse range of consumer issues.

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In very good news for people who are Deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired, the National Relay Service (NRS) has announced that callers to Triple Zero (000) using internet relay will receive queue priority. But while this update is a step in the right direction, many people with disability still can’t make emergency calls.

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For communications consumers, the challenge of overcoming information overload to choose a new product and service is sometimes just too much. As one participant in the Seeking Straight Answers research puts it, "[I just want] someone to do the work, someone who knows what they're doing to find me the best deal...There's so many things you've gotta do that the inconvenience of doing all that outweighs any benefits you're going to get".

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ACCAN argues that access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an important element to achieving an adequate standard of living and social inclusion, a key human rights goal. 

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New research and guides released today by blind internet expert Dr Scott Hollier from Media Access Australia (MAA) aim to make Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter more accessible for people with a disability - to ensure one in five Australians aren’t left behind as social media use becomes more popular.

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Social media allows anyone with an internet connection to connect with other people and participate online, but for people with a hearing, sight or mobility impairment, social media websites and applications are not always easy to use. New research by Media Access Australia examines the accessibility of the most popular social media tools and shares practical advice from users on how to overcome inaccessible features.

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Wondering how to make Facebook work with your screenreader, or whether LinkedIn is accessible? These tip sheets from Media Access Australia, available in print or audio formats, are full of tips and tricks for getting around the accessibility challenges of popular social media platforms. See below to access easy-to-understand information about how to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype and YouTube, or to learn more about blogging.

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Complaints from small businesses about their telecommunications services increased 52 per cent in the last financial year, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) reports in the latest issue of TIO Talks, published today.

More than 22,000 complaints were made in 2010-11 by small businesses unable to resolve issues with service providers. Complaints about inadequate or incorrect customer service advice, poor mobile phone coverage, broken promises and bill disputes were the most common issues.

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The communications regulator has released a Directions Paper explaining how numbers could be used in the future. Little consideration has been given to how consumers will be affected, ignoring the important role numbering policy has to play in achieving availability, accessible and affordable services that enhances the welfare of all Australians.

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On 18 November 2011, the Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, announced the establishment of an independent panel of eminent community leaders to conduct an inquiry into Australian Government services to ensure they are responsive to the needs of Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

ACCAN's submission focuses on the need to include access to interpreting services for people with disability and people who are Deaf, and also encourages the Australian Government to make information accessible to Deaf people by providing online Auslan translations. 

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), Blind Citizens Australia, Media Access Australia and Vision Australia welcome the announcement by Senator Stephen Conroy of an audio description trial to commence on ABC1 television in the second half of 2012, which will provide a voice description of the visual broadcast for people who are blind or vision impaired. 

Audio description provides a narrative soundtrack that runs alongside audio and describes actions and non-verbal cues that are occurring on screen so that people who are blind and vision-impaired can fully enjoy programs on television.

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The 2012 Round of the ACCAN Grants Scheme opens today with $250,000 in funding available for consumer-focused telecommunications research and consumer education or advocacy tools.

Now in its third year, the ACCAN Grants Scheme funds projects that help to work towards the organisation’s vision of affordable communications services for all Australians.

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