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This short report details the development of the Newell Network website www.newell.org.au, a growing community-based space that empowers individuals with complex communication needs and support organisations to share information about telecommunciations products that work for them. The reflections on the project from Novita Children's Services and partners are a valuable record of the collaborative potential in a web 2.0 approach to empowering people with disabilities.
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Most of us take for granted that we can use any communications device – land-line, mobile or internet – to connect to people, services and help. But the reality is that a significant number of Australians can’t use regular products and services because of illness, disability or other impairment. Inclusive Communications is ACCAN's submission to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE)'s Review of Access to Telecommunication Services by People with Disability, Older Australians and People Experiencing Illness.
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ACCAN, in alliance with Australia's peak disability organisations, is calling for the federal government to implement a whole-of-government procurement policy for accessible information and communications technology (ICT). Ensuring that all government workplaces and services are accessible for people with disability will provide tangible benefits for the whole Australian community and economy.
Read more: Call for Australian Government policy for procurement of accessible ICT
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Use social media? Have a disability?
If you do, then ACCAN and Media Access Australia (MAA) would like to hear from you.
Read more: Use social media? Have a disability? Share your tips and tricks
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Congratulations to ACCAN's own Wayne Hawkins, who won a prestigious award at the 2011 Deafness Forum Captioning Awards held in Sydney last night.
Wayne was awarded the Roma Wood OAM Community Award for his contribution to changes that will see captioning quality standards enshrined in legislation. This is a great win, not only for ACCAN, but for all Australians who are Deaf or hearing-impaired, people who use captions in noisy environments, to learn English, or for any of the many reasons that captioning is in demand.
Read more: Wayne Hawkins honoured with Deafness Forum Community Award
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ACCAN argues that the Universal Service Obligation (USO) legislative framework must include obligations to provide the infrastructure that will ensure universal access for all Australians to communications services. We also urge a review of the definition of universal service.
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There is an overriding barrier that consumers face when attempting to contact an insurance company to make a claim, access external dispute resolution services or free legal advice – the cost of the phone call.
Read more: Inquiry into the operation of the insurance industry during disaster events
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This summit is co-hosted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). The summit will be an opportunity for consumer advocates to outline how the telecommunications industry’s poor customer service and complaints-handling practices affects their clients and constituents, and comments on the recommendations being proposed by the ACMA.
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Poor mobile reception: what can you do?58 KB
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Poor mobile reception: what can you do?413.37 KB
From time to time most of us will have a call drop out, delayed texts or slow internet on our mobile phone. But, if you regularly have mobile reception problems, then you are not getting the service you are paying for.
Read more: Poor mobile reception: what can you do?
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The global organisation representing consumer groups, Consumers International, is asking Australians to be part of their project aimed at holding internet service providers to account. You can help by taking part in the 10-minute online survey so we can see how Australia compares to the rest of the world for broadband services.
Read more: Tell the world about your broadband service
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ACCAN wants all consumers to pay a fair price for their phone calls. This paper demonstrates that consumers are paying too much for calls from fixed lines to mobile phones and could pay a better price for mobile-to-mobile calls.