Community Position on the Public Procurement of Accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
ACCAN and a consortium of Disability and Consumer Organisations are calling for a whole-of-government policy for the procurement of accessible information and communications technology (ICT).
Public procurement of accessible ICT, across all levels of government, will ensure that all Australians are able to participate and benefit from our growing digital economy.
Desktop computers - Western Australia
Center For Accessibility Australia
This project was funded by ACCAN to explore the issues raised with CFA Australia by people with disability regarding the difficulty in cancelling mobile phone plans. To identify potential issues in cancelling plans provided by SIM providers, a comprehensive assessment was taken of 44 SIM providers in relation to user testing and conformance against the WCAG 2.2 standard.
The results identified that there are currently (at the time of publication) no telco apps or websites that completely support people who are blind or have low vision, and a very low number of apps that can completely support people that are deaf or hard of hearing in cancelling their plans. All apps or websites had some form of accessibility support for people that have a cognitive disability, but none of the apps were entirely accessible across the board. People who are blind or have low vision face an additional challenge in that there were accessibly issues with both using their preferred assistive technologies such as screen readers, and accessibility issues with the app or website itself not conforming to WCAG standards.
While all SIM providers have room for improvement, it is encouraging that there are some leaders in this area and providers are encouraged to look at the accessibility and service offerings of companies that provide effective support in this space to provide broader improvements going forward. The data table for all 44 SIM providers in Appendix A is published on the CFAA projects page. Training support to SIM providers is included as part of this project to support the improvement and awareness of digital access processes.
See the CFAA projects page for their suite of reports:
- Cancellations for All main report
- Cancellations for All supporting document (a guide to the audit results for each telco)
- User Efficiency Table (provides a 'traffic light' system for the accessibility of each telco app)
- Cancellations for All companion report (looks at the accessibility of telco plan sign up processes)
This work is part of a series looking at accessibility for people with disabilities, and includes Telcos for All which was also funded by an ACCAN grant, in 2020.
The opinion piece below was written by ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett for the Sun Herald. It was originally published on 28 November 2024.
Imposing a ban on social media for those under 16 years of age won’t be simple and it certainly won’t be a silver bullet. But it is the right thing to do.
The government’s proposed ban has polarised policymakers, the media and experts. It has also become a 'play thing’ of the politicking that is now reaching a new levels as we approach an election in early 2025.
Read more: Four reasons for the social media youth ban
Write comment (0 Comments)Australia’s peak communications consumer body, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network – ACCAN, is calling on the major parties to commit to a concessional internet product delivered by NBN Co to provide a cost-of-living boost to low-income Australians this Federal election.
This follows a new ACCAN report undertaken by Essential Research which shows significant popular support for a concessional internet product, and strong demand for cheaper broadband services for people doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis.
Read more: Cost of connectivity: new report flags strong support for concessional internet
ACCAN recently submitted to Communications Alliance’s proposed amendments to DR C536:2020 Emergency Call Service Requirements Incorporating Variation No.1/2025 Industry Code.
Connecting Today's Consumer session transcripts and presentations are now available.
Every consumer wants to be connected and enjoy the benefits of competitive products and prices, but what’s the reality in Australia today and what can be done to improve the consumer experience?
Connecting Today’s Consumer explored the big issues facing Australian telco consumers – When and how can every Australian connect to our broadband and mobile networks? Are we being offered truly competitive content and products? How do we ensure consumers know their rights and can act on them?
The TIO, Australian telcos and financial counsellors have worked together to develop best practice guidelines to assist telcos to help customers who are experiencing financial hardship.
The second edition of the guide, Responding to Customers in Financial Hardship: Principles and Practices for Telecommunications Providers, was published in May 2017.
The three biggest telcos have spend and usage tools to help you know how much of the different types of services you are using.
Telstra
Tools to monitor calls and data usage are available on the Telstra website by selecting 'My Account' from the Telstra home page. There is also an app available for use on portable devices.
Vodafone
Optus
Optus provides several options for customers to track their usage and keep their costs down, such as Optus My Account (online usage meter), My Optus App (via mobile handsets), SMS and email alerts, and prepaid mobile customers can check their usage by calling/texting 1509 from their Optus handset (freecall).
There are several pages on the Optus website that provide advice on this such as:
How can I control the amount I spend? ; and
Read more: What spend and usage tools are available?
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