Australia: Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Launches Website and Helpline Guide on Accessible Devices and Apps
January 24, 2019
Technology has certainly come a long way, with advancements in speech recognition, wearables, and mobile apps being examples of how it is making the lives of people with disability more convenient than before. Yet there has historically been a lack of attention directed at providing people with disability with the necessary information and “access” to empower them to use technology.
In light of this, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) on Monday launched the country’s first independent telecommunications products resource dedicated to people with disability.
The project, titled Accessible Telecoms, is an interactive website and call centre that provides information on the accessibility features of both mainstream and assistive telco equipment suitable for people with disability, as well as information about available set-up, training, and ongoing support for these devices.
ACCAN’s director of Inclusion Wayne Hawkins, who is a person with a visual disability and helped curate the Accessible Telecoms’ content, told TechRepublic that the project is a step in the right direction for improving accessibility [...]