The Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) believes that new telecommunications technologies have the potential to provide substantial benefits to older Australians and people with a disability. As noted in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's (HREOC) preliminary discussion paper, the Commonwealth Government identified as a key priority the need to, "maximise opportunities for all Australians to benefit from the information economy." (A Strategic Framework for the Information Economy, July 1999).

DCITA recognises that some groups, including but not limited to older Australians and people with a disability, may face certain barriers to participation in online and information technology related activities. DCITA recognises the complexity of online-access barriers and the need for varied responses for different groups which may superficially appear to be similar. The Department is seeking to address a number of these barriers by directly targeting groups potentially suffering access disadvantage as well as by implementing programs to assist the general community.

The Department's vision is that Australia, as it moves into the 21st Century, will continue to develop world-class communications, information technology and cultural sectors that build on the creativity of our people and the opportunities provided by new technologies, to enrich the economic, social and cultural well-being of all Australians. The Department provides strategic advice and professional support to the Australian Government on a wide range of exciting and rapidly changing policy areas. This includes telecommunications, information technology, the information economy, broadcasting, the performing and visual arts, intellectual property, Australia's heritage collections, and the Centenary of Federation. It also administers a number of regulations, programs, grants and incentives to industry and the wider community.

The National Archives of Australia, Screen Sound Australia (the National Film and Sound Archive) and The National Science and Technology Centre – Questacon – are part of the Department but essentially operate as autonomous agencies. Similarly, while the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) fall within the DCITA portfolio, they too operate as autonomous entities. The work of such agencies, therefore, is not included in this submission.

Many Departmental activities impact on the community as a whole, benefiting older Australians and people with a disability, but not necessarily targeting them specifically.  

Examples of these activities include initiatives:

• aiming to increase the uptake of e-commerce activities by business and consumers;
• implemented by the Office of Government Online, including the delivery of government services online, GOVERNET (an online tool that provides links to all levels of government), and the Government Information Centre in Launceston; and
• arising from the Telstra Social Bonus of $214 million that will provide

The Department has implemented, or is responsible for, a number of activities that are specifically designed to ensure that older Australians and/or people with a disability enjoy equitable access to communication technologies. These include:

• the AccessAbility funding program;
• some of the projects funded through the Networking the Nation program;
• Online Australia awareness raising activities;
• the National Relay Service;
• the process of phasing out analogue mobile telephones;
• Telstra's disability program;
• various pieces of legislation and codes of practice; and
• the provision of Departmental information via the World Wide Web.

Each is fully described below.

The AccessAbility grants program was introduced in the 1998/99 Budget as a measure to improve access to the Internet and online services for people with disabilities. The program was allocated funding of $1.5 million for grants in each of the years 1998/99 and 1999/2000. A total of 33 projects have since been funded.

DCITA anticipates that many AccessAbility grantees will submit independent submissions to the HREOC inquiry, outlining their projects and findings-to-date. Of particular relevance to the provision of government services online and to public access initiatives is the e-commerce project being conducted by Blind Citizens Australia, and the Public Libraries project being conducted by Monash University in conjunction with Vicnet.

The AccessAbility program promotes the development of new products, services, and systems that can result in innovative ways for people with disabilities to overcome barriers to online access. The program is targeted toward those people whose disabilities impede their access to mainstream online services, rather than to people with disabilities in general. The program guidelines were developed following extensive consultation with stakeholders, including disability consumer and service organisations, academic researchers, the HREOC and other Commonwealth, State and local government stakeholders. The HREOC has an important role in advising on the development and implementation of the AccessAbility program.

The AccessAbility program is complemented by an online database, developed in response to calls from the disabilities sector for a web resource. It provides comprehensive information on a broad range of online accessibility issues. The AccessAbility Online Resource incorporates information on standards development and other policy issues, case studies, training issues, hardware and software products and support programs, both from Australian and key international sources. Reports of the outcomes of AccessAbility projects and associated research are available at the AccessAbility Website and through the AccessAbility Online Resource database, available at http://www.dcita.gov.au/accessability.

Networking the Nation (NTN) is a five-year, $250 million program established by the Commonwealth Government to assist the economic and social development of regional and rural Australia. The program funds a range of projects to:

• enhance telecommunications infrastructure and services;
• increase access to, and promote the use of, services available through telecommunications networks; and
• reduce disparities in access to such services and facilities.

An independent Board appointed by the Commonwealth Government is responsible for all funding decisions under the major elements of the program. To-date, the Board has approved 306 projects totalling $132.2 million.

While the program does not specifically target the aged or disabled, the primary objective is to provide social and economic benefits to all Australians living in regional, rural and remote Australia. Access to a range of telecommunications and online services is especially important to the aged and disabled as they may have limited capacity to travel. The Board has approved a diverse range of projects, from basic infrastructure to regional telecommunications planning studies. Examples include:

Nationally – the program is providing $132 800 for a community-based communication networks project, the 'Australian Virtual Centre for Women and the Law'. This project aims to assist communities across Australia overcome the barriers to communication that isolation can create. The project is building email-based communication networks that provide expert advice, assistance and peer support relating to a wide range of needs, including those of people with a disability.

Tasmania – the program is providing $10,000 for the 'Access for People with Disabilities' project, to explore management structures for the potential establishment and operation of a lending bank of specialised equipment to assist disabled people get online.

Victoria – the program is providing $17,157 to the Moe Internet Club. This funding is to provide low cost Internet access to the community of Moe, especially targeting those who would not normally be able to access the Internet either through lack of mobility, lack of income, or psychological problems. This also includes people with disabilities, the unemployed, older people, and people on low incomes.

Western Australia – the program is providing $20,000 for a pilot Internet access project, designed to link seniors and retired people through the WA Telecentres Network. Under the project, seniors are provided with basic training and made aware of opportunities available to them through the Internet.

Online Australia Year (1999) is a major Commonwealth initiative implemented by the National Office for the Information Economy to raise public awareness of the ways online technologies are enhancing Australians' lives. The initiative comprises a national program of events and activities that focus attention on information economy developments and issues. Online Australia Year also aims to encourage strategic partnerships within and across Australia's information industries and build Australia's information economy network.

• Seniors Online Day – 9 September 1999 was a peak event of Online Australia Year and aimed to raise awareness among older Australians of the benefits of online technologies. On the day, participating libraries and community organisations across the country promoted and hosted Internet introductions for seniors. Instructors showed seniors how to access the Seniors Online web site, (http://www.onlineseniors.net.au), which provides targeted online content. The site also provides a step-by-step beginner tutorial which guides seniors through the basics of computer use, email, Internet surfing and searching. The Seniors Online website received over 160,000 hits on the day and the high levels of site usage are continuing. Over 1,000 organisations participated in Seniors Online Day and the initiative has received extensive media coverage.
• A Multilingual Website for Older Australians is being developed by Online Australia, with special emphasis on functionality for older persons. It is being funded by the Department of Health and Aged care as part of the International Year of Older Persons.

The website will develop an online community that will allow:

- easy access to multilingual news and information services;

National Relay Service (NRS). The deaf, hearing, speech and communications impaired currently have access to the standard telephone service via the NRS, for communications with the speaking and hearing community. The NRS provides for a voice-to-text, text-to-voice and speech-to-speech human translation, with the cost of this service being shared among the licensed telecommunications carriers. While the Department undertook the tendering process and contract settlement for the NRS provider, it now falls to the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to monitor contract compliance and service performance. Each year the ACA organises a NRS Forum whereby consumers are able to put forward their views on the performance of the NRS Provider.

Phasing out analogue mobile phones. The Department has facilitated meetings between representative bodies of the hearing impaired, manufacturers of hearing aids, manufacturers of mobile phones and the telecommunications carriers to discuss the impact of the analogue mobile phone network closure on the hearing impaired. This process was instrumental to the development of an information brochure aimed at the hearing impaired entitled, Hearing Aids and Mobile Phones.

Telstra's disability access program. Telstra, as the universal service provider, is required to ensure that standard telephone services are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia on an equitable basis. Regulations outlined in paragraph 13(2)(a) of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 specify kinds of equipment to be provided for customers with a disability. Such equipment includes those that facilitate text-to-text communication, modems or telebraille equipment as well as those that provide access to a standard telephone service.

Codes of Practice. The Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) co-ordinates the development of industry codes of practice before submitting them to the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) for registration. The ACIF invites representation of people with interests in disability access on the various Code Working Groups and Reference Panels. The ACIF has also established a Disability Advisory Body (DAB) whereby all code proposals will be presented to the DAB to determine relevance to the disabled community and level of involvement.

Guidelines for Commonwealth Information Published in Electronic Formats. The Office of Government Online, in conjunction with AUSINFO, is working on the development of the Guidelines for Commonwealth Information Published in Electronic Formats. These guidelines set the benchmarks for government best practice on language usage, information presentation, production and best-practice conventions in the electronic domain. The guidelines emphasise the preparation and presentation of information in the most accessible format to meet the needs of particular audiences, including the disabled. The AUSINFO Guidelines augments the accessibility information guidelines in The Code of Practice: Using the Internet in Commonwealth Government developed by the then Office of Government and Information Technology in 1996.

The Department's website adheres to best practice examples of leading edge technology and user accessibility. The site is easy to navigate and accessible/user friendly for all members of the public, including users who have text-based browsers. The Office of Government Online is liaising with DCITA to undertake an independent website review to focus on, among other things, accessibility and useability.

Australia's Cultural Network (www.acn.net.au) is a public access gateway to

Australian cultural organisations, web sites, resources, news and events. It is also an exchange centre for resources, ideas and information where workers and organisations within the cultural sector can communicate with each other to improve and develop their use of online services. The website follows W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines including a full Text Index and screen layout for high compatibility with screen readers for the sight-impaired and people with other disabilities.

Artsinfo (www.artsinfo.net.au) brings together information on cultural grants and support programs as well as industry training and development programs offered by the three levels of government and their agencies. It also has details about assistance available through corporations, foundations and non-government bodies. A national 1800 telephone service and a TTY service compliment the website to provide access for people with disabilities. DCITA is currently reviewing the future development of Artsinfo and any redesign will follow W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines.

Ensuring that all Australians, including older people and people with a disability, have the opportunity to participate in the information economy is a priority issue for DCITA. The Department has learnt, and continues to learn, valuable lessons from accessibility-related programs. This information improves program performance and informs the ongoing development of policy responses.

The Department recognises the complexity of online access issues for older Australians and people with a disability. Such issues often include the need for different policy and program responses to groups that may superficially appear similar. Older Australians are a particularly diverse group, with a wide variety of needs and online requirements. Similarly, with regard to people with a disability, the approach needed to improve online access for one disability group may be quite different from that needed by another group with apparently similar access issues. For these reasons simplistic approaches, which seek to provide 'one-size-fits-all' solutions, may meet with limited success.

Many of the projects targeting older Australians or people with a disability, funded through the AccessAbility and Networking the Nation programs, serve to raise public awareness of barriers faced by the elderly and disabled when attempting to access the information economy. The Department is continuing to promote such initiatives, especially those demonstrating best-practice models or providing innovative solutions to accessibility problems.

As noted in the HREOC issues paper, individual Networking the Nation projects are to be evaluated over the life of the program to determine whether the overall program has achieved its social and economic objectives. The first evaluation report is expected to be publicly available early in 2000. Similarly, reports relating to the AccessAbility projects and associated research are available on the AccessAbility website and through the AccessAbility Online Resource database.

The Department is currently investigating how to best ensure that all grantees seeking to develop an online presence have web-based accessibility standards included within the terms of their grant. The Department is also conducting a review of its own web sites to maintain best-practice standards and maximise online accessibility.

The HREOC investigation into accessibility issues is a welcome initiative. It will undoubtedly raise awareness generally about online accessibility issues throughout industry, government, and the community.