As noted in the Issues Paper income status is a major factor affecting access to the Internet for many people with disabilities among other groups. Research, funded by the Office of Disability, was undertaken by the University of New England (UNE) and I.D.E.A.S Ltd in 1997 into access to information technology for people with disabilities. It indicated that although many people with disabilities wanted to have greater access to technologies such as the Internet, the cost of equipment, maintenance and service provision were major barriers to use of this technology.

Other factors identified included the complexity of the technology, the lack of accessible training materials, knowledge of the advantages that access to information in electronic formats could provide and lack of knowledge of adaptive technologies available.

A number of people with disabilities and carers therefore felt that learning to access information via the Internet was too complex and would be an additional burden. A small group of consumers felt that computers inhibited face to face communication and did not want to be involved with any information technology.

The report suggested that community access points could partially overcome the problem of costs of purchasing and maintaining computers and promote consumer access to information, but in order to achieve this several barriers would need to be addressed. These included the lack of good physical access and good signage in some public access areas, lack of adaptive technology and lack of available staff who could advise on the operation of the system. Lack of transport to community access points and of support services such as childcare were also cited as problems.

The Disability Information and Referral Centre of South Australia (DIRC) maintains an equipment loans scheme to allow users with limited means to access its electronic bulletin board, Common Ground. DIRC provides a limited number of computers and modems for loan to Common Ground users. The loans are intended to be of limited duration, to assist users with disabilities to gain familiarity with the technology, while saving up for their own computers, but many have exceeded 12 months as the user has not been able to afford the purchase of a computer.

The UNE research indicated people living in rural and remote areas are more disadvantaged in regard to accessing information technology than their urban counterparts because distance impacts on so many aspects of their lives. Power and phone systems are unreliable, equipment and use of technology is more expensive and access to service providers, training and education is also more difficult.

In addition, if technical equipment needs to be repaired it has to be sent out of town and this results in the user being without the equipment for long periods. People with disabilities and carers in these areas rely mainly on information supplied by family, friends and service providers.

However, even in regional centres, some service providers have little access to information technology themselves and so are not able to assist clients. Knowledge of resources available electronically, adaptive technology and training materials is more limited than in urban areas, both among service providers and consumers.

Possible solutions to the problems of availability of equipment could include:

• encouraging service organisations and businesses to consider donating obsolescent computers to organisations such as DIRC to assist them to maintain their loan program. Often computers do not need to be state of the art to provide initial access opportunities to facilities such as bulletin boards;
• encouraging organisations such as schools, libraries community centres etc, particularly those in rural or regional centres, to provide a community access point where people with disabilities and others who have limited access to information technology can access the Internet or any other computer technology without charge or for a very moderate charge;
• involving people with disabilities, older people, carers and service providers in the design of these access points, so that they are fully accessible for people with a range of disabilities, for example providing good physical access and clear signage and instructions;
• encouraging staff of the organisations hosting the access point, or volunteers, to provide assistance and advice to new users; and
• the provision of occasional childcare by community organisations or volunteers, particularly in rural and regional centres where people have to travel long distances and so need to spend extended time on line to make the trip worthwhile.

The research also indicated that, in a number of rural areas it could be beneficial to have a community access point located in the premises of organisations such as Aboriginal medical services, as some indigenous people with disabilities would prefer this to accessing mainstream facilities.

The Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) is involved in a number of initiatives aimed at improving access to new technology for people with disabilities. As mentioned in the Issues Paper, the Department has funded Blind Citizens Australia to trial the use of digital technology to produce talking books for people who are blind or visually impaired. This form of technology will also help people who have a physical impairment which restricts their use of printed material. Recording talking books using a computer and digital technology will make selecting and retrieving a particular passage of test faster and easier.

Blind Citizens Australia is also investigating, on behalf of FACS, the current level of information deprivation due to lack of access to televison by people who are blind or have a vision impairment and will be reporting on ways in which digital television could lead to the improvement of audio services for these viewers.

FACS has also assisted the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in the selection of the second funding round in the AccessAbility grants program which is aimed at improving access to the internet and online services for people with disabilities.

With respect to problems of access to appropriate training and use of adaptive technology, a study of the operation of the DIRC bulletin board Common Ground, carried out by Flinders University, also in 1997, provides some useful insights.

Common Ground provides access to a wide range of information on disability services and provides a space for people with disabilities to debate, advocate or simply chat informally on a range of issues which affect their lives. One to one training was provided to users in their homes by volunteer members of Technical Aid to the Disabled (TAD). Assistance had also been sought from Seniors on Line (SA).

The evaluation concluded that there was some evidence that using a dedicated facility like Common Ground helped users feel more at home with the technology which they regarded as less daunting than the Internet. However the high cost of adaptive technology prohibited some people from using the bulletin board who might otherwise have done so.

Options for addressing education and training barriers for people with disabilities and carers might include:

• involving staff of service organisations or volunteers in providing introductory sessions at community access points, perhaps using the Seniors on Line tutorials;
• encouraging disability services and consumer organisations to seek to establish a core of volunteers with technical expertise and/or experience in working with people with disabilities to assist in training staff and consumers in using information technology;
• training volunteers to assist people in their own homes, if required;
• encouraging cooperation between disability service and consumer groups and organisations such as Seniors on Line, to develop training packages suitable for the use both of people with disabilities and older people; and
• encouraging service organisations and volunteers to become familiar with available adaptive technology which is free, such as the MultiWeb browser developed by the Disability Access Research and Development Group at Deakin University and to provide training to people with disabilities on their use.

With respect to Commonwealth departments and agencies the Commonwealth Disability Strategy provides a mechanism to ensure equitable access to electronic information for people with disabilities. The Commonwealth Disability Strategy was initiated by the Commonwealth Government in November 1994. It is a ten year plan of action for Commonwealth organisations to remove barriers in Commonwealth policies, programs and services for people with disabilities.

The Office of Disability has responsibility for the implementation of the Strategy which assists Commonwealth departments and organisations to meet their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. It was developed in consultation with Commonwealth Government organisations and the disability sector. The Strategy is currently being refined to take account of structural changes in the Australian Public Service and assist organisations to more effectively tailor their programs and services to the needs of people with disabilities.

In accordance with the requirements of the Strategy for equity of access to Commonwealth information, programs and services, the majority of Commonwealth Government websites now conform to the AusInfo Guidelines for Commonwealth Information Published in Electronic Formats. However we are aware that there have been a number of complaints from the disability community that many websites across the community are still difficult to access for people who are blind or vision impaired.

There is a need for more information to make web designers aware of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes (Version 3.1 May 1999) and also to inform them that an inaccessible site could be in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Commonwealth) (DDA). Installation of Multiweb or a downloadable screen reader would greatly improve the accessibility of many Websites.

While these resources provide useful guidance, more work still needs to be done in this area. The development of DDA standards on Commonwealth information and communications will assist in providing certainty for both users and providers of electronic information.

A further issue to be considered in this context, is the lack of financial means to keep up to date with the pace of technological development in this area. People with disabilities are often forced to use older technology because of limited financial resources to obtain new forms of technology while government and business are likely to be upgrading. Compatibility problems are then encountered which preclude them from accessing available information. While the pace of change we are experiencing appears to be continuing, government and business need to be mindful of its implications and look for ways of providing assistance for those members of the community who are being inadvertently excluded in this way.

With progress towards the development of electronic banking services progressing at a very fast pace, our experience has shown that attention is still required in relation to the accessiblity of existing banking facilities. We are aware that the Head Injury Council of Australia (HICOA) has been working with the banking industry to address a number of concerns in relations to the provision of services for people with disabilities. The Commonwealth Government has also initiated the Gold Medal Disability Access Strategy to encourage the business sector to recognise the commercial benefits of catering for the needs of people with disabilities.

In April 1999 the Seniors and Means Test Branch of the Department of Family and Community Services commissioned a research report on pensioner "deeming accounts". Deeming accounts are a particular type of at-call account, where the financial institution has decided to pay interest rates based on the social security deeming rates. (The deeming rates are used to assess income on financial investments for pensioners and allowances). A small part of the research dealt with some issues concerning these accounts for customers with a disability and this information may be of interest to the Commission.

The key finding regarding customers with disabilities was that several financial institutions provide a range of reduced fee options or full fee exemptions to people who are reliant on branch services because of a disability (ie they cannot use ATMs or other newer banking technologies). Without these concessions, customers with disabilities could be disadvantaged by their need to access their account at a branch. For example, in many cases the standard number of free electronic transactions is greater than the number of free branch transactions, and the standard fee charged on excess branch transactions is greater than it is for excess electronic transactions. However, the report found that in some cases the existence of concessions for people with disabilities could be better publicised. The report also noted the range of access options available for people with disabilities.

The following information has been drawn from the above report and was correct at June 1999.

The information in this section is based on a survey of the deeming accounts of twenty-five institutions.

• All of the major banks offer these disability exemptions (fee exemptions are not relevant where a financial institution does not charge fees for over-the-counter service).
• Some banks appear to be better than others in providing information about disability exemptions they offer. For example, one major bank provides a total exemption from all fees to customers of at least two years who are unable to use the bank's self-service banking facilities. Their fee exemption is clearly stated in the bank's brochure for older people.
• The existence of the fee exemptions appears in most product booklets of financial institutions. However, some major banks do not indicate the availability of disability fee exemptions.

With progress towards the development of electronic banking services progressing at a very fast pace, our experience has shown that attention is still required in relation to the accessiblity of existing banking facilities. We are aware that the Head Injury Council of Australia (HICOA) has been working with the banking industry to address a number of concerns in relations to the provision of services for people with disabilities. The Commonwealth Government has also initiated the Gold Medal Disability Access Strategy to encourage the business sector to recognise the commercial benefits of catering for the needs of people with disabilities.

In April 1999 the Seniors and Means Test Branch of the Department of Family and Community Services commissioned a research report on pensioner "deeming accounts". Deeming accounts are a particular type of at-call account, where the financial institution has decided to pay interest rates based on the social security deeming rates. (The deeming rates are used to assess income on financial investments for pensioners and allowances). A small part of the research dealt with some issues concerning these accounts for customers with a disability and this information may be of interest to the Commission.

The key finding regarding customers with disabilities was that several financial institutions provide a range of reduced fee options or full fee exemptions to people who are reliant on branch services because of a disability (ie they cannot use ATMs or other newer banking technologies). Without these concessions, customers with disabilities could be disadvantaged by their need to access their account at a branch. For example, in many cases the standard number of free electronic transactions is greater than the number of free branch transactions, and the standard fee charged on excess branch transactions is greater than it is for excess electronic transactions. However, the report found that in some cases the existence of concessions for people with disabilities could be better publicised. The report also noted the range of access options available for people with disabilities.

The following information has been drawn from the above report and was correct at June 1999.

The information in this section is based on a survey of the deeming accounts of twenty-five institutions.

• All of the major banks offer these disability exemptions (fee exemptions are not relevant where a financial institution does not charge fees for over-the-counter service).

• Some banks appear to be better than others in providing information about disability exemptions they offer. For example, one major bank provides a total exemption from all fees to customers of at least two years who are unable to use the bank's self-service banking facilities. Their fee exemption is clearly stated in the bank's brochure for older people.
• The existence of the fee exemptions appears in most product booklets of financial institutions. However, some major banks do not indicate the availability of disability fee exemptions.
• In addition, four accounts were open to disability support pensioners aged over fifty or fifty-five.

In addition to the range of issues raised above, we would like to stress the importance of addressing the gap between access to information technology in rural and remote areas and urban areas. Given, the Government's interest in promoting leadership and self-reliance in regional and rural communities, there is clearly a need for strategies to promote access to new technologies for people with disabilities in rural and regional Australia. These could include additional community access points in regional centres and more targeted information about adaptive technology, including devices which may be down loaded without charge.