Thanks a bundle

Overview

Access to computers, mobile phones, home phones, tablets and internet services is increasingly important for Australians to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues, access services and organise activities. However, people with cognitive disabilities, who may have difficulties with learning, memory, concentration and/or decision-making, must deal with a range of barriers to accessing telecommunications services. These include a lack of accessible information and technology and unclear avenues for asking questions and getting assistance.

The Thanks a Bundle Research Project, undertaken by University of Melbourne researchers and funded via the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) Grants Program, sought to develop practical resources to increase support and access to online telecommunications products for consumers with cognitive disabilities.

The research team consulted with representatives from People with Disability Australia (PWDA) and the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC), as well as an expert advisory board, to ensure that the research outcomes were appropriate and useful for the community.

Copies of the research report, toolkit for industry, Easy English report and a report summary are available below. For more information about this project contact social-equity@unimelb.edu.au.

This project was funded via the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) 2017-18 Grants Program. The operation of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network is made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth of Australia under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This funding is recovered from charges on telecommunications carriers.

Researchers

Bernadette McSherry [Melbourne Social Equity Institute]

Jeannie Paterson [Melbourne Law School]

Lisa Brophy [Melbourne School of Population and Global Health]

Anna Arstein-Kerslake [Melbourne Law School]

Yvette Maker [Melbourne Social Equity Institute]

Publications

Submissions

Yvette Maker, Bernadette McSherry, Jeannie Marie Paterson, Lisa Brophy and Anna Arstein-Kerslake, Submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Melbourne Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne, June 2019).