Low cost internet service launched for disabled Australians

Stan Beer
Monday, 23 May 2005 03:30

IT Industry - Development

About 250,000 frail aged, Veterans and people with disabilities throughout Australia will have access to a low cost Internet service thanks to a partnership arrangement negotiated by Technical Aid to the Disabled Australia
(TADAust) with wholesales communications provider, ispOne.

TADAust is a national organisation that together with health care professionals assesses the needs of the frail aged and people with disabilities in order to design aids that will improve their independence. The only costs incurred are those involving materials.

Details of the partnership between TADAust and ispOne were announced on Friday, 20 May in a joint statement by the ACT Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, John Hargreaves and ACT Liberal senator, Gary Humphries.

The partnership will enable frail aged, veterans and people with disabilities to go online at the rate of only $5.50 a month, making this the cheapest dialup service on the market today.

'Normally the cost of such access is beyond the reach of many of people with
disabilities, Veterans and the frail aged and their carers. However, this agreement will provide a wonderful new range of opportunities for people to improve their quality of life and their independence,' said John O'Neill, executive director of TADAust in the ACT.

The dial-up service to be provided by ispOne includes no set-up fee, unlimited downloads and flexible contract arrangements.

'It will be fully supported and available to people with a Disability Services Pension, a DVA Entitlement Pension and an Aged Pension Card,' O'Neill said.

Zac Swindells, managing director of ispOne, said the initiative was a positive step forward in bridging the 'digital divide' by giving disabled Australians the opportunity to participate in the online environment that the majority of Australians now take for granted.

'This initiative will make everyday tasks such as banking, accessing government services, education and social communication that much simpler and will ease some of the financial difficulty in accessing mainstream services,' Swindells said.