New project helps seniors with disabilities access the web

Error message

Deprecated function: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in include_once() (line 14 of /home/mediacc/public_html/themes/engines/phptemplate/phptemplate.engine).
Thursday, 5 April 2012 14:19pm

Media Access Australia (MAA) has received funding to develop training resources to support the Council on the Ageing Western Australia (COTA WA) in delivering web accessibility training to seniors with disabilities. 

The project, ‘e-Inclusion resources for seniors in WA’, is funded by the NIB Foundation Community Grants Program. It has been designed to increase the opportunities for senior West Australians with a hearing, vision, mobility or cognitive disability to participate online.

Over the coming months MAA will create a resource kit which will help seniors with disabilities access computers and digital technology through the use of free built-in assistive technologies. This is primarily designed to support computer trainers in COTA organisations, but could also be used individually by seniors with disabilities as a companion manual.

COTA WA has 170 member organisations and the facilities to address the needs of seniors, but does not have the information to assist the more specific computing needs of seniors with disabilities. 

Dr Scott Hollier, MAA’s Western Australia manager, said, “We greatly appreciate the commitment from NIB Foundation to support this joint MAA-COTA WA project which will make it much easier for seniors with disabilities in WA to participate in both their local community and the online community.”

The NIB Foundation Community Grants Program that funded the project aims to support locally-based initiatives which will make a difference to the health and wellbeing of communities. Through the Community Grant program, the NIB Foundation aims to partner with up to ten organisations each year to run community-focused activities.


Top of page