28 November 2003
Cooperation to prevent discrimination
Many people with disabilities cannot access telecommunications the same as other Australians can, and the government, regulators and industry need to work together to prevent this discrimination, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM said today.
Speaking at a forum on telecommunications for people with disabilities at Parliament House in Canberra, Dr Ozdowski encouraged policy makers, regulators and service providers to take this opportunity to work together and find a way forward.
"People with disabilities are not receiving equal access to telecommunications," Dr Ozdowski said. "Deaf people using text phones have little access to the mobile phone network; hearing impaired people can't use most standard phones which don't have a volume control, and; blind people can't text because there is no reasonably priced alternative to using the screen of a mobile phone."
The forum will examine and deal with issues raised in a discussion paper titled 'When the Tide Comes In: Towards Accessible Telecommunications for People with Disabilities in Australia', which was released by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in June this year.
Some of the key issues for discussion at the forum include:
- What are the key principles for an industry code on text telephony?
- Do we need an industry code on public payphones, and what should it contain?
- Do we need a mobile telecommunications action plan, what should it contain?
- Are groups who primarily rely on SMS communications disadvantaged by current pricing?
- What is the best means of including mobile phones in disability equipment programs?
- Do we need a more comprehensive telecommunications Disability Standard and if so what areas should it cover?
"I hope that agreed plans for the telecommunications industry can come out of this forum so we can remove discrimination in these areas," Dr Ozdowski said.
Media contact: Paul Oliver (02) 9284 9618 or 0408 469 347
Last updated 28 November 2003.
