Accessibility is a crucial issue, but one not always given sufficient attention.
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Local government is probably the key tier of government in terms of practical assistance to older people, enabling them to live safely and participate fully in their communities.
At the Australian Human Rights Commission, we see information as a basic human right.
My six fellow commissioners and I are dedicated to seeing that that all members of the community are given the tools and opportunities to fully realise all of their human rights.
This means access to services – and a necessary precondition for access to services is access to information about what services are available.
As Age Discrimination Commissioner, I come to the issue of accessibility from the perspective of age.
Australia’s population is ageing. Australians are living 25 years longer than they did a century ago. The Australian Treasury projects that the number of Australians aged 85 years and older will more than quadruple over the next 40 years, rising from 400,000 to 1.8 million.
I would like to say a few words about accessible communication as a human right.
And I would like to take the debate one step further and speak about why acceptable communication, that which avoids discrimination and stereotypes, is a way of practising human rights.
Ideally, the way in which public communication occurs can foster a sense of acceptance, inclusion and community.
The ability to access, receive and impart information is a human right.
Article 19 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 states that everyone has the right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”.
Communication between all levels of government, local, state, and federal, comes in many forms. Information is relayed when face to face services are provided, over the phone, through various written materials and online.
When those that need the services fail to receive them because of an information barrier, accessible communication becomes a human rights issue.
Such failures of communication have real consequences for the quality of life for many people, especially those most disadvantaged through illness, physical or cultural isolation or mobility problems.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue has said: “The Internet is one of the most powerful instruments of the 21st century for increasing transparency in the conduct of the powerful, access to information, and for facilitating active citizen participation in building democratic societies.”
He is correct.
The internet has opened the world in ways we could never have imagined just 20 years ago. It is an instrument of immense promise – providing an empowering foray into just about everything.
However, this potential is not yet fulfilled for everyone.
It was September 3, 1983 when Australia was first connected to the internet – when a connection was made from Darwin to the University of California.
In 1983, today’s 70 year old, would have then been 40.
It was not until around 1993 that public servants working in the Commonwealth Departments were given desktop computers, and expected to learn to use them.
Those computers were not connected to the internet. By 1995, dial-up connections were widespread in homes.
In 1995, today’s 70 year old would have been 53.
So, clearly not every one of today’s 70+ citizens was required to work with computers or would have needed to invest in one at home.
As a consequence we now have a large cohort of older people for whom internet access has not been a part of their working lives. These people need assistance to become confident and competent users of technology.
While internet usage is increasing for older people, less than half of over 65s are online, with merely 37 per cent going online in 2010-11.
That leaves a total of 1,790,000 Australians over 65 who are not online.
In comparison, 79 per cent of Australians aged 15 years and over access the internet.
Change is on the way. The greatest growth in internet usage in any age group is in the 55–64 year age group, up from 63 per cent in 2008–09 to 71 per cent in 2010–11.
We can expect that in years to come, extensive internet knowledge and access will be almost universal, but right now it isn’t and we can’t leave this generation of older people behind.
As we know, access to the internet can vastly improve the quality of life for seniors who find it difficult to leave the house. The internet has the potential to counter social isolation and play a role in the delivery of community and health services.
However, the reverse of this is that housebound seniors who are without internet access at home are at risk of becoming more isolated and disadvantaged if services are provided mainly online.
Information about Government, community services and businesses is increasingly available online only. This presents problems for those older Australians on the wrong side of the digital divide.
Research in 2011 by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) found the key barriers preventing seniors from using the internet were a lack of skills, confusion by technology, and concerns about security and viruses.
Nan Bosler, the inspirational President of the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association, has been a trailblazer in encouraging older people to get online.
However she has recently said that there are still older people who are unaware of the benefits of going online, and don’t know what they are missing out on. Older people may also be worried by the cost of technology, or may be prevented by deterioration of their sight or fine motor skills.
While there are so many older people who do not access the internet, it is vital that other communication strategies are used.
There are a vast array of services and supports available, and the information is often just a phone call away, but sometimes the hurdle can be knowing who to call, and what to ask.
Sometimes I hear stories that people have stumbled upon information only to find that they had been eligible for a certain entitlement for years. A common story is – “no one told me I could claim this.”
I have recently produced a publication, Your Rights at Retirement, to make information accessible for older people and their family and friends.
It contains information on a range of topics, including staying safe online, financial literacy and avoiding scams. It also covers basic information about health and aged care services, government support, transport, and how to make wills and planning other decisions for later life, including end of life.
We provide the contact phone numbers for all services mentioned, thus assisting those who aren’t online yet.
In recognition that vision and colour perception can deteriorate with age Your Rights at Retirement is printed in large font, with clear black print, Even the “physical design” of the booklet, the size and shape , is intended to be “age friendly”.
Within weeks, all 1,500 copies of our first print run were committed, with many people on wait-lists for multiple orders. State and territory seniors organisations including the Councils of The Ageing (COTAs) requested bulk copies.
We have recently been able to print another 5000 copies. If you are interested in getting a copy, contact the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Susan Ryan is the Age Discrimination Commissioner. This is an extract of a speech she gave to the Whitehorse Accessible Communication Forum.