Abstract
Australia has a long history of developments and discussions concerning disability and technology. Yet without the requisite policy frameworks and associated compliance and enforcement mechanisms, tangible progress has remained limited.
In this light, this report provides a progress update on disability inclusion and accessibility, noting there is much unfinished business across the key access of access, affordability, and digital ability. The report is based on report conducted in 2023-2024, supported by University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Western Sydney University’s Institute for Culture and Society.
There are many reasons why progress towards full inclusion, participation, and rights for people with disability in Australia’s evolving digital society has been so slow. To achieve urgently needed and lasting change, the report proposes adapting and expanding digital citizenship. The report provides a preliminary exploration of how digital citizenship could function as a linchpin for a transformative new framework for underpinning disability and digital technology, and the essential role it plays in fundamental belonging and participation, wellbeing and thriving, rights and justice in Australian society.
in order for any action to be successful we need to reset current and future public policy to focus on addressing disability digital citizenship holistically. In attempting such a bold change, we also need to move away from the policy blindspot of disability being a homogenous population sector. Both within the disability community more broadly and also within separate disability cohorts there are a multitude of different abilities, barriers and interests.
As such, our approach to inclusive disability and digital citizenship needs to be founded upon this – and the report makes recommendations in the three key areas of Research, Policy, Practice to take this forward.
In this light, this report provides a progress update on disability inclusion and accessibility, noting there is much unfinished business across the key access of access, affordability, and digital ability. The report is based on report conducted in 2023-2024, supported by University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Western Sydney University’s Institute for Culture and Society.
There are many reasons why progress towards full inclusion, participation, and rights for people with disability in Australia’s evolving digital society has been so slow. To achieve urgently needed and lasting change, the report proposes adapting and expanding digital citizenship. The report provides a preliminary exploration of how digital citizenship could function as a linchpin for a transformative new framework for underpinning disability and digital technology, and the essential role it plays in fundamental belonging and participation, wellbeing and thriving, rights and justice in Australian society.
in order for any action to be successful we need to reset current and future public policy to focus on addressing disability digital citizenship holistically. In attempting such a bold change, we also need to move away from the policy blindspot of disability being a homogenous population sector. Both within the disability community more broadly and also within separate disability cohorts there are a multitude of different abilities, barriers and interests.
As such, our approach to inclusive disability and digital citizenship needs to be founded upon this – and the report makes recommendations in the three key areas of Research, Policy, Practice to take this forward.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Parramatta, N.S.W. |
| Publisher | Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University |
| Number of pages | 75 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780646894829 |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Oct 2024 |
Open Access - Access Right Statement
© 2024 The authors expressly allow reproduction and dissemination of this document for non-commercial purposes pursuant to the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0, International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).Keywords
- disability
- digital technology
- digital society
- digital media
- disability rights
- digital inclusion
- inclusive design
- media policy
- internet
- mobile phones
- citizenship
- digital citizenship
- social policy
- disability policy
