Assistive Technology

                                 Submission 60

In addition to the well-written submission by Vision Australia which I endorse, I add the following in my capacity as a NDIS Participant. To provide a little background: I have been totally blind since the age of six months and have been a competent braille user for many years. To me, braille is equivalent to standard print.

I definitely concur with the point in regards to being denied funding for iPhones and iPads. These items do indeed have inbuilt accessibility functions which would otherwise make the devices unusable for someone who is blind or vision-impaired, prohibiting one from meeting their goals. I recently purchased the iPhone 8 with a 256 Gigabyte capacity. Apart from downloading TV shows and music to my iPhone, I have factored in the expectation of installing additional Apps specifically designed for the blindness and vision-impaired sector. Microsoft Soundscape and Blindsquare are just two examples of such Apps. Most importantly, I couldn’t manage everyday tasks without my iPhone now. For instance, whenever I need to contact Telstra or update the details of someone in my Payee List for Internet Banking, a 4-digit code is automatically sent as a SMS to my mobile phone number. A requirement to enter that code is essential in order to complete the transaction. Furthermore, instructions accompanying the 4 digits clearly state NOT to divulge this unique code to anyone, (not even a staff member from the bank).

In the case of Telstra, the customer relays the unique code to Telstra Personnel as an additional security measure. As a totally blind person, I couldn’t use my iPhone without the in-built VoiceOver feature. Furthermore, not having the ability to read text messages has become unacceptable, especially during the past couple of years, in society today.

In closing, it is my hope that the rules around assistive technology are broadened, specifically as the mainstream devices on the market with built-in accessibility functionality such as iPhones, will only increase.

Kind Regards,

Debbie Cooke.

Debbie Cooke, Founder and Chief Publishing Officer (CPO), Transcription Cooke