Presenting at the forum will be Media Access Australia’s CEO Alex Varley. His presentation will look at council services and how online communications and social media can be used to service members of the community who have a disability and require access to essential council information.
The event has been organised by local resident Mary Lovett, who in April received a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to blind and vision impaired people. She is the founder and past president of Mudgee Vision Impaired Persons Friendship Group and the chairman of the Central West NSW branch of Blind Citizens Australia.
Put in place by the Australian Government Information Office (AGIMO), the strategy states that all Australian government websites must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level A by 31 December 2012, and Level AA by December 2014. By complying with these standards, website owners help ensure that web-based information and tools can be used by everyone regardless of disability.
Funded by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network and first launched in March, sociABILITY helps people with sensory or mobility impairment overcome the accessibility barriers found in six of the world’s most popular social networking tools. The report and tip sheets guide people through getting started on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Skype and blogging.
