Highlights of the recent RightsTalk - Access to the Internet as a human right. The RightsTalk was chaired by the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, and included panellists Natalie Collins from Media Access Australia, Bruce Maguire from Vision Australia, Dr Peter Radoll from the Ngunnawal Indigenous Higher Education Centre, and Nan Bosler from the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association. For more information about RightsTalk visit http://www.humanrights.gov.au/get-involved/rightstalk TRANSCRIPT (Graeme Innes)The Internet is a part of most of our lives. Whether we're streaming a sporting event, whether we're timeshifting a TV program or just checking on the latest musing from Grump Cat. It's still part of what we do every day and often, much of the day. So what happens if you don't have access to the Internet? Or if your access is in some way limited? What if you can't physically tap into the network? Afford to pay for the services? Or find digital content that's accessible and readable? (Peter Radoll) Everyone assumes that if you put everything on the Internet, everyone can get access to it and that's just a great fallacy it really is. I think the best way to understand the Internet it is just another tool. (Natalie Collins) Essentially the first issue is around affordability of Internet access and the availability of information around access to the Internet that is in a simple form for the average user to understand. (Bruce Maguire) What this is about is ignorance. And people just not knowing. A lot of people still say to me 'Oh, I had no idea that blind people could use the Internet.' And not only do restauranteurs say that but web developers, particularly some of the smaller companies and even some of the larger ones too, say it. So there is a lack of awareness about what the Internet means and what can be accessed. (Nan Bosler) If we can't get this right, seniors are going to be greatly disadvantaged. I know that seniors could get very, very tentative about using anything new. They're not sure whether they should be using the Internet. They're a little bit afraid of privacy issues, they're terrified of emerging technologies and tablets and mobile devices where they see these wonderful displays on TV about people doing magic things with a mobile device. But then they think 'How much is that going to cost me?'. And very often they won't even try to use any of those marvelous things because they're afraid that they'll get a bill that they can't afford. Seniors need to be helped to learn how to use technology. And my greatest worry is that there is a whole group of people who are not engaging with any form of technology. Perhaps a phone but other than that, they don't want to know about it. (Peter Radoll) If you look at it, it's not just about access to information, there's a huge economic burden here. Let's take for example how many of us use the Internet to check our bank account details? *raises own hand* Most of us in this room would right? You know in the very remote communities, if you walk up to an ATM or an EFTPOS machine at one of the remote community centres shops it will cost you up to five dollars just to check your balance. *groans from room* Every time you check your balance it will cost you five dollars... Imagine that. Imagine how we would feel if we logged on every time it would cost us $5? Just to check our balance. And you're not talking about communities with lots and lots of income either. You've got to put that into context. And you made a really good point about how do you access information? How do we know that we can get access to the Internet? It's a major problem. (Bruce Maguire) We're still at an entry point and it's unclear as to what - just how far reaching those changes will be. I think we have an opportunity now that may never come again for us to enshrine access to this - to the Internet and whatever evolves from it - as a fundamental human right that we all have.

• published: 07 Nov 2013
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