The Disability Information and Resource Centre

Web2Care is a new tool developed to assist people in managing self-directed care and personal budgets. The web based tool integrates planning, budgeting, employment of support workers, financial management and reporting functions in a format applicable to adults and children in disability who are directly managing a support package.

Expressions of interest are now invited from consumers with a chronic illness or mental illness, and consumers/families in aged care, in trialling the tool in self-managing a support budget in chronic illness, mental illness and aged care.

A presentation on the tool can be found here.

For more information contact Vern Hughes on 0425 722 890 or vern@partnerships.org.au.

At this years Annual Florey Memorial Lecture Baroness Susan Greenfield will present her thoughts on how technology, neuroscientific advances and designer drugs are modifying human brains in an unprecedented way.

Regarded as one of the most influential brain experts in the world, Baroness Greenfield will be in Adelaide to help celebrate the University of Adelaide Medical School’s 125th anniversary.

More information is available here.

Where

Bonython Hall, University of Adelaide

When

5.30pm – 7pm Friday 3 September 2010

Cost

Gold coin entry at the door, with proceeds to the Florey Research Medical Foundation.

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Microsoft Auditorium
Level 2, Westpac House, 91 King William Street, Adelaide

Registration: 9am for 9.30am start

For registration and $30 online payment, go to www.informationeconomy.sa.gov.au/dii

Event program and presenters

Digital Proficiency 9.30am – 11am

• Andrew Mahar, Executive Director, Infoxchange Australia
• Paul Clark, Manager of Citizenship and Community Affairs, Microsoft Australia

Digital Inclusion 11.20am – 1pm

• Andrew Mahar, Executive Director, Infoxchange Australia

Lunch and networking 1pm – 1.30pm

• Lunch is included in registration fee

Event synopsis

Digital proficiency and productivity gains

NGO ICT landscape – What does it mean to be a digitally proficient community service organisation?

Digital proficiency is the capacity of an organisation to engage with digital technology and communications. A digitally proficient organisation uses technology to improve the operation of its systems, reduce bureaucracy, enhance knowledge management, increase its networks and better support its staff, clients and its community.

‘Ten things you need to know on how to develop an ICT plan and use it to achieve your organisational goals.’

Digital Inclusion Initiative

Digital Inclusion describes the activities and projects that aim to achieve a more inclusive information society. It is about ensuring access to current information and communication technology, irrespective of an individual’s social, economic and cultural situation.

‘Infoxchange aims to share the social and economic gains, and modeling tool used to measure economic benefits of the digital inclusion programs targeting disadvantaged communities.’

The Digital Inclusion Initiative (DII) in Victoria, for example, provides access to computer hardware and software, affordable internet and user support for public housing residents in several locations, based on the notion that access to computers and the internet is critical to social and economic inclusion.

The economic benefits of the first project in Atherton Gardens Estate, Fitzroy, have been quantified by A.T. Kearney at $5.9million over five years. The benefits of the second project, established in August 2008 in Collingwood Public Housing Estate, are projected to be $5.8million by 2013.

A discussion of the DII project in Collingwood will provide an opportunity for your organisation to understand how to protect knowledge and develop web 2.0 based best practice targeting the most disadvantaged communities.

Sponsored by:

The South Australian Government | Infoxchange Australia

You can view the flyer here.

On Saturday 17 July, The Hon Bill Shorten MP launched the Cinema Access Implementation Plan. The Plan is an agreement between representatives of Village Roadshow, Greater Union, Hoyts and Reading Cinemas and disability sector representatives which will fast track implementation of new audio description and captioning technology in Australian cinemas.

The Cinema Access Implementation Plan will provide cutting edge technology to allow people with impaired hearing or vision to enjoy movies in more cinemas across Australia. By the end of 2014, captions and audio description will be available in at least one screen in every one of the 132 cinema complexes run by these operators, with 242 accessible screens to be available by 2014.

A copy of the Plan is available on FaHCSIA’s website.

The ABC’s New Inventors program are planning a special feature show early next year focussing on disability and access. They currently have two ‘products’ to showcase and are looking for a third – does anyone have an invention they wish to promote?

A couple of things to consider: – one of the products they are going to showcase is a software product and the other is a custom/specialised bicycle built for someone with no arms, so they are looking for a third idea that is different to these two.

If you do have an idea/product, contact Simone directly (her email address is below) and include information such as photos or a link to a website that provides further information on your submission.

You must have a working prototype to go on the show; – they are looking to record the special episode in Sydney on the 29th Jan 2010, so this will all happen very quickly when you consider Christmas, New Year, and Australia Day will all happen in that time frame; – you need to be an Australian resident for taxation purposes – a requirement of the show. Simone’s email address is: atallah.simone@abc.net.au

Good luck!