Trivia to combat lockdown loneliness. Friends and families have come together during the pandemic to answer rapid-fire questions online. Australians who previously were not using technology are now learning to deal with lockdown loneliness and becoming closer to family and friends more than ever before. Digital modes of connection have…

New Zealand’s work to break down digital barriers in seniors has won the 2021 IDC Smart City Asia Pacific Awards in their education category. The training program, delivered by Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa and the 20/20 Trust, was funded through the 2019 Wellbeing Budget and helps a diverse range of…

Digital inclusion is not just about the ability to use technology. It is also about access and affordability. ACCAN has called for no Australian to be left offline with the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission report, Human Rights and Technology. The report details the Australian Human Rights Commission’s…

“I am the most well equipped useless person,” says Norma when I met her recently in Canowindra to be her Tech Mate.  If you know anything about Norma you’d know that wasn’t at all true.  She’s an amazing and brave woman and has done several volunteering stints including, an archaeological…

Secret tracking apps are just one of the many ways abusers can use technology to keep their victims in a “constant state of fear”.  A recent survey from women’s service network, WESNET, found that almost all women experiencing family violence suffered from technology abuse. This includes abusive text messages and…

Research conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority found COVID-19 restrictions saw an increase in elderly Australians turning to the online world. Surprisingly the number of people aged 75+ who use social media has grown from 18% in June 2019 to 41% in June 2020. Read the full article…

The government’s second pandemic budget contains $1.2 billion in digital strategy initiatives.  Leep welcomes the $3.2 million for the Digital Technology Taskforce to support the implementation of a digital economy strategy. Those of us working in the digital literacy space hope this strategy includes prioritising digital literacy programs to address the deepening…

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned the General Assembly that, without action from the international community, the digital divide will become “the new face of inequality”.   Almost half of the world's population are still offline with women constituting a large proportion of this population. Infrastructure Australia is due to publish…

Technology can play a significant role in allowing people to stay in their homes for longer in the later staged of life. Having the option to continue to live safely at home is something many Australians prefer to do. Technology can now aid in this in a number of ways;…