ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY UNIT & SKILL DEVELOPMENT
FACILITY FOR CANBERRANS WITH DISABILITIES

Over the past five years Hartley Lifecare has worked very hard fundraising and planning for a new building to replace the converted house in Deakin that has been our base for many years. On 3 November 2011 this hard work culminated in the opening of the new building in Pearce. It features an Assistive Technology assessment and skills development training facility as part of our new administration building. The new building significantly improves our capacity to provide Assistive Technology services to people with disabilities in Canberra and the surrounding region.

The need

In Canberra there are 24,100 people reporting they have a disability requiring assistance; 13,000 people who have a profound or severe activity limitation; and only 28% of people living with a disability in the ACT are employed. (Statistics provided by FaHCSIA)

People with a disability are often told that they will never experience a "normal life". Living a "normal life" means many things, things those without a disability take for granted such as the ability to function independently, communicate freely and to gain meaningful employment.

Our response

Thankfully, through advances in technology, people with a disability can realise these aspects of a normal life. Access to this technology however, is a challenge.

It is a commitment of Hartley Lifecare’s to uphold our mission to encourage those living with a disability to attend activities, to gain employment and to create opportunities for themselves so that they will lead normal lives and have the ability to aspire to life-dreams just like everyone else in the community.

Hartley Lifecare’s Assistive Technology Program, generously funded by the Accenture Foundation and now in its 5th year, continues to provide a flexible and accessible assessment and training program with the use of technology to help improve life chances. The program has been run as a mobile service helping to make a huge impact for people with disabilities. The Program has helped children and adults gain greater independence, communicate with others, integrate socially, access the community, education and the workplace and to establish control within their environment directly through the use of technology.

We continue to work in partnership with Ability Technology who provide their expertise, dedication and flexibility to help us with the assessments and training for clients accessing Assistive Technology equipment.

Many thanks go to Accenture, the Snow Foundation, Ian Potter Foundation, the Trust Company, architects Dowse Norwood and the builders, Nikias Diamond Property Developments.

Note from a sponsor

"The Snow Foundation is delighted to support the building of an Assistive Technology Unit and Training facility for Hartley Lifecare.  Already Hartley Lifecare have been delivering the Assistive Technology program for some years and the impact the program has had for many people with a disability is profound, dramatically improving their independence, contribution and quality of life.  Small tasks such as turning on the TV or lights can be overcome simply by providing the person with a disability certain technology without relying on the support of a full time carer.

We thank Hartley Lifecare for taking this initiative forward and making it happen for Canberra’s most disadvantaged."

Georgina Byron, Chief Executive Officer, The Snow Foundation