Across Australia, more than three quarters of teenagers living with disability are exposed to potentially harmful online content, compared with the national average of 62%.
In response to this, new online safety resources have been launched to ensure that young people with disability are not only supported whilst online but that their parents, guardians, and carers are empowered to have meaningful conversations about online safety.
The Be Safe Online resources, developed by Scope and the eSafety Commissioner’s Office, are the culmination of 18 months of direct input from young people with disabilities, their families, carers, educators, and subject matter experts, ensuring they are specifically tailored to meet the needs of this vulnerable group.
Focus groups facilitated by Scope revealed that while there is widespread awareness of the risks associated with being online, many parents, carers, and educators lack the confidence and tools to effectively discuss safe practices with young people.
The resources include a suite of Easy English resources designed for people with communication disabilities, a communication book to facilitate effective conversations about online safety, and an eLearning module developed to support educators and trainers to provide more communication accessible content to their audiences.
“The ability to access digital platforms is very important for young people with disability,” Scope CEO, Kate MacRae said.
“Along with being important from an accessibility perspective, the internet can open opportunities to participate in communities and forge connections in ways that may not be easily accessible to them in the physical world.”
However, MacRae pointed out that people living with disability are disproportionality at risk of online abuse, exposure to inappropriate content and scams.
“It’s crucial that we support young people with disability to access the online world safely. This also means empowering their parents and carers, many of whom lack the confidence to address these challenges effectively,” she said.
“These resources have the potential to be a gamechanger for both young people living with disability and the people who support them. Our goal is to enable young people to explore the online world freely, but with the assurance that they can do so safely. The Be Safe Online resources will help us to do just that.”