As our reliance on telecommunications and the Internet grows, there is an increasing divide between those who have access to new technologies and those who don’t. Access to community services like health and financial assistance often requires use of either the telephone or Internet. People with little chance to access these services, particularly the homeless, are becoming increasingly isolated from society.
Brisbane City Council’s Community Development Services has recognised this problem. To assist homeless people, Council has joined with Telstra and Cisco Systems to provide a free mobile Internet connection.
Installed in one of Drug Arm’s Street Outreach vans, this is providing homeless people with access to local community information services, such as housing, health and Centrelink.
Brisbane City Council’s homelessness strategy, including community organisations’ Street Outreach program, aims to ensure that already marginalised groups are not further disadvantaged by the digital divide. The Drug Arm Street Outreach program provides homeless people with access to services such as health, financial assistance, drug and alcohol education, counselling and transport.
The three Drug Arm Outreach vans follow specific routes throughout the city from early evening through to morning six nights a week.
For more information contact Cindy Sinclair, Community Development Officer, on (07) 3403 0184.
