[dbaust] Household Assistance Scheme - Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes
- From: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:25:24 -0700 (PDT)
Household Assistance Scheme
Following on from the email I sent out today about free accessible set-top
boxes. This email below is about the Household Assistance Scheme.
What is the Household Assistance Scheme?
http://www.digitalready.gov.au/government-assistance/household-assistance-scheme.aspx
The Household Assistance Scheme is a program run by the Australian government.
It provides assistance to older Australians, veterans and people with
disabilities, or their carers.
If you are eligible, the scheme provides the following package free of charge:
a high definition set-top boxa demonstration of your new equipment and
instructions on how to use it12 months warranty, service and technical support.
If you own your home, you may be eligible for necessary upgrades to cabling and
antenna systems. If you live in an area that cannot receive terrestrial TV, the
scheme provides equipment to receive free-to-air TV via satellite.
Am I eligible?You may be eligible for help if:you have not yet converted to
digital TV (if you can watch ABC2, SBSTWO, 7TWO, GO! or Eleven, then you have
access to digital TV)you have a working TV, andyou receive the full rate of one
of the following payments:Age PensionDisability Support PensionCarer
PaymentDepartment of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Service PensionDVA Income Support
Supplement
If you already have digital equipment, you might still be eligible for help if
you cannot get good reception.Applying for the scheme
How do I apply?Letters inviting potentially eligible individuals to opt into
the Scheme will be sent out approximately six months before each area is due to
switchover. The letter will invite you to contact Centrelink to check your
eligibility.If you are eligible, a service contractor will then call you to
make an appointment for a qualified installer to come to your home and provide
the installation. The service contractor or installer will not charge you for
this service. If you have any doubts about the identity of the contractor,
please call 1800 20 10 13.Please note that the demonstration of the set top box
by the installer and the reference material that they leave behind will be in
English.
When can I apply?The Household Assistance Scheme is available for six months
before and one month after the switch to digital in your region. Check mySwitch
for information on when your region is switching.
Early switchover areasEarly assistance is available in some areas of southern
and central NSW, the ACT and MIA that are switching to free-to-air digital TV
early or receiving new digital services.These areas include: Batlow;
Bungendore; Conder; Cootamundra; Eastgrove; Eugowra; Grenfell; Gulgong;
Gundagai; Harden; Junee; Mount Kembla; Mudgee Town; Narrandera; Narromine;
Narooma; Peak Hill; Tura Beach/Merimbula; Warren/Trangie; Wellington; and West
Wyalong.Centrelink is writing to eligible people in these areas with
information about how to apply for free help under the Household Assistance
Scheme. If you live in one of these areas and believe you are eligible you
should check your eligibility now by calling 1800 556 443.For more information
about early switchover areas, click the 'Early switchover towns' link provided
below under 'Related information'.
Need more information?You can find out more about the Household Assistance
Scheme, including the scheme guidelines, information about the scheme's
installers and user guides by visiting the 'HAS Information' section of the
'Brochures and info sheets' page. A link is provided below under 'Related
information'.http://www.digitalready.gov.au/info-centre/brochures/HAS-information.aspx
See website for more information and application
forms.http://www.digitalready.gov.au/info-centre/brochures/HAS-information.aspx
--- On Tue, 17/4/12, Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes
To: "Erika Webb" <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Received: Tuesday, 17 April, 2012, 1:08 PM
Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes
Tuesday, 17 April 2012 2:35pm from Media Access Australia
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/government-to-provide-free-accessible-set-top-boxes
Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy, has announced that talking set-top
boxes will be distributed to blind and vision impaired people as part of the
Household Assistance Scheme being co-ordinated by his department’s Digital
Switchover Taskforce.
Senator Conroy made the announcement during a radio
interview with Robyn Gaile, Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia, on
the New Horizons program, which is broadcast on Radio for the Print Handicapped
and community radio stations across Australia.
New Horizons Radio Program 238: 16 April 2012
http://www.bca.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111&Itemid=54
People who are legally blind or receiving a carer’s payment
for a legally blind child need to register for the Household Assistance Scheme
as their region of Australia transitions to digital-only television. A
timetable of when each region switches to digital transmission is available on
the Digital Ready website.
http://www.digitalready.gov.au/when-do-i-switch.aspx
The next region, Northern New South Wales, will be switched
over in June. The Government is also investigating the possibility of providing
talking set-top boxes to blind and vision impaired people in areas where
digital TV switchover has already been completed.
Two talking set-top boxes, which feature talking menus,
program guides and other features, were developed for the Household Assistance
Scheme and trialled in 2010. One of these, the Bush Talking Set Top Box, went
on sale last year for $200. The Government has also commissioned research into
which other set-top boxes and TV sets are capable of receiving audio
description.
Bush Talking Set Top Box,
http://www.bushaustralia.com.au/details.aspx?pid=229&stid=9
In the interview, Senator Conroy also talked about the
upcoming trial of audio description on ABC1,
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/australian-policy-and-legislation/television-revealed-for-blind-and-vision-impaired-australians
saying that, “The ABC and my department are developing plans
to let interested people know how they can take part in the trial.” The trial
is due to commence in August, and will involve 14 hours of audio described
drama, comedy and documentary per week.
Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/government-to-provide-free-accessible-set-top-boxes
From Media Access Australia.
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