Telstra 2013 Annual Report Download - page 28

SUSTAINABILITY
COMMUNITY IMPACT
TELSTRA FOUNDATION
Through its social innovation
program, the Telstra Foundation
works in partnership with community
organisations to bring ideas and
technology together - unlocking digital
potential. This year we committed
$1 million in three new social innovation
grants, including support for the MJD
Foundation to deliver a digital inclusion
program for Indigenous people living with
Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD) in the
Northern Territory. MJD is a hereditary
neurodegenerative condition, life limiting
and with no known cure. The project
will use innovative tablet technology to
deliver health services and support to 30
Indigenous MJD clients and their carers
across six Arnhem Land communities.
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
We consulted widely this year to explore
the digital inclusion potential for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people. We will use the findings and work
in partnership with the National Centre
of Indigenous Excellence to develop a
national strategy for Indigenous Digital
Excellence.
We renewed our partnership with One
Laptop Per Child Australia (OLPCA) for
another two years, committing an additional
$200,000 to help deploy 50,000 laptops to
disadvantaged schools, including many
with a large Indigenous student population.
Since 2010, Telstra has provided $900,000
in seed funding to OLPCA.
This year we became one of the first
corporations in Australia to formally
recognise the traditional owners of
land and country, by installing signs of
acknowledgement in every branded Telstra
store and business centre across Australia.
DIGITAL LITERACY
We established a partnership with the
New South Wales Government to deliver
the Tech Savvy Seniors program. The
18 month program will deliver digital
literacy training to around 15,000
senior Australians through more than
40 community colleges and 100 local
libraries, particularly in regional and
remote areas of NSW.
We also launched a partnership with
Able Australia Services to help deafblind
Australians better access technology.
Communication difficulties associated
with deafblindness can lead to social
isolation, unemployment and the
frustration of relying on support workers.
The partnership will deliver digital literacy
training and provide access to equipment
such as tablets and Braille devices.
E-SMART LIBRARIES
In August 2012, we launched eSmart
Libraries, a multi-year, $8 million
partnership between the Telstra
Foundation and The Alannah and
Madeline Foundation. The initiative will
better equip 1,500 public libraries across
the country and support library users
with the skills they need for smart, safe
and responsible use of technology. To
date, more than 140 library employees
from 100 libraries across Australia have
attended training sessions as part of the
eSmart Libraries pilot.
WE USE OUR TECHNOLOGY,
EXPERTISE, SCALE AND
PRESENCE ACROSS
THE NATION TO MAKE A
POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION
TO THE COMMUNITY
26 Telstra Annual Report 2013