In the lead up to Safer Internet Day, Interaction Disability Services has launched Online Safety Training to empower young people with intellectual disability and their support networks to adopt safe online practices.
The project, Online Safety Training for Young People with Disability and Their Support Networks, has been funded by The Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
“These grant projects aim to give young people the skills to recognise and deal with staying safe in the online world – teaching them what positive, healthy online interactions looks like,” said Julie Imann Grant, eSafety Commissioner.
Agency for young people living with disability lie at the heart of the Online Safety Training. By working with sector experts to create specifically tailored content, the training will provide much needed resources for young people with intellectual disability to safely use and access internet devices.
Equipping this vulnerable group with skills for identifying and overcoming online risks is vital for creating an inclusive and equitable online space. With this training, young people with disability will be able to participate in the rich, expansive world of the internet while being supported to mitigate the online risks that disproportionately harm them.
Made in collaboration with ySafe, the Online Safety Training is available on a newly developed learning platform which includes critical accessibility features such as AUSLAN interpretation, closed captioning and audio-visual media to help users with navigating and controlling their experience with the training. The Online Safety Training is self-paced and freely accessible from Interaction’s website.
The training spans eight modules; five tailored towards adolescents and three towards parents, carers and educators. Each module addresses the specific challenges faced by this community in the digital world, including online scams, sharing private information, contact with unsafe strangers, and how to set up a cybersafe home.
The Interaction Online Safety Training project was developed in consultation with members of the disability community, enabling the voices of those with lived experience to help shape the learning outcomes every step of the way.
