Readers of Panorama will know that as the COVID-19 situation has progressed, Flourish Australia, its staff and the people who access our services have all been learning. One of the biggest lessons learned is making technology work for us to overcome the limitations imposed on gatherings.
We reported in our Winter print edition that Wollongong’s New Outlook service opened a couple of Youtube channels and a TED Talk group and that a lady who accesses our Parkes service had not attended any groups UNTL they became available on ZOOM. We have also learned that programming a regular catch-up by telephone has actually benefited some people who had been attending groups in person, because they needed a more one-to-one approach.
The biggest challenge encountered with the move to technology is that people who live with mental health issues are often among the least ‘tech savvy’ or may not possess the resources to participate. Our COVID-19 experience has demonstrated the need to increase the support we provide in relation to technology so that people can benefit FROM technology. As you will read in a forthcoming Panorama, Sean Fitzgerald will be convening groups, specifically for this purpose, at Flourish Australia’s Buckingham House in Surry Hills NSW. Manager Donna Shrubsole says that IT expert ‘Sean is extremely knowledgeable in his specialist area and very patient and understanding of the challenges many of us face (including me) when it comes to IT.’
Participants at Buckingham House can access Sean’s Tech Club each week, either online or by phone. Your NDIS funding may support you to access his services directly, as Sean is a registered NDIS provider.
Over the past few months we have seen how technology is becoming increasingly important in our daily lives. Sean’s Tech club is just one example of the many innovative ways in which Flourish Australia is responding to the real needs of the people who access our services.
By Warren Heggarty from Panorama Magazine
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