Senator Conroy launches Livewire On Wheels
04 Dec 2008
Senator Conroy launches Livewire On Wheels online community for young patients at Canberra Hospital
Thursday 27 November 2008
Commencing in Canberra before being rolled out across Australia, Livewire On Wheels is an online community designed for young people in hospital with a serious illness or chronic disability.
Livewire.org.au aims to connect all young Australians aged over 10 and under 21 living with a serious illness, chronic condition or disability in a safe and supportive online community where they can connect, share experiences and realise they are not alone in their situation. Funded by the government to the tune of $7.2 million, livewire.org.au is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Starlight Children’s Foundation and is supported by the Clever Networks program.
The roll-out of stage one will allow young people to access the Livewire online community through Livewire on Wheels, a specially modified hospital bedside table, with PC hardware and a wireless internet connection to the Livewire site. The program will deliver 90 Livewire on Wheels units into seven hospitals around Australia. Stage two, which is scheduled to be launched in February 2009, will allow young people access to livewire.org.au from their home computers. Livewire aims to connect 20,000 by the end of next year.
The Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today launched Livewire on Wheels.
“This is an exciting initiative which will take the Livewire online community to young people in hospitals around the country,” Senator Conroy said.
“Broadband internet offers many opportunities to young people and Livewire on Wheels is an important initiative to ensure young people in hospital are able to benefit.”
“In particular, Livewire will address many of the needs of young people in regional and remote parts of the country. Those living with an illness or a disability can experience an enormous sense of isolation, which makes the Livewire online community especially valuable.”
Starlight Children’s Foundation CEO, Ms Jill Weekes, said, “Adolescence is often the most difficult time for young people living with serious illness or disability. The key to reducing the isolation they can experience is by staying connected with their family and friends throughout their treatment and challenges.
“As stage one of the Livewire roll-out, Livewire on Wheels will give young people in hospitals who are either far from home or just around the corner feel they are still connected to the people and places they love. It gives them a lifeline to the world they know and a chance to meet online in a safe environment, share ideas, have fun, make friends and stay in touch. “
Ms Rosemary O’Donnell, Executive Director at Canberra Hospital, said, “Our Paediatrics Unit is delighted to have been chosen as one of the pilot sites for the roll out of Livewire online."
Livewire on Wheels opens the door to a vast network of specially selected online games and content tailored to suit individual age groups and abilities. All of the online places that young people enjoy and expect from the internet such as chat rooms, forums and blogs will be available in a totally secure and hosted environment.
Livewire Managing Director, Mr Omar Khalifa, said, “Livewire will deliver an innovative social network, tailored specifically to the needs of young people living with illness and disability. In collaboration with Starlight, Clever Networks and hospitals, we have been able to develop a unique and ground breaking program that connects young people together wherever they are – including when they are undergoing treatment in hospital.
“To meet the challenge, we have brought together some of the best talent from the online community to work together to achieve what no other online community has fully addressed – a safe supportive and fun site for this group in our community.
“We applaud the Australian Government for funding Livewire and recognizing the potential benefits these programs will deliver to young Australians into the future.”
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PHOTOGRAPH: Rear, from left, Annelise Grindrod, Livewire teen, Senator Stephen Conroy, Andrew Barr, MLA, ACT Minister for Children and Young People and Ben Claughton (Captan Starlight). Front, Larah Hilhorst (Captain Starlight).
Photo By: Ross Buchanan