Bernice helps drive website redesign
When Bernice Turbill was asked for her input in a website redesign project, she was only too happy to help.

The 94-year-old
has been a keen user of digital technology for the last 15 years, ever since
she inherited her son’s second-hand computer.
She now has her
own computer and iPad, which she uses to keep in touch with family, order
online books and search for information. She keeps up to date with technology
with help from ACH Group support worker Matt Griffin, who is also an IT
specialist, when he visits once a week.
Bernice was a
member of one of two reference groups appointed to trial ACH Group’s new website
which went live in December. She visited the company’s head office at Mile End
and used a magnifying glass to assess the changes and share her feedback with web
developers.
Information
technology is especially important for Bernice, who has a vision impairment and
can no longer drive, garden or read printed books. It allows her to keep in
touch with family interstate.
“Without a
computer I wouldn’t be able to read books any more, I would have to rely on
audio books,” she says. “Matt showed me how to enlarge the fonts on e-books
which I order from the library. I play games like Solitaire, I look things up
to help me with the Saturday quiz, and send emails to my family. It’s a
wonderful way of communicating.”
Bernice
believes that many older people would benefit from information technology but
are often apprehensive. “I think there are a lot of older people who don’t even
use a mobile phone, or a computer, but it’s not hard,” she says. “Most people
could do it if they had a bit of encouragement. It really is within people’s
reach.”
Bernice
appreciated being asked to contribute to the website. “Older people are a
little bit challenged in today’s world and they say I won’t do that, it’s for
young people. But I don’t think we need to accept that.”
Among her
suggestions, Bernice felt the text could be darker – a change that was
implemented.
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