This thesis analyses the development of telecommunications universal service in relation
to people with disabilities and national policy making in Australia from 1975 to the end of
1997.
The history of public policy development in telecommunications universal service
obligations is analysed to gain an understanding of how different political, scientific,
social symbolic and material contexts have influenced policy. It is argued that social
symbolic and material contexts mutually constitute telecommunications policy. Social
symbolic influences, such as charity and 'rights' discourses of disability, have framed
telecommunications policy toward people with disabilities. Material contexts, including
changing technological, economic and legislative environments, have created favourable
conditions for either charity or 'rights' models of disability, and have dominated related
policy arenas at various times. The study demonstrates that policy arenas influenced by
certain discourses, may also lead to changes within the material environments.
The influence of community interest groups is also analysed to investigate their effect on
telecommunications policy. Associated with interest group influence on
telecommunications policy is a joint consultative process initiated by Telstra and
consumer groups in 1988. The value of the consultative process to people with
disabilities is evaluated.
A key focus of this study is the consideration given by policy makers to the interests of
people with a disability in the continuing debate on access and equity issues in relation to
telecommunications services for all Australians. A turning-point in telecommunications
policy for people with disabilities occurred in 1995, when various people with a disability
made a successful complaint against Telstra to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission (HREOC). The outcome forced a major change of policy in
telecommunications service delivery and benefited many who have disabilities.
The HREOC inquiry is a useful case study which indicates the significance of the
mutually constitutive effect on policy stemming from the dynamic interaction of social
symbolic environments and material conditions. The research revealed that policy in this
area may be described as a pluralist, non-linear process. Government and Telstra policy
makers have found telecommunications policy a problematic area to reconcile with
universal service obligations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218787 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Bourk, Michael J., n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Communication |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Michael J. Bourk |
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