In 2018, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported:

• 4.4 million (just under 1 in 5) Australians living with disability
• 3.9 million (about 1 in 6) Australians aged 65 years and over.

Permanent disability and changing abilities due to ageing can make it difficult to use digital services.

Examples of permanent disability include:

• sensory – loss of sight or hearing
• intellectual – difficulty learning or understanding
• physical – restriction in physical activities
• acquired – head injury, stroke or acquired brain injury.

But good accessibility practices don’t just apply to older Australians or people with a permanent​ disability.

All of us will have different needs at different times and in different circumstances.

Temporary impairments, or sometimes a persons current situation, can present similar difficulties as a permanent disability.

For example:

• a broken arm or lost glasses
• a short-term illness
• sun glare on a mobile device making poor contrast text hard to read
• people living in regional Australia who only have access to a slow internet connection
• people using limited or expensive bandwidth
• people using older internet devices that may not be running the latest software versions
• people whose first language isn't English
• people in a situational crisis - for example: needing emergency support.

The Australian Taxation Office provides more information about:

• Australia’s diversity
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Inclusive language
• People with disability or impairment
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Digital literacy
• Different ways people connect.

See the Australian Government Style Manual for guidance on the use of culturally appropriate and respectful language.