You can now complete a statutory declaration online, making the process more accessible and screen reader friendly for people who are blind or have low vision.
Speaking to Vision Australia Radio’s Taking Vision, Cameron Gifford, chief operating officer of the Attorney General’s Department said the new method gives back some independence people who are blind or have low vision.
“You would need to print the form and then seek third party assistance to complete it in the hard copy and that really meant then that you had to place your trust in that third party to faithfully transcribe and read out your declaration before you could sign your name to it,” he told Talking Vision.
The online version allows people to pre-fill out their name, occupation and the matter they’re declaring, which can be downloaded into a PDF for signing.
Listen to the full interview in the player below:
Colloquially known as a stat dec, many people use these statements to help with identification or to note sick leave. They have to be signed or witnessed by a designated member of the public like a police officer, pharmacist, doctor or lawyer.
While you will still need to get a witness signature, it can now be witnessed virtually through the use of video calls or Zoom. But these witnessing requirements are only temporary due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are in place until December 2022.
The Attorney General’s Department enlisted the help of Vision Australia’s Digital access team to help improve their website’s accessibility, which informed them of the access issues with the form.
“Without them, this project really may not have actually come to fruition because they were there to help us review tests and adjust it until we got it right,” Cameron said.
You can help inform how government departments and the business community design their online products by completing the annual assistive technology survey.
All data collected will be anonymous, and you could be in the running for one of two $50 gift cards.
For more information and to complete the survey, visit the Vision Australia Digital Access website.