TELUS has announced the national expansion of their Tech for Good program in partnership with March of Dimes Canada.
What is the Tech for Good program?
First launched in Alberta and British Columbia in 2018, this national expansion will support more Canadians with disabilities who require professional assistance to independently use or control their mobile device. The program offers customized recommendations, training, and support on mobile devices and, based on individual need, the assistive technology required for persons with disabilities to use their mobile device. Tech for Good enables equitable access to mobile devices, empowering people with disabilities to live, work, and play in our digital world.
The Tech for Good program provides people with disabilities direct access to Assistive Technologists at March of Dimes Canada who have specialized knowledge about accessibility barriers and assistive technologies for mobile devices. Program support includes personalized, virtual one-on-one assessment, assistive technology training and recommendations based on an individuals’ diverse needs; for example, the assistive tech experts may recommend Boardmaker, a software used to create a collection of standardized picture symbols used by youth with unique communication needs.
The Tech for Good program can be life-changing for the people who use it. For example, Tech for Good will give a voice to Emrick, an eight-year-old boy in Quebec City who is non-verbal. “Since Emrick’s diagnosis, we’ve had to fight to receive services. It was a miracle that TELUS and March of Dimes Canada came into our lives and gave us a glimmer of hope an invaluable support,” said Emrick’s mother Marie-Claude Bilodeau. Emrick will be using a tablet with Boardmaker software loaded with images to help him communicate and improve his quality of life.
TELUS also supports accessibility and inclusion by offering customers a wide range of mobile devices equipped with built-in visual, mobility, cognitive, and hearing/speech related accessibility features. Further, since its launch, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation has supported people with disabilities, donating $2.6 million in support of nearly 200 projects across Canada.
TELUS has long supported Canada’s most vulnerable citizens through the TELUS Connecting for Good portfolio of programs, which ensures that our world-leading technology creates meaningful change by bridging digital divides and ensuring equal access to technology for Canadians in need.
What is TELUS Internet for Good?
Internet for Good offers 400,000 qualified low-income families and persons with disabilities in B.C., Alberta, and Quebec high speed broadband internet for a low monthly cost.
This past year, TELUS also partnered with school boards to expedite access to high speed Internet at home for K-12 students in need.
They have also donated 35,000 computers to the Computers for Schools Plus (CFS+) program since 2001, helping make it easier for youth and Canadians in need to access the Internet.
What is TELUS Mobility for Good?
Through their Mobility for Good program they offer 20,000 youth transitioning from foster care a free smartphone and fully subsidized 3GB data plan for two years.
The TELUS Mobility for Good for Seniors provides Canadian seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) access to a subsidized mobility rate plan and ensures more seniors have access to the technology they need to help address feelings of isolation, manage their mental wellbeing, stay connected to loved ones, and access important healthcare resources and information.
What is TELUS Health for Good?
In partnership with community health partners, the TELUS Health for Good program enables mobile health clinics to bring primary and mental health care, including COVID-19 testing, assessments and vaccinations, directly to people in need living on the streets in 11 urban centres across Canada. The program has supported more than 60,000 patient interventions and counting, nationwide.
How can you apply to the Tech for Good program?
To learn more or to apply for Tech for Good, visit telus.com/techforgood.
