Scope wins bid to tackle rising cyber risks

Children and young people are about to get a whole lot safer online.

Scope is pleased to be one of only nine recipients of the eSafety Commissioner’s 2022 Online Safety Grants. The grant will enable us to launch the Be Safe Online project, which aims to better equip children and young people with disabilities to protect themselves online.

Kate MacRae, Scope CEO, said this opportunity will fill a critical gap in accessible tools and resources about cybersafety.

“Young people with communication disabilities, cognitive impairment and low literacy levels face higher risks of online abuse, cyberbullying and scams,” Kate said.

“Accessible information and resources (like communication boards) will enable young people to talk about these issues in a way that works for them.”

The Be Safe Online project will be run by Scope’s CIRC team in partnership with people who have disabilities

Resources will be codesigned so that parents and carers are able to educate and have conversations with young people about how to safely access digital technologies.

“Providing safe access to digital technologies in our modern world is vital when supporting children and young people with disabilities to live as equal and empowered citizens,” Kate said.

Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland MP, said the not-for-profit sector plays an important role in supporting government to address complex social issues.

“These grants will help unlock each recipient’s unique expertise to create new channels and content addressing specific issues and age groups, helping us to reach more Australians with vital online safety education.”