The Department of Communications and the Arts has announced a new source of information for the users of its National Relay Service (NRS), which assists people who are deaf, hard of hearing and/or have a speech impairment to communicate with the rest of the community.
From 6 February this year a new information source called ‘Accesshub’ will replace the NRS, providing information and assistance instead on the Department’s website.
The Department said the new initiative would provide users with range of communication resources, all in one place.
“The NRS services will remain, but Accesshub will …. provide additional information and resources, including information about text and video-based alternatives to phone calls,” the Department said.
It said that while Accesshub would replace the NRS, online users contacting NRS will automatically be redirected to the new site.
“You won’t need to do anything different to get to Accesshub,” it assured users.
“Just come to this website address as you do now.”
It said people using the NRS website to make Internet Relay or Captioned Relay calls could keep doing so as they do now.
“There will be no changes to the address or function of these call pages,” it said.
“If you have your call page bookmarked for Internet Relay or Captioned Relay, those bookmarks will continue to work and you can make a call as usual.”
It said the NRS Helpdesk would also continue to operate as usual.
The trial address for the new Accesshub service is www.communications.gov.au/accesshub or it can be accessed on or after 6 February at this PS News link.
