Justice Connect launches enhanced disaster preparedness tool to build community resilience
21 Oct 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
MELBOURNE, Australia — Justice Connect today announced major enhancements to Get ePrepared, its innovative digital tool helping Australians protect essential legal documents before disasters strike. The upgrade comes as the organisation responds to Australia’s increasingly unpredictable disaster landscape.
“As Australia faces hotter, dryer summers, and wetter, fiercer winters, we must shift from seasonal preparation to an ‘always-on’ approach to building community resilience,” said Tom O’Doherty, Head of Innovation at Justice Connect.
“The latest version of Get ePrepared reflects our commitment to ensuring all Australians are supported to prepare for disaster-related legal issues, before an emergency strikes,” O’Doherty said.
Research shows that people who are impacted by disasters are more likely to face multiple, compounding legal issues requiring extensive support services.
“When legal issues arise after a disaster, having quick access to proof of identity, residence, and assets can make the difference between a smooth recovery and prolonged hardship,” noted O’Doherty.
“Get ePrepared was created to ensure Australians can learn about their choices to safely store these crucial documents before they’re needed in an emergency.”
Developed in partnership with Telstra and designed with trauma-informed principles, Get ePrepared coaches users through all stages of storing electronic documents, including learning which legal documents to store, where to safely store them, and how to digitise documents.
Since its launch in January 2024, Get ePrepared has demonstrated significant impact, empowering nearly 10,000 Australians to learn new digital skills to store electronic copies of their essential documents.
The tool has particularly succeeded in reaching older Australians, with half of its 90,000 views coming from users aged 65 and above. It has also achieved an 85% helpfulness rating from users.
Following a comprehensive user evaluation, Justice Connect has enhanced the tool to make it even more intuitive and accessible for Australians with lower digital inclusion.
“Our trauma-informed, co-design approach ensures Get ePrepared meets real community needs,” added O’Doherty.
“Digital exclusion particularly affects older Australians, rural communities, and people who are un- or under-employed. By teaching digital skills through practical, legal preparedness tasks, we’re bridging the digital divide and helping communities build confidence that can extend into other areas of their lives.”
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MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Emily Malone
Head of Engagement
Emily.Malone@justiceconnect.org.au
About Justice Connect
Justice Connect is a legal service organisation and charity that designs and delivers high impact interventions to increase access to legal support and progress social justice.