Workshop - Robyn Cummins, TSCNSW

The Widening Web: Attributes and Implications

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Over the last few years there has been an explosion in consumer engagement on the World Wide Web, as witnessed by sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube and Facebook. The days of the one-way transfer of information, delivered by experts to passive recipients, are over. Global media, information dissemination, social networking and knowledge creation will never be the same.

The trend has been called Web 2.0. It is defined by the technology that has made it possible, and the shift in thinking that has facilitated community building and collaboration on an unimaginable scale. But what does it mean for our sector and the lives of people with a disability and their families?

Using source material from a wide range of commentators, this paper aims to summarise the features of this evolving trend and the principles that are its hallmark. It will explore some ideas for using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance our services and the lives of our clients. Most importantly, it will canvass the possibilities, questions and challenges raised by this consumer-led revolution.

About Robyn Cummins

With a background in Library and Information Science, Robyn worked in information services in the government and the community sectors for a number of years before joining The Spastic Centre in 1995.

The innovative environment at The Spastic Centre has allowed Robyn and her team to adapt their service as new technologies and practices have emerged. A diverse range of electronic, print and face-to-face information is now offered to a wide range of stakeholders - including clients, families, staff and other disability services.

Whilst clinical evidence underpins all quality information services, Robyn has a passionate belief that the best knowledge comes from those living the experience. In recent years, she has implemented a number of initiatives to capture and disseminate the tacit knowledge of families and clinicians for the benefit of all.

This includes the successful book of parent insights called ‘Follow Your Instincts’, clinical discussion forums, a fortnightly e-newsletter and the new CP Australia Extranet. In 2007, Robyn is the principal investigator on a research project called ‘Please Ask Me’. The project will capture the experiences, challenges and solutions of teenagers living with cerebral palsy, with the aim of producing a number of new information resources that are informed by the young people themselves.

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