About us
e-Bility.com was launched in 1998 as a one-stop accessible destination for disability related information, resources, services and products. Its purpose was three fold:
- To empower people with disability, by making it easier and quicker to find relevant information in an accessible format
- To offer a low cost alternative for small groups in the disability and community sector to have a presence on the Net
- To explore and promote web accessibility
e-Bility community
Today, e-Bility.com is an active network of people and organisations interested in disability issues. It includes individuals, organisations, support groups, professional associations, service providers, and equipment suppliers from across the disability, health, special education and community sectors.
Information is grouped into three main sections:
- Services and products is the entry point for member web sites as well as the classified advertisements for second hand equipment and accessible properties for sale. This section also includes projects such as an odd shoe exchange and a directory of motivational speakers with a disability.
- A visit to the Access Travel spot is a must if you are planning a holiday. Here you'll find travel articles, access guides and links to a wide range of tours and travel services for people with disabilities
- The Resources section is an area to share your own experiences. If you have written a book review or an article you would like published then this is the place to come. You'll also find an archive of past issues of e-Bility News
The e-Bility web site is constantly changing in response to your feedback and contributions. Several new initiatives are also in the pipeline, so stay tuned!
If you become a regular visitor you may also like to receive our free bi-monthly newsletter to keep you informed of recent developments on e-bility.com and other disability web sites.
Web accessibility and usability
e-Bility's focus is on developing sites that are universally accessible, easy to navigate and that help people find the information they are looking for. Our web sites are based on the international recognised W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and all sites hosted on e-bility.com are required to meet these recommendations. We also offer web accessibility and usability consultancy services to assist other organisations and Government agencies ensure their own web sites are accessible.
Projects
From time-to-time e-Bility has initiated or collaborated on small projects that meet a specific need in the community, these include:
SWAP Shoes
Launched in 2005, SWAP (Shoes Without A Partner) is a service for people requiring single shoes or shoes for different sized feet. If you are tired of buying 2 pairs of shoes to get 1 pair that fits or buying a pair when you only need one shoe, then hopefully this project will save you some money and frustration!
Access Noosa
Noosa Shire is one of Australia's most accessible and livable communities. Noosa Council have made access and equity a high priority, with an emphasis on 'equitable access to the facilities, amenities and services of the Shire for all its residents and visitors'. For this reason Noosa is a popular destination for people with disability, seniors and families.
Quintessential Net (QNet)
Quintessential Net (also known as QNet) is a web space available to e-Bility's clients for a variety of short and longer term projects or applications. These include: eCourses, online HR application forms, mailing list tools and accessible web surveys.
Energy Today
An accessible news and information website about Australian energy and environmentally friendly alternatives.
Who is e-bility?
Founded by Sandra Vassallo, e-Bility Pty Ltd is an incorporated company (1998) based in Sydney Australia, operating as e-Bility.com and e-Bility Inclusive IT
e-Bility Inclusive IT provides strategic web accessibility and usability services, helping create web sites and web applications that are easy to use, attractive in appearance and that conform with web standards, universal design principles and legal requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992). Our consultancy services include web site reviews, user testing by people with disabilities and web site development.
Sandra is a 1990 Churchill Fellow and in 1992 was awarded the inaugural Mt Eliza Sydney Rotary Management Scholarship. Her venture into Internet services draws on her experiences as a service provider in the disability sector working in rehabilitation and assistive technology and as an executive manager planning and development, combined with a sound knowledge of accessible web design principles and practices and post graduate study in web usability.
Greenhouse friendly
e-Bility has sought to reduce its impact on the environment through an associated project we are working on called Energy Today. We have offset our website hosting and related energy consumption by purchasing certified abatement credits from genuine demand reduction activities. Our office is also powered by 100% renewable energy, accredited under the National GreenPower Accreditation Program.