Have you got some old phones lying around taking up space and gathering dust? If so, Mobile Muster, the Australian Governments official not-for-profit accredited mobile phone recycling program wants them – but next month it’s so they can donate them to Able Australia, an organisation who works with the deafblind community in Australia.
Able Australia has been working with the deafblind community since 1967. Able Australia currently supports a number of the more than 228,000 Australians living with a sight or hearing impairment. Able Australia believes deafblindness is very much Australia’s forgotten disability and that by 2050 more than 1 million Australians will be living with a vision or hearing impairment – to that end, they use smartphones to help Australians get through their daily life, and they want your phones to help continue this work.
What will Able Australia use the mobile’s for? They intend to use them to educate deafblind people on how to use mobile technology to communicate and stay connected. Check out this video developed by Able Australia which tells the story of Michael Doherty and how he goes about his daily life with the help of his smartphone.
Able Australia’s Scott Darkin says,
Deafblindness is very much Australia’s forgotten disability. The smartphones donated will help deafblind people stay connected, which is something most of us take for granted. These donated smartphones will also increase their mobility, independence and help them navigate their way around their community. Nine out of ten deafblind people will experience depression and anxiety and the simple act of donating an unwanted phone is an easy way to show your support to Australia’s deafblind community. Your old phone could be the vital link that transforms a socially isolated person with deafblindness into an active member of their local community.
They don’t just want your old phones, they need to at least be above a Samsung Galaxy S4, LG Nexus 5 and above – or if you’re talking other mobile operating systems they need phones from a Nokia Lumia 540 or iPhone 4S and above. They need to be working with an uncracked screen and preferably have a charger – and they should also be network unlocked.
Mobile Muster recycles a lot of gear, they’ve recycled or repurposed more than 9.95 million handsets and batteries and more than 580,000 kg of accessories since they started in 1998. They wipe any phones that are donated with a Pass Secure Data Overwrite which stands up to Dept of Defence DoD 5220.22-M standard – so your data isn’t shared.
If you have a phone you aren’t using any more – Mobile Muster’s Spyro Kalos estimates there are around 25.5 million unused mobiles sitting in homes and business around Australia – then you can drop your phone/charger/accessory off at one of the more than 3,500 drop points around Australiam or you can download a reply paid label from the Mobile Muster website, then box up your old phone and charger and send it in.
