The Optus outage was devastating for people with disability like Marayke Jonkers who rely on internet-assisted technology for life’s essentials
Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast
Marayke Jonkers first realised something was wrong when all her bedroom lights turned on early in the morning. All the devices in the Paralympian’s home are smart – they need the internet to work. When the internet went down, the lights went on and she couldn’t turn them off.
Wednesday’s Optus outage left her trapped in bed, unable to contact a support worker, with no access to food or water, and no idea what was going on. Jonkers – a paratriathlete, a Paralympic swimmer and the co-vice-president of People with Disability Australia (PWDA) – couldn’t get support until Thursday morning.
About Author
More Stories
Researchers create AI-based tool that restores age-damaged artworks in hours
Australia has ‘no alternative’ but to embrace AI and seek to be a world leader in the field, industry and science minister says
Tell us your favourite video game of 2025 so far