Sandy Dann IV With Ashton Wood, Founder Of DV Safe Phone 030524

Radio Goolarri

During the pandemic, Ashton was clearing out old items and intended to donate it to those who need it most but a lockdown happened and he had no where to take it. He rang an old friend, a senior police sergeant asking if he could take it anywhere but all she needed was mobile phones for victims of domestic violence. Australians have become more reliant on their smartphones to navigate their way through life, from juggling work to accessing vital services like online banking. Yet for domestic violence victims, mobile phones are often the first thing to be destroyed, taken, or monitored, with one in two adults having experienced at least one technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) at some point in their life. One of the main consequences of TFA is a fear of using technology to keep in contact with friends, family and services. It’s for this reason having access to a second phone is an important part of a victim’s safety and exit plan. Since its founding, not-for-profit DV Safe Phone, has received over 21,000 phones which they have fixed, repurposed then distributed to frontline domestic violence agencies and service providers to help domestic violence survivors across the country.