The 2011 Census will be conducted on the night of Tuesday, August 9.

Wherever you live in Australia, the 2011 Census will be conducted on the night of Tuesday, August 9. Carers, and those with a disability, or those who have an illness, are frail or are ageing, are urged to participate to ensure their needs are recorded.

Census collectors have been delivering Census forms across Australia since July 29. They have also been delivering a sealed envelope with a unique eCensus code number in it, for those who would prefer to complete their Census online (more details on eCensus below).

Support is available for anyone with disability who needs help participating in the Census and more information can be found by following the links on the Census home page:

http://www.abs.gov.au/census

In the first instance, those having difficulty with the form are encouraged to enlist the help of someone they trust – a family member, friend, carer or neighbour. In some locations, such as hospitals and nursing homes, special collectors are being employed to provide assistance with completing the form.

The Census asks some important questions that need to be answered correctly. For a person with an illness, injury or disability, it is important that they answer questions 20 to 23 of the Household form accurately and in full. These questions are about daily physical and communication activities.

For family members or carers of a person with an illness, injury or disability, it is important that they answer question 49 of the Household form accurately and in full.

A short brochure on assisting people with an illness, injury or disability is available here:

Assisting people with an illness, injury and disability (PDF)

An alternate Census website produced in an accessible format is available at: www.census.govspace.gov.au.

Census information is available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print and audio.

People who are blind or have low vision will be able to use eCensus independently through the use of assistive technology.

eCensus is compatible with commonly used screen reader programs such as Jaws© and Windows Eyes©. To improve readability, the text in eCensus can be resized and contrasting colours have been used. eCensus has been designed to meet accessibility requirements under the AA compliance levels as set out by the World Wide Web Consortium.

You can also visit YouTube for a series of handy videos describing everything you need to know about both the Census and eCensus at:

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Information to assist the Deaf community participate in the Census is available in Auslan and close captioned.

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you can find an Auslan introductory video providing general information about the Census. This video is also available on DVD. To request the video, call the Census Inquiry Service (CIS) on 1300 338 776. An Auslan translation of the Census form is also available.

If you are deaf, hearing or speech impaired and need help with your Census form contact the CIS using the National Relay Service. Always quote your Census form number shown at the top right of your form.

National Relay Service: TTY users 133 677

Speak and Listen users: 1300 555 727

Internet relay users: www.relayservice.com.au

Once connected ask for 1300 338 776.