Welcome to the October edition of Blind Citizens News, BCA’s quarterly magazine. You can also read the Word version or listen to the audio within each article.
List of Articles (Listen)
- Editorial – “…I hope that talking about how our own approaches suit our unique needs and preferences will teach us to be less judgmental. But more importantly, I hope it will inspire us to ask ourselves questions about how freely and easily we can fullfil our commitments and enjoy our lives…”
- How You Won the Battle for Accessible NDIS Correspondence – “…The National Disability Insurance Agency has developed a policy and procedure to ensure that people who are blind or vision impaired are guaranteed access to correspondence relating to their NDIS plan in the format of their choice…”
- Tracking our Advocacy in Travel and Transport – “…Some of the key issues I brought to the forum, as identified by members, included safety on trains – namely having permanent and visible train guards who can be proactive when witnessing issues with boarding and disembarking…”
- Report on BCA’s Leadership Training – “…We were broken up into two separate teams and assigned two very different projects that had a start time and a completion date. These were real projects with real outcomes. Problems inevitably arose, and it was up to us to find solutions…”
- National Policy Council Update – “…How we are treated in hospital should not be a matter of luck. Wondering how our disability will be regarded should not be one of our major anxieties upon admission…”
- Spring into Action this October – “…This was also an opportunity for members to be seen in the wider community, promoting independence and inclusion, whilst encouraging people who are less confident, or may have only recently lost their sight…”
- I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone – “…From my mid-teens, I started to feel a need to experience some of the changes that girls go through … Before then, I hadn’t felt that way. I’d been raised as a male doing masculine things…”
- Staffing Update from our CEO – “…I have made some changes to the structure of the team to ensure we have the right people in the right roles to enable us to take advantage of new opportunities, such as an ILC grant we recently received to enable us to undertake an employment project…”
- News from the Women’s Branch – “…Our branch is here to support women through good times and bad … If you are experiencing grief, illness of loved ones, further vision loss, ill health or any other setback, we are here for you…”
- Excerpt: Born at the Right Time – “…In the year of my birth, the lives of the blind and visually impaired in Australia were much harder than they are today. The few who reached the heights of professional employment, such as lawyers and teachers, had mostly gone blind as the result of an accident or injury…”
- Dates For Your Diary
- Submit Your Writing to Blind Citizens News
- Directory of Contact Details
- New Horizons Radio Broadcast Schedule
Editor’s Note
Blind Citizens Australia refers to our members as people who are blind or vision impaired. However, we respect the right of individual authors to use whatever language is most comfortable for them.
Publication Information
Other Publications
Funding and Donations for BCA
Feedback for BCA
How to make a complaint about BCA
Publication Information
COPYRIGHT: Reproduction of articles appearing in Blind Citizens News is permitted provided Blind Citizens News and the author(s) are acknowledged.
Large Print ISSN 1441-449X Braille ISSN 1441-565
Blind Citizens News is distributed in Large Print, Braille, and Audio. Electronic copies in text format are available on CD or by email. If you would like to receive Blind Citizens News in another format, please contact us.
Other Publications
New Horizons Radio Programme and Podcast
Blind Citizens Australia Annual Report
Funding and Donations for BCA
BCA would like to acknowledge the generous work of the Jeffrey Blyth Foundation. The Foundation was formed in 1995 with BCA being the primary beneficiary.
We would also like to acknowledge our funding partners: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Victoria, the Department of Social Services, Vision Australia, the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Guide Dogs Victoria, and our generous members.
If you would like to make a donation to Blind Citizens Australia, you can call the Office on 1800 033 660, and use your credit card. You can also donate online. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Feedback for BCA
Do you have any compliments, suggestions or concerns you wanted to let BCA know about? You can do this anonymously by following this link and completing a feedback form, or you can call BCA toll free on 1800 033 660. Your feedback will be used to improve our services to better meet the needs of our membership.
How to make a complaint about BCA
Any member, client, volunteer, or their advocate, can lodge a complaint about the services provided by BCA. Complaints can be made in the following ways:
Phone: 1800 033 660
Email: bca@bca.org.au
Post: Blind Citizens Australia, Level 3, Ross House
247 – 251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000
If there are complaints of a serious nature, the Chief Executive Officer will ask that the complaint be put in writing.
Complaints will be recorded in accordance with the requirements for complaints management outlined by The Office of Disability Services Commissioner. Member and client privacy will be respected and protected in relation to the recording, management and resolution of the complaint. For a full copy of BCA’s complaints policy, please go to our website www.bca.org.au/feedback or call the office.