BLIND CITIZENS AUSTRALIA

AGM and National Convention 2007 Audio Downloads

The following were recorded at the Blind Citizens Australia National Convention which was held in Melbourne from 19 to 21 October 2007.

If using Windows, you can download the following files by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As...".

• Annual General Meeting
• Official Welcome
• MC: Maryanne Diamond
• Presentation by Graeme Innes, Human Rights Commissioner and BCA member
  BCA and the DDA: an ongoing partnership
  Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes talks about how BCA has impacted on his life and the relevance of disability discrimination legislation to BCA members.
• Roll Call
• Short presentations by Humanware, Media Access Australia and Vision Australia
• Welcome & opening - David Blyth, President, BCA
• Performances by Rikki Chaplin
• Session 1
• Roll Call
• An International Perspective - Chair: David Blyth, President, Blind Citizens Australia
• The Keynote Address is presented by Mr. Jim Sanders CM, President & CEO, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
• Other presentations are by:
• William Rowland, President, World Blind Union (WBU) (recorded message)
• Kua Cheng Hock, President, World Blind Union, Asia Pacific Region
• Don McKenzie, Chair, RNZFB
• Maryanne Diamond, First Vice President, WBU
• Session 2
• Self Advocacy - tools to improve access - Chair: Barry Chapman
• Jessica Zammit, Victorian Advocacy and Information Officer explores BCA advocacy tools to help make small and large scale changes in a community setting, particularly in the area of physical access.
• This is followed by a presentation by Kara Chun, Director, Blythe- Sanderson Group and the official launch of the national BCA Obstacle Notices, aimed at improving pedestrian safety in local communities.
• Session 3
• Employment - Where have we come from? What does the future hold? - Chair: Rikki Chaplin
• BCA's National Policy Officer, Leah Hobson, provides an overview of BCA's Employment Policy.
• Michael Simpson from Vision Australia discusses the findings of Vision Australia's recently conducted survey into employment outcomes and retention for people who are blind or vision impaired.
• Collette O'Neill from the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) presents on the initiatives the Federal Government are taking to include people with disabilities in the workforce and what impact this will have on people who are blind or vision impaired.
• Maryanne Diamond talks about an initiative being developed to provide opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired to gain work experience from school aged students through to a graduate program within Vision Australia.
• The session concludes with an open discussion based on the material presented.
• National Women's Branch AGM
• Session 4
• Non-Verbal Communication - What are we missing? - Chair: Jenny Dawson
  The panellists share their experiences and explore strategies for people who are blind or vision impaired to assist when interacting with sighted people.
  
  Speakers include:
• Phoebe Smith, Employment Coordinator at Vision Australia, from the perspective of someone who works with people who are blind or vision impaired
• Rebecca Maxwell: Perspective of a person who is blind.
• Joanne Marshall, Counsellor, Vision Australia
• Helen Freris, BCA member
• Session 5
• 'Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it'. Sex, sexuality, sensuality: what really matters to people who are blind? - Chairs: Lynne Davis & Kevin Murfitt
• Guest speaker: Maureen Matthews
  Maureen grew up as an English Vicar's daughter. At the age of 16 her family immigrated to Australia and, at the age of 23, she was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease. Maureen went on to complete a BA with Honours in English Literature and a Diploma of Education, as well as to raise 3 sons. In 1995 she was looking for a new challenge. She realised that all the commercial ventures to do with sex were aimed at men, were sleazy and offered little for women and men in stable relationships. Her personal experiences with a long-term relationship and with family life, combined with the personal affects of her disability, made her feel qualified to offer a tasteful, informative, intelligent alternative. She decided to open BLISS - Australia's only Adult Shop for women. Ten years later BLISS is acknowledged by Health Professionals, Counsellors and other support groups as an invaluable resource for all people wanting to explore their sensual selves.
• This session includes a free-flowing conversation between all those present.
• Session 6
• Roll Call
• To parent or not to parent? - Chair: Cheryl Pascual
  This session looks at the bio-ethical issues which a person who is blind or vision impaired may consider when making the decision to become a parent. It also looks at other forms of parenting and ways for people who are blind or vision impaired to become involved with the next generation.
  
  Speakers include:
• Rikki Chaplin - Rikki and his wife Julie are both blind and have two children.
• Gayle Skinner - Australian Association of Parents of children with Vision Impairment (AAPVI)
• Session 7
• Blind Citizens Australia - What are we doing? - Chair: Robyn McKenzie
  This session includes reports from the National Office on the work being undertaken by BCA.
  
  Speakers:
• Alyena Mohummadally, Solicitor and Community Legal Education Advocate, BCA
• Leah Hobson, National Policy Officer, BCA
• Session 8
• The hidden gaps of learning - early education and pathways to adult education - Chair: Greg Madson
  
  Speakers:
• Errol Ingram, Project Co-ordinator of the National Unified Language Model presents this model for discussion, examining the benefits to the early childhood development of children who are blind.
• Joanne Webber, Disability Coordination Officer, RMIT
• Alyena Mohummadally, Solicitor and Community Legal Education Advocate, BCA
• Session 9
• Forging Links Beyond Tomorrow: Where will we be a generation from now? - Facilitator: John Simpson
  This session includes a panel of people who speak on where they envisage BCA and the sector to be in 30 years time.
  
  Panellists include:
  • David Blyth, President, BCA
  • Gerard Menses, CEO, Vision Australia
  • Lauren Hayes, President, YBCV
  • Ramona Mandy, Braille Technology Consultant with Humanware and a former Braille Teacher
  • Bill Jolley, a Past BCA President and Executive Officer and an Executive Member with the Australian Braille Authority
  • Erika Webb, an Executive Member of Blind Citizens WA
  • Tony Wright, CEO with the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Tasmania and Chairman of the Australian Blindness Forum
  • Mike Janes, former President of Vision Australia Foundation and a founding Director of Vision Australia
• Summary and Closing

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                Blind Citizens Australia
                Ross House
                247 - 251 Flinders Lane
                MELBOURNE VIC 3000

                Telephone:  (03) 9654 1400 or
                            1800 033 660
                TTY:        (03) 9376 9275
                Facsimile:  (03) 9650 3200
                E-mail:     bca@bca.org.au