Access to Information

Equal access to information is a right for all Australians. For people who are blind or vision impaired information needs to be made available in specific formats for it to be accessible. These formats include braille, audio, large print and plain text electronic documents. If these formats are not made available, people who are blind or vision impaired are greatly disadvantaged when compared to the general population.

Important information on the inaccessibility of Portable Document Format (PDF) for people who are blind or vision impaired.

Copyright Submission

At its December 2009 meeting in Geneva, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) will be considering adoption of the World Blind Union (WBU) Treaty that proposes changes to national copyright laws to allow for cross border access between member nations to copyright materials for people who are blind or print disabled. BCA made a submission to the Attorney General recommending that Australia's delegate to the WIPO support the adoption of the WBU Treaty. Read the BCA copyright submission.

Blind Citizens Australia: ‘Getting the Message’

This document provides important information for organisations on how to provide information in accessible formats for people who are blind or vision impaired. Getting the Message: Information In Accessible Formats: Who Needs It, And How To Provide It (Second Edition)

Review of PDF Document Accessibility

The Australian Government Information Management Office is conducting a review of PDF document accessibility on government websites. BCA's submission highlights the access issues that PDF documents can create for people who are blind or vision impaired.

Print Disability Program Review

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs runs the Print Disability program and are reviewing the service to reflect the recent advances in technology, BCA highlighted the inadequate funding allocated to one of the most vital services for Australians who are blind or vision impaired, and suggested areas that the program could be strengthened to better serve our needs. Read the BCA Print Disability Service Submission here.

Blind Citizens Australia: Library Services Policy

Adopted in January 2006, BCA’s Library Services Policy mandates that library services should be equitable and accessible because they are vital “in the achievement of equal access to work, education, recreation and community participation for blind people”.

Statistics have indicated that blind people have access to approximately three in every thousand printed publications, falling well short of the equity achieved by sighted people in the community. Taking into account this figure, the policy is based on the fundamental principle that “equitable access to library services is a basic entitlement of all people in the Australian community, including people with print disabilities such as blind people. Therefore, this Policy requires that all library services in Australia provide equitable access to their systems and their collections”.

Read BCA’s Library Services Policy in full.

Audio Described DVDs:

Visit the home of audio description. This website is maintained by Media Access Australia and includes general information on audio description, how audio description began in Australia, titles available and where to buy them.