BLIND CITIZENS NEWS

February 2000

Special Issue On Employment, Underemployment & Unemployment

Published by

Blind Citizens Australia

ACN 006-985-226

Edited by

Lynne Davis

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Our mission is to achieve equity and equality by our empowerment, by promoting positive community attitudes, and by striving for high quality and accessible services which meet our needs.

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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 1441-5658

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Project and Research Reports

• Horizons Radio Program

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BCA's Identity card carries a photo, address and signature. It may be used where photo identification is required and is worth 25 points when opening a bank account or entering into business transactions. Application forms are available for the BCA Office.

Not only is this the first issue for the year 2000, it's the first time we have devoted an issue to a specific theme, in this case "Employment, underemployment and unemployment". I'm pleased to say that we received quite a few contributions from members on this topic, and I hope you will find them interesting and thought-provoking.

On the whole, I don't think you will find the news on the employment front especially uplifting. Employment remains a big area of unfulfilled need among people with disabilities in Australia, and blind people are no exception. The cost of unemployment is financial hardship, lost opportunities, social isolation and marginality - and something like 70% of blind people of working age in Australia are unemployed. This is a shocking statistic, especially in a supposedly advanced nation. Many of the contributions in this issue paint a picture of poorly organised services, lack of appropriate resources, bureaucratic indifference, and sometimes even outright hostility. It's also clear that there are many people doing work which is well below their capacity, and that opportunities for career development and promotion are hard to come by.

In spite of a host of training, placement and job creation schemes, and a considerable amount of equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation, blind citizens of this country still get a very poor deal as far as employment is concerned. I have a feeling that this will not be the last time we consider the topic of employment in Blind Citizens News - but next time I hope the outlook will be more optimistic. In the meantime, there's lots of work to be done on this issue!

It's been very gratifying to receive such a positive response to my requests for contributions, and I'm still very keen to include contributions from Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory in future issues. Some of the topics I'd like to cover in future include reading (especially access to books, contemporary literature, and libraries); education (including the relative merits of mainstream and segregated schooling); travel; how health care professionals and institutions might respond better to the needs of blind people; growing old as a blind person; the special issues faced by people with degenerative vision impairments; and some critical appraisals of services for blind people in Australia. If any of these topics takes your fancy, or suggests something else in which you have a passionate interest, I'd really love to hear from you.

In the meantime, I hope you will find much to interest you in this issue of Blind Citizens News.

I have been receiving Blind Citizens News for the past five years and have found some articles to be both interesting and informative.

However, after reading the November 1999 edition I feel that I must withdraw my name from your mailing list as my protest against the comments made by William Jolley on the Bruce Maguire - SOCOG case. I believe Mr Maguire's decision to take his plight to the courts has only helped to alienate blind people in the eyes of the general public, a view also shared by many of my friends, most of whom are blind.

The comments of Mr Jolley as the Executive Officer of BCA and his agreement with the actions taken by Bruce Maguire have made up my mind that Blind Citizens News is no longer for me.

From time to time, people declare how enormously their lives have been changed by the acquisition of a dog guide. But as stated by one member in a recent letter to BCA News, the opinion that "a dog is the only way to go" is her personal view. Most people are surprised when informed that only about 1 in 50 legally blind persons has a dog guide (Queensland figures).

When, long cane in hand, I'm loping along on the 6 kilometre round trip to my local CBD, I sometimes run a little off course. Members of the public respond in various ways. Some offer practical help, some shout directions (over half the time confusing their left and right hands). Whereas others ask if I've tried to get, thought about, or put my name down for a "seeing-eye dog". I find it tiresome talking with total strangers on that subject. (Now, will they please help me, identify some features of the cityscape, so I can be on my way?)

Thanks to Andrew Downie for his article [November, 1999], sharing 25 years' experience of electronic travel aids (ETA's). These devices have not gained good anecdotal reputations. Some who read Andrew's article could be inspired to request a trial. Andrew's perspectives covered two ETA's, one of which is no longer in production. Has anybody published an independent test report for the hand-held "Mowatt Sensor" or the headgear "Sonic Pathfinder"? When will the "Casper" be on the market?

Many folk sampling these devices give up in the early stages. BCA members could offer one another peer support. Personal contact may not be essential, a few words on the telephone can do wonders. My telephone number is 07-4632-1442.

I was very heartened and encouraged by Andrew Downie's article in the last issue of Blind Citizens News. He not only introduced my hobby horses of autonomy and opportunity into his argument for improved mobility aids, he also emphasised the neglect of research and development into electronic travel aids (ETA's). While electronic communication is state of the art for people with a vision impairment, many people are still travelling by poking around the streets with a stick. And this centuries-old mobility method continues to be promoted by "blindness agencies" as an essential skill. Andrew rightly asks why more effort has not been directed into ETA's, which could give more autonomy and opportunity for VIP's to travel. He also provides some answers with his references to priorities and fundraising. It seems innovation and creativity in orientation and mobility will remain beyond the reach of people who are vision impaired.

Limitation in mobility aids also has consequences for employment. Again, Andrew related how his newly-acquired mobility opportunities fired his desire to improve his work opportunities. The result could only be interpreted as a great personal achievement. Unfortunately, opportunities offered by "blindness agency" employment services are as limited as the recommended mobility aids. Traditionally, the range of work suggested by "blindness agencies" has been limited to public service recruitment, clerical or other "Accessible Technology" based jobs, and telemarketing, or, if the client is deemed suitable, tertiary studies. The basic tenet being, what work can blind people do, rather than what abilities and interests does this person have, can acquire, or even want.

As I don't use a dog guide, a guide dog, or poke about the streets with a stick, I am asked if I "just have limited vision". My reply is a definitive "No". My vision is limitless, as is the case with many blind people. It's our opportunities that are limited. So I applaud Andrew's willingness to critique progress in O&M practices, which is also a critique of paths to independence.

Following the invitation to furnish some comments in respect of "Employment, underemployment and unemployment", the following reflections and comments are made regarding the experiences and opportunities of blind citizens for employment in South Australia.

The South Australian Institution for the Blind (now the Royal Society for the Blind) was established in or around 1875, and had a charter to train and employ blind citizens. Even after a further 80 odd years there was a proud boast by management that, provided a medical certificate of fitness was provided, every legally blind person who applied for employment was accepted on a 3 to 6 month trial basis and then apprenticed in a specialised trade for a period of three years. During this time they received a gradual rise in wages, finally being paid full award rates.

In the economic depression of the 1930's wages were low, as for all other workers, and hours were long (for some time, 48 hours with a five-and-a-half day week).

With a strong militant Blind Workers' Union, close cooperation from management, and negotiations with government, salaries, conditions and benefits improved, and of course this was enhanced through the years of World War 2, when many employees were eagerly accepted into outside industry (leave of absence entitled them to return to the Institute "factory employment" at any time). In those days you were employed as a tradesman in the factory and not in "sheltered employment". The variety and quality of products (such as monogrammed mats and matting, and special orders for Government and Council tenders) was a wonderful example of professional expertise. How can Government or management justify replacing the vocation, dignity and esteem of a professional expert tradesman by packaging lollies? Full time employees were eligible for a retirement pension after fifteen years' service (now discontinued). Encouragement and support was given to employed blind citizens to seek outside employment, and many did so, some even commencing their own business. Employees received free tuition in a musical instrument, encouraging proficient persons to join the Institute orchestra as professional musicians. All workshop departments were supervised by blind persons, plus a similar role for some administrative staff, such as public relations officer, storeman, etc.

So, in yonder past years there was full and guaranteed employment for blind citizens. We, as consumers, do have the right to expect much the same in this enlightened era of better economy, better government funding and better technology. It should be the charter of the major organisations, not only to promote employment for blind citizens, but in a positive and practical way have a Policy and a Charter that employment will be available, and shall be available. It may be interesting to have a survey of how many blind citizens are fully employed within service organisations. They promote employment for blind citizens: do they practise what they preach?

Sadly there is no longer guaranteed employment, which is of course the necessity of a life of happiness and satisfaction. There is little satisfaction if there is plenty of education and training and no "Bright Rainbow of Full Employment". One fondly remembers the empathy, kindness and cooperation of major organisations, which today seem to be in their own "castle" and not tackling together in unison the guarantee that there shall be (not may be) full employment for blind citizens.

At a seminar held recently by Blind Citizens Australia Melbourne branch, I was disturbed to hear some figures quoted by Bill Jolley on the level of unemployment among blind and vision-impaired people. The figure of 70% was stated as the percentage of people wishing to work who are unemployed, or underemployed, which seems to be similar in comparable countries overseas.

While there were some very encouraging stories of success by people who are extremely persistent, or in some cases lucky, the fact remains that 7 out of 10 people are not reaching anywhere near their potential. I would suspect that a similar situation would exist for people with other disabilities.

At this seminar, presentations were also made about good work being done by employment training & placement agencies, which is encouraging, but their ability to make significant inroads into the overall statistics is obviously limited by the system they have to work with.

I believe that we need to make some major changes to the system itself before people with vision loss and other disabilities will be able to benefit from the growing strength of the Australian economy in a similar way to their non-disabled counterparts.

Agencies providing services to people with vision loss and other disabilities need to take more responsibility in employing, and providing career opportunities for these people. While some agencies have affirmative employment policies, and are making progress in some areas, many agencies do not have a policy at all, and may see this process as making the minimal amount of change to satisfy the growing level of interest in this issue. Every year, there are awards presented for employer of the year in each State, and it is encouraging to see that some for-profit organisations are genuinely interested in employing people with disabilities. How many disability agencies could put up their hand and say they would qualify for one of these awards?

The disability sector should lead from the front on this issue. They should show the corporate and government sectors how to employ, and provide career opportunities for, their client groups and not just say they are providing services. People who live with vision loss and disability on a day-to-day basis know what the problems are, and have a commitment to change over the long term. They are not so likely to see this or that job as just a step up in their career path.

One way to make a difference in thinking across the disability sector on this issue, I believe, would be to have a requirement that disability agencies receiving government funding for their services have to show progress in affirmative employment as a condition of their funding grants. This does not mean quotas, but progress could vary according to the organisation and the disability involved. The important thing is to focus the attention of the management and the board of the organisation on this subject on a regular basis.

People argue that affirmative action for women did not work, but I disagree. A friend of mine who has recently started with Telstra says the organisation is run by women. In some places it may not work, but across the spectrum it is important to have external pressure for change. Trying to press for change internally only is very difficult, and painfully slow. The other argument against this type of change is that people with disability may be given token jobs. If you are unemployed, would you rather have a token job on $30,000 or remain unemployed? Seriously, people need to have job satisfaction but anyone is much more likely to do further study, etc if there is a tangible career path which can be followed rather than endless job interviews, constant knockbacks, and employers saying you were not the best person for the job.

Happy New Year. The year 2000 is shaping up to be a very busy one for Blind Citizens Australia, and already we have been active on many fronts. Many of the year's activities will centre around the World Blind Union Fifth General Assembly and Second World Blind Women's Forum to be held in Melbourne, in November. My year started well, with confirmation from the Commonwealth Government that it will contribute $120,000 to support the participation of people with disabilities in both conferences. The Host Executive, involving representatives of BCA and blindness agencies, is hard at work making arrangements and publicising the events.

In the last edition of Blind Citizens News we mentioned our award winners announced at the National Convention. I warmly congratulate these three people who have done so much to assist Blind Citizens Australia and the people whom we serve.

• Graeme Innes received the Blind Citizens Australia David Blyth Award "In recognition of his community contribution, of particular benefit to blind people through leadership and advocacy over many years: as a discrimination lawyer; as a leader of people with disabilities; as a progressive member of Blindness Agencies' Boards; and as a leader, policy-maker and representative of Blind Citizens Australia."

• Terry Boyle received a Blind Citizens Australia Certificate of Appreciation: "In recognition of his contribution to Blind Citizens Australia through leadership as President of the Brisbane Branch, and in recognition of related representation and advocacy in Queensland."

• Kylie Partington received her Blind Citizens Australia Certificate of Appreciation: "In appreciation of her sustained voluntary work for Blind Citizens Australia, sorting and copying 15,000 cassettes per year for more than five years."

Congratulations, too, to Leah Francis, who received an award in the Australia Day Honours List as a member (AM) in the Order of Australia. Leah has a long and distinguished career in education, and was recognised for her service to the education of students who are blind or vision impaired. Leah was one of that pioneering group of blind people in the 1950s who founded the Australian Guild of Business and Professional Blind and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Teachers of the Blind (now known as SPEVI – South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment).

Congratulations to the winners of our second BCA National Lottery. First prize, a $15,000 gift voucher for Harvey World travel or Harvey Norman, went to Mr Ron Rogers from Orange NSW; second prize, a $2,000 open order for Fisher and Paykel whitegoods, went to Mrs Maralyn Hawton from South Penrith NSW; and third prize, a Phillips hi-fi stereo system worth $600 and $500 worth of CDs, went to Mrs H.J. Meek from Hobbys Yards NSW. Thanks to all ticket buyers, you helped to raise $6,000 for Blind Citizens Australia.

Sadly I report that Enrique Elissalde died early in January, suddenly from heart complications. Aged sixty, he was the President of the Latin American Union of the Blind. Mr Elissalde founded the Braille Foundation of Uruguay and was a champion for human rights. His writings were highly regarded, and he made a major contibution to the World Blind Union as one of its leaders with the ability and commitment to develop policy and work to implement resolutions.

Mr Elissalde will be sadly missed by those of us who knew him. May his family and friends gain comfort and strength from the knowledge that his work for blind people was impressive and will be long-lasting.

Late in 1999 the Commonwealth Government announced that Welfare Reform was one of its key policy areas for the year 2000 and beyond. A discussion paper was released by Senator Newman and a community consultation commenced. Blind Citizens Australia has made a submission to the Welfare Reform Reference Group, emphasising the importance of employment services and an accessible environment to enable people with disabilities to participate in community life without being a drain on welfare programs. Naturally, there is concern throughout the blind community that presently held benefits, hard-won by our forebears in self-help, will be further eroded or eliminated. We must be vigilant in observing developments and evaluating options, and we must be mindful of the generations of blind and vision impaired people who will come after us. Furthermore, I caution against any radical proposals that might split the blind community, for example by setting the minority of totally blind people apart from the majority of partially sighted people.

The Royal Australian Mint is reviewing the coin set used in Australia. This review is to be completed in time for any new coins to be introduced to coincide with next year's Centenary of Federation. Blind Citizens Australia has made a short submission to the Mint, pointing out the major issues of coin design for the use of coins by people who are blind or vision impaired. Personally, for example, I have noticed the deterioration in one-dollar coins since the introduction of poker machines into Victoria. Primarily, our submission to the Mint emphasised the need for ongoing consultation as proposals are developed, wishing to avoid after-the-event consultation: "we're just checking to see if things are okay for you, but you can't change anything now!".

The review of the Australian coin set by the Mint is not to be confused with discussions about the design of Australian banknotes issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Apart from the fact that there is a cross-over – there once was a two-dollar note and there almost certainly one day will be a five-dollar coin, the design of notes and coins ought to be viewed as separate and independent processes.

Blind Citizens News is now circulated widely: 1,000 copies in large print, 950 copies on audio cassette, 190 copies in braille and 15 copies on disk. 30 people receive Blind Citizens News by email and of course we don't know how many access it through our web page.

If you would like to change the format in which you receive Blind Citizens News, please call Cheryl Gration in our National Office or send us a note in your preferred format.

A reminder about Telstra Directory Assistance. Telstra now charges for calls to its Directory Assistance Service from mobile phones or from non-residential services. As a blind or vision impaired person you can easily arrange an exemption from the service. Call Telstra on 12551 and tell the operator that you wish to arrange an exemption. This will be done and you can continue to use this number for Directory Assistance.

I am pleased to welcome Maurice Corcoran as the new National Co-ordinator for the DDA Standards project. Maurice has represented people with disabilities over the past four years in the sometimes difficult and protracted negotiations towards Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. The year 2000 is shaping up to be a year of progress for Standards under the Disability Discrimination Act, and I am delighted that Maurice Corcoran will be leading the work on behalf of people with disabilities.

I also welcome Grant Webster to the staff of BCA. Grant is working in the National Office as our National Advocate, whilst Aileen McFadzean takes time out on maternity leave. Aileen's second baby is due in the middle of April, and we wish her good health and happiness in this special time in her life.

I was pleased to receive recently some documents in Braille concerning the Sydney Paralympic Games. In particular, the Paralympic Ticket Brochure gave me useful information and I am pleased to share some of it with you. The Paralympic Games will take place over the period October 18 – October 29, and a flexible arrangement for purchasing tickets is available. Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay, will host 14 of the 18 Paralympic sports, plus the Opening & Closing Ceremonies. The Opening Ceremony will be held on October 18. The Closing Ceremony will take place on October 29. On each day you can buy a reserved seat in the Main Stadium or you can buy a Day Pass.

For inquiries about the Paralympic games call 13-6363, and for a copy of the Paralympic Ticket Brochure in your accessible format call 02-9297-2342.

For the Opening Ceremony, tickets are: $170.00 (a) $105.00 (b) or $60.00 (c).

For the Closing Ceremony tickets are: $70.00 (a) $45.00 (b) or $30.00 (c).

A day pass costs $15.00, or $8.00 concession.

Reserved seating for selected finals is $25.00 per session.

The workplace experience for the person with vision impairment, I believe, depends on many variables. It can be soul destroying or it can be exciting and stimulating. The attitude of the vision impaired person, the attitude of work colleagues, the boss, the person's own self esteem, determination, previous experiences and the expectations of the job itself all play a part in the workplace experience.

Since losing the last of my sight I have had two jobs. I started one just after I had lost the last of my useful vision and was still learning to cope with my own feelings and the attitudes of family, friends and the general public. I was also grappling with my feelings of ineptitude and my distrust of the long cane. By the time I started my second job I had been blind for seven years and travelled with my trusty guide dog. I was still vulnerable when things went wrong, or took too long or did not work, but I was coping with life much better than previously. When I look back on the last ten years I find that the contrast between these two jobs, the people I worked with at each, and the changes in myself are amazing.

My first position grew from a TAFE course, and was a pilot program by the government intended to help people with disabilities return to the workforce. At the end of the course, because he thought I could write a decent essay, the coordinator approached the local regional newspaper to employ me as a journalist.

This was not a simple process and involved four different people from a blindness agency and people from at least four government departments. When all my sponsors were crowded into the editor's office along with the editor, chief of staff and myself there was hardly room to breathe. But the upshot of several meetings - I was generously invited to two of them - was that the editor agreed to take me on.

It was decided that I needed six weeks of preparation. Although I could touch type I was not familiar with computers. I would then be attached to a senior journalist who would show me the ropes and see that I received the necessary training. As I had a disability, I could be the - wait for it - disabilities writer.

Reality was a little different. The journalist I was to be attached to did not materialise and the chief of staff made it obvious that he did not have time for a person with a disability. Whenever I asked a question the answer was always evasive and usually left me more confused than before. Unused to the media culture, I was at a loss as to what to do. I could not even get a straight answer as to what hours I was expected to work.

At first an effort was made to find small jobs I could do but each time people came up against the problem that I could not read print. When I did work out a method for completing a job the answer was "don't worry, Joe will do it".

Finally I was more or less told to go find some stories about people with disabilities, use the paper's account to move around by cab and not to get in the way. I could arrange a photographer for each article.

At first the chief would rewrite my stories and pass them on to the sub editors. In answer to my protests that this meant I was learning nothing he agreed to read, suggest and let me do the rewrites.

I learned to aim at thirteen year olds, to start the article with an interesting line that would "grab the reader's attention", to keep sentences and paragraphs short and to assume that the reader knew absolutely nothing about the subject because most of them knew nothing about anything! This was the full extent of my training.

After a few weeks I was allowed to pass my stories straight to the sub editors. It was very pleasing to have one of them remark that he enjoyed editing my stories because he never had to correct the spelling or grammar.

Although one or two of the journalists were helpful most (there were about fifteen) ignored my presence completely. One female journalist made a point of loudly commenting on my mistakes or blunders, remarking one day that my progress around the news room reminded her of one of the "little men in a pin ball machine ricocheting from one piece of furniture to the next". Another, male, journalist delighted in moving furniture or standing in front of me and moving from side to side as I tried to avoid him. I was not included in any staff meetings or get togethers, usually finding out about them after the event.

These days I could cope with all these situations but back then I was hurt and bewildered. On several occasions, in the early months, I left the news room, called a cab, went home and spent my lunch hour crying into my coffee and telling the dogs how much I hated those people. Quitting was not an option; too many people had worked to get me this job!

So, I kept at it and my writing improved and the chief began to smile on me. After one month of work experience and four months of full time work the subsidies ended. Instead of waving me goodbye, I became the part time disabilities writer and the disabilities access column became a reality.

Twelve months after this the editor pointed out that they could not afford me any longer. So I became a contributor, paid not by the hour, but by production. So much each week for my column and extra for any articles I submitted. Another twelve months and a new editor informed me that the drought had cut into their profits and he had to get rid of two and a half journalists and all paid columnists (the gardening columnist and myself). I was offered the option of becoming an unpaid columnist but the cost of telephone calls alone would have bankrupted me. So that was the end of my career as a journalist.

Six months of brooding and two years of looking and I had my present job. Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) was my case manager. However, as I was accompanied to each interview by my case manager and the employment placement officer I felt as though I was not trusted to go to an interview without my parents. I feel this also stopped some of the interviewers giving me a chance. My minders intimidated them.

The interview for my present position seemed positive. However, I still could not believe my ears when I was invited to return to address the staff meeting on what to do when there is a guide dog and a vision impaired person in the workplace. Of course I had to be accompanied by someone from the local Royal Blind Society, I could not be expected to handle such an event by myself!

The government had changed by now and this time $5000 was granted to me for adaptive technology and any other equipment needed to enable me to perform my expected duties. So there was another series of meetings with adaptive technology officers, education officers, mobility and orientation instructors, and the local Royal Blind Society worker and, of course, my surrogate parents.

About a month later the equipment arrived and I was introduced to the other occupants of the building. The memory of that day is of long corridors with doors on both sides, crowds of people and a voice saying, "it will be lovely to have a dog in the building".

There were problems from the beginning. The adaptive technology officer had to return to Sydney before the computer was working properly. Although I was quite proficient on my laptop with the word processing programme specially designed for blind people I had rarely used a desktop and had no knowledge of JAWS, the screen reader, or WordPerfect or Windows. There was a plethora of other programmes loaded on my machine, none of which I had ever used before, did not ever use and still do not know what they do. Instead of showing me the basics the education officer spent most of my three day tutorial trying to get the computer to compute!

For the first three months on that job, as the computer crashed one more time, I often thought of putting the keyboard through the monitor and the whole lot through the window. My self esteem plummeted with each returned document and my boss came to the conclusion that he had been duped. One day he sat down with me to correct a document I had typed up for him. When he saw my difficulties for himself he was appalled. Pleas to Sydney for help brought the information that no one there was using JAWS. In fact, I was the only client who was "using" it. Finally I received one day's face to face tutorial from an instructor from Newcastle. She offered me telephone help any time for Windows and WordPerfect and a floppy disk with a list of shortcut keystrokes and some information on WordPerfect.

The director had assured me from the beginning that this was not a Mickey Mouse job, that he expected the job to be a challenge and as I surmounted each one he would devise another for me. At the end of six months I was covering the job well, working for six different people and still being challenged on a regular basis. Every day was a new experience. Then the bombshell dropped! One of the cleaners, returning from leave, remarked, "Hello Beth, I thought you would only be here for six months". The note was on the inside of the door to the cleaner's cupboard and warned them that they would have to be careful because I would be working in the building for the next six months.

However, the subsidies lasted for eight months this time and during the last month Employee Services reviewed the clerical workload in the Unit. The director had decided he wanted to keep me on. The decision of the review team was that the workload needed one and a half clerks. "My job" was advertised internally as a clerk, grade 1, 20 hours a week. Offers of assistance with my application came from many in the building, even from one or two who had made it plain they did not think I should be there. Even though the Unit has been restructured and we have lost three nurse educators I am still working twenty hours a week.

Just as I had conquered WordPerfect the hospital embraced Microsoft Word. By then I was a little more me-centred and promptly had this loaded onto my machine and arranged a one on one tutorial at the local TAFE. When the hospital agreed to upgrade my speech program I had the Windows and Office programmes upgraded as well and once again arranged one on one instruction.

With the upgrade of the programmes on the computer a different programme was needed for the scanner. So far I have not had much success with this new programme but I have learnt that persistence pays off and it will work. I will make it work!

Three years on, the director is still challenging me and I am still rising to the challenge and gaining from the experience. I am comfortable with myself and my blindness and my ability to adapt to new situations. I have had a research paper published, a submission for funds to produce an audio tape of information on sexual health for the print handicapped accepted, the tapes have been produced and distributed, I have been employee of the month and have received a partnership award for World AIDS day. None of this would have happened if my boss had not decided to challenge me from day one or if I had not had the support of the team I work with.

There will always be someone in the workplace that thinks people with disabilities should be kept at home and not take up good jobs other people need. "Doesn't the government look after people with disabilities?". There is still a way to go before people with vision impairment are accepted into the workplace as a matter of course. It takes persistence, assertion, adaptability and a belief in your own ability to conquer. A good sense of humour helps and the ability to recognise when people are laughing with you, not at you.

Oh yes - it also helps if you have supportive workmates and a boss who believes in stretching you even when this hurts. Remember, however much it hurts it sure as heck beats putting matches into matchboxes.

Over the years we have seen many schemes come and go to assist people with a disability into employment. Despite this we continue to record around 70% of people who are blind or vision impaired in Australia, of working age, being unemployed.

Many of the schemes targeted at assisting people with a disability into employment have been provided either through Commonwealth Government agencies or through not-for-profit organisations funded by government.

The purpose of this article is to explain how Commonwealth Government funded employment services work and how blind and vision impaired job seekers can access those services.

With the formation of Centrelink coming out of the 1996-97 Federal budget, government launched into reforming employment services across the community. These reforms saw the demise of the Commonwealth Employment Service as we knew it and the introduction of tools to stream job seekers to the most appropriate provider. In the context of disability, the vision was to provide one-stop-shop access to government funded employment services which would best meet the needs of job seekers with a disability.

Essentially there are two programmes funded by the Commonwealth Government: those funded by the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (DEWRSB), and those funded by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS).

The Job Network which we commonly hear about is funded by DEWRSB. The Job Network is made up of around 300 providers with around 1,500 outlets. Some of the better known Job Network providers such as Employment National and Mission Employment have multiple outlets in all capital cities and some larger regional areas. These providers have been generic in approach and have not specifically targeted job seekers with a disability. The fact that Job Network providers had to accept all job seekers referred to them by Centrelink, and that they could not target a specific sector such as disability, was the main reason most blindness agencies did not initially seek to provide Job Network services.

Royal Society for the Blind in South Australia was the only blindness agency to have worked as a Job Network provider in 1998-99, and while it reports good results in placing job seekers who are blind or vision impaired it reports little success with other job seeker groups such as homeless men or long term unemployed youth.

Under the next round of Job Network contracts, which are to commence in late February 2000, there has been a significant change which may assist job seekers with a disability. Under the new contracts all Job network providers can assist job seekers with a disability, however specialist providers can also target particular job seeker groups referred for Intensive Assistance services. This includes job seekers with a disability. Disappointingly, only twelve of the Job Network Intensive Assistance providers contracted to work from February 2000 to March 2003 are targeting job seekers with a disability. Of these, only three are targeted at job seekers who are blind or vision impaired: Royal Blind Society of NSW, Royal Society for the Blind (South Australia), and Vision Queensland.

It is generally accepted that the Job Network has not catered well for people with a disability. However, this may change now that some providers will be specialising in assisting particular disability sectors.

The Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) funds specialist employment services which are targeted to people with a disability. These services are generally provided by disability agencies and in the blindness sector they are provided through Royal Blind Society of NSW, Royal Society for the Blind (South Australia), Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind and Vision Queensland. There are around 400 FACS funded providers, including CRS Australia, and whilst the bulk of them work with people with an intellectual disability many of them, in addition to the blindness agencies, do work with people with a vision impairment.

Both the Job Network providers and FACS funded employment services can assist job seekers who are blind or vision impaired to obtain work. To be referred to a Job Network provider a job seeker must be unemployed, contact Centrelink and obtain a score of less than 50 on the Work Ability Table (WAT), which is an assessment tool applied by the Centrelink Disability Officer. I will explain the WAT a little later.

To be assisted by a FACS funded employment service, a job seeker can either go to Centrelink or directly to the FACS funded employment service provider. In this instance the WAT assessment still applies. However, if the job seeker has gone directly to the FACS funded employment service the service provider can assist the job seeker to complete the WAT. The WAT is then scored by Centrelink's Disability Officer and if the score is 50 or higher the job seeker can be assisted by the FACS funded service.

Only FACS funded employment services can assist a person with a disability who is at risk of losing their job or who needs long term on-the-job support. FACS funded employment services also have some scope for assisting people who are in work to obtain a new job or to upgrade their existing job.

Also, only employers of job seekers placed into employment through FACS funded employment services are eligible for the Government funded wage subsidy scheme. For those job seekers who are placed into work by a Job Network provider, the provider has to choose to use part of the fee it receives to provide a wage subsidy to the employer.

People with a disability who are placed into employment by either Job Network providers or FACS funded agencies can also apply for assistance with the purchase of equipment through the Workplace Modifications Scheme. This scheme is funded by FACS and is generally only available for the purchase of disability specific modifications or equipment. The scheme generally allows for workplace modifications up to $5,000 and it is used extensively to support blind and vision impaired people in employment.

As mentioned earlier, the main assessment tool which is used by Centrelink to determine whether a job seeker with a disability is streamed to a DEWRSB Job Network provider or an FACS funded agency is the Work Ability Table (WAT). The WAT looks at aspects such as the ability to report regularly for work, ability to persist at work tasks, ability to communicate with others in the workplace, ability to travel to and from and move around at work, ability to lift, carry and move objects, etc.

There are nine elements of the table and to be assisted by a FACS funded provider the job seeker must obtain a score of 50 or higher. The scoring is a little complex, but in essence the way it works is - the less able you are or the more negatively you respond to the questions, the higher your score. To obtain a high score, for example, on the WAT for the "ability to report regularly for work" element, the job seeker would need to identify that he/she is regularly late or misses days of work as a result of his/her disability.

In 1998 BCA held an employment forum which looked at the employment reforms being implemented by government. This forum brought together representatives from the blindness agencies providing employment services, blind people and government representatives. The forum looked at all elements of the reforms, including the applicability of the WAT for assessing job seekers who are blind or vision impaired. A report from the forum, which has been submitted to government, put forward the view that the WAT was not an appropriate tool for assessing blind or vision impaired people. Nevertheless the WAT is the tool being used, so it is important that job seekers who are blind or vision impaired are aware of how the scoring works and how it will determine which sort of employment service provider they will be referred to.

Whilst government funded employment programmes might seem a little confusing or complex to access, they have been used quite successfully by many blind and vision impaired job seekers to obtain employment. Depending on eligibility, you can access government funded employment-related assistance either through Centrelink or many blindness agencies. To find out more contact your local Centrelink Disability Officer or your local blindness agency.

When it comes to deciding on a career and then trying to find work in this field, it is at best competitive. For some, including people with disabilities, it is a real challenge and sometimes an uphill battle. Although young, I have experienced unemployment, underemployment and employment.

I am 25 and live in Glebe close to Sydney CBD. I have a brother who is a year younger than me who is also blind and my parents are blind, too.

I finished my Higher School Certificate in 1993. That was a stressful and challenging year because it was the ending of one stage and preparing for another, jumping out of school into the world. I finished my HSC, moved out of my parents' home and applied for courses at TAFE all within a few weeks. I decided to apply for courses that would give me general administration and computer skills, which I could then use anywhere thus making me more employable.

In February 1994, I started a year-long course, which was an advanced certificate in administration. The subjects included communication skills (both oral and written), conflict resolution, public speaking and personal presentation, legal studies, how to write job applications, letters to grab attention and so on. There were also literacy tests and English which helped me greatly.

Near the end of the year I contacted the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) and also registered with the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES). I was offered 2 weeks of work as a temporary clerical assistant. The person I was to replace was also blind and used a computer with speech and a Perkins Brailler. I was daunted at the prospect, but it went really well. I also managed to get 3 months of work in a government department over the Christmas New Year period. Both of these opportunities were through word of mouth and my case manager.

In early 1995, I commenced a one-semester course on how to use Windows, Microsoft Word and WordPerfect. After this I was asked if I would be interested in working at Telstra. At the time it was looking to promote itself as a company that employed people with disabilities. There were 5 positions available. CRS helped me by testing my skills as an interviewee for a potential job and suggesting things I could improve on. A careers adviser from RBS took me to the employment agency which was recruiting for these positions. Armed with all these skills and new found knowledge, I went for 2 interviews with the employment agency, an interview with Telstra, a public service exam, and a personality test. Finally I was told I was successful.

I was notified in April 1995, and started work 3 months later. Unfortunately for me and another person recruited at the same time, there seemed to have been no real planning or preparation for our working there. There was no equipment ready, no training and no real support. I started just answering the phone, thrown in the deep end, and learned how to swim. Fortunately for me, I had a very nice boss who helped me learn lots about how things worked.

After a couple of months I was moved away from the general floor and a separate room and desk were allocated to me. My job was to fold reports. I felt insulted because this meant I was underemployed and was using none of the skills I had learned. However, as a new person you don't dare argue with authority. Apart from that, it was dead boring.

After 2 more months, RBS was able to set up a computer with DOS and speech, which enabled me to have one on one training on how to use internal Telstra ordering systems. I learned quickly and thrived on this. I felt like I was really contributing to the company. Once I became competent in this, I was put back on to the general floor with other Telstra colleagues. Orders for customers had to be read onto tape so I could put them into the system. Scanners that had been trialed were deemed too inaccurate when trying to interpret incoming faxed requests.

This worked well for a while. Then Telstra decided to upgrade to a new ordering system. I asked about getting RBS to assess how useable the new system would be and then order the right screen reader to work with it. This didn't happen immediately and over a period of 2 years, I eventually had no systems to work with and could not do orders as I did previously. I was once again just answering the phone. Most enquiries were to chase up orders and I would have to ask other people to look them up so I could relay the information back to the customer.

Because I could no longer do orders, I had to be moved somewhere to another position where I could at least take incoming customer calls. I was moved to a section called the Premier Service Help Desk, which is a one stop shop for all of NSW State Government for any Telstra enquiries. This was about 2 years ago and this is where I am today. This section does orders as well.

Although now I have been upgraded to the same applications as everyone else, there is still a degree of frustration. The new Telstra ordering system is inaccessible to a blind person and no screen reader works with it. This was concluded after much testing and a feasibility study by RVIB.

Through all this there are a few key issues that are apparent for any blind or vision impaired person going into employment:

1. Lack of preparation.

At each stage there was no forward planning. Changes to the operating environment would happen and I would be thought of in the final stages or afterwards.

2. Lack of resources to provide support or specialised training on how to use general Windows applications, internal Telstra courses etc.

Lots of the courses for new applications are interactive. All the training is through a tutorial that has to be walked through on the computer in the training room, which is not equipped with a screen reader. With this and very limited access to information and lack of one on one training available it is difficult to improve and learn new skills, therefore limiting opportunities for career advancement.

Most of these problems are caused by a lack of preparation, communication and coordination between employers and disability services. An employee cannot fulfil a role or job description if the tools needed are not there to empower that individual.

There still seems to be a lack of awareness and acknowledgment of the fact that equal access to all includes making sure that working environments and operating systems need to be accessible to people with disabilities. A blind or vision impaired person should not be restricted from doing whatever he or she wants to do due to lack of necessary infrastructure, including ongoing support and flexible resources. Australia has a long way to go to make equal employment and career opportunity in the workplace a reality.

At a time when the national unemployment rate is alleged to be below 7%, available statistics for vision impaired and blind people indicate employment rates of 22-25%. This suggests an unemployment rate of more than 10 times the national average. As far as I am aware, people with a disability from eye disease or injury have the highest rate of unemployment of any group in Australia. What is not shown in these statistics is the rate of underemployment, either in the general community or among people with a disability from eye disorders or injury.

From anecdotal evidence, underemployment for people with a sight disability is extremely high. Issues coming across my desk over the past year from people with vision impairment, indicate an increase of discrimination in employment, and frustration with vocational rehabilitation services. In recent years, many employed VIP's have been medically retired or made redundant. A British study found that the majority of VIP's leave work because of their disability, never to work again, or if they do find work they are unemployed for some years. A vision impairment, coupled with discriminatory employment practices such as ageism and multi-skilling, is a difficult barrier to overcome. Research on employment of people with vision impairment has found that many employers would not consider employing a person who has a sight problem. In Australia, workers with vision impairment report little difficulty performing the tasks of their job, but do have problems with the attitudes of employers and/or co-workers.

In today's very competitive labour market, vision impaired people need to recognise discriminatory employment practices and know how to address such issues to negotiate a better deal. They also need to know what help is available, and how and when that help is most effective. This is not only true of employed people, but those seeking work through vocational rehabilitation agencies. Again, finding a satisfying job is affected by knowing what help you can expect from rehabilitation services, how and when that help is available, and how to maximise that help.

In NSW, self-help organisations of vision impaired and blind people are developing a one day workshop, to be held this year, on Help Available for Discrimination in Employment/Employment Services (HADES). The purpose of this workshop is to identify discriminatory practices and barriers in employment and services assisting people to find employment. Areas of employment include recruitment, selection, work practices and dismissal / medical retirement. Issues relating to vocational rehabilitation will cover the rehabilitation process, best practice, accessing services, discrimination and successful complaint strategies. The objective of the workshop is to empower people by sharing and enhancing information and strategies, to negotiate satisfying, non discriminatory work situations. The workshop will provide the opportunity to discuss employment/rehabilitation issues most pertinent to you. Suggested issues to workshop in the small groups are most welcome. If you want to go to HADES, or would like further information about HADES, phone Pamela Waugh on 02-9869-2018. NSW and ACT members should listen for more information in SoundAbout.

This article is based on a speech delivered at a BCA-sponsored Employment Forum in Victoria in November, 1999. It was prepared and delivered by Aileen McFadzean, BCA's National Advocacy Officer.

Disability discrimination is basically defined in most state and federal jurisdictions as receiving less favourable treatment than that received by someone without that disability. The disability only has to be one cause for the treatment. Discrimination is also defined as being when a policy or requirement impacts more unfavourably and unreasonably on a person with a disability than a person without a disability.

The federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and most state jurisdictions legislate that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person because of a person's disability in:

Situations covered include not being able to obtain a job description in an accessible format, not being offered the job because a person is blind or vision impaired, and a person who is blind or vision impaired being offered the job but for less money.

It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee:

It is also unlawful for an employer to dismiss an employee because of his or her disability.

This is the law in theory but how does being blind or vision impaired affect the work context in practice? How is it that discrimination occurs?

In practice, discrimination can be obvious or it can be subtle.

It is important for people to appreciate that I only see the breakdowns in the employment relationship and not positive employment experiences because of the work that I do. Perhaps the information contained here will help people become more aware of the problems which can develop.

What concerns me as a practitioner is how easy it is for discrimination to occur in every facet of the employment relationship. It is this awareness which causes dilemmas for employment seekers as to how to approach the employment context - in other words, how to balance rights and what should happen and what you are entitled to with your knowledge of what is possible or even likely to happen.

BCA deals with a range of cases in a variety of different areas such as education, accommodation and the provision of goods and services. Employment cases are generally the most difficult and complex.

Why?

This list is not exhaustive.

Although obviously every person with an employment advocacy matter is an individual, there are similarities and patterns which emerge again and again.

The following is a brief description of some of the employment advocacy cases with which I am dealing at the moment.

X is a postal worker who delivers mail on foot and who has Retinitis Pigmentosa. Leaving the central office and running late for his round, he had a collision with a pedestrian. Immediately upon notification of the incident, Australia Post removed him from his position on the basis that the worker has insufficient sight to be a postal worker. This was done without an assessment of whether the incident was caused by or contributed to by the vision impairment and without an assessment of his work performance or general functioning as a postal worker. He was placed in employment not suitable for someone with his impairment. One of the issues for consideration is whether, if a person did not have a vision impairment, he or she would have lost the position?

X works for a telecommunications company as a plumber. Upon hearing of his degenerative vision impairment, the employer, without further assessment of whether X was capable of still performing his duties, removed him from his employment. The company failed to consider any possible reasonable accommodations to enable X to perform his duties.

X worked for a bank which employed him knowing about his blindness. His employer failed to address his equipment needs caused by a changeover in technology. He was unable to perform his duties for about eight months and felt he was not contributing to his workplace or participating in opportunities for bonuses. The IT department of the bank was unsupportive, was not prepared to learn about his adaptive equipment and was unsupportive of blindness agency IT support for the employee. His line management seemed to have put the situation in the too-hard basket. The employee felt under such pressure that he resigned.

X works for a finance company. His office has been restructured and he is being moved to a part of the building which does not provide safe access and generally aggravates the symptoms of his particular vision impairment. His team leader and manager is unsupportive.

X is a scientist. The human resources section of her employer is concerned about the impact of her vision impairment on the safe performance of her duties. She feels under scrutiny, as though her employer is looking for a reason to limit her duties despite her vision impairment not being significantly advanced. She believes her employer put undue pressure on an occupational therapist to write a negative report about her.

X was refused an interview for a position as a social worker on the basis that she did not have a driver's licence. It was clear from later correspondence that the employer did not believe that X could safely look after children and otherwise perform the duties of the position. X had not advised prior to the interview that she was blind, believing that she would not have obtained an interview.

All of these cases have features about which a complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability could be made. In other areas the cases involve aspects which have caused the employees grief but which do not clearly involve discrimination. The reality is, that the use of the complaints process in disability discrimination legislation is a last resort. It is usually used in this context at the end of an employment relationship. The legislation is also often used as a threat to achieve certain outcomes for the employee. I am frequently asked by employees to advise them as to their rights and whether their situation amounts to discrimination. Often, they would then take this information back to their manager. Sometimes, this will be sufficient to assist the situation and no further advocacy is required. It is often the case that an employer has not seen a situation in terms of disability discrimination but rather an employee asking for special concessions. Responsibilities towards employees are not well understood and policy changes are not scrutinised for unfavourable impact on the staff with disabilities. Employees are often just expected to cope and many employees put up with daily discrimination rather than create waves. I can understand why they would do this but also hope people are aware that they have rights in the workplace.

Sometimes people will have put up with discriminatory situations for years and for whatever reason feel particularly threatened by some event, often by the restructuring of a workplace.

I will briefly list and describe some of the issues that have been highlighted in discrimination cases involving the interview context, on the job context and, finally, dismissal.

Arguments that the workplace is unsafe. In fact, the workplace might be unsafe for all employees and is often in breach of occupational health and safety laws.

As stated previously, if an issue can be resolved without recourse to a formal complaint, BCA will try to do so - mainly if a person is still in employment. Often it is difficult to get employers to see the issues from the perspective of the employee and to understand the concept of discrimination generally. Often the relationship has broken down irretrievably and mediation without the formal structure of a formal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission or state jurisdiction investigation process would be useless. In these situations, and where the employee has left the employment, we recommend the formal lodging of a complaint.

BCA does not believe that it is impossible to have productive and positive work experiences if you are blind or vision impaired. Our experience has been, however, that there is no one recipe for positive employment. There are factors which crop up again and again when the employment relationship breaks down. These make it difficult for people with disabilities generally to obtain and retain employment. There also seems to be a significant component of luck involved in whether a person's colleagues and management are open-minded and flexible. Discrimination in employment is endemic, but it is not everybody's experience.

BCA welcomes any contact for the purpose of obtaining disability-related employment advice.

Readers who attended the 1999 BCA Convention in Brisbane will have heard about the proposed Dog Guide Agreement being developed by a committee of BCA members. This small group of dog guide users, headed up by Lynne Davis, met monthly over a period of approximately eight months to consider, discuss and develop an agreement that could be of benefit to both providers and users of dog guides in Australia.

Information on similar agreements from other countries formed a background for initial discussions. However, the agreement now under scrutiny is a document meant to suit our own environment for the provision and use of a dog guide.

At the present time, in most instances, there is no official agreement or contract between the provider and user of a dog guide. There is a tacit understanding that, once graduated, you as the user take responsibility for the dog: its feeding, grooming and work, as well as the financial obligations attached to its health care. You also understand that the provider, who is the official owner of the dog, will arrange a varying schedule of visits to look at how your dog is being managed. There are some exceptions to this rule, where follow-up does not take place as a matter of course.

In recent times, our Prime Minister was wont to say "If it ain't broke why mend it?" or words to that effect. Perhaps you too feel that we should maintain the status quo regarding the provision of dog guides.

In developing an agreement, the aim of the committee was to ensure that users were provided with a healthy dog, trained to international standards, and appropriate follow-up suitable to the needs of the user/dog team. Also, the agreement gives due thought to the health and well-being of the dog and, most importantly, it includes a mechanism designed to address, equitably, problems that may arise between providers and users.

The purpose of this article is to give you an idea of the general thrust of the agreement, to urge you to read the document in full by obtaining the agreement from the National Office, and to encourage you to provide your comments post-haste to Lynne Davis, care of the National Office.

First, I would like to draw your attention to some of the more relevant issues raised as part of the agreement. Some people, who have read and discussed the agreement, feel that ownership of the dog is the sticking point regarding endorsement of the document by both providers and users. When you read the whole document, you will see that ownership is almost incidental. However, from one's own viewpoint, ownership gives confidence to new users in particular, validates the excellent training the team has received and empowers the user to take the initiative in working, caring for and asking for help in relation to their dog guide.

The guiding principles are clearly set out at the beginning of the agreement: stating the rights of individuals seeking to use a dog guide, qualifying the role expected of the provider and explaining the terms used within the agreement. It is also stated that, prior to the commencement of training, the agreement should be provided to the potential user in a format of his/her choice. After a period of training that is to the satisfaction of the provider and following the payment of a nominal fee of one dollar, the dog is signed over to the user.

The terms of that part of the agreement signed by the provider indicate that the user and subsequent owner is provided and trained with a healthy dog and its accoutrements, like leash, harness, etc. The provider is also asked to provide follow-up services and information at the request of the subsequent owner.

In addition, the user must be given, in a format of his/her choice, a full veterinary history of his/her dog. This leads to one of the most significant clauses in this part of the agreement and relates to a dog that has a pre-existing medical condition. If the user knowingly accepts a dog with a medical problem, the provider must accept responsibility for all ongoing costs related to that problem.

When signing his/her agreement, the user agrees, in general terms, to maintain the health and working skills of the dog, to have regular health checks and to send the provider a veterinary report every six months. The user also agrees to give the provider reasonable access to inspect the dog.

Clauses that cover the recall or relinquishment of the dog are eminently sensible, addressing issues related to a young dog no longer able to work with the user because of the user's poor health, and other circumstances. Ownership of the dog gives some control over unfair recall but the signed agreement would clearly identify circumstances under which such action may be taken.

The procedures identified in the latter part of the document to do with conflict resolution advise users and providers of the processes to be pursued. These encompass internal grievance mechanisms within the provider's service, through to mediation and finally to arbitration.

This agreement is not a document to provoke fear or apprehension in either providers or users of dog guides. It simply sets out to clarify and demystify current practices, to define the rights and responsibilities of both parties, and to provide a mechanism whereby any conflict can be dealt with in a meaningful and positive manner.

So, to contribute to discussion on the agreement, first contact the National Office on 1800-033-660 to obtain a copy of the agreement in the format of your choice. Read the agreement carefully, discuss it with friends, form your own valuable opinion and send your comments via the National Office to Lynne Davis for compilation.

A personal note from me.

I have used one dog guide for 10 years. She is due for retirement and my provider is waiting for my decision regarding a replacement dog. My dog guide has given me a freedom of movement that I could never have considered possible without her. She has been my constant companion, introducing me to people I would never have expected to meet. I would like to have been her owner, responsible for all her needs, in control of her post graduation training, with the authority to seek help if needed, without fear of repercussion.

The National Women's Branch of BCA aims to empower women who are blind or vision impaired confidently to play a significant role in all spheres of activity; especially in the work of BCA, the World Blind Union, the disability movement in Australia and in relevant women's groups in the broader community. All women who are BCA members can join, on the once-only payment of $10.

The Women's Branch held a successful forum in Brisbane, the day before Convention 99. Topics covered were selecting make-up and clothes, pap smears, breast self examination and using our influence. It was rewarding to meet many women from Brisbane and rural Queensland and we all enjoyed the opportunity to discuss areas about which it can be difficult to get useful information. Congratulations to the organisers. An audio version of the forum materials will be sent to all participants. If you did not attend but would like a copy, please contact me.

The Women's Branch AGM was also held at Convention 99. It is pleasing that elections were required, as it indicates a healthy level of interest and commitment within the Branch. We hope that those who missed out on this occasion will consider standing again. The in-coming committee is: Fiona Woods, President; Karen Knight, Vice-President; Joan McCann, Treasurer; Maryanne Diamond, Secretary; Lynne Davis, Diana Braun and Helen Freris, Committee Members. I would like to thank the members of the outgoing Committee for their hard work.

I am sure that all Branch members would join with me especially in thanking Diana Braun, who has worked tirelessly as President since founding the Women's Branch in 1993. Diana instigated the Home Nursing, Parenting and Leadership booklets and a radio program about the abilities of blind women. All have become unique and invaluable resources for blind women.

The new committee has met twice and is developing an action plan to achieve our priorities for the coming year. These are:

With the enthusiasm and commitment of our committee and members, we feel these goals are achievable. If you have any ideas, issues or projects that you would like us to consider, please contact me or any of the other committee members.

A project is currently underway to investigate and address the needs of women with disabilities who experience domestic violence. The Branch will be liaising with the consultants undertaking the study, who can provide support and resources for women in this situation. If you have insights or experiences to contribute, please contact me or Maryanne in the National Office for details. I work from my home and I love spending time on the phone, so please call me day or evening on 02-4739-5101.

Telstra officially launched its Big Print Bill on the International Day of People with a Disability in December, 1999. The Big Print Bill, which has exactly the same information as a standard Telstra phone bill, is printed on A3 sized paper in enlarged type.

The Big Print Bill is free of charge. To request it please call 13-2200. To find out more about Telstra's products and services for customers with a disability, call the Disability Enquiry Hotline on 1800-068-424 or 1800-808-981 (TTY).

The second General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) took place in Baltimore, Maryland in November, 1999. Twenty-two delegates from seven countries and approximately twenty-five observers and guests took part in the deliberations which were characterised by a spirit of goodwill and cooperation.

The most far-reaching resolution adopted by the Assembly, and one from which many of the others derived, affirms the principle of a unified English Braille code as a matter of urgency and resolves that a code should be agreed upon and endorsed by ICEB at its third General Assembly in 2003 and be recommended for ratification by the national standard setting bodies of member countries. Finalising the details of this code will be the main focus of ICEB activities over the next year or two, and Braille readers will have the opportunity to sample the proposed unified code.

The International Council on English Braille was formed in 1991, after two international Braille conferences held in the 1980's had demonstrated the benefits to be gained by greater international cooperation on Braille-related issues. Currently the member countries of ICEB are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is a serious concern for ICEB that significant English Braille using constituencies are not yet represented in the organisation.

A commitment to improving access to materials in Braille by lobbying internationally for more favourable copyright legislation for Braille texts formed the substance of another resolution.

A Committee was appointed to coordinate and facilitate research into tactile graphics design and production methods, as well as teaching strategies for their interpretation.

Another key resolution affirms that Braille is the primary medium of literacy for blind people, and as such its promotion remains one of ICEB's highest priorities. A committee was appointed to promote the use of Braille.

Mrs Betty Niceley of the United States was unanimously elected as President of ICEB for the next quadrennium.

For more information on ICEB you can visit its website at www.iceb.org.

Whyalla Writers have published their Anthology in print and on audiotape. Price is $10, plus $1.50 postage (if applicable).

Orders should be sent to:

Coby Maddigan

26 Rudall Ave.

Whyalla, SA 5600

The closing date for articles for the next issue of Blind Citizens News is Friday, March 24, 2000. Articles should be sent to Lynne Davis at the Blind Citizens Australia Office, preferably in electronic format (computer disk or email attachment). If you would like to discuss your ideas for a possible article, or are unable to submit copy in electronic format, please call Lynne on 02-9438-5675 or send her a message via the Office.

For the latest information from Blind Citizens Australia tune in to Horizons on your RPH station, on a Community Station near you, or over the Internet. Horizons is broadcast regularly on RPH stations. It is also becoming available on Community Stations, but you may need to contact your local station to ask it to receive Horizons over the Community Radio Satellite.

Canberra

1RPH 1125 kHz

11.15 am Tuesday;

repeated 8.00 pm Tuesday and 9.30am Saturday

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repeated 8.15 pm Saturday

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5RPH 1197 kHz

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Perth

6RPH 990 kHz

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Hobart

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