Blind Citizens Australia

Contact Details

87 High Street

PO Box 229

PRAHRAN VICTORIA 3181

Telephone: 03 9521 3433

Toll Free 1800 033 660

Fax 03 9521 3732

TTY 03 9521 1200

Published by

Blind Citizens Australia

ABN 90-006-985-226

Edited by

Sean Tyrell

------------------------------------

Blind Citizens News is distributed in Large Print, Braille and Audio. Electronic copies in text format are available from our Web page, on Disk or by Email. To change your format please contact Blind Citizens Australia.

------------------------------------

• SoundAbout Audio Magazines

• Blind Citizens Australia Annual Report

• Project and Research Reports

Accessible E-Commerce in Australia

Community Development for Blind Women

Everybody’s Business

• Horizons Radio Program

(see Tune in and Keep up to Date, in this issue)

-------------------------------------

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 from the BCA Office.

Welcome to the first BCA News for 2003. I hope you will find it interesting and thought provoking.

Special thanks and good wishes go to our retiring Editor, Nadia Mattiazzo, as she takes up her position with BCA. We hope she has the time and the inclination to keep in touch through contributions to News.

This is the first edition of Blind Citizens News that Sean Tyrell and I have edited. I have decided to tell you something about myself by way of introduction, but I feel rather a fraud doing this, since regular readers will have seen my name fairly often. I have written many reports about the activities of the National Women's Branch, plus letters to the Editor, articles, and during the past year, reports about some of our Organisational Members. It will therefore come as no surprise when I tell you that I have been an author ever since I could read and write braille. I spent 13 years writing scripts, continuity and adapting books for the ABC and can not imagine a time when I will stop writing, except of course, when I also stop breathing.

Collecting the material for this special issue of Blind Citizens News about the history of blindness in Australia has been very interesting. Some of it touches on the history of BCA, while other articles give a brief glimpse of life for a blind person in the last century. The pace of life was slower, but imagine living without mobility instruction, guide dogs, computers, and itinerant teachers. We survived, because we didn't miss what we didn't know about. We just got on with our lives, and so do the blind people of today.

We had hoped to include an article on blindness in the Indigenous Community, however, as we have not been able to get approval in time to print the article, we hope to print it in the next issue of News as it is such an important issue on the history of blindness.

So read, enjoy, and communicate. We look forward to hearing from you.

Having just remembered, belatedly, that we were invited to contribute items of historical interest to the December newsletter, I thought that perhaps some information about historical material might be useful. I can only list some relating to the eastern states, but anyway, here goes:

In Queensland I recommend ‘Over the Next Hill’ by the late Harold Dickenson, and ‘As I See It’ by Mercy Dickenson (bio-autographic), both are available in braille.

In New South Wales: ‘The Play’s the Thing’ by the late Bill Davis (auto-biographical articles written for ‘Insight’ and later published in ‘Buff’,) ‘A Girl like Alice’ a biography of Alice Betteridge, a deafblind lady who lived in the first half of the last century (brailled at the Institute at North Rocks.)

‘A Struggle for Recognition’ early history of the Association of Blind Citizens of New South Wales, by the late James Campbell. ‘Myself When Young’ articles written for ‘Buff’ by the late Miss Doris Dawson.

In Victoria: the late Tilly Aston’s autobiography, (I am not quite sure of the exact title) available in braille and on cassette; ‘The Years Between’ an oral history of the RVIB collected and edited by Allan Nuske, available on cassette; ‘Through Blindness’ an autobiography by Peter Sumner, available on cassette; ‘A History of the Villa Maria Society’ the author’s surname is O’Kane, (available in braille, perhaps also on cassette.)

I hope all this might be of some interest.

All the best to you and the rest of your team.

Joan Heckman

Editor’s Note:

Tilly Aston’s autobiography is titled "Memoirs of Tilly Aston".

**Would you like a pen pal? Fiona enjoys reading, swimming, knitting and other craft activities and would love to have a pen pal to communicate with using braille. She would prefer to meet someone aged 28-32, male or female. Contact BCA for further information.

In 1911, for the first time, a meeting was held between three Australian organisations of the blind. They were the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (based in Victoria), the Association of Blind Citizens of New South Wales, and the Queensland Musical Literary and Self Aid Society of the Blind. Each organisation was established by blind people and in 1911, all were controlled by an exclusively blind membership.

At the meeting the organisations agreed to lobby the Commonwealth Government to accept blindness as a form of invalidity for income support purposes. At that time there were only two pensions available to Australians, the Aged and the Invalid pensions, and blindness was not accepted as a qualification for disability support. In 1912, following the organisations’ representations to the Commonwealth Government on this issue, legislation was introduced to allow people to qualify for the Invalid Pension on the basis of blindness. The pension is now known as the Disability Support Pension (Blind).

The 1911 meeting was responsible for guaranteeing income support for blind people and as such holds a special place in our history.

It is interesting to note that only one of the three pioneering organisations has remained as an organisation of the blind. In the 1940’s the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, after expressing dissatisfaction with the then Committee, convinced the Victorian Minister for Charities to abolish the existing Constitution and bring in a new Constitution which effectively stole the control of the Association from blind people and formed an agency for the blind. This organisation has had several name changes since, including the Association for the Blind, and more recently, the Vision Australia Foundation. It has also changed its focus from providing services to blind people, to providing aged related services. Now less than ten percent of its clients are blind.

The Queensland Musical Literary and Self Aid Society of the Blind has also had several name changes. In the 1990’s it merged with several other Queensland organisations for the blind to become the Royal Blind Foundation of Queensland. As such, it became an organisation for the blind and control of the organisation was wrested from blind people.

The Association of Blind Citizens of New South Wales is the only one that has remained an organisation of the blind and it still does great work with its members.

Following the meeting in 1911, many unsuccessful attempts were made to hold a meeting of all Australian blindness organisations. These mostly failed because of the distances and costs involved.

In the 1940s the Australian Federation of Organisations of the Blind [AFOB] was formed. Its membership included the Queensland Musical Literary and Self Aid Society of the Blind, the Association of Blind Citizens New South Wales, the Tasmanian Association of the Blind and the Blind Workers Unions from Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. In the early 1960’s the Australian Guild of Business and Professional Blind joined. The AFOB was a federation of organisations and did not allow for individual membership.

The AFOB was the organisation responsible for single-handedly, and with bitter opposition from many of the blindness agencies in Australia at the time, campaigning to have the means test removed from Invalid Pensioners who were blind. This was introduced in 1954. The AFOB’s special place in the history of services to blind people also reflects that it was the first organisation to really attack the deplorable conditions of blind workers in the various State’s workshops, supporting those who were struggling for better conditions.

The AFOB changed its name to the Australian Federation of Blind Citizens [AFBC] in 1968. The AFBC dissolved several years after the National Federation of Blind Citizens [NFBC] came into being in 1975. The differences between the two Federations were that the AFOB and AFBC were solely made up of unions and professional groups - most blind people were not members of any of their affiliates - whereas the NFBC was a membership based organisation which allowed for individual membership as well as for branches and special groups.

The NFBC has changed its name twice, the last being to its present name: Blind Citizens Australia. Blind Citizens Australia, the national organisation of blind people, has built on the foundations developed by its predecessors. We have branches in each state of Australia and special members from most groups affiliated with blindness.

Among our triumphs are the defeats of several attempts by the Federal Government to remove the means test free status of the Disability Support Pension [Blind]. Blind Citizens Australia has also worked with the Government to develop legislation guaranteeing the rights of people with disabilities, worked effectively with blindness agencies to improve services to blind persons and worked with the World Blind Union to provide help in developing countries.

Many of the privileges enjoyed today are directly attributable to the dedicated men and women who worked tirelessly, without remuneration, in the AFOB to gain a rightful place for blind people within the community. They were often attacked by the blindness agencies of the day, but stood steadfast and in the end were successful. Blind Citizens Australia has now assumed that mantle. So long as there are blind people who are being disadvantaged or discriminated against, there will always be a need for a strong, dedicated and resourceful organisation of blind people.

Editor’s Note:

David Blyth was the founding President of Blind Citizens Australia. To honour his achievements, in 1992 Blind Citizens Australia introduced the annual David Blyth Award. This Award is the highest honour which Blind Citizens Australia can bestow on a person who has positively influenced the lives of blind people.

I was 10 years old when I first went to the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (the Institute) in 1930. Over the years, I have been involved in a lot of activities in blind affairs, like leading deputations, including marches to Trades Hall, but in this story I want to talk about four things: the early days of the Blind Worker’s Union, the start of the first day centre for the blind in Victoria, the establishment of the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School and the time when blind people lost control of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind.

The Blind Worker’s Union was called the Blind Worker’s Association when I joined it in 1936, and it was in its infancy then. The Association was fighting to improve conditions and wages at the Blind Institute Factory, but the Institute management was out to crush it. I was a member of the committee and we had to hold our meetings in secret in members’ homes. Blind people working in the factory, or any blind person receiving some benefit from the Institute, were at risk of being victimised if they joined the Association. The Institute had sacked people for protesting about working conditions; at that time, there were no other jobs for blind people other than the factory, so it really mattered if you were sacked.

Then around the late 1930s, the Association became the Blind Worker’s Union and became a member of the Victorian Trades Hall. Things improved then because we could meet openly and hold meetings during the day. We could also increase the pressure on management. A couple of times the Secretary of Trades Hall, Mick Jordan, came to the Institute to tackle management.

When I was President of the Union, I realised there were many, many people who were blind and vision impaired who just sat around at home and didn’t get out much unless their families took them. There weren’t any training or mobility facilities (the long cane training didn’t come in till 1959). I felt that a day centre was necessary, after all, there was a school and there was a factory where people could work.

I battled and badgered people and managements during the 1940s and into the 1950s, arguing that we should have day centres. I experienced more than apathy - even some of our blind people in employment weren’t very worried about those that weren’t in employment. Eventually, the RVIB paid for me to do an Art and Craft Teacher’s course. I did subjects like upholstery, leather work, weaving, basket making, pottery, macramé and seagrass stool making. But at the end of the course the new RVIB management did not seem interested in setting up a day centre, and so I approached the Association for the Blind. They were very interested and in February 1956 I was appointed by the Association to establish a rehabilitation day centre at Kooyong. I know this was the first in Victoria and I believe it was the first in Australia.

The centre not only did crafts but also taught general skills in daily living – they taught how to dial a telephone, wash the dishes and put the kettle on and things like that. We started with about 20 people a week attending the centre. The biggest problem was getting voluntary drivers to bring people into the centre but we found some wonderful people and by the end of the year we were getting nearly 50 people attending each week.

In 1962, the blind folk asked the management of Lady Nell if they could they set up a day centre so that students training with dogs could receive rehabilitation at the same time. I was asked by the committee if I would take on the job of establishing it. I did and we flourished more and more.

The other historical thing I was involved in with my wife (Phyllis) and 2 or 3 other blind folk and some sighted friends was the establishment of the first Seeing Eye Dog Training Centre in Australia. Before then, the Guide Dog Training Centre in Western Australia had very limited training - in the early 1960’s the service really only trained people to walk the streets and cross roads but not to go on public transport and into public buildings etc - so in April 1960 we established the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School.

At first we really had to struggle - after we trained our first student we only had 29 pounds left in the bank. The Guide Dogs for the Blind in Victoria established their training centre in 1962. They were opposed to our organisation and asked the Minister for Health to deregister the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School. We were a registered charitable organisation. There was a meeting with the Minister where they were represented and so were we. The Minister for Health said he would not deregister us and instead he gave us a grant of 500 pounds a year, which was a lot of money back in the 1960’s.

The final thing I will talk about is the time when the constitution of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind was changed. At the beginning, only people who were blind were allowed to vote for the committee. Around 1944, I and some other young people like Phyllis, George Nott and Jack Murphy, were upset with the way that the organisation was being run so we moved a motion of no-confidence in the committee – Tilly Aston was President then. It caused a lot of upset. Some of the existing committee organised for lots of blind people who were living in nursing homes to attend the meeting and vote against us, telling them that if we won we’d tip them out of their beds. They wiped the floor with us.

After that, the Trustees of the Association asked the Government to change the Constitution. It was changed so that half the Board were elected by blind people and had to be blind but the other half could be sighted and were elected by subscribers to the Association, so it changed from being an organisation of blind people to an organisation for blind people.

When Blind Citizens Australia came alive in 1975 - what did we do? This article lists some of the resolutions passed at our first Convention.

At a time when we are looking at the history of the blindness movement, it is appropriate to reflect on that very first Convention of the National Federation of Blind Citizens (NFBC), as we were then known, held in Melbourne on the Queen's Birthday weekend in June 1975. Those who attended this Convention will have their own personal memories of it. I didn't attend that Convention and so have no personal memories to share with you. However, what we have as an organisation is those first Convention Resolutions which shaped our early work. Yes, there were 31of them, a record yet to be broken. Further, the number and length of these Resolutions and the constraints of space prevent me from recording them all. Hence I have chosen some significant ones to give you a flavour of those early days of Blind Citizens Australia. In re-reading them, I realise how much we have achieved and how much there is yet to do. It must be remembered that these resolutions represented Blind Citizens Australia policy and practice at the time, i.e. June 1975, and are not to be taken as representing current policy and practice.

Here is a selection of Convention resolutions from 1975:

75.2 Whereas presently blind people are excluded from jury service not only because of their inadequate eyesight, but in the case of those using braille, because in addition, they cannot read or write in the "normal" manner: and

Whereas blind people as Australian citizens should be expected to fulfil the duty and responsibilities, as well as to be granted the rights and privileges that such citizenship entails: and

Whereas the current legislation has undoubtedly stemmed essentially from ignorance and merely perpetuates mystiques regarding the facts about and consequences of blindness:

Now therefore be it resolved by the National Federation of Blind Citizens in Convention assembled in June 1975 at Kooyong, Victoria, to adopt as policy the following resolution.

"That inadequate vision, often coupled with the consequent inability to read and write in the "normal" manner, be made a condition under which a person may be exempt, but not excluded from jury service".

75.9 That the NFBC be alert to organisations claiming to represent views of blind persons without in actual fact having authority to speak on behalf of blind people and that the NFBC object to and expose any such misrepresentation.

75.11 That it be brought to the attention of the railway and other traffic authorities, audible or tactile indicators should be maintained at all crossings where there are now existing visual signals, in order to clearly indicate to blind persons the safety or otherwise of crossing a carriageway or railway line.

75.13 That productive workshops for the blind should be set up, and divorced from sheltered workshops, and blind persons should not be kept in sheltered workshops if they are capable of being employed in productive workshops where their remunerations should be commensurate with wages paid in the same or similar workshops employing non-handicapped persons.

75.16 That blind people deplore the attitudes of institutes and instrumentalities of or for the blind who claim to supply equipment for the use of blind people and then do not keep adequate stocks for their demand.

75.18 That all states should have unified legislation for dog guides, and this legislation should be formulated with what guide dog users and organisations who provide dog guides, consider the best legislation for dog guides in Australia.

75.19 That the NFBC should endeavour to obtain reciprocal agreements between the transport authorities in the different states so that blind people travelling interstate should be able to benefit from transport concessions in a particular State on their local State's transport permit.

75.22 That the organisations for the blind should concentrate on providing services for the blind in our community, and monies raised on behalf of blind people should be spent for this purpose and not wasted on propaganda and literature which is harmful to other organisations serving blind people in our community, as this causes confusion in the minds of the public. It is the blind people who suffer as a result of such confusion.

75.29 That this Convention urges NFBC to encourage the development of a more comprehensive tape, braille and direct personal reading service for blind people who may need it.

Discrimination against people with disabilities, intentional and unintentional, is the cause of much of the disadvantage that people who are blind or vision impaired experience. Blind Citizens Australia was aware well before the enactment of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) of the need for national anti-discrimination legislation specifically for people with disabilities. Accordingly, our members participated actively in the consultation process which developed the legislation and campaigned strongly for its enactment into law.

BCA has had a continual flow of complaints to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), the statutory body created to administer Federal anti-discrimination legislation, since 1994. One of our first complaints was against the Australian Government Publishing Service for failing to produce the DDA in braille. We provided support to the complainant in one of the first cases to be decided under the DDA, McNeill vs The Department of Social Security, an employment discrimination case. In this case the complainant successfully argued that she had been discriminated against in her employment. We also strongly supported Bruce Maguire in his complaints against the Sydney Olympic Games Organising Committee (SOCOG) in relation to the availability in braille of the Sydney Olympic Games ticket book and souvenir book, and the accessibility of the Olympic Games web site. The successful outcomes in these cases have been seminal to improving the ability of people who are blind or vision impaired to access information in their preferred accessible format. The outcome of the web site complaint created an impetus for people to ensure the accessibility of their web sites.

Blind Citizens Australia has used the DDA to bring actions against government departments and private service providers including financial institutions and utilities relating to the provision of non-discriminatory goods and services. We have pressed for bills, statements and correspondence, and public issue documents to be provided in accessible formats and have largely been successful in this endeavour. We have pursued education discrimination cases to help students who are blind and vision impaired achieve their academic potential and we have and do advocate vigorously for Education Standards under the DDA. We have a continual flow of employment discrimination matters for which we push for individual outcomes and use as illustrations to support our quest for employment services, which recognise the fact that employment discrimination is rife and is a key factor in long-term unemployment and poor training opportunities for people with disabilities. We have advocated for people who have been denied service in restaurants and taxis and rental accommodation because they are accompanied by dog guides, and used the DDA to make our streets and buildings more accessible. We have strongly supported the development of DDA Standards and were pleased to have co-ordinated the DDA Standards Project between 1996 and 2000.

It is not all forward sailing. When the DDA was enacted, the HREOC had the responsibility of not just investigating and conciliating complaints but also make decisions under the legislation. Many of the decisions gave a very liberal interpretation of the legislation and resulted in many good outcomes for people with disabilities. It would be true to say, that some of these decisions may not have survived an appeal to the Federal Court of Australia. Since HREOC lost its hearings function, we can detect a trend of the Federal Court of Australia giving a more narrow interpretation of the legislation making it harder to prove cases. Taking cases to the HREOC was administratively easier and was a relatively informal process. Complainants seem to be more discouraged and less likely to take a case to the Federal Court. This might result in a resurgence in state and territory based complaints.

We want people who are blind or vision impaired to be able to vote independently and have access to political information to better inform their voting choices. We want people who are blind to be able to sit on juries, exercising their civil responsibilities. We need to keep ahead of developing and developed technologies such as web sites and ATM’s to ensure that people who are blind or vision impaired have access to the range of communication options available to sighted people. We want to ensure that the use of new technologies such as touch pads and visual displays in everyday consumer items does not mean that blind people can no longer use them. There is so much more we need and want to achieve.

At Blind Citizens Australia, we believe that although the DDA has not transformed the life experience of all people with disabilities, it has provided a mechanism with which to fight some forms of injustice we experience. We can say that we have achieved some systemic change and we have advocated for individuals for whom life may not have changed much, but who may have at least received some redress for discriminatory treatment. We use successful outcomes where possible as precedents to make the next win a bit easier. We can say that our advocacy service is bubbling furiously and it is the DDA which is providing the heat.

2002 marked the twenty year anniversary of one of the most innovative and effective applications of Radio that this country has ever seen. RPH – radio for people with a print disability, now operates in 14 locations including metropolitan centres and a number of regional areas in Victoria and Southern New South Wales.

In the mid 1970’s, there was a revolution in Australian radio. No longer was the broadcast spectrum to be the sole domain of national and commercial broadcasters. The unthinkable was to happen. The "ordinary people" were to get a go – the birth of Public Broadcasting in Australia.

In locations such as Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney, small groups driven by blind people with vision and tenacity were established. From its beginnings in the 1920’s, radio was acknowledged as a great boon "for the blind". Unlike newspapers and the movies, it would become a source of information and entertainment for all, where vision loss would be irrelevant.

Upon the introduction of Public Radio in the 70’s, here was an opportunity for blind people and in fact all those unable to directly read print, to exploit an alternative way of accessing all that content up until then completely out of reach. Radio could broadcast newspapers, magazines, books, and content from government, disability and other community organisations. What an opportunity, the challenge was to make it happen.

Eventually, the Government agreed to grant licences and co-operative societies were established. In June 1982, 7RPH Hobart was launched with Melbourne’s 3RPH following in December. Within months the Sydney and Brisbane stations were on air and with Warrnambool RPH commencing last December, the network continues to grow.

The RPH movement in Australia is a tribute to its founders, and to the thousands of volunteers who worked for its establishment and development and who continue to deliver the service. The late Hugh Jeffrey and the late Joan Ledermann whose blindness armed them with the insight to steer the formation of RPH (Radio for the Print Handicapped) in this country, provided leadership, example and encouragement which have been an inspiration to many others.

The radio programme Horizons was born when David Blyth asked me to take responsibility for producing a weekly radio programme. A few programmes under the name of the National Federation of Blind Citizens were broadcast from time to time, but sometimes the programme arrived at the radio station, and sometimes it didn't. David and the Board of NFBC were not happy about this. They wanted it to be produced reliably each week. David explained that it would not be necessary for me to do everything myself, just to make sure that it did arrive. I'm not very good at delegating responsibility, so here we are, about 19 years later, and I'm still mostly doing it myself.

Radio for the print handicapped was in its infancy when Horizons began. The NFBC Board was keen for us to make good use of this new facility in Victoria. They also saw this as a new, quick way of getting information out to our members. This, of course, was prior to SoundAbout and to email discussion lists.

I remember that our very first Horizons programme was an interview with David Blyth and there were two topics in the programme. One was a profile of NFBC itself, and the other was about what we hoped to achieve with the radio programme over the ensuing months and years. It started in March 1984 and we will be coming up to our one thousandth programme in May of this year. The theme music for our Horizons programme was an instrumental version of Georgie Girl, made famous by an Australian group, The Seekers. I chose the theme myself, because I wanted a bright, optimistic introduction with a challenge in it. We used that theme for about ten years. We had to stop using it eventually because the tape deteriorated over much use and, although I tried to copy it a couple of times, it never seemed quite the same. I chose a piece of music using Don Burrows, an Australian flutist. I liked it, but some people didn't. Still, we used it for about three years, and then the recording of Future Roads, again recorded by The Seekers, came along and this seemed to embody the objectives of what had by then become BCA. It wasn't as well known as Georgie Girl, but it became very popular. This is the first time we have used voices and words in our theme.

There have been a few mishaps in Horizons, but nothing too serious. I once was driven some considerable distance so I could do an interview, and I took portable recording equipment with me. I duly recorded the interview. It went very well too. Then I checked it and found that nothing whatever had been recorded on the tape. There was only one thing to do, and I did it. I asked my interview subject if we could do the whole thing again, and we did. I used the interview but it wasn't nearly as good as the first one. We had both lost spontaneity, and no wonder. Of course there is sometimes a problem in making contact with the people you want to interview, or getting hold of the information you want to incorporate, but the programme has to be ready at a certain time, and you have your own domestic chores to do, so there have been times when it took a juggling act to get Horizons completed in time, but I always managed.

There have been a few occasions on which I handed the programme over to other BCA members. In 1998 I had some health problems, so John and Dale Simpson took over for about six weeks. In 1995 I went overseas for a few weeks, and again John and Dale looked after the programme very well in my absence.

I have sometimes been asked about the equipment I use for the show. I use both a computer and a reel to reel tape recorder. I'm still learning how to use the computer efficiently. I have the themes for the programme stored on that, and some of the interviews are recorded on the computer, but the master recording is still being done on reel to reel. I find the computer is terrific for tight editing work. Each week I produce one reel to reel master of the programme and four cassette copies which are distributed to various people who copy them and send them out to areas not covered by RPH. The main programme is now distributed by satellite so I no longer need to send physical copies to the other RPH stations. The programme is now also loaded on the internet and can be heard in that way.

When I first started recording the programme, I had a superscope recorder, which eventually broke down and had to be replaced and I had one six channel mixer.

Later this year we'll be starting on Horizons Number 1001, and I hope to be presenting it, if the Good Lord's willing and the creeks don't rise.

He was Irish to the boot-straps. He shaped the future and unlocked opportunities for blind people. He was a founder, a teacher, a role model and an inspiration.

Patrick O'Neill was born in Tipperary, Ireland, in March 1886. At the tender age of fourteen years and nine months he entered the Juniorate of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, where, he continued his schooling and was introduced to the routine of the religious community. He had a severe vision impairment which he tried to disguise. He was just fifteen and had been taken to an eye specialist in Dublin. The doctor advised that young Patrick's eyesight was weak, far too weak for him to become a Christian Brother, and that "he had better be sent back to the farm". The young lad was devastated, he had his heart set on becoming a Brother and he made a secret promise that if he could stay in the Brothers he would volunteer for the Missions.

History records that he entered the Noviciate on June 29, 1901 and that Reverend Brother Patrick Gildas O'Neill arrived in Melbourne to take up his missionary work in August 1906. He taught at schools in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, and by 1926, aged forty he was Superior of St Vincent de Paul's Orphanage in South Melbourne.

But his sight wasn't stable. He had lost the sight of one eye through retinal detachment, and in June 1926 the other one went. Thirty years later he recalled:

"I remember it very well. I even remember the exact time - half past nine in the morning. I was in my office. Someone came in for some petty cash. I reached into a drawer of my desk for the money. Then, as I turned to hand over the money, I knew I was going to lose my sight."

The next year, in 1927, Brother O'Neill relinquished his position as Superior of the Orphanage, and he then joined the Catholic Braille Writers' Association. He became President in 1931, and under his leadership the organisation became the Villa Maria Society for the Blind – establishing a nursing home, a hostel and a school.

About the start of the school! The story goes that Brother O'Neill and Dr Mannix were chatting almost fifty years ago, when the Archbishop said: "Well, that's all very well, but what are you doing for the children?" "Nothing" Brother O'Neill said, and was told "Then do something!"

St. Paul's School for the Blind was opened in February 1957, with Brother O'Neill as Principal, and I was one of about fifteen students who transferred from the RVIB School just before my fourth birthday. My first memories of Brother O’Neill are vague - the old man with the funny way of talking who was in charge, who dispensed lollies and who was very nice. My parents first met Brother O'Neill when he came to our house in 1956. He came to tell them that he was starting a school for catholic blind children. He was recruiting! There were four blind children in our family, so we were a great catch.

I remember Brother O'Neill fondly, because he was a role model and an inspiration to me. He helped me form many of my attitudes about blindness and my fundamental values in life. In religion classes he would foster our interest in the world around us, in the issues of the day, in the people making news. General business was at the start of the class, so we could derail the religion lesson by questions like "Brother, what do you think about the men going into space?" or "Brother, there's this song on the wireless called `It Ain't Necessarily So`, what's that all about? This last one really set him off. Brother O'Neill was a creationist.

Brother O'Neill was our head master. I remember one time being called into his office. There were no lollies this day. We'd visited somewhere and someone had offered a prize to the kid who wrote the best essay afterwards. I forget the details. I can't remember if I didn't enjoy the visit or I just found the topic boring. My essay was a shocker, and Brother O'Neill told me so. I remember this clearly, because in my heart I knew he was right. He had seen through me. He knew I could do much better. He had high expectations, and I'm glad he did!

Brother O'Neill came to St. Paul's four days each week, until he died in October 1968 aged 82. He had broad interests and wide involvements in the community. He served for many years on the General Committee of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (now Vision Australia Foundation) and was an active member of the Australian Guild of Business and Professional Blind. I have no doubt that he would have become a staunch member of BCA.

Blinded at forty, it changed his life and the lives of many other blind people. It was my privilege to have been nurtured and inspired by Reverend Brother Patrick O'Neill MBE.

They were all blind. They had loud, sometimes raucous voices, and they all knew one another.

"Hullo Bill. How yer going?"

"Not bad. Jim'll be here in a minute."

"Is Billie coming?"

"'Course he is."

"Where's Clive? You there, Clive?"

"I've been here for ages, just reading a book and waiting for you fellows to stop yelling."

The teenager I then was, found these old men frightening, but later when I came to know some of them, I learnt to admire and respect them. They were probably not all that old either, except to an intimidated teenager.

They knew one another well because they had all been pupils of the Darlington school for deaf and blind children. Its regime seems to have been spartan, but they talked of their school and its teachers with nostalgic affection. You would often hear one of them say: "Remember the time Miss Reed caught you and Charlie and me...." or: "You couldn't put a darned thing over Dorris Dawson. Remember when we tried to creep up on her and...."

Miss Dawson was a totally blind teacher at the Darlington school.

The old men had their traditional songs. At every Christmas function, those who knew it insisted on belting out the seemingly endless verses of a song called Christmas Boxes. We thought it dreary. They thought it an essential part of a Christmas "Social". The Socials were held at the Association of Blind Citizens of New South Wales. This organisation was formed by these and other blind people in 1910.

Life for a blind person in those days certainly had its limitations. Many blind men earned their living by selling newspapers in the city. Others found work in the Blind Institute, the "Stute" they called it. They laboured long and hard making brushes, brooms and baskets. They moved through the city streets without canes, white or otherwise, and either asked for help crossing roads or just crossed when other people did. By the time I knew them, the traffic was increasing and they were reluctantly taking a few precautions.

One of my old friends told me of his battles to learn and then establish himself as a piano tuner. He employed a small boy to take him to the addresses of his customers. When he married, his wife took over as his guide.

All the old men were fluent braille readers and could tell you about their favourite books, read many times over because stocks were limited.

The war gave some of the old men an opportunity for more lucrative and interesting employment. Some of the more adventurous pioneers went into business, with minimum business training and maximum common sense.

Those old blind men were adaptable, cheerful survivors. They were the early members of the self help organisation known as the Association of Blind Citizens of New South Wales, which has existed for over 90 years. They didn't really know how to go about forming an organisation, but they formed it anyway.

I am proud to have known some of them.

In the September 2002 issue of this newsletter readers were invited to respond to four questions relating to the establishment of a Single Blindness Agency. Thank you to all who took the time to consider these questions and respond to these and forward these to Blind Citizens Australia’s National Office.

Because the four questions overlapped, a simple breakdown of the responses doesn’t really give an accurate picture of the overall tenor of the responses – for example, the concern about a decline in services to local areas was expressed by people in response to each question. There were overall four recurring themes:

1. A national agency cannot replace the work of BCA and must actively support (including financially) the work undertaken by BCA. Another aspect of this response was the fear that it was possible for one or two high profile people who are blind who were involved in the agency to be seen by Government as speaking for all people who are blind.
2. The views of people who are blind about the merger need to be taken into greater consideration.
3. The merger should only go ahead if it is demonstrated that the resulting agency will provide a range of services that better meets the needs of people who are blind. In particular, the lack of social work, employment and braille services was identified.
4. The merger should only occur if it is demonstrated that it will result in an increase in services to people living outside metropolitan NSW and Victoria, not a decline. Several respondents pointed out the Melbourne and Sydney heaviness of blindness services.

Each of these themes was raised by almost every respondent and the following quotes are indicative of the sorts of comments received on each:

"Any NBA [National Blindness Agency] must be forced to accept that their role is that of service provider and that provision of advocacy and peer support is the role of BCA."

"The fact that I as a client was not consulted to see if I would like the national agency to take place and what I’d like from it (the merger) offends me."

"While obviously needing to have good and proper systems for the processing of clients, the service should be flexible enough to suit the requirements of clients, rather than pigeon holing clients into the "service model".

"Better service provision in areas of the nation where service provision is poor or non-existent would also be a major advantage. However does one national agency give any guarantee that this will indeed occur?"

At the time this article was prepared, the BCA Board were finalising the organisational position paper taking into account these responses, the discussions at each of the State Conventions held late in 2002 and the feedback obtained during the discussions at the Project Nexus steering group meetings.

Following last years BCA State Conventions; BCA was offered one place on the Project Nexus Steering Committee, as was the consumer consultation groups from RVIB, RBS and VAF. RBS did not take up their position stating they believed that BCA adequately represented them. RVIB and VAF did accept the places offered. I have been BCA's representative on this committee attending my first meeting in November 2002.

The Steering Committee consists of three representatives from RVIB, VAF and RBS with three consumer representatives. The working group established by the three merging agencies report to this committee.

One of the most significant developments in recent months for us as blind people is the offer from the three merging organisations for BCA to nominate three representatives to the interim Board. This Board will consist of three representatives from RVIB, RBS, VAF and BCA, and will replace the steering committee once a Memorandum of Understanding is entered into by the three merging organisations, which I understand is to occur at the April Board meetings of those organisations.

There is a great deal of work to be undertaken before a merger will occur.

In December 2002, the Government released a consultation paper on proposed reform of the income support system for working-age people, called Building a simpler system to help jobless families and individuals. The paper poses 13 questions about how income support might be provided in Australia, including a section on the provision of a cost of disability allowance.

Have your say

Blind Citizens Australia needs your help to make sure that our response to the paper reflects your views. We have prepared draft responses to the questions asked in the consultation paper, using our Non-Optional Costs of Blindness research and the information members provided during last year’s Cost of Disability Allowance discussions.

We are asking members to read the draft responses and respond to us by May 9, 2003.

Copies of the Government’s paper in electronic form can be downloaded from www.facs.gov.au/welfare_reform. Copies in alternate formats (braille and audio) are available by telephoning the Welfare Reform information line on 1800 778 827 (calls made from mobile phones will not be accepted).

Copies of Blind Citizens Australia’s paper are available from our website at www.bca.org.au/natpol.htm or from the national office.

If you're one of those people who believes that BCA is stuck back in the middle of last century somewhere - completely out of touch with the needs of its members and only interested in the easy issues - think again: BCA recently took its first step in the journey of tackling issues relevant to blind people of diverse sexuality through the creation of a special-interest group, Blind Out and Proud (BOP).

BOP is a committee of 7 people, working on issues that are relevant to blind people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer. These include everything from the lack of material on diverse sexuality issues in accessible formats, to the homophobia blind people of diverse sexuality experience within BCA, and the blind community generally.

Obviously, getting information in accessible formats is an issue that affects all blind people. We know it's not new, and expect our particular needs will fit right in with those of a similar nature which BCA pursues on a regular basis. Homophobia, however, is an incredibly complex problem which, despite the fact that it pre-dates getting information in accessible formats in terms of being a serious issue in desperate need of attention, has never been addressed before within BCA. We commend BCA for acknowledging that homophobia exists within the organisation and for being committed to working towards its elimination. One way in which BOP hopes to achieve this is by holding a session at this year's national convention, where a panel of blind people of diverse sexuality will discuss issues that have affected them personally. The session will include plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation. Firstly to Sean Tyrell for acknowledging the importance of issues relevant to blind people of diverse sexuality when I brought them up at the Youth Consultative Forum late last year; taking those issues to the National Policy and Development Council's face-to-face meeting in November, and getting the 7 of us in touch with each other to form BOP. Secondly, we would like to thank the National Policy and Development Council suggestion that the group be established, and for their support generally. Finally, we would like to thank the many people who have expressed their support for BOP and the rights of blind people of diverse sexuality either through Blind Citizens Australia’s e-mail discussion list in response to others' hostility, or to one of us individually, or just by reading to this point in this article. Your open-mindedness and co-operation are very much appreciated.

In 1998 the Australian Braille Authority (ABA) established an email discussion list called Ozbrl to provide a forum for discussing issues relevant to braille in Australia. The list now has over 100 subscribers.

This year is important for the future of braille in Australia. The Unified English Braille Code (UEBC) Project is drawing to a close after 10 years, and ABA will need to consider what we in Australia should do. Should we adopt the UEBC? Should we adopt British or US braille codes? Should we stay with the codes that we have now?

These decisions have significant implications for braille users in Australia. The ABA will be undertaking extensive consultation with the braille-using community, and we want to hear your views and comments. Ozbrl will be an important forum for seeking these views, and for discussing the issues. In early 2004, the International Council on English Braille will hold a General Assembly to discuss UEBC and other topics related to the use of braille in English speaking countries. The ABA will also be using Ozbrl to keep braille users informed about the outcomes of the General Assembly.

I am pleased to welcome Daniel Stubbs to our Board. Daniel fills a casual vacancy on the Board arising from the resignation of Tony Clark due to his work and study commitments. Daniel is the current Executive Officer of ACTCOSS, the peak body for community and welfare organisations in Canberra and brings to the Board skills in social policy and a knowledge of the broader community and welfare sector. I welcome Daniel to the Board and thank Tony for his contribution.

In December this year, the Disability Discrimination Act Transport Standards came into operation. These Standards set out accessibility requirements for transport and a timetable for their implementation. These Standards have been the product of a long and sustained effort by many people in the disability sector, transport providers, and Government. It is therefore fitting that on their commencement, the consumer representatives in this process were recognised with an award from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. One of these consumer representatives was Kevin Murfitt, a member of Blind Citizens Australia. Congratulations Kevin. Copies of the Transport Standard are available from the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department, telephone 02 6250 6670.

The 2003 National Convention is to be held in Canberra on the weekend 4 - 6 October, 2003. Planning has commenced with the establishment of a Program Committee under the Chairmanship of Daniel Stubbs and an Organising Committee under the Chairmanship of ACT Branch President Michael Johnston. The Program Committee is keen to hear your ideas on items for our Convention so please contact Daniel through the office with your suggestions. There is a lot of enthusiasm among members of the Canberra Branch for the Convention in Canberra and they are looking forward to welcoming you. Further information about Convention will be available through BCA News and are other communications media.

We congratulate June Ashmore on the receipt of the Order of Australia Medal. June's many friends in Blind Citizens Australia welcome her Award and its recognition of her contribution to blind people in Australia and internationally through the RP movement, the Canberra Blind Society and our own organisation. June's award also recognises the personal support and practical help she has given to so many blind people and the example June has set for us all.

In December 2002, the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee released the report of its inquiry into the education of students with disabilities.

The Committee identified two priority areas: teacher training and professional development, and the adoption of the DDA Education Standards. It also noted that further work was required to examine why students with disabilities are under-represented in the TAFE sector and have such poor access to work experience opportunities.

In relation to blindness, the report highlighted:

• acquisition of numeracy and literacy skills
• the lack of appropriate materials in alternative formats
• restricted access to specialist teachers, particularly in rural and remote areas.

With particular reference to braille, the report emphasised:

• the shortage of producers and skilled transcribers
• teachers’ lack of familiarity with braille
• the shortage of braille materials and their high cost, particularly for university materials.

One of the committee’s more interesting recommendations from our perspective was that the Department of Education, Science and Training investigate the establishment of a scheme to help students with disabilities purchase adaptive equipment.

The Committee very strongly urged the Federal Government to introduce the DDA Education Standards, going so far as to recommend that they be introduced without the support of the States if necessary.

On 11 February 2002, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission granted a six month exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act to Queensland Rail in relation to the installation of Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) on railway platforms.

The exemption was conditional on Queensland Rail consulting with interested parties, including Blind Citizens Australia and the Physical Disability Council of Australia, to identify a national uniform approach to the use of both warning and directional TGSI’s. These consultations took place throughout the year, with the last meeting being held on 4-5 December 2002.

At this meeting, guidelines for maximising the accessible path of travel on railway platforms were developed and discussions were held regarding the use of directional Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) and ways of achieving colour contrast.

A full report of the outcome of the meeting, including a copy of the guidelines, can be read at: www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/transport/tgsi120.2.htm

Blind Citizens Australia has a position on several Standards Australia committees that develop standards for access to buildings and to public spaces for people with disabilities. If you live in Melbourne or Sydney and would be interested in representing BCA at these meetings, contact Collette O’Neill at the national office.

At its November meeting the National Policy and Development Council established working groups in five priority areas - employment, library and information access, education, membership and development, and environmental access and public transport. This regular column will be used to update members on progress.

The committee is now refreshed after the Christmas break and working hard to advance the interests of all blind Australian women.

In November, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at Parramatta RSL Club. We achieved a quorum and four new members. Two guest speakers, Secretary - Teresa Smith, and new member - Di Fruin from Equal Employment Opportunity for Public Employment spoke to us about disability, gender and employment. We discussed some of the resources women now have in the quest for new or better employment. We were also honest about the challenges which still confront blind women.

We also transacted the business of the AGM. The meeting adopted new branch bylaws, based on the new model bylaws recently adopted for special branch administration. These bylaws now allow for the branch's committee to be elected for two year terms, with elections taking place in conjunction with Blind Citizens Australia’s bi-annual National Conventions. Consequently, the meeting adopted a resolution continuing the appointment of the current committee until 2003.

Christine and Lee have been perfecting their editorial skills and have recently produced another fabulous issue of Aspirations, our branch magazine. They welcome contributions and comments. Copies are available to members in audio or electronic format. It is proving very popular, with a variety of information and real stories you won't read anywhere else.

If you would like to receive Aspirations and become a branch member, you can do this by sending a cheque made out to BCA National Women's Branch to Fiona Woods, 17 Peel Street, Glenbrook NSW 2773. If you are already a BCA member, the cost is $10.00, if not it costs $20 but this includes your lifetime membership of BCA.

The Women's Branch still has for sale, in a range of formats, informative booklets based on the recorded experiences of blind and vision impaired women. "Home Nursing" and "Kids are Fun for Everyone", are available by sending a cheque of $20 to the above address. It may seem that I have developed a mercenary streak since reluctantly standing for Treasurer. I did so because I thought it would force me to acquire some new skills. It has not been as difficult as I had assumed it would be for a totally blind person. I now have a system for recording deposits and withdrawals, bank statements in braille and a reliable friend who is willing to write receipts sporadically. Some extremely competent women have performed this role before me, but I would like to encourage more of you to volunteer for it, the next time your branch is looking to fill this intimidating position.

Blind Citizens Australia invites you to attend a 3 day Youth Forum being held from Wednesday 23 – Friday 25 April 2003 in Melbourne.

The forum has been organised to further Blind Citizens Australia’s commitment to skill development, and to provide an opportunity to discuss issues facing young people who are blind or have a vision impairment in Australia. The process will not only give you valuable leadership skills, but will also assist BCA to set aims and objectives for Australian youth, and will provide a platform for Australia’s contribution to the Asia Pacific youth forum to be held in Singapore this September.

Information about venue, accommodation, costs and other matters is available from the national office.

When: 7 April 2003 at 7:30 pm.

Where: Blind Citizens Australia,

87 High Street Prahran

Purpose:

At the November General Meeting of Melbourne Branch, John Simpson resigned as President to pursue a role on the BCA Board of Directors. Since that time, Melbourne Branch has had two resignations from other committee members.

The aim of this Special General Meeting is to call for nominations for the positions of President and General Committee Members.

If you have never attended a Melbourne Branch meeting and want to see what the branch is all about, feel free to attend this meeting and get involved.

Now that the Australian Tax Office has introduced new administrative arrangements for workplace giving programs, it is a great opportunity for your workplace to encourage employees to give a small donation to BCA from each pay. The Tax Commissioner said that these new arrangements allow donations from employees to be pooled and sent directly to eligible charities and non-profits in one transaction. Employees can get a tax benefit every time they donate through their pay, rather than waiting to claim in their annual tax return. So now is the time to spread the word among fellow workers and help BCA meet the needs of its members. For more information, contact BCA and take the time to talk to your employer about helping employees to support BCA.

Members of Blind Citizens Australia and generous members of the public have, for many years, partly funded the work of BCA through donations and lotteries. In recent times a number of friends and members have also shown their support by leaving a bequest or legacy from their estate in a Will.

This kind of support is vital for our ongoing work and we encourage all members and friends to ensure that Blind Citizens Australia will be here to work for blind and vision impaired Australians in the future. BCA’s advocacy to ensure that services and facilities do not discriminate against our members and other blind people has proved to be of enormous benefit to all blind Australians and we need to make sure that our work continues.

You can help by making a bequest in your Will. Please include Blind Citizens Australia in your Will by using the following wording:

"I give to Blind Citizens Australia the sum of (include sum both in words and figures) free from all duties or other taxes, whether State or Federal."

We would like to thank all members who have generously donated to BCA recently. If you would like to make a donation to BCA, but find it difficult filling out forms you may like to call the National Office on 1800 033 660 and donate over the phone using your credit card.

Blind Citizens News accepts material in the following categories:

Information about new services, facilities or events of wide interest among blind and vision impaired people is accepted for inclusion within the news content.

Announcements, for sale notices and other advertisements from individuals and small non-profit organisations may be included in a "Notice Board" section, provided that they do not exceed 25 words and are targeted to a national readership. A charge of $20 will apply for each notice.

Advertising on behalf of government, commercial or community organisations that is considered to be relevant to the general readership will be included under the heading "Advertisements". Advertisers must provide a copy suitable for inclusion in all formats of the publication and the following rates will apply.

• Full page (320 words large print) $375

• Half page (150 words large print) $200

• Quarter page (70 words large print) $105

For greatest impact, why not consider sponsorship of an entire issue of Blind Citizens News? For $800 you will obtain:

• a credit of up to 25 words on the front cover;
• 2 print pages for the sponsor’s message (equivalent space in other formats).

Blind Citizens News is published four times a year and is now read by more than 3000 people with a direct interest or involvement in the services and facilities available to Australia’s blind and vision impaired population. We circulate 980 large print, 1000 audio, 200 Braille and 50 electronic (computer disk and email) copies to members, libraries, service agencies, government departments and equipment suppliers throughout Australia. Blind Citizens News also appears in full on the internet website of Blind Citizens Australia.

Do you have a fourtrack recorder which needs repairing? If so you can contact Charles at PSB Engineering in Millpark, Melbourne on 03 9408 8055.

Readers will have noted the Victorian and New South Wales bias in this issue. We are particularly anxious to publish articles from beyond the east coast next time around.

Once a year Blind Citizens News publishes a special issue that focuses attention on a particular theme - this year it was the history of blindness in Australia, last year it was travel. No decision about 2004 has been made as yet – suggestions are welcome.

For the latest information from Blind Citizens Australia tune in to Horizons on your RPH station, on a Community Station near you, or via the BCA website. 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 by Satellite.

Canberra

1RPH 1125 Khz

11.15 am Tuesday;

repeated 8.00 pm Tuesday and 9.30am Saturday

Sydney

2RPH 1224 Khz

3.00 pm Wednesday;

repeated 8.15 pm Saturday

Melbourne

3RPH 1179 Khz

8.30 pm Wednesday;

repeated 6.30 pm Sunday

Brisbane

4RPH 1296 Khz

7.00 am Friday;

repeated 6.05 pm Monday

Adelaide

5RPH 1197 Khz

9.15 pm Wednesday,

repeated 6.00 pm Friday

Perth

6RPH 990 Khz

10.30 am Friday;

repeated 9.45 pm Saturday

Hobart

7RPH 864 Khz

1.30pm Friday;

repeated 5.15pm Saturday

Mildura

3MPH 107.5 Mhz

8.30 pm Wednesday,

repeated 6.30 pm Sunday

Bendigo

3BPH 88.7 Mhz (FM)

8.30pm Wednesday;

repeated 6.30pm Sunday

Geelong

3GPH 99.5 Mhz (FM)

8.30pm Wednesday;

repeated 6.30pm Sunday

Shepparton

3SPH 100.1 Mhz (FM)

8.30pm Wednesday;

repeated 6.30pm Sunday

Albury-Wodonga

101.7 Mhz (FM)

8.30pm Wednesday;

repeated 6.30pm Sunday