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
bca@bca.org.au www.bca.org.au
BLIND CITIZENS NEWS
June 2003
Published by
Blind Citizens Australia
ABN 90-006-985-226
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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.
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
Cassette ISSN 1441-564X
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.
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Other Publications
Accessible E-Commerce in Australia
Community Development for Blind Women
Everybody’s Business
(see Tune in and Keep up to Date, in this issue)
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Blind Citizens Australia Identity Card
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.
What’s going on at the Library
2003-2004 Federal Budget Report
National Women’s Branch Report
Blind Citizens Australia Youth Forum
Membership and Development Work Group
The Experiences Of Blind & Vision Impaired Graduates Finding Employment
Supporting BCA Made Even Easier
How to Ensure the Ongoing Work of BCA
Articles for the Next Issue of Blind Citizens News
Hello and welcome to the June edition of BCA News.
As you may be aware, Sean Tyrell has resigned as Editor of News, and on behalf of all readers, we would like to thank Sean for his contributions.
This issue has been compiled in the National Office, as the Board works to finalise the position of Editor. However, we thank Diana Braun, Assistant Editor for her invaluable support.
In this issue we have many fascinating articles which we hope will keep you all interested. Apart from our usual Executive Officer’s report and NPDC reports, we have some noteworthy letters to the Editor, along with feedback from attendees of our Youth Forum held in late April, and a tribute to a person whom many of you will have known.
We have also decided on what we believe will be a very interesting theme for the March 2004 edition of News – the theme of Recreation. We know that people spend their recreation time involved in a wide variety of activities so it will be great to see what contributions we receive from you, the readers.
Meanwhile, we hope you will find this edition of News both enjoyable and informative!
Dear Editor
If there is one thing that drives blind people "up the wall", it is the illusion sighted people have that if you can't see, then you can't do anything. I am writing about this because I have a theory that might help.
If you asked a sighted person how he would manage if he lost his hearing, he would probably say that he would make more use of his eyesight. If you were to ask the same question in regard to eyesight loss, there would probably be no answer. The takeover by hearing is just not obvious. BCA readers might think about this theory and perhaps use it to make their situation better understood by the sighted community.
L. Braun
Letter to the Editor
As a student of history, I thought the last edition of News was very valuable. It was useful to have a list of books about blind Australians. It would be interesting if some of your readers could summarise these people’s lives for later editions. It seems a pity that the books about the history of our people are so scattered. It would be good to see books about blind Australians collected and valued as a historical and educational resource.
I would like to comment on Amanda Tink’s article about being blind and queer. I imagine there are many obstacles that queer people face if they are also blind, especially information about lifestyle, social opportunities, peer support and literature. I would expect BCA to support members to advocate for changes to overcome these obstacles. I would also expect that BCA would act to ensure that queer people were not discriminated against in any aspect of its activities. I do not believe, however, that BCA should be used as a vehicle for confronting homophobic attitudes, however repellent they may be.
BCA is the united voice of all Australians. Its members include people from all walks of life, with the full range of political, religious and cultural beliefs. If we introduce the idea that BCA has a right to question other aspects of members’ lives, we jeopardise our position as the authorative voice of blind people – including our ability to seek funding, sponsorship, and most importantly, members. BCA has remained strong for so many years because it has retained its focus on blindness as its reason for being – our reason for being together. I have seen this demonstrated by the National Women’s Branch, where it is recognised that if it espoused feminism it would lose many hardworking members and splinter as debate ensued about what form of feminism it espoused.
BCA exists to change the world for blind people, including those who are queer. I hope there are similarly effective organisations to help change the world for queer people.
Fiona Woods
An open letter about the library merger
By Jane Evans, National Manager, NILS
I have been contacted by people concerned that the recent merger of the NILS and Vision Australia libraries will lead to a reduced quality of service because of the loss of staff expertise and to a decline in the range and quality of materials available from the library. I would like to take this opportunity to address these concerns.
I too was very sorry that many of the Vision Australia Library staff elected to take redundancies rather than transfer to NILS after the merger. One of the benefits of the merger was the potential to enhance NILS’ skills, knowledge and experience with that of the Vision staff, many of whom have been with the library for years. However, the Vision Library staff were covered by a Certified Agreement that allowed them the opportunity to take a redundancy package and many took advantage of this.
While the loss of the Vision Australia Library staff had the potential to disrupt service delivery, NILS’ management developed contingency plans to ensure that critical services to clients continued uninterrupted. Our commitment when commencing the merger was that services would not be impacted. Our commitment remains ‘business as usual’ in all aspects.
This is particularly the case with the Louis Braille audio production of Australian titles. I am aware of the quality of these publications and of the importance of having well narrated Australian content in the library collection. This will not change. Indeed, the merger brings to NILS the almost new digital recording studios at Kooyong, where these titles are produced, giving NILS a capability it has lacked up until now.
I understand fully clients’ concerns about the need to maintain an excellent library collection. A major thrust of our business plan and budget this year has been to upgrade the collection significantly. To this end we now:
As a result of the Vision Australia collection combining with that of NILS, a decision has been made to focus only on purchasing two track audio books for future collection development. This approach has allowed NILS to accelerate the strategies mentioned above. Of course, the current four track titles will continue to be available.
I am firmly committed to an ongoing program of improvement in the services that NILS provides to its members and I believe that even if something is working well it can always work better. While the loss of experienced staff is a blow, I also believe that the future benefits of the merger – improved and expanded collection of materials, developing the braille collection for those readers, more authority as a national organisation when seeking funding - will outweigh this initial loss.
As winter is upon us it means the year is almost half over, yet it seems many months ago that I sat down to prepare an article for News. There is much to report on, and many things happening over the next few months to share.
After a great deal of speculation, talk and options considered, the National Office is in the process of moving! The new location is 13 Barrett Street, Kensington which is an inner suburb of North Western Melbourne. At the time of preparing this article, our telephone numbers and Post Office Box address were unknown. We will divert mail and telephone for some time, so there is no need for concern - you will still find us! There will be some disruption to our operations during this period and we apologise to anyone if there is a delay in responding to a request, or availability of a staff member when you contact us. We are working to minimise disruption.
Our New South Wales Office has been relocated to the RBS site in Enfield, and at the time of preparing this article, we were in the process of filling a part time Administration Officer position. BCA continues to work hard in NSW to secure recurring funding. We have decided to continue with our presence in the state while undertaking this task and hope that our new staff member will assist in providing support to our branches and members in NSW.
Julie Ford, who has been a consultant employed in Queensland over the last six months to undertake a series of advocacy workshops throughout the state, is about to finish her work with us and I would like to thank Julie for her contribution and wish her well.
Our involvement in the planning for a merge of the RBS, RVIB and VAF continues. I have represented BCA on the Steering Committee since November 2002, which I believe, has assisted in bringing many issues to the table.
BCA has been offered three positions on the interim Board of the new organisation. David Blyth, June Ashmore and I will take up these positions. It is through recognition by leaders within the agencies that representation at this level by blind people is the best and most appropriate way to ensure the new organisation gets off to a good start.
As readers will know the three agencies have agreed in principal to merge. At the time of preparing this article it is anticipated that a Heads of Agreement will be signed on to by the three agencies during June. After this time there will be a number of steps that must be undertaken leading to formation of a merged organisation, the most significant one being the vote of members. The agencies cannot merge without the support of their members.
All of us should be members of the agencies providing services to us, being a client of an agency does not mean you are a member. It is easy to become a financial member of a Company, Association or Society. Contact your blindness agency and become a financial member, you can have a say!
Following the World Blind Union Asia Pacific Youth Leadership Seminar held in Malaysia last October, Darren Fittler conducted a similar forum in Australia. It was held in Melbourne late April and all participants had a wonderful time. Elsewhere in this publication you will find articles prepared by some who attended. We look forward to the involvement and contribution of these people into the future. Thank you Darren for your efforts and I can assure our readers Darren left Melbourne absolutely exhausted after his hard work and tremendous leadership over the three days.
This year BCA will hold a National Convention in Canberra. It will be held at the Rydges Eagle Hawk Resort located on the boarder of the ACT and NSW. The Convention will run from October 4 – 6 inclusive and plans are well underway for the program content and associated events. Notices will be sent to all members in the coming weeks.
It’s time for individuals, Branches and Organisational Members to think about whether there is someone they would like to nominate to receive the BCA David Blyth Award or a BCA Certificate of Appreciation. The BCA David Blyth Award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to improving the quality of life for blind people in Australia. Certificates of Appreciation are awarded to individuals in recognition of outstanding and long-lasting work of direct benefit to BCA. Often this work has been at a branch or local level. Nominees do not have to be members of BCA.
Nomination forms and a list of selection criteria are available from the National Office on 1800 033 660. These awards are not presented as a matter of course. Nominees should be deserving and their work for BCA to improve the quality of life for blind and vision impaired people must be outstanding. Please forward your nominations for these awards to the National Office, addressed to me as Convenor of the Awards Committee, no later than Friday, 29 August, 2003.
Following is a list of all BCA Policy Statements, which can be found on our web page or obtained from the National Office in alternative formats on request.
Lynne Davis, who is known to readers, recently resigned as a Board member of BCA. I am sure I speak on behalf of all readers when I express my thanks to Lynne for her tremendous contribution to the BCA Board over many years and we look forward to her our continuing involvement within our organisation.
Sue Thompson from NSW has filled the casual vacancy left by Lynne on the Board, and Barry Chapman from NSW fills the NPDC vacancy left by Sue. With the resignation of Sean Tyrell during March as Editor of News and the Victorian NPDC representative, Jordie Howell now fills this casual vacancy.
As readers may recall, the World Blind Union Asia Pacific Region was due to hold a mid-term Regional Assembly in Singapore in September this year. Unfortunately, because of SARS and terrorism the Assembly has been postponed and a new date is yet to be determined. Anyone who is interested in details about this event should call the National Office.
I cannot end this article without congratulating Neville Kerr who recently presented the 1,000 edition of Horizons. This is a tremendous effort and I am sure I speak on behalf of all our members and friends when I say thank you Neville, your efforts and hard work are appreciated by all.
We would also like to congratulate members and friends of BCA who recently received Centenary Medals one of whom was Robert Altamore our National President.
This article is relevant to anyone who belongs to the National Information and Library Service (NILS) or Vision Australia Foundation Library (VAL), or to anyone who receives library services from them. NILS is the library service jointly operated by the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind and Royal Blind Society, and is in the process of incorporating VAL. Late last year, I was appointed as the BCA representative to the group of consumer representatives overseeing the merger of the two libraries. Before this, I was not particularly clear about what was intended as most of you probably still are. I hope to explain the changes, and some of their implications, so that it is clear what they mean for us, th e borrowers.
One objective of the merger is that there should not be any difference in the library service we receive, except that we should have access to a broader range of titles. NILS readers can now read VAL books, and VAL readers can now read NILS books. NILS previously stocked 4-track cassettes, and VAL always used 2-track. All titles to be purchased in future will be two-track. Many new titles have already been acquired to make up for the extra pressure on the collection from VAL readers, who cannot easily read NILS’ 4-track holdings. The library will not be issuing reading machines to new borrowers, although it will be maintaining 4-track machines if you already have one. If you are a VAL reader and you want to read a book only available on 4-track, you can borrow a reading machine for that purpose.
The merger will occur through various stages. All braille books, from both collections, are now located at RBS, in Sydney. All cassette books will be held at Kooyong, Victoria. This should make little practical difference to borrowers, who receive items by post, free of cost to them wherever they live. Let the library staff know if you experience unusual difficulties or delays in getting books.
The next stage will be to combine the records of the two libraries. For technological reasons, this is being done by adding all data about VAL borrowers on to the NILS system. They are aware that there will be some borrowers who are on both systems. As VAL is transferring its library business to NILS, it is required by Privacy legislation to take reasonable steps to let borrowers know before it passes information about them to NILS. If you are a VAL borrower, you will have received a cassette explaining this situation.
Despite strong representations that braille readers would expect to receive such information from the braille library in braille, this communication was only issued in audio. If you feel that this was inappropriate, please communicate this to library staff.
The information that will be transferred to NILS is your borrower details record. This contains information about the number and types of books, in the various formats, that you choose to borrow. If you are unsure what your record says or would like to clarify what it will say when incorporated into the NILS system, I encourage you to ring and discuss this with library staff.
I am aware that the situation for borrowers in states other than Victoria and New South Wales is unclear, confusing and unsatisfactory. Bev Burrows is on the Project Synergy Working Group to represent the interest of Queenslanders. We are both keen to hear experiences and observations from borrowers in other states so that they can be passed on to NILS management and responded to.
If you have any queries or comments about the process of merging NILS and VAL, I would be happy to discuss them with you. Please call me on 02 4739 5101 or email me on
fionapeter@optusnet.com.au .
The 2003-2004 Budget contains two education related proposals which may disadvantage people who are blind or vision impaired if passed.
First, the Government has proposed that people only be entitled to five years of publicly funded higher education (longer if the person studies part time or does a course that is longer than 5 years). People who want to study beyond that will have to pay full fees.
There is no flexibility in the proposal for people to undertake more study if their circumstances change, for example, they become blind or their eye sight worsens.
The second proposed change is that the Pensioner Education Supplement not be paid during summer break. This proposal is flawed because it does not take into account that students who are blind or vision impaired use the payment:
It also does not recognise that blind students do not have the same opportunities as others to get paid work during semester breaks.
Blind Citizens Australia will be lobbying the Government to change both of these proposals.
The budget included an additional $161 million over four years for disability employment services, which includes funding for business services. Also, from 1 July 2003, people who are hearing impaired will be able to count the cost of a dog guide towards the medical expenses tax offset, in the same way that people who are blind or vision impaired can.
By Hugh Taylor, Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne [Radio National’s Ockham's Razor programme, 1 July 2001. Adapted by Sean Tyrell with permission.]
Blindness occurs up to 10 times more frequently in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than among other Australians.
A leading cause of blindness in indigenous communities is Trachoma, an infection of the mucous membrane of the eyelids caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis. The disease is highly contagious in its early stages, often spread by sharing towels or handkerchiefs, and possibly by flies.
We know from ancient Egyptian texts that Trachoma is a disease of antiquity. It was brought to Europe during the Napoleonic Wars by soldiers returning from Egypt, and prospered in the squalid living conditions of the industrial revolution.
The white man brought Trachoma with him to Australia. The combination of poor personal and public health standards, heat, dirt, and flies ensured that it spread rapidly across the wide brown land during the nineteenth century.
However, as living conditions and sanitation improved in our cities and towns during the twentieth century, Trachoma began to disappear. The same was happening in other industrialised countries, and by the 1950s Trachoma had been virtually eliminated throughout the developed world - with one important exception.
Trachoma continues to plague some indigenous communities. The reason Trachoma endures is because of unacceptable living conditions and poor personal and community hygiene that permit the exchange of infected eye secretions. What stopped Trachoma in white communities was the dramatic improvement in living conditions. The same needs to happen in those indigenous communities where this insidious disease persists.
We take it for granted that as citizens we have a basic right to services that enable healthy living - housing, drinkable water, electricity, access to a doctor, and rubbish collection. In 1991, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission estimated that there was a two billion dollar funding deficit for housing and essential services in indigenous communities. ATSIC has further reported that half the indigenous people living in the Northern Territory do not have adequate housing, and that one in six communities do not even have potable water. Services like adult braille instruction or orientation and mobility are not even on the radar - a point that has been sadly lost in all the rhetoric a bout a national blindness agency.
As blind citizens we must remember that we live in a community where experience is moderated by the colour of your skin. When we reflect on the history of blindness and blind people in Australia, we should note that the voices in most distress are those that we have yet to hear.
Plans are now underway for the 2003 Blind Citizens Australia National Convention to be held in Canberra, and the National Women’s Branch is busily working on its involvement and arranging its Annual General Meeting.
If you are interested in becoming a Women’s Branch committee member, do get in touch with a current committee member, to find out exactly what you’re in for!
The Autumn edition of "Aspirations" the quarterly magazine produced by the Women’s Branch is due to come out shortly. Contributions from members are always encouraged, be it a personal article about an issue of interest, or perhaps your experiences on how life can be made easier with gardening or kitchen hints you have found useful. The scope of the magazine has broadened considerably over the past year and we welcome your input in to its continued development.
The Women’s Branch has an email address to which you can direct any enquiries or feedback about the magazine, or any issues that you would like to bring to the attention of the committee
The email address is:
nwb@bca.org.auIn order to become a member of the National Women’s Branch send a cheque made out to "BCA National Women's Branch" to the Branch Treasurer Fiona Woods, 17 Peel Street, Glenbrook NSW 2773. Note that you must be a BCA member to join the Women’s Branch. It is a $10 fee for lifetime membership to BCA.
You can also contact the BCA National Office: 1800 033 660 or (03) 9521 3433 for more information about the Branch and its work.
This is your Branch, and we encourage you to become involved by perhaps volunteering to assist with state-based events, or in any way you feel comfortable.
Women's Branch publications are still available for sale in a range of formats. These are 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 Fiona Woods at the above address.
During my time as a general committee member of the National Women’s Branch, I have come to realize that an active Branch is vital to make sure that women’s issues are addressed in policy matters and at BCA Conventions. This position has given me the opportunity to work with very capable and strong women, and I look forward to the Branch’s continued growth and development over the next few years.
Aside from the Women’s Branch I am involved with other BCA Branches. I am strongly committed to the needs of young blind and vision impaired people and am the Vice President of Young Blind Citizens Victoria. I am also on the Melbourne Branch committee as a general committee member.
My interest in music is very strong. I perform with the Melbourne Chorale and also sing solo where I can find the work. I also work at RVIB as an Adult Braille Instructor.
Editor’s Note
[The BCA Youth Form was lead by Darren Fittler, one of BCA’s younger members who, as you will learn from the short paragraphs below, is taking a keen interest in promoting youth issues, both nationally and internationally.
Darren Fittler is 28 years old and has a vision impairment resulting from retinal dystrophy, he is able to tell the difference between light and dark only.
Darren grew up in a little country town near Coffs Harbour in NSW and attended mainstream school through to year 12. At university he obtained a Social Work Degree before running off overseas to travel through the UK and North America. Darren worked as a Disability Advocate at the Disability Complaints Service of NSW for 2 years, before leaving his employment to study law full time. He is currently 2 years through his three year Graduate Law Degree and runs a small business which provides disability awareness training, website design, and website analysis.
Darren has been the Vice Chairperson of the Disability Discrimination Legal Centre of NSW for the last 3 years, and is currently the Chairperson of the World Blind Union Asia Pacific Region Youth Committee.]
My adventure started as I stepped onto the plane at Port Macquarie airport. We’d checked my ticket and it had BLND MAAS (blind Meet and Assist) printed clearly on it. I didn’t have my cane out and the flight attendant pointed me to my seat, at which point I mentioned that I couldn’t see my seat. After she showed me to my seat, everything went smoothly until we landed in Sydney. I was met and assisted to the next gate where I had to wait for some time, as my flight had been delayed. Finally we were off and heading to Melbourne. When we arrived someone assisted me to find my luggage at which point I met my old visiting teacher (where would we be without them!) We got to Quest Windsor Apartments in Prahran and went around the local area.
We started the Forum by introducing ourselves and explaining why we came. Darren Fittler lead the Forum and initiated some of the discussions. There were a few activities, including using a rope to make a square, and the X Y game, which encouraged team collaboration and strategical thinking. Both these games showed that teamwork was needed to succeed and that leadership was needed to make the team work well. We discussed the qualities of good and bad leaders, and what makes leaders successful/unsuccessful.
Maryanne Diamond, Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia gave us some background information on BCA. David Blyth, Founding President of BCA and Past President of the WBU then also spoke.
We also discussed values and how society could not function on just one main value, time management and how to categorize things as important, urgent, important and urgent, and neither. The focus of the Forum shifted from leadership to advocacy and issues facing blind and vision impaired youth in Australia. Many issues and problems were raised, but the attendees decided that the two most important were: access to information and adaptive technology; and public transport, traffic lights and the like. We finished the Forum discussing what could further be done for the blind and vision impaired youth community in Australia. After the Forum ended on Friday we met up on Chapel Street for Chinese food, where we talked over dinner for a few hours before drifting off in separate directions.
After living in Melbourne for 18 years I hadn’t thought I’d have any trouble with the trams. However coming back to the room after a day in the city, I was proven wrong. The driver didn’t announce my stop and it wasn’t until he announced Chapel Street that I knew I had a problem. Never having been in this situation before, I got off the tram and asked someone which way to go. Unfortunately they told me the wrong direction. So there I was, stuck in an unfamiliar area, no idea which way to go, and in heels. I had my mobile phone with me, so I called everyone I knew until I found someone that could help. An hour later after many "keep going at the next street" and "turn right, … no you’re other right" I made it back to my room.
My wonderful VT, Marlene, picked me up and took me to the airport, helped get my ticket and waited with me until I got on the plane. This time I did have my cane (after getting lost in Prahran I was taking no chances) and again, the attendant looked at my ticket, said they would call ahead and make sure someone would meet me, then pointed me to my seat, again I pointed out I couldn’t see where she pointed. After getting to Sydney everything went smoothly, someone met me, someone else took me to the plane, and for the first time I was also shown my seat without having to ask!
When travelling, always have a cane. Even when you do have a cane, people still may not realise you can’t see, so tell them.
When travelling in a new area, either have someone that knows where you’re going, or let the driver know, especially on trams.
On April 23rd - 25th, Blind Citizens Australia held a Youth Leadership Forum in Melbourne with Darren Fittler as our facilitator.
There were 16 in our group with ages ranging from 17 years to 28 years. These people came from Melbourne, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and there were three people from Sweden.
On the first day, we were fortunate to have Maryanne Diamond, Executive Officer of BCA and David Blyth, the founder of BCA and a Past President of the World Blind Union, talk to us about these two organisations.
The rest of the day and a half was spent on leadership skills, knowing the qualities that make a good leader, teamwork effectiveness, values, creative thinking skills, practising these skills and time management.
During the second half of the Forum, we heard from our Swedish guests about their organisation and from Jordie Howell regarding Young Blind Citizens Victoria Branch.
We then discussed issues relating to the blind and vision impaired youth of today, goal setting, strategising and task consolidation.
This Forum was an intensive one and I found it a valuable opportunity to learn these very important leadership skills.
The Employment Working Group (EWG) was one of the groups formed at the previous NPDC meeting held in November 2002. The current composition of the EWG is Theresa Smith (Chair) from NSW; Daniel Stubbs from the ACT; Kim Hand from SA; Carolyn Rupe from WA; and Kevin Murfitt from Victoria. Kevin was recently appointed to the EWG following the resignation of Sean Tyrell.
Since the area of employment covers a wide range of issues, the EWG has had the difficult task of identifying a specific area that needs attention. At our first meeting a number of key issues were suggested as possible areas of focus, including: advocacy work; examining aspects of employment policy relating to people with a disability; workplace modifications; and work experience opportunities for tertiary students. Due to the limited time and resources available to the EWG it was agreed that we would focus on two main projects. The first of these is to establish an employment page on the BCA Website. The purpose is to provide information for blind and vision impaired members on areas such as writing resumes and job applications, developing an on-line database of jobs that blind and vision impaired people have held, and compiling a list of possible mentors. With regard to the latter aim, we hope to establish a list of people willing to act as a contact point for members seeking information about a particular job or occupation. The second project that the EWG is considering is to establish a formal mentoring program. The aim of the program is to link up blind and vision impaired post-secondary students with a mentor in the workforce employed in their particular field of study.
One of the goals of the EWG is to establish an employment page on the BCA website. As part of this web page the EWG is hoping to develop a database of jobs that blind and vision impaired people have held. Along with the database of jobs, we are hoping to provide a list of people that can act as a contact point for anyone wanting further information about a particular job.
For this reason I would invite readers to send me a list of jobs that you know blind and vision impaired people have held or that you may have been employed in yourself. Below are a list of questions that I ask you to complete in order to help us develop a jobs database.
If you are willing to act as a referral point for anyone wanting more information about your particular employment experiences, could you please provide your name and contact details. Your details will be posted on the BCA web site along with the jobs you are willing to provide advice on.
I really encourage readers to become involved in this project. One of the greatest challenges faced by blind and vision impaired people is trying to obtain and maintain employment. Perhaps the advice you can provide to someone wanting more information about a particular job, may help them in finding employment. I strongly believe that the more people who participate in this project, then the more we can contribute to assisting blind and vision impaired people around Australia.
If you choose to take part in this project, or if you have any suggestions or comments that you would like the EWG to consider in relation to the mentoring project, could you please send me your comments/contributions via e-mail on:
Or you can telephone me directly on 0427 434 720.
Theresa Smith
Chair
Employment Working Group
The Membership & Development Working Group has had several meetings this year. The Working Group during this time has been very productive and are nearing completion of several items on their agenda.
The work carried out, in contacting members in Northern Territory, was found to be not a very successful outcome. We are currently contacting other indigenous organisations to assist us in this work to provide some networks in which we can promote BCA in the Northern Territory. We aim to do similar work in the ethnic community by contacting various ethnic organisations and provide information in various languages for them to be part of BCA. A Victorian project, in the past, has proven that we can provide BCA information in 10 different languages.
We are continuing to develop advertising strategies for BCA. Currently, we are looking at making advertisements to target different printed source media; for example, small advertisement in a newsletter or full-page advertisement. At this point of time, we only aim that these advertisements be published for very little to no cost.
Finally, the Working Group is currently reviewing a Guide for Branch Committee Members. This guide aims to be one of many inserts to a proposed Branch Resource kit. We believe this Guide for Branch Committee Members will provide old and new branches some guidance and education on each branch executive position and a guide to a typical meeting.
You can contact Craig Magill, the Chair of the Membership and Development Working Group, by telephoning the National Office, or by email at
craig_magill@acslink.net.au
The NPDC Education Working Group is eagerly awaiting the Federal Government’s response to the Full Senate Report on Education.
In the meantime, the Working Group has submitted comment on a discussion starter for the next National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 2004 - 2010.
This discussion starter presents findings and issues from research and initial consultations, and was open for comment until 1 March 2003. It was used to focus discussions at a series of regional forums across Australia during February 2003. Information gathered during the consultation period will be used to help shape the Draft National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training.
Currently, the Working Group consists of myself, Karen Knight, Vicki Alipasinopoulos, Maree Brown, Michael Simpson, and Leanne Smith. Thanks to all those who have assisted.
If you would like copies of the discussion starter for the next National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 2004 - 2010 and the comments submitted by BCA, please contact me on 08 9386 1625 or email
gregmad@iinet.net.auGreg Madson
Chair
NPDC Education Working Group
On behalf of the members of Blind Citizens Australia, I record our appreciation of the life of Leah Francis, and her contribution to blind people.
Leah was a member of our organisation and supported and worked in a very practical way to implement many of the principles and policies for which BCA stands. In particular Leah was a strong and effective advocate for braille and for the rights of blind people to education, literacy and independent mobility. As a teacher of braille to children and adults, and a leader in the Australian Braille Authority, Leah made a most significant contribution to the literacy of blind people. Leah advocated for the inclusion of blind people in all aspects of mainstream education and provided much personal and practical support to individuals to help them achieve their educational goals. We particularly acknowledge her pioneering work in the development and conduct of courses to train itinerant teachers and equipping them with the skills to support blind students in mainstream schools.
On behalf of the members of Blind Citizens Australia, I record our appreciation of Leah's contribution to the education and braille literacy of blind people. I extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Leo and to members of their family.
Robert Altamore
President
Blind Citizens Australia
The Employment Working Group thought it would be useful to write a series of articles regarding the issue of employment. The first of these articles relates to the experiences of blind and vision impaired graduates in finding employment post tertiary education. The first account is written by Theresa Smith from NSW, the second is about Tracey Cross from Western Australia and the third is from Carolyn Rupe, also from Western Australia.
I completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in 1999. During my final year at university I applied for several positions with large banking and finance related corporations as part of their annual Graduate Recruitment. I did not reveal my vision impairment until the interview stage. My reason was that I wanted to ensure that if I was unsuccessful in the initial application stage, then it was not a result of my vision impairment. I attended a number of interviews. At one large government institution they were accommodating during the interview process by making the written section of the assessment process available electronically for me to complete. However this is probably more a result of their legal obligation to do so. Through a friend who managed a management recruiting company in Sydney I obtained an interview with one of the major banks, Colonial (now merged with Commonwealth Bank). Subsequently I was offered a position on their graduate recruitment program. The offer was made in December 1999 and I started in January 2000.
Since I was from country NSW I had the challenge of moving to Sydney, finding a place to live and then undertaking mobility training. I contacted Guide Dogs for mobility lessons on travelling from my new home to work and around the workplace. The Royal Blind Society helped to set up the adaptive technology I needed in the workplace. I received funding from the Federal Government as part of their workplace modifications scheme to fund the cost of the adaptive technology. This included the purchase of JAWS speech software and a scanner. This technology was vital in giving me access to the Bank’s computer databases. The RBS also provided training to my work colleagues regarding what assistance I needed in the workplace and how to act as a sighted guide. I must admit that my Manager and other staff members were extremely supportive and their willingness to accommodate my needs was very encouraging.
My duties at the bank included telephone contact with Bank clients, completing various research projects regarding possible product changes, compiling performance reports for senior management and the Board, and a range of other ad hoc duties. Since I was part of the Bank’s Graduate Recruitment Program, I attended various training workshops in both Sydney and Melbourne. At all times my manager and other graduates were quite accommodating of my vision impairment and I never felt left out of both work and social functions.
Following the merger with Commonwealth Bank, I moved to a higher position as Assistant Product Manager for BPAY. Once again my new manager and work team were extremely friendly and accommodating of my needs. Over the 18 months that I worked with both banks I moved from offices at Parramatta, Chattswood and then into the head office in the city. This was probably my greatest challenge as I constantly needed mobility training to orientate myself around Sydney. After coming from the country, I felt a great sense of achievement to increase my mobility and to master catching public transport.
The greatest lesson I learnt from my experiences is that a positive attitude can go a long way. After explaining the degree of my vision impairment and how I could use adaptive technology to function in the workplace, I was able to reassure my prospective employers that there would be no problems.
Theresa Smith
Tracey, who is from Perth, completed her law degree in 1994. Like other law graduates, she distributed around 20 Resumes and applications to law firms in Perth. Toward the end of her application letter, Tracey disclosed that she had a significant vision impairment. Tracey was fortunate enough to be called for four interviews, however she was not successful in finding employment. At that time around 40% of law graduates in Tracey’s year were not successful in getting jobs in the legal profession.
After this Tracey did not actively seek employment in the legal profession for 3 years, although she did apply for a couple of part time jobs in community law centres. In 1997 Tracey registered with the Paralympic Employment Program, which utilised a mainstream employment agency to assist Paralympic athletes to gain employment. This agency, after some months, enlisted the assistance of a dedicated disability employment agency. A friend of Tracey’s helped her to liaise with a Partner at the law firm Freehills, where Tracey now works. After much lobbying from Tracey’s friend, the partner, and together with the employment agencies, they identified an opportunity for Tracey to work with the firm on a part time basi s, as Tracey requested.
The process of lobbying with Freehills took about 4 to 6 months. Tracey met with several partners of Freehills by way of an informal interview and the next day she was offered the job. Tracey indicated that the employment agency, who specialised in assisting disabled jobseekers, played an important role in setting up her adaptive equipment. Most of Tracey’s equipment was funded through both an Athletes At Work Program and partly by the firm. The employment agency also assisted Tracey in customising her computer’s software to the firm's computer systems, enabling her to access Freehill’s electronic research tools and document management systems. Tracey believed that without this assistance she would have been extremely limited in the work she could have been able to perform. According to Tracey the employment agency were also very helpful in assisting to educate the people she worked with to feel comfortable giving her work .
Tracey worked for the law firm part-time for two and a half years. She then applied for, and obtained a position as an articled clerk with the firm. Two and a half years later Tracey is now a qualified Solicitor. According to Tracey, the firm she works for and the staff she works with are very helpful in accommodating her to perform her work as efficiently as possible.
Tracey said that she learned several important lessons from her experiences. First, the importance of the assistance of a dedicated employment agency for people with disabilities, both to the job seeker and the employer and prospective employer. Second, the importance of networking. Tracey felt that the old adage, "it's not what you know, but who you know", is relevant. Without this combination, Tracey believes that it is difficult for a blind job seeker to find employment commensurate with their qualifications in a professional role, especially if they have not had previous work experience.
Tracey Cross
I am a person who lost my sight 11 and a half years ago. I am now totally blind and I lost my sight through complications of Diabetes. I had different jobs when I was sighted ranging from a filing clerk which was my very first job after leaving school and then I work for 3 years in the banking industry as a bank clerk.
I started to loose my sight whilst I was working for the R and I Bank in Western Australia. I was working in the International Department and I finished there in 1991 due to my eye sight becoming very poor. I became totally blind in 1992 and I sat in self pity for 6 months until I realised I was blind and not dead.
I went to the Association for the Blind and learnt how to read and write braille. I then was taught how to use a computer with voice feed back technology. I knew that I had to learn these skills if I wanted to get back into the work force.
It took me 3 years to develop my skills with computers to be able to start looking into work placements. I had never used or seen a switchboard so my first step was to undertake some work experience where I could gain some skills in using a switchboard.
While attending the Association for the Blind I met people who were blind and I also was told about people who had jobs and where these people worked. I contacted a lady who was totally blind who worked for the Ministry of the Premier and Cabinet to see if it would be possible for me to come in and do some work experience on the switchboard with her. This lady checked with her Supervisor and I was given 2 weeks work experience in this government department.
After completing the 2 weeks there I was told about another blind man who worked for the Fremantle Police Department. I contacted this man and arranged another 2 weeks of work experience with him. I was arranging the work experience in departments where I knew there were blind people working as the technology was already set up for a blind person to use.
Once I had completed my 4 weeks of work experience I was contacted by the Ministry of the Premier and Cabinet asking me if I would be interested in doing some part-time work for them on a contract basis. I was over the moon in being offered this opportunity and of course I jumped at it. I spent the next 18 months working 2 days a week there. I was then wanting to get more work but there was no placements available where I was, so I then was put in contact with an employment agency who helped disabled people obtain work. Another Receptionist/Switchboard operator position in the State Government was advertised and the employment agency assisted me with writing an application for this position. I obtained an interview and I was given this permanent position with the Government Employees Superannuation Board (GESB). I was working 5 half days a week which at the time suited me very well. I stayed with the GESB for 20 months, but then my circumstances changed and I needed to have a full time job.
There was no possibility of this happening at the GESB so I started looking elsewhere. A Receptionist/Switchboard Operator position came up with the Association for the Blind so I applied for this position. Using the experience I had obtained through the employment agency I was able to write a very good selection criteria for this job. I did obtain an interview for this position and I was given this job. I was put on the top salary range for this position due to the experience I had in this type of work. I spent the next 5 months working for the Association for the Blind but due to the lack of support by the staff at this organisation I decided to look for another job.
My next position was with a large company in the finance industry again as a Receptionist/Switchboard Operator. This was part-time work and it was a casual position. After working for 6 months as a casual I was offered a permanent position. The part-time work then became a full time position which I was prepared to do.
I had a situation of discrimination whilst working for this company and I continued to speak with Manager's about this issue but nothing was being done about it so I thought the best thing for me to do was move on.
My mum was checking the papers each Saturday for me and a part-time telephonist position was advertised at a 5 star hotel in Perth. Once again I applied for this job. By this time I had gained a lot of experience in writing selection criteria's so I was quite confident that I would obtain an interview with this hotel. Once again I obtained this position as a Telephonist and I was told after I started that the Manager who interviewed me went back to the other girls she supervised and told them about this amazing person she had just interviewed who was blind and that she was going to employ this person. I had to have a lot of technology work done with JAWS to get it to operate with the data base that the hotel used, but this was all done by the technology people from the Association for the Blind and the cost of this being done was covered by Work Place Modifications. I worked for this hotel for just under 12 months but the position involved shift work. After a while this was affecting my health being a diabetic. I resigned from my position and I had no job to go too. I had to give 2 weeks notice and I took those 2 weeks as annual leave as I needed this time for interviews for several other positions I hoped to obtain.
I was still working at the hotel when the Public Service Management Office called me. This is a government department which handles all employment in the Western Australian State Government. I had put my name down on their disability list for any work that may come up that would suit me. I received a call from this office saying my old position at the GESB was being advertised for a 3 month contract and would I be interested in having my name put forward to the position. Of course I jumped at the mention of my old position there as it had been the best job I had ever had and certainly the best group of people to work with.
About a week later I received a call from a lady who was the Supervisor of this position and I knew this lady from when I worked there previously. I was asked to come in for an interview the next week. I had my interview and within a few days I was contacted by the GESB offering me the position. I knew at the time it was only a 3 month contract but I had nothing at the time and anything was going to do. I spent the next 9 months working on contract and in June of 2002 I was given permanency. I have now been working here for 19 months and I have no intention of going anywhere else.
In summary I have had a few jobs both in my sighted life and in my blind life and I have learnt from experience how to write an excellent Resume, selection criteria and covering letter. These are the essential facet's of any application. When writing a selection criteria it is so very important to ensure you have all of the essential criteria that is listed before you consider applying for any position. It is essential that you have a good example to use in your application for the selection criteria you are addressing. Make your application straight to the point. Whatever you do don't ramble on, as this makes the reading of your application by the employer very boring. Don't mention in your written application that you are blind or vision impaired because you are competing against sighted people and you want to be on a even keel with them. Let the employer find out when you turn up for your interview. You then have the chance to sell yourself to them in person.
When attending an interview make sure you present yourself very well. You need to ensure the clothes you are wearing all match and look professional. Always remember the first impression is the lasting impression. You need to go into an interview with confidence, which will show through in an interview.
I would just like to finish in saying all of the positions I have obtained since loosing my sight have been gained through no assistance from any employment agency or any other source. The first position with the GESB I had, I received some assistance from an employment agency but that was the only one.
Carolyn Rupe
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 employ er 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.
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.
The closing date for articles for the next issue should be submitted no later than Friday, 25 July 2003. Articles should be sent to Cheryl Gration at the Blind Citizens Australia National Office, if possible in large print (16pt or larger) or preferably in electronic form (disk or email attachment).
If you would like to discuss your ideas for a possible article please call Cheryl on 1800 033 660, or email her at
cgration@bca.org.au
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.
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