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Published by
Blind Citizens Australia
ABN 90-006-985-226
Edited by
Robyn McKenzie
Our mission is to achieve equity and equality by our empowerment, by promoting positive community attitudes, and by striving for high quality and accessible services which meet our needs.
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Back to top of PageDear Editor,
I would like to congratulate the organising committee of this years Blind Citizens Australia National Convention. I was quite pleased about the way the convention was organised, the volunteers that were there to help attendees if needed and the way the hotel staff were supportive and helpful if it was necessary.
I found all the topics on the program very interesting, especially the sessions on employment, non-verbal communication and parenting. These topics stood out to me as I have had both positive and negative experiences plus the speakers were very inspirational.
I have been able to gain employment as a braille transcriber but as we know many people who are blind or vision impaired have difficulty gaining employment, or they experience discrimination when accessing the interview or assessment process. I think that this is wrong and something should be done about it. In my opinion, more education should be given to employers that people who are blind or vision impaired are able to work, have the skills and abilities to work and are able to independently use public transport to attend work.
The non-verbal communication sessions were very interesting. As part of my TAFE studies I am studying a Specialist Communication Skills class. One of the assignments was to observe verbal or non-verbal communication and create a visual communication strategy to facilitate communication. As I have low vision I found this assignment very challenging I was able to pick on some non-verbal communication but not very much but we can pick up non-verbal communication not just from our visual sense but from our other senses such as hearing, smell and touch. It was very interesting to hear how other blind or vision impaired people cope when communicating with those who use non-verbal communication.
Finally, my comments about the social aspect of convention. I had a fantastic time meeting and talking to other members. It was fantastic to hear how they cope in day-to-day life which is very inspirational. As it was my first time I commend the buddy system as this helped me feel more confident in liaising with other members. I was surprised at the number of young people who are active BCA members which is not the case in Adelaide.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed Convention, I have made llots of contacts which I plan to keep in contact with on the email list but especially I recommend anyone who has not attended Convention to do so as it is a fascinating and enjoyable experience.
Yours sincerely,
Chelsea Bartlett
South Australia
Dear Editor
I would like to thank the organising committee for the wonderful efficient wayyou organised the conference in October.
It was my first full time at a conference and I would certainly recommend them to others. Maybe next time I might get to meet more people. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas.
With kind regards
Maureen Davenport.
The 33rd BCA Annual General Meeting was held on Friday 19 October at the Hotel Ibis in Melbourne. There was 105 people in attendance with 81 full members of BCA present.
Over a 75% majority of Members voted for the special resolution which was previously circulated as per the requirement of the Corporations Act. The special resolution reads:
'That the Annual General Meeting of Blind Citizens Australia held on 19 October 2007 resolves to adopt the revised Constitution as circulated as the Constitution for the company in place of the Company's current Memorandum and Articles of Association'.'
This means that BCA full membership is now open to people with vision impairment who are not legally blind. This is a great step forward for members of the vision impaired community.
It was my great pleasure to award this year's David Blyth Award at our Annual General Meeting. The award was presented to Professor Laurie McCreedy for his outstanding leadership in the area of education of people who are blind or vision impaired. Professor McCreedie is known to many of our members who trained in the legal profession as he was a university lecturer in law.
At the national convention dinner on Saturday 20 October, I had the great pleasure of awarding Rosalyn Bates with the BCA Certificate of Appreciation. Rosalyn has played a significant role in providing administration and recreation support to countless members of BCA over the past 30 years. She is a worthy recipient of the award.
In September, the Board appointed Robyn McKenzie to the position of Executive Officer. I hope that many of you had the opportunity to meet her at our national convention. Robyn's voice is probably quite familiar to you as the presenter of Soundabout audio magazine for the past two years. She is the current presenter of the BCA radio program "New Horizons".
Robyn has 15 years experience working in the blindness sector and has a recent past of managing the Victorian arm of the Vision Australia Employment Service.
The Board and I are very happy with Robyn's appointment and trust that you will be too.
At our recent strategic planning weekend, the Board voted Cheryl Pascual as Vice President. Cheryl is known to many of our Brisbane branch members through her active involvement with the Brisbane branch over the years. I am very pleased to see Cheryl becoming a leader of BCA. Let me outline for you the names and responsibility areas of each of our Directors.
Finally, 2007 has been a busy year for BCA. I believe we have entered an exciting new time in the history of BCA. I look forward to forging new links and making BCA an even stronger national peak organization of people who are blind or vision impaired.
Have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year!
Back to top of PageDecember marks my three month anniversary in the role of Executive Officer. I have enjoyed the role tremendously. It was a bit challenging, to say the least, having to manage our national convention six weeks after commencing in the role. I suppose the best way to learn is to get in there and just do it, and that’s what I did!
I had a great deal of assistance, however, and would like to pay special thanks to all the staff at BCA and Maryanne Diamond for her constant and consistant support.
BCA currently leases office space in Melbourne from Seeing Eye Dogs Australia (SEDA). Our lease ends in April 2008, so we have been looking for a new home. SEDA has kindly extended the terms of our lease to December 2008 which allows us plenty of time to ensure that we find the right location.
Since making this announcement at Convention and on the bca-l email list, I have been greatly assisted by some of our members who have identified locations in the CBD of Melbourne. It is essential that our new home is centrally located, and is close to a range of public transport options. We also need to ensure that there is easy access to dog guide toileting access so that members are encouraged to attend meetings at the office.
The re-location subcommittee, consisting of myself, Maryanne Diamond and Rosalyn Bates hope to bring you some positive news in the very near future about where our new office will be located.
I am pleased to say that Leah Hobson, our National policy Officer has increased her hours of work with BCA. Leah now works four days a week with us. Rowena Dowling, who works in our Sydney office has had a change to her title. Previously Rowena worked under the title of Administration Officer. Her new title is NSW/ACT Advocacy and Information Officer. This title better reflects the work carried out by Rowena.
Speaking of changes to titles, Alyena Mohummadally's title has changed from Solicitor and Community Legal Education Advocate to National Advocacy Officer. Aly's work hours have also changed. Previously Aly worked full time at five days per week. Commencing 7 January 2008, Aly will work a four day week.
In late November, the BCA Board met for a strategic planning weekend. We have drafted a three year strategic plan for the period 2008 to 2011. The plan is currently being circulated to all Branch Presidents for comment and feedback. It is envisaged that the plan will be posted on our website in February 2008 and made available in a range of alternative formats so that all members and stakeholders in the work of BCA can read the plan.
I'd like to thank you for so warmly welcoming me to my new role at BCA. I look forward to working with you down future road. Have a very merry festive season!
Back to top of PageThis year's convention was very well attended. We had 126 registrations in total, with 21 first time attendees. Nine of the first time attendees were aged in their 20's. This was fantastic to see because it means that the future leaders of BCA are gaining a good grounding in the work of this organization. We also had eight pairs of buddies at this year's convention. The buddy system was coordinated by Bernadette Jolley who did an excellent job of pairing people together so that first time attendees could be supported by a member with more experience of convention.
The convention was preceded by a Technology and Services Expo which was attended by over 250 people. There were 16 providers who demonstrated their adaptive technology products and services.
Convention sessions included discussion on self advocacy, employment, education, lifeskills training, parenting, sex, sexuality and non verbal communication. There was a great deal of full and frank discussion from the floor. You can hear audio files from convention on the BCA website. Excerpts from various sessions have been, and will continue to be, broadcast on BCA's radio program New Horizons". All of the articles in this edition of BCA News have been contributed by people who attended convention.
The opening session of convention focused on international perspectives. the keynote address was delivered by Jim Sanders, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB). Jim shared his insight into the similarities between the experiences of Australians and Canadians who are blind or vision impaired. Given that we live in such geographically large countries.
Jim had a tremendous sense of humour. He emphasized that blindness, in itself is not a tragedy, however, the process of becoming blind can be tremendously difficult. His strategy in challenging situations is to use humour. Here's a little taste of what he shared with us.
Back to top of Page10. We can read in the dark.
9. We are believed when we say, "We read Playboy for the articles!".
8. You have an iron clad excuse when walking arm and arm with an attractive member of the opposite sex.
7. We don't have any acrimonious discussions with our spouse about what colour to paint the kitchen.
6. And mostly for men, we never have to answer that delicate question, "Dear, does this outfit make me look fat?!".
5. During a blackout, we can still mix a mighty good martini.
4. We don't have to look in to the mirror in the morning and discover all those new wrinkles which popped up over night.
3. We don't have to look at just one more photo of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears.
2. We play poker with a marked deck.
And the number one greatest thing about being blind...
We never have to be the designated driver. You save money on groceries - you don't throw out lettuce or cauliflower just because it's brown.
You never have to worry about going blind.
Back to top of PageI was born totally blind in 1976 in the town of Beaudesert, just south of Brisbane. I now live in Bundaberg, (home of the famous rum), with my wife Julie, (also blind), and our sons Tim and Shaun.
My family moved to Brisbane when I was four years old, so that it would be easier to transport me to what was then Narbethong, the school for blind and visually impaired children. I had been attending Narbethong from a very early age, and stayed there until I was integrated into a mainstream school with a unit attached at the end of year three.
I completed year 12 in 1993 in a similar setting. Following year 12 I took a year off to pursue music as a career. I then began university studying a Bachelor of Arts degree part time, but concentrated primarily on music. I worked in clubs two to three nights a week until the end of 1997. During 1997 I began studying for my Social Work degree at the University of Queensland, which I completed at the end of 2000.
At the end of 1997, I decided to focus my musical efforts on working in recording studios, playing on other people's albums and overseeing projects primarily as a musician rather than a sound engineer. I recorded my own six track CD in 2000, and had some success with two of those tracks in the following two years. In 2002, I made the grand final of the Tamworth Golden Guitar Award for Best New Talent, which followed an award for Best Male Vocal at the Mildura Independent Country Music Awards in October 2001.
In 2002, I married Julie. The decision to pursue a relationship as two blind people was probably the biggest we have ever made, but it was indeed the right decision.
My other work has seen me in a variety of jobs. I worked as a telemarketer in 2002 for seven months, with the idea that I could pursue music while earning an income. I did it until I could stand it no longer, and finally decided to look for more meaningful work. At least it paid for our new kitchen at the time!
In 2003, I began a part time job at the then Royal Blind Foundation of Queensland, with the very generic title of Client Services Officer. I fielded inquiries from people, worked with a few clients on site, assisted with low vision assessments at Queensland University of Technology, and conducted training sessions for organisations such as Virgin Blue.
In 2004, I got a very exciting opportunity in the form of a job at Relationships Australia doing marriage counselling, and counselling under other programs such as Victims of Crime and industry related counselling. So Julie and I moved from Brisbane to Julie's home town of Bundaberg, where we now live with our two children. We managed to get a new job in a regional area, a new house, and Julie had our first baby all in the space of a month!
I worked at Relationships Australia for two years, before leaving to take on my current job as Social Worker at Disability Services Queensland. I finally made it to full time employment when I commenced in this role.
My music takes a back seat these days. I still play at the local RSL one weekend a month, and I have had a music room built in our back yard so I can potter around. Most weekends are spent doing family oriented activities.
I developed a hearing impairment which began its onset in my mid 20's. I always knew this was a possibility due to my genetic condition, so I was prepared for this eventuality to some degree in an emotional sense. It has meant that I have had to begin making adjustments to the way I communicate, and the strategies I use to be able to continue playing music. I am learning what it's like to explain the presence of a disability which in my case, isn't immediately obvious. I wear hearing aids, but I have had to explain to people who have known me for a long time as someone who has not had hearing difficulties before that my situation has changed. So I have developed a new empathy for people who are deafblind.
As a result of my own experiences both personally and professionally, I am passionate about education, early childhood development, healthy relationship patterns in families as a whole, and braille literacy. As a director of BCA, I believe that this organisation has a key role to play in the development of policies which inform all of these areas as they relate to people who are blind or vision impaired. Our recent convention both highlighted this, and demonstrated the contribution, talent and commitment of so many of our members. I am therefore proud to be a director of this organisation. I will finish by saying that it is now, when we've set the platforms for the future, that our work is most important. I am proud to be part of what I believe is a turning point in our history as people who are blind OR vision impaired. As directors and staff, we will do everything possible to make this turning point in history a positive one.
Back to top of PageHello from the National Women's Branch. Well another Convention has come and gone and it was a busy time for the Women's Branch. We held our AGM during Convention, on Saturday lunch time. An election was held and I was elected as President with a committee made up of experienced and new members. Branch office bearers have now been elected and the new committee is as follows:
President Jenny Dawson (WA)
Vice President Krista Fisher (VIC)
Secretary Jordie Howell (VIC)
Treasurer Zeliha Iscel (WA)
with Patricia Stillman (QLD), Lyn Eagers (QLD) and Chelsea
Bartlet (SA) as general committee members.
The Women's Branch also presented a session following the AGM on Saturday afternoon. The topic was Non Verbal Communication, What are We Missing? It was a wonderful session and the branch has had great feedback from those who attended. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our four speakers for a very enlightening session. Helen Freris and Rebecca Maxwell who are both Blind talked about how they deal with interacting in the sighted world. Then there was Phoebe Smith and Jo Marshall from vision Australia who talked about their experiences in interacting with people who are Blind or Vision Impaired. I think it was decided in the end that, yes we do miss out on non verbal communication but, we have other skills which we use to know what's going on around us. Often as Blind and Vision Impaired people we notice things that those who can see don't. For those of you who can I encourage you to listen to the session which you are able to access on the BCA website.
You may be wondering what you might gain by becoming a member of the National Women's Branch. Well lets see, you would receive a quarterly magazine called Aspirations, which we encourage our members to contribute articles to, you would also be able to join the branch email list (Womentalk), where we discuss all sorts of things. This list is a great place for those who are new to the computer world. Its a supportive environment where we help each other in all sorts of ways. Members have made new friends and some have renewed old ones. If all of this sparks your interest you can become a member simply by paying a one off $10.00 membership fee. You can join through the BCA office or contact the Women's Branch email address, nwb@bca.org.au which is monitored by our Secretary Jordie Howell.
I look forward to the new challenge of being president of the Women's Branch for the next two years with our new committee. For now though I would like to wish all BCA members a very merry Christmas and happy new year from the National Women's Branch.
Back to top of PageOverhanging tree branches, rubbish bins left on footpaths and cars parked across driveways are all obstacles we are familiar with - the question is how can we make a difference?
The BCA Obstacle Notice, a national campaign aimed at making residential streets safer for people who are blind or vision impaired was officially launched at the BCA National Convention 2007, which was held in Melbourne. A public launch was also held on December 3, 2007 to celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities.
Originally a Victorian initiative, the aim of this self advocacy tool is to raise public awareness of the difficulties experienced by people who are blind or vision impaired when navigating public areas such as footpaths and driveways. It also serves to remind owners to remove obstacles which are potentially dangerous.
The A6 notice contains the following information:
"People who are blind or vision impaired request your assistance in removing hazardous obstacles from the footpath.
I, as a pedestrian with a vision impairment, encountered an obstacle which impeded my path of travel. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated in removing any obstacles."
On the reverse side of the notice, a number of obstacles have been listed, which include over hanging foliage, motor vehicles or bikes parked on footpaths, advertising signs, building and gardening materials, rubbish bins and wares for sale.
You can choose an obstacle by circling, ticking or putting a line through an obstacle listed.
A tactile line has also been provided to write down a specific obstacle. BCA's contact details and acknowledgement of our sponsor Blythe-Sanderson Group are also included on the back of the notice.
We recommend that you take care where you place the obstacle notice - we do not recommend that you enter a person's private property or place a notice on a car windshield. Suggested usage might include the placing of an obstacle notice in a resident's letterbox or under a shop trader's door.
If confronted, we suggest that you calmly explain the obstacle that you have encountered and why it has made travelling difficult for you. If the situation persists, ask the person to contact the BCA National office. We trust that members will exercise their own care and judgment when using the notice. BCA is not responsible or liable for your use of the notice.
An obstacle notice has been enclosed with this edition of BCA News. Please use this notice to raise awareness in your community.
If you have any queries in regards to the usage of this notice or would like to request additional BCA Obstacle Notices, contact the National Office on 1800 033 660.
Back to top of Page"Access Plus Victoria, with The ALSO Foundation, Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria and Gasworks is organising a forum, on raising the awareness within the disability and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) communities of Melbourne, of the social, recreational, leisure and cultural needs and opportunities for GLBTI disabled people".
In September 2007, I posted the above paragraph and heading in an email on the BCA lists. In a world where there are myriads of possibilities and identities, I found it hard to believe that no one would come forward and speak about being blind or vision impaired and GLBTI/queer.
I was incredibly surprised when nobody contacted me. Considering how vocal the lists are, I could not understand why no one responded immediately. Nevertheless I re-posted my emails until I received emails asking "Why is BCA taking an interest in this area when I thought they never would?"
I replied that BCA is a progressive, open organisation that values diversity. If there were members who wanted to explore the intersection of sexuality and disability, then BCA would wholeheartedly encourage them to speak at the conference. Suddenly, two fantastic speakers came forward.
Warwick Abrahams, who is undertaking a PhD on sub-cultural groups within organizations, spoke at the forum. His work examines how people who are blind, vision impaired and/or deaf might search for assistance in relation to their 'diverse sexualities', and how an organisation responds to members' needs. Warwick spoke of the visible/invisible dichotomy:
"Visibility and Invisibility are both 'two-edged swords'. Invisibility is a factor in keeping us excluded, but visibility may also be a factor in keeping us at the margins."
Warwick went on to say:
"We get excluded from participation in some local communities, we may have problematic connections with family, friends, work; difficulty locating like-minded people who have had similar experiences; we might not have feelings of safety and trust, or confidence that diversity will be tolerated."
Most people who identify as queer and have a disability will at some point need to acknowledge their 'two hats' and how challenging it can be to traverse the conflicting worlds.
Ross de Vent, a brave young man who 'outed' himself at the recent BCA convention shared his story:
"For me, the last few months have been very interesting. A few months ago a call-out for expressions of interest began to circulate regarding an upcoming forum for people who have a disability and are not straight. Initially I dismissed it thinking to myself that I didn't want to do it, to have to come out in the blind community. Then I thought, why the hell shouldn't I speak? What is stopping me? To put it bluntly, the most glaring answer I can come up with is: oppression! So I did speak."
"I found the forum to be a liberating experience because it was the first time I was able to talk so openly about my personal story. The forum was filled with so many different disability groups who are all not straight. It is wonderful to have solidarity. I find the blindness community to be so small that it is very likely that people will either know each other, or know of each other. Therefore, I have found it extremely difficult and personally challenging to come out in the blindness community, as a man who is attracted to other men."
After his positive coming out experience at the BCA convention and speaking at the forum, Ross has decided to set up an email list for people who are blind or have low vision and are not straight in Australia and New Zealand.
You can email Ross at ross@de-vent.net and more information on the new list can be found below.
Alyena Mohummadally
Solicitor and Community Legal Education Advocate
Blind Citizens Australia
My name is Ross de Vent. I have created an email list for people who are blind or have low vision and are not straight within Australia and New Zealand. This includes both women and men. Sexuality/sexual preference/gender identity is about questioning.
If you are unsure whether there are other people, we do exist. Nobody will be outed. Only list members can read what you write. Solidarity is promoted.
If you would like to join the list or communicate with me privately, please write to me at: ross@de-vent.net, (I certainly remember coming out).
Topics may include: peer support, friendship, relationships, identity, sex, sex education, coming out, inclusion/exclusion within the not straight/blind communities, physical access, written resources, service/advocacy organisations, advocacy.
I have two disabilities (totally blind and right-sided paralysis); a man who is attracted to men; I do not judge.
We all have courage, and need solidarity.
Back to top of PageThe Albinism Fellowship of Australia (AFA) is a national, non-profit organization established in 2005 by a group of volunteers all of whom have been personally touched by albinism in some way. Some are people with albinism (PWAs) while others are parents of children with albinism. The AFA's key purpose is to provide support, education and fellowship to people with albinism and their families and friends. While the albinism community in Australia is quite small, the AFA provides a united voice to encourage positive developments and support in the fields of business, government and media.
Albinism is a rare genetic condition affecting about 1000 Australians (1 in 17,000). It is caused by a lack of pigmentation (melanin) and commonly results in some degree of visual impairment. Albinism can affect the eyes, skin and hair (Oculocutaneous Albinism) or only the eyes (Ocular Albinism). It has no connection with any cognitive impairment.
Albinism is often misunderstood and this can be very distressing to PWAs and particularly to parents of young children with albinism. The fellowship therefore aims to ‘demystify’ this condition through education programs for health professionals and those involved in the schooling sector, as well as the general population, via popular media. In addition, the fellowship is committed to encouraging ongoing research to allow a better and continually growing understanding and acceptance of albinism. In addition to these more serious activities, the members of AFA have a great deal of fun exchanging ideas and opinions (and photos) or simply chatting on line. The members are a lively and diverse bunch, including among others, a graphic designer, social worker, librarian, two or more academic researchers, several students and of course the parents of a number of very gorgeous kids with albinism.
The AFA held a very successful inaugural conference in Sydney in August 2006 and the second (2008) Albinism Fellowship of Australia Conference will be held from Friday 4th - Sunday 6th April, 2008 at the Stamford Grand Adelaide (Hotel), Moseley Square, Glenelg. Information about the Conference can be found on the AFA website www.albinismaustralia.org. A brochure about the AFA and a membership form are also available for download from this site.
Membership of the Albinism Fellowship of Australia is open to anyone touched by, or interested in albinism. If you would like more information please contact AFA National President, Kim Gillespie, on 0425 299 799, or via email at albinismnsw@optusnet.com.au.
Back to top of PageWhen most people ask my wife Julie and I about parenting as people who are blind, the questions are usually about practical things. How do you keep track of the children? How do you handle medication? How do you handle cleaning up mess etc. We willingly provide the answers, and say that each of us has our own strengths in dealing with the day-to-day tasks of raising children. It's true. There are some things I readily admit that Julie is better at than I am.
However, it's not the practical side of parenting I want to address here. It is the aspect of relationships and their importance in raising healthy children, both in physical and emotional terms.
As those of you who attended our national convention in October may remember, I had many reasons for not wanting to become a parent. What I didn't say then was that frankly, I felt for a long time that I wasn't good with kids like my wife Julie is. She's naturally gifted in communicating with any child, whereas I struggle at times. Fortunately I don't struggle with my own children, which has helped me in relating to other people's children. What I'm trying to say is that one of the reasons I had for not wanting to be a parent wasn't even related to being blind. It was more to do with my beliefs about my personality and skill level in relating to children.
All that changed when I got to know Julie's little cousin Sam. By the time she came to feel comfortable with me, she was about six years old. After that, we never looked back. I treasure the times I spent playing with her and sharing with her the affection that all family members should give to children.
Now she's about eleven, and because we live a long way apart and I don't see much of her anymore, that relationship is not as close as it once was. However, Sam gave me a belief in my ability to love and teach children of my own. It's a pity she's still too young to understand the meaning of that.
I don't profess not to have struggled in my relationship with my eldest son in particular since that time. I have made mistakes at which most people would cringe if they'd seen me. However, fortunately for me, my son seems to have a bottomless well of forgiveness, which he freely gives so long as I can take responsibility for my mistakes. As I've realised this, I've learned how to avoid making those mistakes. I've learned that after a little time by himself in which he can scream his heart out, it's better to go into his bedroom, pick him up and give him a hug, and wait till he calms down. Then we can talk about what happened and why. If there's one thing I've always believed, it is that kids need to understand as much as possible why adults do what they do. I believe that we are accountable to children for our actions and behaviour, just as they are to us.
I say all this because through my work with families professionally, and through my own experience as a parent, I have learned that the way we manage the practical tasks of daily living is not what's important to our children. It is the relationship with them that is more important than any other consideration. I have spoken mainly about Tim, our eldest son, who is now three. Our youngest son Shaun will be seven months old by the time this is published. Tim is old enough to feel attachment to us, and to know when something isn't right. What strikes you about Tim when you observe his interaction with us is that blindness is an irrelevance to him. From shortly after he could walk, he understood that he needed to adapt his communication style for us. He would even then take our hands and place them on whatever he wanted us to know about. We never had to tell him to do that. He just knew.
Now that his language is good, (we worked very hard to ensure that it is), he can give us basic directions and point things out to us that he observes. While we would never rely on him to provide us with assistance, he's at an age where he shows obvious pride in being able to do so. Ours is a relationship built on love and respect. Therefore, we know how important it is never to expect of our children anything beyond being a good and ethical citizen. That means that we as ethical people, don't want to be a burden to our children, and that they will learn from us as their role models. We'll teach them how to be good citizens, and maybe one day, good parents, by engaging in positive behaviour and healthy relationships ourselves.
For those of you who are thinking about becoming parents, be prepared to learn about yourselves if you do decide to take on the challenge. There is no such thing as the adult who knows it all. If you're not prepared to grow, you do a disservice to your children. That may sound like a black and white thing to say, but it is not your blindness you should be afraid of or mindful of when you raise your children. It is your own emotional baggage. This is important because what is essential about deciding to parent is the knowledge that your job is to give before you start to receive, and to give perhaps more than you will ever receive. In giving, you are creating the citizens of the future, which is an exciting prospect. If you keep that in mind, it will get you through the times when you wonder why on earth you decided to give up your freedom to have children. Blindness won't matter at all. If you put your child first, you will make the right decisions and the necessary adaptations. There's always people around to give you the insight and assistance you need. They're people who are parents who are blind themselves, and people who won't judge your own efforts if you're honest about your difficulties.
In early November, I had a conversation about the everyday challenges of parenting with Lauren Haze. Lauren is president of Young Blind Citizens Victoria (YBCV). The YBCV committee are planning a seminar on parenting early next year. What struck me most about that conversation was that this is what BCA is about; two members from different states sharing information and insights about a topic of utmost importance to people who are blind or vision impaired wanting to maximise their potential. To me, that's the essence of why BCA exists. If I can encourage anyone to take on the challenge of parenting as people who are blind or vision impaired, what better vehicle to use than our own organisation.
Back to top of PageThe Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently announced a range of initiatives to assist consumers with disabilities to access ACCC services.
"In recognition of the importance of communicating information in a manner that ensures access to all Australians, the ACCC's consumer guide Know how to complain: stand up for your consumer rights is now available in large print, audio and Braille.
This initiative will help to ensure that people with print disabilities are able to protect themselves in the marketplace. The guide sets out the main rights and protections that consumers have under the Trade Practices Act 1974 and the steps consumers can take to enforce their consumer rights. It also explains what the ACCC can and cannot do for consumers and other agencies that can also assist in resolving a complaint.
Audio versions of the Knowhow to complain guide can be downloaded free of charge from the ACCC website or by calling the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502. A free copy of the Braille version of the guide is also available by contacting the ACCC Infocentre.
Audio description (AD) is a service where audio commentary is provided to narrate the visual elements of a television program, movie, DVD, or live performance.
Designed primarily for the benefit of blind or vision impaired people, audio description guides the listener with concise, objective descriptions of scenes, settings, costumes, body language, and 'sight gags', all spoken between existing portions of dialogue.
AD has been in existence for well over a decade, but has really developed since 2000. In the English-speaking world, AD is starting to catch up with its access counterpart, captioning. Particularly in the UK and North America, it is commonplace to see AD on television, DVD and cinema, as well as performing and visual arts.
In Australia, AD is only available on DVDs and at live performances, although there is work being undertaken in the cinema area that should see audio described movies available.
AD provides a technological solution to media accessibility and not only to people who are blind or vision impaired but to other groups of people as well. For example, audio description enables people with print disabilities such as dyslexia, colour blindness, and others with both learning difficulties and physical disabilities to interact with print and visual media. In fact, in Europe, dyslexia and related print learning disabilities are cited as being the fastest growing areas for use of traditionally blind access services, such as AD.
While AD has been adopted into the mainstream in both the United Kingdom and North America, audio description has not yet developed in Australia to anywhere near the same extent.
More detail is provided on the Media Access Australia AD website, but as a snapshot of where AD is in Australia, about 2% of DVD titles are released with AD although this is slowly increasing. Cinema is not yet accessible, despite that 70% of the captioned movies shown have AD tracks on them. Some progress has been made in the inclusion of a handful of audio described movies in specialist film festivals. At present, no television programs are broadcast with AD.
Most of the work in advocating AD is undertaken by blindness organisations, including Vision Australia and BCA. The progress is being strongly assisted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). There are no legislative or regulated requirements for AD in Australia at present.
On the Media access Australia AD website, You will find listings of AD products that you can experience direct (especially DVDs and live performances), samples of AD from other places, including movies and television shows and basic information on how to access AD.
You can visit the Media Access Australia website at: www.audiodescription.com.au
'A Way of Life' is Media Access Australia's latest initiative that aims to spread the word about AD, and will broadcast on Vision Australia Radio every Sunday from 7th October 2007 to October 2008. The segment will feature guest speakers to provide information on AD and to discuss issues surrounding the development of AD in Australia and overseas. Be sure to check your local guides for details on how to tune into Vision Australia Radio, or see the table below for a list of local frequencies.
Vision Australia Radio is a network of community radio stations situated in Melbourne, regional Victoria, and southern New South Wales. The network provides news and entertainment for the blind and vision impaired, and others who are unable to read printed material. Vision Australia Radio can be accessed at the following frequencies:
Melbourne 1179 AM
Mildura 107.5 FM
Albury/Wodonga 101.7 FM
Shepparton 100.1 FM
Bendigo 88.7 FM
Geelong 99.5 FM
Warragul 93.5 FM
Warrnambool 94.5 FM
Keep your reviews to a maximum of 200 words, and make sure you include an assessment of the audio narration in your review. See the “Articles for BCA News” section below for deadline dates and contact details to contribute to BCA News!
Back to top of PageMembers 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."
Back to top of PageWe 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.
Back to top of PageThe theme for the July edition of BCA News will be transitions. This means any transition that we make as people who are blind or vision impaired, for example, the transition from being sighted to blind, vision impaired to blind, text enlargement software user to screen reader software, white cane user to dog guide user, visual reader to audio reader, visual or audio reader to a Braille reader, or even a non-computer user to a computer user.
All contributions to BCA News are very welcome! Articles for the next issue should be submitted no later than Friday, 9 May 2008. Please send your contribution to 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 Robyn McKenzie on 1800 033 660, or email bca@bca.org.au.
Back to top of PageBlind 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.
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