Winter is that time of year when we all tend to hibernate and take some time for quiet contemplation. I hope the July edition of BCA News gives you plenty of food for thought. In this edition, we introduce you to two new staff at BCA. We look at the issue of silent hybrid cars in an article entitled "Silent but deadly?" and explore public transport issues from an international perspective. We have re-published an article from a past edition of BCA News. For people who are nearing retirement age, you may be interested in reading about the advantages and disadvantages of moving from the disability support pension blind to the age pension blind.

You will also learn about our new branch of BCA in Toowoomba and find out more about the new location of our head office at Ross House in Melbourne.

As always, I welcome your feedback on the articles presented to you in BCA News. Your feedback and contributions are very much sought. The closing date for contributions to the next edition of BCA News is Friday 3 October 2008.

Robyn McKenzie
Executive Officer

The last six months have seen a number of positive changes within BCA, with the head office moving into the Melbourne Central Business District, a highly successful member appeal and ongoing work to improve the profile of BCA and promote the needs of people who are blind or vision impaired to the wider community.

Our new head office was officially launched on May 23rd, and has already proven itself as a great location for members wishing to visit or volunteer. Young Blind Citizens Victoria (YBCV) was able to hold their May meeting in the Ross House building where BCA is now located, and we anticipate more BCA related functions occurring in the area as the organisation settles in. For more information about the launch please see the article later in this edition of BCA News.

With October and the 2008 Annual General Meeting fast approaching, I'd like to encourage all of you to think about whether you want to take a more active role in what we do. Four Board positions will become vacant at the next AGM. In addition, there are currently vacancies for Victorian and South Australian representatives to the National Policy Development Council. If you're interested in any of these opportunities, please call the head office for more information.

Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who made contributions to our highly successful April fundraising appeal. The appeal has so far raised $6,342 which will go towards providing advocacy support for people who are blind or vision impaired across Australia. We know that it costs $175 to support one member for a year through individual advocacy, policy development and the provision of information in their preferred format. Your contributions have helped subsidise support for 35 of our members. If you would like to make a donation to BCA, the head office will be happy to help you.

As always, if you have any thoughts or questions about what BCA is doing I can be reached through the head office staff or by email at president@bca.org.au.

David Blyth
President, Blind Citizens Australia

Hello, and welcome to the first Vice President's column in BCA News. I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who haven't had the chance to meet me in person or hear my interviews on the February edition of Soundabout or in New Horizons.

I'm a mother of three working in the allied health field in Queensland. I became involved with BCA after my sight had been deteriorating over a long period of my adult life. Being a member of BCA has been critical to my acceptance of my sight loss and my ability to move forward in a constructive way.

I came to the position of BCA Vice President in November 2007, and was elected onto the Board in March 2007. Since then I've had two strong passions: further improving BCA's financial situation through better fundraising practices, and better advocacy services for people who are blind or vision impaired in Queensland.

In the past three months, the BCA Board has established a Fundraising Subcommittee made up of BCA staff, Board members and other volunteers to help increase our fundraising revenue. The immediate goal for the committee will be to develop and execute a fundraising campaign over the coming year.

I have also been working with Robyn McKenzie, BCA's Executive Officer, to improve the level of advocacy services available in Queensland. We have met with the office of the Hon. Lindy Nelson-Carr, Queensland Minister for Disability Services and representatives from Disability Services Queensland to begin negotiating better provisions into the future. This will be an ongoing process which may take some time to bear fruit.

Cheryl Pascual
Vice President, Blind Citizens Australia

The 2007/08 financial year has been a significant year in the life of BCA, Australia in general, and me personally. How has it been for you?

We've seen a change in government after eleven years of a liberal party rule. Our new Prime Minister and Parliament said sorry to the stolen generation. And for the first time in history blind people could choose to cast an independent and secret vote in the federal election.

On a personal note, I have been on a very steep learning curve getting acquainted with the intricacies of the role of Executive Officer. On a practical level, I've learned to use my mobile phone with TALKS and I've mastered remote email access via my braillenote with wireless wi-fi and ethernet cards. To be honest with you, the role of Executive Officer of BCA, so far, has been quite challenging.

I have received a great deal of support and wisdom from many of the previous Executive Officers of BCA, our fantastic Board and experienced senior members of BCA, for which I am truly grateful. There are so many issues that impact on our participation in the community as people who are blind or vision impaired that the job can easily be a 24 hour a day, seven days per week concern. It has been with a great deal of difficulty that I have learnt to switch off at the end of the day. In fact, this is a skill that I have not mastered as well as I should.

I started at BCA with our national convention back in October 2007. It was a fantastic way to begin my employment with BCA. Convention is one of the greatest mechanisms for our members to gain from each other's perspective. From a governance and operations management point of view, convention provides the Board with significant information in setting the strategic direction for BCA.

In fact, many of the issues and recommendations arising out of our national convention formed a presentation which I delivered to many of the blindness agencies throughout Australia.

A great deal has taken place since my last report to you. The most significant change which David Blyth has already referred to in his President's report, is the re-location of BCA head office. The move was not an activity the Board had planned for when setting our 2007/08 budget. However, it looks like we will be close to delivering a break even budget for the year.

At the time of writing this report, we have just recorded program number 38 of New Horizons, our weekly radio program. Scott Nixon has joined the New Horizons presenting team, and we have secured Michael Kelly as our ongoing sound producer. Both Scott and Michael have a tremendous amount of energy and commitment to producing New Horizons for you every week.

The past six months has also seen a significant change in staffing. In December, we farewelled Alyena Mohummadally, National Advocacy Officer. Then, in May, after thirteen years of service to BCA, Robert Mascitti, Administration and IT Officer, left us to take up a position in the IT department at Vision Australia. And in June, Augustine Arogun, Administration and Finance Officer, left BCA to dedicate more time to completing his Masters in Accounting.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Aly, Rob and Augustine for their contribution to the ongoing work of BCA. Their combined efforts have helped to move BCA forward as a strong peak representative organization of people who are blind or vision impaired.

We have appointed Jody Holdback to the role of National Advocacy Officer, Faye Baxter to the position of Administration and Memberships Officer, and at the time of writing this report, we are currently in the process of recruiting a Finance Officer and Administration Assistant.

The office is currently busy preparing for our upcoming Annual General Meeting and five state conventions which will all be held in October. The various state convention organising committees have been very busy putting together programs for each convention in addition to sourcing suitable venues.

I encourage you to attend your upcoming state convention. It is a great opportunity to gain from, and contribute to, the information sharing and peer support which is the strength of BCA.

In August of this year, I will be attending the World Blind Union General Assembly in Geneva as part of the Australian delegation. Cheryl Pascual, Vice President of BCA and I are the two BCA consumer delegates and Dr Kevin Murfitt, Chair of Vision Australia and Andrew Daly, CEO of the Royal Society for the Blind are the two blindness agency representatives making up the total Australian delegation of four.

David Blyth, as a former President of the World Blind Union, and Maryanne Diamond, former Executive Officer of BCA, and current first Vice President of the WBU, will also be in attendance.

After the General Assembly, I'll be travelling on my own to Paris for a couple of days of recreation leave. I'm thinking of titling my next report for BCA News "A blind woman in Paris". Either that, or C'est ci bon!

Robyn McKenzie
Executive Officer - Blind Citizens Australia

From reading other articles in this edition of BCA News you'll already be aware of what a busy six months it's been in head office. For me, the focus has been on staying on top of all the submissions requested by our new Federal government as they decided what's important and begin to implement their election promises.

Below is a quick sample of two areas I've been working on over the last six months:

The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which I'll call 'the Convention' from here on in to save space, is an important international document which outlines all the rights people with disabilities should have. It's important to talk about these rights specifically because there are many things that people without disabilities assume as rights which are not automatically granted to us. For example, someone with full vision would assume the right to freedom of speech includes the ability to read and write in whatever format they choose; we all know this doesn't necessarily happen if you're blind or vision impaired.

In Australia, the new Government has been deciding whether or not to ratify the Convention. That means that all Australian governments would have to abide by it. BCA has been making written and face-to-face submissions to ensure that the government moves ahead with ratification. At the time of printing, the decision to ratify is before a Parliamentary committee, and it is expected that there will be an outcome soon.

BCA is concerned at the lack of volunteering opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired. This is an especially important issue because volunteering is a vital step towards getting a job as well as a way of connecting with the community. The BCA volunteering policy gives information for people who are blind or vision impaired as well as organisations looking to take on volunteers. This policy is now available on the BCA website and from head office.

Many of our members have told us they are worried about the impact of hybrid cars on their safety. As a result, BCA has developed a position statement which covers all kinds of silent vehicles, and calls for caution with their introduction and research into ways to make them safer. BCA will be sending letters to all Australian Transport Ministers to make them aware of this issue. Later on in this newsletter is an article by Dr Kevin Murfitt regarding an international perspective on the issues regarding silent hybrid cars.

I have also worked on a number of other submissions, as well as abstracts, conference presentations and media releases. If you would like more information on my work, you can either call or email me and I will be happy to answer your questions.

Faye comes to BCA with a diverse range of work experience gained through her 36 years in the workforce. She began working life as an administration assistant in a wrecking yard, and quickly gained the qualifications to become a personal assistant in the corporate world. When she began losing her vision ten years ago it was time for a career change, and she became a masseuse. She eventually got a job with the then Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, first as an adaptive technology trainer then as an employment consultant.

A proud mother of two, Faye is keenly interested in alternative medicine and cooking. She describes her dream for BCA as a place with a strong membership, the ability to support people in training and employment and the resources to assist those people who are blind or vision impaired who may experience particular issues, such as people living in rural areas.

Friday 23rd May saw the launch of Blind Citizens Australia's (BCA) new head office premises at Ross House in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. There was standing room only at the launch, attended by members, staff, and supporters.

Proceedings began with a recording of Cheryl Pascual, BCA's Vice President, talking about her experience of losing her sight as a young mother with three children.

"I attribute coming to terms with my vision loss to BCA," said Cheryl.

The theme was rounded off by BCA's Executive Officer Robyn McKenzie, who outlined the many opportunities for connections and communication offered by BCA. The formal ceremony closed with a performance from Ross de Vent and Jordie Howell, a duo of young singers who are also BCA members.

An audio map which will allow members to navigate their way to the BCA offices will soon be made available. You can contact head office for a copy of the audio map which will be available in audio CD format, large print, Braille or email formats. Our new contact details are provided at the beginning of this newsletter.

The 2008 BCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in conjunction with the Victorian State Convention.

You will soon receive an official notice of the AGM together with nomination forms for Director and National Policy and Development Council representative vacancies.

Birth of a new BCA Branch

Editor's note: The following article is a re-print of a media release produced by BCA in February 2008 announcing the establishment of the Toowoomba branch of BCA.
End of Editor's note.

On Thursday 14th February, residents from Toowoomba and surrounds who are blind or vision impaired met to formally open the newest branch of Blind Citizens Australia (BCA). Kevin Rowley, a vision impaired local heavily involved in getting the group off the ground, says that it has been a great team effort, with local BCA members initiating informal monthly meetings in August 2003, following a public forum attended by the national President. Kevin believes the group will serve a valuable purpose just by bringing people together. "Occasionally there is a guest speaker, but the focus of these meetings is peer support and encouragement. Often people who are blind or vision impaired just want the company and advice of others who have been through some of the same things."

"We're very excited to have this new branch," says Cheryl Pascual, who is both the National Vice President and Brisbane Branch Secretary. "The Brisbane branch is really looking forward to offering support to this new branch as it seeks to improve the advocacy and peer support options for people who are blind or vision impaired in the Toowoomba area. It's a goal for Blind Citizens Australia as a whole to advocate for better resources for people in rural areas, and this is a significant step in the right direction."

The new Toowoomba branch meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Dr Price Meeting Room, 6 Little Street, Toowoomba. Any Inquiries may be directed to Branch President, Kevin Rowley on 07 4637 8788.

Editor's note: The following article written by Dr Kevin Murfitt was originally published in the April 2008 edition of East Wind, the newsletter produced by the Asia Pacific region of the World Blind Union.
End of Editor's note

Even given the great developments in GPS tracking systems, for people who are blind or have low vision, getting behind the driver's wheel is a risky business. However, it now may be just as deadly for us to walk out on the streets with the emergence of 'silent' or 'quiet' cars.

On a search of the internet, I found an article published in the Wall Street Journal in February 2007 that encapsulates the story. I have pasted it below, and will continue my commentary below the article.

Subject: Blind Pedestrians Say Quiet Hybrids Pose Safety Threat
Outlet: The Wall Street Journal
Date: February 13, 2007
Blind Pedestrians Say Quiet Hybrids Pose Safety Threat
By RAYMUND FLANDEZ

For blind people, crossing the street is becoming even more of a challenge. Michael Osborn, a blind marketing consultant from Laguna Beach, California, and his guide dog, Hastings, were in the middle of an intersection one morning last April when the yellow Lab stopped short. Mr. Osborn took the cue and halted -- just in time to feel the breeze from a car passing right in front of them.

Hybrids deliver better mileage and less pollution than traditional cars by switching between a gasoline engine and an electric motor. But when operating on the electric battery, especially when idling at a stop or running at low speeds, the engine in a hybrid is almost silent. A hybrid vehicle is generally quieter than a vacuum cleaner.

"I'm an environmentalist, and I'm all for quiet cars," says Mr. Osborn. "But it poses a particular problem for somebody who has no vision."

Blind pedestrians using a guide dog or cane are largely dependent on the sounds of traffic to cross streets safely. For a blind person, "it's very important to be able to gather auditory and tactile cues from the environment," says Sumara Shakeel, of Toms River, N.J., who is a rehabilitation teacher for the New Jersey Commission for the Blind.

Hybrid cars became commercially available to mainstream consumers in 2000 and are gaining in popularity. Nationwide, registrations for new hybrids more than doubled to 199,148 in 2005 from 83,153 in 2004, according to R.L. Polk & Co., an automotive research firm. At least a dozen states and several cities are encouraging drivers to buy fuel-efficient hybrids by offering tax breaks and other incentives, and the vehicles are being added to municipal fleets.

Still, the total 392,000 hybrids on the road reflect just over 1% of all new vehicle registrations in the U.S. The National Federation of the Blind, an advocacy group, says all hybrid vehicles should emit a sound while turned on and is calling on the auto industry to make changes. The group says the sound should be loud enough to be heard over the din of other ambient noise.

Members of the NFB's Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety have discussed sound cues that hybrids could use to alert pedestrians, including a device built into the axle that could make a sound as the wheels rotate, or a sensor that blind travelers could carry that would indicate when a hybrid is in the vicinity. The committee has yet to have a formal meeting with auto industry representatives.

Quiet cars pose a problem for not only those with limited vision, says the NFB's Debbie Stein, but also for sighted pedestrians, cyclists and the elderly who rely on sound to gauge the position and speed of cars.

While there are no national data on pedestrian injuries or deaths related to low-noise cars, the NFB argues that a link will be more discernible as quiet vehicles become more common. Police reports often don't record what kind of automobile caused a pedestrian-vehicle collision, and the insurance industry says it doesn't have those figures. In 2005, 4,881 pedestrians were killed nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an increase of about 2% since 2000.

"We want to get ahead of this and not have to wait until five blind people end up seriously hurt or dead," says Gary Wunder, who is on the NFB's Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety.

Some businesses are taking action. Several guide dog schools are planning to use hybrid vehicles when training animals to acclimate them. Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc., with campuses in Oregon and California, uses electric golf carts to simulate the quiet cars.

So far, advocacy groups' pleas for louder hybrids have failed to generate much noise in automotive circles. A spokesman for the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers, an industry group, says he wasn't aware of the issue. "We're interested in hearing about the concerns of the blind community, and we'll work with them to ensure that they're addressed," says alliance spokesman Charles Territo.

Sev MacPete, founder of the Toyota Prius Club of San Diego, dismisses the idea that hybrids pose a safety threat. He says blind pedestrians are easy to spot because they usually have a special white cane with red tip. "And if you could say anything about hybrid drivers, they are more aware of their surroundings than other drivers," Mr. MacPete says.

Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong says he wasn't aware of the issue and believes that the responsibility lies with drivers and pedestrians to watch out for each other. Mr. Kwong adds, "One of the benefits of the vehicles is that they don't contribute to traffic noise."

Sounding Off: Noise levels of common sounds, in decibels

It is me, Kevin, again:
It seems to me that demanding 'louder' 'quiet cars' is a challenging exercise given the environmental and aesthetic purpose of the cars is to be quiet. As a blind person, one of my pet hates is those beeping buggies' that pollute our airports. Drivers should share the responsibility for pedestrian safety. Where pedestrians may be crossing roads with no signal protection, drivers of quiet cars should have the responsibility to be able to alert pedestrians. There are also suggestions that people who are blind wear ultra-sonic devices to detect 'solid' objects in their path. This technology may be beneficial for some people and for some purposes, but is this 'blaming the victim' in the case of quiet cars? I think it misses the point that we have just as much right as our sighted peers to travel safely around our community.

The National Federation of the Blind in the U.S. is doing a lot of work on this issue, and the WBU has an opportunity to assist and encourage other advocacy and blindness organizations around the world to ramp up efforts for more accessible and safe environments for people who are blind or have low vision.

I live in a city where I walk out into the middle of the road in front of cars every day to catch my tram to work. This is not at traffic lights but the drivers know that they cannot at any time drive past a stationary tram in the middle of the road. So in addition to 'tax incentives' for people to purchase these 'quiet cars' they could be required to have training on additional requirements for drivers of 'quiet cars'.

But the biggest opportunity for us is to demand technologies such as audible traffic signals at intersections so we know independently when it is safe to cross. I am always surprised when I leave Melbourne where I live and go to places where there is a lack of audible traffic signals. It immediately makes me feel disabled and trapped. 'Stop' signs could also be used more widely, especially in residential areas, to assure pedestrians in less busy areas that cars will stop.

If you are interested in further information about this issue, there is a listserv that you can subscribe to and interact with others who are working on this issue. See below.

This listserv is a forum for persons who are interested in the issue of quiet cars and pedestrian safety. It is a place where we can share information and exchange ideas. We welcome participation by anyone inside or outside the blind community. By working together, concerned citizens can address the problems posed by quiet vehicles and move toward viable solutions.

The list is moderated by David Andrews. You can reach him at: dandrews@visi.com

Dr Kevin Murfitt
Chair, World Blind Union, Asia Pacific - Oceania sub-region

Editor's note: The following article written by Rolleiv Solholm was originally published in The Norway Post, Norway on Tuesday, October 09, 2007
End of Editor's note.

The Norwegian Highway Department and the SINTEF research Group are hoping to introduce a new real time traffic information system for the blind and sight impaired.

Tests have already been carried out in cooperation with the Association for the Blind.

The AKTA system is based on information via the mobile phone and the GPS system.

The buses must have a GPS based computer which keeps track of where the vehicle is at any given time, regardless of the official time schedule.

This system communicates with the blind person's mobile phone, which will give a spoken message when the bus is approaching the stop where he or she is waiting.

On the bus, the GPS will communicate to the passenger when the bus is approaching the desired stop, which has been pre-set before the trip began.

The system will also inform the driver that a passenger wants to get off at the stop.

This will give the sight impaired easier access to public transport and at the same time help ensure that he or she does not get off at the wrong stop.

So far the tests have been carried out on the long distance route between Kristiansund and Aalesund, but the aim is to introduce the system nationwide.

A partnership between WorkVentures and Centrelink now enables Centrelink customers to purchase their own professionally refurbished and internet ready Personal Computers (PCs). All Centrelink concession card holders are eligible to purchase the Pentium 4 PC pack for $250 plus delivery.

Please note this pack does not include adaptive technology. Contact your local Centrelink office or phone WorkVentures on 1800 112 205.

Nando's Restaurants have taken the plunge and have Braille menus in every store across Australia. They will be held at the front counter in every store. If they are not automatically presented to you on arrival, please ask the staff and they will give it to you.

They are also willing to take feed back on the presentation of the menus. But very excited to be able to present you with a menu you can read!

Virgin Blue now has its safety cards in Braille and Qantas have brought their safety card information up to date recently. Make it a habit every time you travel on an airline to ask for the safety card information in an alternative format. This will ensure that airlines are providing an accessible service to people who are blind or vision impaired.

The Centre for Eye Research Australia needs volunteers to participate in focus groups discussing the most important aspects about the development of the Bionic Eye. We will be focusing on the daily tasks for people who are vision impaired and looking at the most important visual cues, should some form of vision be gained. The “trade offs” which people who are vision impaired are willing to undergo to gain improved vision will also be discussed.

The Focus groups will be lead by Associate Professor Jill Keeffe at the Centre for Eye Research Australia and arranged at convenient times. Participation is voluntary and sessions will take around 90 minutes. You will be reimbursed for your travel costs.

For further information on the study and how to participate please contact Beatrice Iezzi at the Centre for Eye Research Australia on (03) 9929 8328 or biezzi@unimelb.edu.au

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 Australians who are blind or vision impaired 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 many Australians who are blind or vision impaired. 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."