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May 28, 2018

Welcome To Blind Citizens Australia

Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) is the united voice of Australians who are blind or vision impaired.

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.

Whether you are blind, have a vision impairment , a family member or friend of a person who is blind or vision impaired, BCA is here to assist you.

We provide information, peer support, individual and systemic advocacy, and consultancy services. Our Branches act as local lobby groups and provide opportunities for social interaction for members.

Explore our site. Learn about us. Listen to SoundAbout for profiles of people who are blind or vision impaired and those working with our community. If you are interested in audio-described TV, cinema and DVD content check out It’s Our Turn. Set your dial and tune in to our weekly radio program New Horizons. For the issues and policies that affect you, plus useful information and tips, turn to the pages of BC News or Parent News.

Contact BCA:

Toll Free:
1800 033 660

Phone:
03 9654 1400

Text:
0488 824 623

Email: Blind Citizens Australia

Donate to Blind Citizens Australia

Filed Under: Uncategorized    
Mar 18, 2018

New Horizons Podcast

New Horizons is Blind Citizens Australia’s weekly radio show. It is an interview style, with topics relevant to people who are blind or vision impaired. It runs for about 15 minutes, in MP3 format. To listen, you can use the audio player below.

From January 2018, New Horizons and other BCA audio files are available from a new podcast feed ! You can subscribe to the Blind Citizens Australia podcast feed by pointing your Pod-Catcher to: http://blindcitizens.podbean.com/feed

To visit the Blind Citizens Australia podbean page, go to: http://blindcitizens.podbean.com

Filed Under: New Horizons    
Jul 10, 2019

Dreams of Summer and Camping

Do these cold winter nights make you dream of warm summer evenings sitting around a camp fire with friends? They do for us in the Camp Working Group.

We can’t make those dreams come true without your help.

Many people who are blind or vision impaired have enjoyed and benefited from camp type activities, where we have gained new skills and received valuable support and encouragement from our peers. We think more of this should occur in Australia, but need your input – do you agree with us, and what shape should such activities take?

BCA is conducting a survey on this topic. Your action in completing this survey could make our a dream a reality.

You can complete the survey here.

Or, call the BCA office and complete it over the phone on 1800 033 660.

It should take about ten to fifteen minutes of your time. Time well spent, wouldn’t you say, investing in that warm cup of coco – or something stronger – around the fire.

Please complete this survey today, and encourage your friends who are blind or vision-impaired to do the same.

With Thanks,

The Camp Working Group;
Tyan Taylor
Jaci Armstrong
Jordie Howell
Graeme Innes
Sally Aurisch

Filed Under: Uncategorized    
Jun 25, 2019

Media Release: NDIS Correspondence is Now Accessible to People who are Blind or Vision Impaired

Thanks to strong advocacy by Blind Citizens Australia, its members and partner organisations, participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme will now receive correspondence in their preferred format.

The NDIA will progressively introduce changes over the next few months which will allow participants to choose their preferred communication format and update their preferences via an NDIA representative, the National contact centre, or on the Participant Portal. Large font, audio, e-text and braille formats will be available.  

The NDIA expect to move to automated requests for correspondence in alternative formats by the end of August 2019.  Requested documents will be sent directly to an external accessible format provider who will prepare the accessible version and despatch directly to the NDIS Participant to reduce delays.

Up to now requests for alternative formats have been managed by NDIA planners via a manual process and participants often report delays and difficulty in getting correspondence in their chosen format.  Print copy plans and letters are currently generated automatically and staff must intervene manually where needed to support a participant’s preference. This has resulted in an inconsistent approach long delay before a participant receives the alternative format.

“This is a tremendously important step forward for people who are blind or vision impaired. Blindness is often referred to as an information-based disability. Access to information is often the only thing that prevents a person who is blind or vision impaired from carrying out tasks and activities that they otherwise could,” said Rikki Chaplin, Acting CEO Blind Citizens Australia.

“To be able to easily read your NDIS plan is vital if you’re going to be able to take full advantage of the supports in your plan. I congratulate the NDIA on ensuring that people who are blind or vision impaired will have reliable and consistent access to their plans in the format which is right for them.”

The NDIA has committed to continuous improvement and will seek feedback by engaging with peak bodies such as BCA and with the Participant Reference Group.

Read the full media release here (Word version)

Please let us know if you’d like this information in another format for accessibility.

Filed Under: NDIS    
Jun 20, 2019

Consultation for Aged Care

Blind Citizens Australia invites you to share your stories and experiences of accessing services, support and information for those who are aged 65 or older. How are My Aged Care and other disability-related programs and services supporting you, a person who is blind or vision impaired? What are the gaps in what is available to you?  If there are services that you haven’t yet accessed, what is stopping you from connecting to them?

BCA is making a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. A royal commission is the highest level of public inquiry in Australia. Its main functions are to investigate an issue, produce a report and make recommendations to government. This work is informed by extensive input from members of the community, who are invited to share their concerns about the matter/s being investigated.

To ensure we include the views of people who are blind or vision impaired, we are asking you to share your experiences with supports, or lack thereof, for those who are blind or vision impaired and are 65 or over. We know that it is essential that our thoughts and viewpoints and recommendations that we present are backed up by examples and numbers.  Providing real life experiences and stories is the best and most effective way that we can advocate for change. We are interested in hearing from you whether or not you currently access services through the aged care system.

Some initial thoughts on topics that you may be able to include in your feedback:

  • My Aged Care Assessment Process – how can this be more individualised and related to the needs of people who are blind or vision impaired?
  • Focus on frailty in ageing rather than individualised disability-specific needs.  The needs of BCA members are generally related to their blindness or vision impairment, which may have been supported through disability services prior to the introduction of the NDIS.  How are these support needs being met now?
  • Access to Assistive Technology.  How can you access blindness-specific supports through the aged care system?  What are the gaps in getting this support?
  • Available packages and waiting lists – how does the system ensure safety and independence by making appropriate levels of support available to individuals?
  • Lack of independent access to information on aged care in accessible formats – especially care plans and contracts.
  • Issues with dog guide access and maintenance through My Aged Care.  What are the barriers with service providers in getting and paying for dog guides if you are 65 or over?
  • Service Provider issues with high admin fees and unethical practices
  • Lack of training in disability/ability awareness for aged care service providers

Please note that to ensure your privacy and confidentiality, all stories we receive will be de-identified, with all names and identifying details removed before we use it.  BCA may use your story as an example to the submission to the Royal Commission, as well as further communications with government in the future.

You can contribute to this important consultation in a number of ways.

Phone: 1800 033 660 and talk to a BCA staff member, who will take down your story with you over the phone.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone over the phone, you can share your story by leaving a message through the feedback option on BCA’s phone system by selecting option 2 when calling. This can be done anonymously if you wish.

You can also email: bca@bca.org.au with the subject: Feedback on Aged Care

If you have been considering making your own personal submission to the Royal Commission, we can also assist you in that process.

If you are sharing someone else’s experience or story, you must have their permission to do so.

If you know of someone who may not get this call out for feedback from BCA but who would like to contribute, please pass on this information to them, or encourage them to contact BCA for further information.

All stories and feedback for the Royal Commission into Aged Care must be received by BCA by Monday 5th August 2019.

Sharing personal stories may bring up feelings of distress. If you are feeling affected by this process, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Angela Jaeschke
Advocacy and Policy Manager

Filed Under: Uncategorized    
May 30, 2019

Media Release: Airlines Not Listening to the Needs of Deafblind Australians

Peak bodies Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) and Deafblind Australia (DBA) have called on all airlines to implement policies to make their practices fully inclusive and respectful towards all passengers, irrespective of their impairment.   Last week, twenty-one-year-old Vanessa Vlajkovic was prevented from boarding the Jetstar flight she had booked from Perth to Adelaide because she is deafblind. Ms Vlajkovic requested assistance when she booked the flight and stated she was deafblind, but her loss of both sight and hearing was not recorded by the airline in its entirety. The notes only mentioned her hearing loss.

Jetstar apologised and said that if they had been aware that Ms Vlajkovic is deafblind, the airline would have advised her that she would not be permitted to fly without a carer being with her.

Jetstar’s treatment of Ms Vlajkovic last week was disgraceful according to BCA and DBA. Jetstar’s failure to accommodate Ms Vlajkovic’s needs was discriminatory and presents limitations for people who are deafblind that other passengers are not subjected to.

“I am more familiar with my limitations than ANYONE else, I will not willingly put myself in harm’s way. If I thought I couldn’t fly alone I wouldn’t,” said Ms Vlajkovic. “It isn’t the administration error itself of not entering my disability that is the issue. The ignorance is the worst bit, and I hope to see that change soon. The airline’s job is to accommodate my needs, not kick me off a flight simply because they see fit.”

“The claim that Jetstar made saying that Ms Vlajkovic’s safety would be at risk if she did not travel without a carer is baseless,” said David Murray, CEO of DBA. “Technology is readily available which enables the communication gap that once existed between people who are deafblind and their non-disabled peers to be easily overcome.” Ms Vlajkovic uses an iPhone combined with a braille display. This technology enables her to both read incoming communication which she can receive via text, and to send her responses via text also.

“People who are deafblind use a wide variety of methods to communicate depending on what situation they are in,” said Rikki Chaplin, President of DBA. “This does not mean that people who use their sight and hearing to communicate are prevented from interacting with people who are deafblind. That’s why it’s so important for airlines to develop policies based on demonstrated evidence, rather than ill-informed perceptions of how people with disabilities interact with others.”

It is this message which Deafblind Australia and Blind Citizens Australia wish to convey to all airlines.

“At a time when society is working towards becoming more inclusive of people with disabilities, it is disgraceful for any airline to think that they are exempt,” said Emma Bennison, CEO of BCA.

“We live in a time when technology has the potential to make genuine inclusivity a reality for people who are deafblind, and we fully support DBA and Ms Vlajkovic in holding Jetstar accountable.”

BCA has been working closely with airlines to ensure that their practices are fully inclusive. BCA and DBA call on Jetstar to join other airlines in collaborating with people who are deafblind to ensure that their policies and procedures are truly inclusive.

View the full media release here.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Media release, Travel    
May 20, 2019

Open Letter to the Prime Minister

Dear Mr Morrison,

In your victory speech on Saturday night, you said that you would govern for “all Australians”. That statement gave many people with disability hope that they would have a stronger voice and that their needs would be given higher priority by your Government in this parliamentary term.

Blind Citizens Australia believes there are three opportunities for you to demonstrate, quickly and decisively, your commitment to governing for “all Australians”.

  1. End the inequality which sees Australians who are blind or vision impaired denied the right to watch television while people who are deaf or hearing impaired have their right to do so enshrined in legislation;
  2. Appoint a suitably qualified person with disability as CEO of the NDIS to ensure the needs and aspirations of people with disability are central to decision-making; and
  3. Review the appointments of Commissioners to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, to replace those Commissioners with actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

Audio Description

For over twenty years now, we have been advocating for Audio Description, an additional audio track which provides us with details of action and scenery so we can enjoy television like other Australians. During the election campaign, Labour committed $4 million in funding to the ABC and SBS for the establishment of an Audio Description service, yet to date, your party has remained silent on the issue.

You got your miracle on Saturday night, now you have the opportunity to “pay it forward” and ensure we have the same access to television as people who are deaf or hearing impaired in this country. That would constitute a miracle for us and would be a visible way to demonstrate your commitment to governing for “all Australians”.

A Disability-led NDIS

Blind Citizens Australia works actively and constructively with the NDIA to ensure our NDIS provides choice and control for participants whilst remaining economically sustainable. We are confident that, if led by a skilled and highly qualified executive with disability, the culture of the scheme would better reflect our needs and aspirations. After all, you wouldn’t put a teacher in charge of a bank, and so it is inconceivable that you would put a non-disabled person in charge of a scheme designed to ensure people with disability have the capacity to lead their best life.

What’s more, there is no doubt that leaders with the management experience and business acumen exist. You need only look to the Disability Leadership Institute, or to members of disabled persons organisations like ours for examples of the talent within our community. So, give us a go so that we, the experts, can work with you to get the NDIS working better for us.

Royal Commission

When you announced the Royal Commission into the epidemic of violence and abuse against us over many years, people with disability, our organisations and supporters were relieved and hopeful. Now that the election is over, we trust that you will heed our calls to review the appointment of two Commissioners, whose conflicts of interest threaten the integrity of the Royal Commission process. This is essential if we are to be confident that we can give evidence safely.

Mr Morrison, congratulations to you and your colleagues on your re-election. On behalf of the members of Blind Citizens Australia, and the thousands of people who are blind or vision impaired that we represent, we wish you all the very best for your upcoming term as our Prime Minister.

People with disability, more often than not, are the quiet Australians you spoke of in your campaign. We want nothing more than the right to live, work and play in communities which acknowledge our rights and afford us safety. We’re taking your advice; we’re having a go like most Australians, but we are tired. Tired of having to fight just to be allowed to watch TV with our family and friends, with no indication of when that might change. Tired of not being considered sufficiently talented, economically responsible or experienced to lead our own insurance scheme. Tired of having to fight for the right to give evidence safely in our own Royal Commission.

Despite all our best efforts to work collaboratively with your Ministers and Government agencies, people with disability are not getting a fair go right now. But like you, we believe in miracles, so we look forward to working with you to see ours come to fruition during your first 100 days in Government.

We remain ready, willing, and well able to support you in achieving the next miracle. 

Yours sincerely

Emma Bennison
Chief Executive Officer
Blind Citizens Australia

Filed Under: Audio Description, NDIS, Royal Commission