I’m excited to share that three members of the BCA community have been appointed to the Australian Disability and Development Consortium (ADDC) Executive Committee for the 2026–2028 term. Congratulations to Helen Freris, BCA Vice President, along with BCA members Ben Clare (BCA Convention Program Committee) and Tim Harte (BCA Finance, Audit, Risk and Management Committee) on their appointments. Their appointments are a testament to the strength of leadership within our community, and we congratulate each of them on this well-deserved recognition.

I’m also pleased to share that BCA has endorsed the Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education, a joint initiative of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI). This important Declaration is a global call to recognise braille literacy as a fundamental human right and a vital part of inclusive education for people who are blind or vision impaired. By adding our voice to this initiative, BCA joins organisations, educators, families and advocates around the world in championing the importance of braille and the opportunities it creates for us. We are proud to stand alongside the global blindness community in supporting every learner to access education, build independence and achieve their goals. You can learn more about the global campaign and add your own voice by visiting the World Blind Union website.

In other important news, I recently attended the Disability Representative and Carer Organisations (DRCO) Accessible Communications Working Group, where members reviewed draft participant recruitment communications being developed by the NDIA. We provided feedback on a range of accessibility improvements, including the use of plain language, clearer explanations of the participant journey, accessible formats such and ensuring communications recognise the diverse needs of people with disability. We also stressed the importance of inclusive communications that use strengths-based language, clearly explain available supports and adjustments and are tested with people with disability before publication.

The Working Group also discussed its priorities for the coming year. Key areas identified included developing an Accessible Communications Checklist, improving website accessibility, strengthening communications through the NDIS App, enhancing digital and social media communications, and ensuring information about future reforms is accessible and culturally appropriate. These priorities reflect many of the issues BCA has consistently raised and we look forward to continuing to contribute to this work.

We continue to take steps in our advocacy on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. Following our primary and supplementary submissions to the Senate inquiry, BCA has written to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee requesting the opportunity to appear at a public hearing . We wanted members to know that we are pursuing every opportunity to ensure the experiences and perspectives of people who are blind or vision impaired are part of this important conversation. If invited, appearing before the Committee would allow us to expand on our submissions, answer questions directly and reinforce the practical implications of the proposed reforms for our community.

A quick reminder that accessible Census supports are now available for people who are blind or vision impaired. Braille and large print Census forms, along with audio assistance, are available to support your participation in the Census in a way that works best for you. Forms can be ordered by calling 1800 181 227 or through the Census online contact form.

– Deb Deshayes, BCA CEO.

A reminder, you can also read this update on BCA’s website.

Policy, Advocacy & Representation

Advocacy Update: Hearing Aid Purchase Support – Martin Stewart

Through my own experience from the purchase of my first hearing aid and a recent caller’s feedback, we have learnt that many members of our community are unaware of the existence of the Community Service Obligations program (CSO). Therefore, here are the following details on how to gain such valuable support.

Hearing Australia is the sole provider of the CSO-funded services under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. The CSO Program aims to improve access to hearing services for people with complex hearing and communication needs. This includes adults with severe or profound hearing loss, those with additional disabilities impacting their communication.

This program offers free advanced hearing aids to people who are legally blind. To get further information, contact Hearing Australia, the sole provider of this support by calling 134 432. Their website is Hearing Australia.

As hearing is so important for us blind and vision impaired citizens, it is great to know that such support is available. I wish you well on this journey to better hearing.

Policy Update – Melanie Chatfield

Blind Citizens Australia recently worked alongside Vision Australia, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and Vision 2020 to develop a joint submission to the Australian Government on the proposed Cash Distribution Framework Bill 2026 and related legislation. Together, we highlighted that maintaining Australia’s cash distribution system is only part of the solution. For people who are blind or vision impaired, cash must also be accessible and practical to use. Our submission calls for accessibility to be embedded in the new framework, stronger consultation with people with disability, protection of accessible banknote features, and greater recognition of the barriers our community faces when accessing and using cash.

Read the full submission on our website.

We Want Your Feedback on the AusAlert Test

On Monday, many Australians received the national AusAlert test message. We at Blind Citizens Australia are keen to hear about your experience.

Was the alert accessible using your screen reader or other assistive technology? Did you encounter any barriers or accessibility issues when receiving or interacting with the alert? We’re also interested in hearing your suggestions on how the system could be improved to better meet the needs of people who are blind or vision impaired.

It would be helpful if you could also let us know the type of device you were using (for example, an iPhone or Android phone), the model of your device, and the operating system or software version, if known.

Your feedback will help us identify any accessibility concerns and advocate for improvements to ensure emergency alerts are accessible to our community.

If you would like to share your experience, please contact Layal via email at layal.hage@bca.org.au or call us on 1800 033 660 and ask to speak to Layal by Friday, 7th August.

BCA Events

Plan ahead using our monthly calendar – the events calendar for August is available on our website, or you can access the calendar via audio by phoning 1800 033 660 and following the prompts.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please feel free to contact us on events@bca.org.au or call 1800 033 660.

Trivia

Saturday, 1st August at 8:00pm AEST.

• Join via weblink
• Join with one tap mobile (via non-iOS) 
• Join with one tap mobile using the number below (via iOS): +61280156011,,84491693225#,,,,*424050#
• Join by phone by dialling 03 7018 2005 using Meeting ID: 844 9169 3225
• Passcode: 424050

BCA Inform – Local Government and Disability Inclusion

Tuesday, 4th August from 7:30pm to 9:00pm AEST.

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has recently produced “The Guide” - a resource to help councils develop and implement disability inclusion plans. You can find The Guide on the Disability Inclusion for Local Government website.

In light of this new resource, join us for an informative session exploring the important role local governments play in creating accessible and inclusive communities for people with disability. Learn how you can have your voice heard by taking part in advisory and reference groups that help shape your local community.

To register for the event, please visit the Humanitix website. 

If you have any questions, or if you require assistance registering, please feel free to contact us at events@bca.org.au or call 1800 033 660.

Peer Connect Groups

The Peer Connect groups meeting in the next week are listed below. You can also find out more about all our peer connect groups, including session times and other details on the BCA Website.

Employment Group

• Join via weblink
• Join with one tap mobile
• Join by phone by dialling 03 7018 2005 using Meeting ID: 864 4868 5967
• Passcode: 337783

Book Club

• Join via weblink
• Join with one tap mobile
• Join by phone by dialling 03 7018 2005 using Meeting ID: 850 6354 6612
• Passcode: 934727

Around the Branches

Queensland Branch

Casino/Richmond Valley Branch

New Horizons

Take a listen to the New Horizons podcast.

Do you have any ideas for stories, or feedback about the show? Contact us on new.horizons@bca.org.au.

News From Outside BCA

National

Nomination Form – National Self Advocacy Day 2026 Awards – Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU)

• New Self Advocate award – This is a person with disability who has been involved in a self advocacy group for less than 2 years.
• Lifetime achievement award- This is a person with disability who has been involved in self advocacy for more than 5 years.
• Peer worker of the year award – This is a person with disability who does paid work for a self advocacy group.

• The person you nominate needs to agree to be nominated.
• You can nominate your self
• The award will be judged by a group of people who are not self advocates but have been picked by the National Self Advocacy Day Working group
• To nominate someone or yourself you need to complete a form. You need to submit the form by Monday, 31st August.

• The awards will be announced on National Self Advocacy Day, Tuesday, 13th October 2026.
• The person who wins will get a trophy.

More Braille: More Empowerment – Launching the Global Braille Survey

Does Disability Reshape Who We Are? – Centre for Social Impact UWA

Webinar Speaker Spotlight: Curtis and Peggy Chong – It Takes One Advocate: Stories about Transforming Lives

Understanding the NDIS webinar series: Ways to manage your NDIS plan

• how each option works, including who pays providers and manages financial records
• which option may best suit a participant’s needs and goals, and how these decisions are discussed during a plan meeting
• the factors considered when determining how funding is managed.

New South Wales

Audio Described: Sydney Symphony’s Simone Young & Sheku Kanneh-Mason – Sydney Opera House

Victoria

Enjoy an Audio Described Performance: The World Premiere of Mackenzie! – Arts Centre Melbourne

South Australia

Logan St Audio Described Performances – Access2Arts

Queensland

Help Shape an Inclusive Brisbane 2032 – Guide Dogs Queensland