Welcome to the For Your Information for April (F.Y.I for short).
This month we bring you information about the call out for artists for Vision
Australia’s calendars. This an amazing opportunity if you love painting or
drawing if you have a vision impairment.If you’re not a painter but are a
braille user you might be interested to know that the Onkyo Braille Essay is
now open for enteries. This annual event is held in the Asia Pacific region and
aims to promote cultural and social interaction through braille.For those of
you receiving this newsletter for the first time, we’re delighted to have you
on the list. F.Y.I. offers you news relating to the blindness and low vision
community with plenty of attention to Vision Australia matters.As always, you
can use the links below to work your way through the content of the F.Y.I. and,
when in stories, you can click on the links for more information. If you would
prefer not to receive this newsletter, you can unsubscribe at any time.In this
edition, there is information covering:
- Calling all artists!
- World-first study into depression in relation to blindness and low vision
- Survey for older people’s experience with NDIS
- Invitation to participate in a consultation – print disability services
- Onkyo Braille Essay Competition
- Women are bringing disabilities education to YouTube
- London comedian turning blindness into laughs
- Hamish McLachlan interviews blind 15-year-old pianist Francesca Lachman
- Teaching literacy skills through grocery shopping
- Careers in focus
- New legislation threatens transport funding for disability community
- Blind Willie Johnson – Radio National documentary
- Notes on Blindness film now showing in Australia
- Set a course for online small business career
- What's on
- Keeping in touch with Vision Australia
Calling all artists!
Fancy yourself a Brett Whitely or perhaps you’re more of a Margaret
Olley?Whatever your painting or drawing style, Vision Australia is calling for
works from artists who are blind or have low vision to feature in our 2018
large print calendars and diaries.To be considered, you need to have produced a
beautiful artwork over the last 12 months and one that is suitable for a
decorative calendar.
All artwork selected will be accompanied by an artist profile.The 13 successful
entries will each receive a gift card to the value of $300.You can find further
information, including entry details on the Vision Australia website
here.Entries close on Friday 28 April, 2017.Back to top
World-first study into depression in relation to blindness and low vision
Despite the increased prevalence for depression in people who are blind or have
low vision, gaps in access to psychological support for this group exist.Centre
for Eye Research Australia (CERA) researchers Dr Bonnie Sturrock and Dr Gwyn
Rees have designed a guided self-help program based on Acceptance Commitment
Therapy (ACT).ACT encourages patients to accept what is out of their control
(in this case, blindness or low vision) and to commit to actions that improve
and enrich their lives.To register your interest in participating, please phone
Marian Saeed at the Centre for Eye Research Australia on (03) 9929 8161.Back to
top
Survey for older people’s experience with NDIS
Are you an older person who is blind or has low vision, and receives disability
supports or services through the NDIS or another support scheme?Would you be
willing to talk to researchers (confidentially) about your experiences?The
Social Research Centre and Flinders University would like to speak with a small
number of people (or their carers) who have either:
• joined the NDIS, aged 59 or more and live in Victoria or New South Wales, or
• not joined the NDIS, aged 64 to 70 and live in Victoria or South
Australia.All conversations are confidential and anonymous and you’ll be paid
$50 for your time.If you would like to take part in the study, please phone
Flinders University 1800 265 648 or email ndisevaluation@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx before
30 April, 2017.If you would like to hear more about the broader NDIS evaluation
you can visit Flinders University NDIS evaluation website here.Back to top
Invitation to participate in a consultation – print disability services
Last month, the Department of Social Services commissioned Health and Community
Consulting Group to undertake a review of its print disability services.The
review explores the needs of people with print disabilities and considers how
people with different types of print disability, and from different
backgrounds, access printed materials.Mandy Healy from Health and Community
Consulting Group wants to speak to people who are vision impaired to ensure
that people who are vision impaired have a strong voice in the review.The
interviews are conducted over the telephone and will take you around 20
minutes. To reimburse you for your time a $50 voucher or cheque will be mailed
to you.If you are interested in participating, or would like more information
please email Mandy directly at mandyhealy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with your
telephone number so she can phone you back.If you prefer, you can phone Mandy
on 0413 082 485 and leave a message and she will call you back.Back to top
Onkyo Braille Essay Competition
The annual World Blind Union Asia Pacific Onkyo Braille Essay Competition is
now open for entries.The competition aims to promote braille literacy and
encourage cultural and social interaction among blind and vision impaired
people through their writing.Entries must be 700 to 1000 words. Cash prizes are
awarded for a range of categories. The completion is open to people aged 14 up
and living in the World Blind Union Asia Pacific Region.Essay themes are:
• The Positive Experiences and Opportunities of My Life from Being Blind
• The Importance and Creative Uses of Braille in My Life, and
• Music Brings Opportunities, Joy, Development and Change in My LifeFor further
information, including entry guidelines, visit the Blind Citizens Australia
website here.Back to top
Women are bringing disabilities education to YouTube
The Huffington Post celebrated Women’s History Month with a feature on women on
YouTube who are making content about disabilities, educating others on their
experiences and making online content more accessible to others.
One of these women is Haben Girma. Haben is the first deaf-blind Harvard Law
School Graduate, and is a passionate advocate for the rights of people with
disabilities, receiving recognition from Forbes 30 Under 30 and former US
President Barack Obama. She’s even given a TedTalk.Haben offers training in
providing accessibility for various types of disabilities and also speaks
professionally to audiences of all sizes.
While Haben is not a traditional creator, YouTube is full of countless
interviews with Haben, discussing her activism within disabled communities.You
can read the full article at the Huffington Post here and watch Haben’s Ted
Talk here.Back to top
London comedian turning blindness into laughs
While Melbourne is enjoying the International Comedy Festival, an article from
London’s Timeout shines a light on a comedian whose routine centres on her
vision loss. Comedian and writer Georgie Morrell, who started losing her vision
at the age of three, says she loves the idea of getting people to laugh at
things they wouldn’t normally find amusing, like going blind.“Finding something
funny in tragedy is what a lot of my comedy is about,” Morrell says.“Going
blind has been a great source of material. When you’re sat in a waiting room
with no windows at Moorfields Eye Hospital for four hours, if you don’t make a
joke, you might kill yourself. Although I’ve lost most of my sight, I’ve gained
perspective.”Morrell concedes that not everyone would find her comedy funny.
“They don’t want to find the funny in disability, which is fine,” she says.
“I understand that it’s easier to hide away from an issue. Sometimes I’d like
to forget what I’ve been through, but what I’ve had to give up has made me who
I am. If I hadn’t lost half my eyesight, I probably would’ve been a right
spoiled cow. I might have stayed in the Home Counties and turned out totally
boring and materialistic.”You can read the full article at Timeout London
here.Back to top
Hamish McLachlan interviews blind 15-year-old pianist Francesca Lachman
The Herald Sun has published an article about 15-year-old Francesca Lachman,
who has the extraordinary musical gift of being able to play songs, primarily
on the piano, after hearing them only once.Francesca says of her ability, “It’s
how I’ve learnt all music. I listen and I search for the notes, and I make
chords by listening and knowing which notes to use from my head,” she says.
“I have perfect pitch and somehow, I can just remember what I hear. Once I’ve
heard something, I spend every moment I can at the piano, finding the notes and
playing the music.”You can find the article on the Herald Sun site here.Back to
top
Teaching literacy skills through grocery shopping
Liamsmom is the mother of seven-year-old Liam, who is deaf-blind.
She was determined to think of ways to make the experience of going to a
grocery store possible, enjoyable, and meaningful – which for the most part had
proven difficult.“By the end of the (shopping) trip I was worn out and on the
verge of tears,” she writes in her guest post on the Paths to Literacy site.
“Liam was frustrated as well, as he didn't always know what was going on and
couldn't express himself well yet. I refused to give up, as I knew that, with
some practice and planning, it had to get easier - it had to get better.”As
Liam’s communication skills developed, the shopping trips became more
successful as Liamsmom created a grocery list that could be hooked to the
grocery cart for Liam to follow as they shopped.
It had Velcro pieces that included an object symbol that represented the items
to be bought that was paired with braille, even though he was not reading
braille at the time. The list was kept short and simple, listing some of his
favorite foods. You can read the full articles on the Paths to Literacy is a
site here.Back to top
Careers in focus
Vision Australia has launched a new Linkedin group called Careers in Focus. The
group will bring together people who are blind or have low vision to assist and
mentor each other on how to take that next step in their career.Whether you’re
just starting your career or you’re at the peak of you career success there
will be something in it for you.The Careers in Focus group will promote
meaningful conversations and encourage the sharing of knowledge by people who
have been there and done that.There will be information about and discussion on
a range of topics including:
• building your online profile
• building skills to advance your career and get that next job
• the latest technology in the workplace
• interesting trends and issues that may impact your career
• case studies of people who have succeeded at workIf you already have a
LinkedIn account search for Careers in Focus.If you would like further support
to develop your first LinkedIn profile please contact Vision Australia by email
at careersinfocus@visionaustralia.orgBack to top
New legislation threatens transport funding for disability community
Disability advocates are mounting a second fight to stop changes to legislation
that will reduce, and in some circumstances, cut off funding for transport for
people with disability.Vision Australia general manager for government
relations and advocacy, Karen Knight, said that the government’s plans to
extend transport funding only to those who sign up to the NDIS, and abolish the
Mobility Allowance by 2020, will reduce people’s ability to participate in the
workforce.“The Mobility Allowance is a key support for people with disability,
in particular, the blindness and low vision community. It helps people to pay
for taxis to get to and from work, attend job interviews, and take up
volunteering and study opportunities which can lead to future employment,” Ms
Knight says.You can read the full article on Vision Australia’s website
here.Back to top
Blind Willie Johnson – Radio National documentary
Radio National’s documentary program Ear Shot recently featured a program on
African-American blues guitarist Blind Willie Johnson, who was considered the
most important blues guitarist ever and his music the blueprint for rock and
roll.Born in 1897, he lost his vision in infancy. To survive as a blind black
person, in that time and place, there were two options: begging on the street
or singing on the street. At the age of five, his father gave him a cigar box
guitar and his life as a musician began.You can hear this fascinating
documentary on the Ear Shot web page here.Back to top
Notes on Blindness film now showing in Australia
Australian-born academic and theologian John Hull kept an audio diary after he
lost his vision at the age of 60, and those tapes have inspired the
extraordinary film Notes on Blindness.There is now a wonderful opportunity to
see this film with limited screenings around Australia. For further information
and to purchase tickets go to Demand Films here. Please note that screenings
will not go ahead until enough tickets are sold.Audio description is available
by downloading the app via Movie Reading.For further information about Notes
on Blindness and to view an audio described excerpt, go to the New York times
website here.
Back to top
Set a course for online small business career
Are you interested in stretching your entrepreneurial wings and establishing
your own online business?Vision Australia is seeking interest in a second round
of a new pilot online small business training program for people who are blind
or have low vision, following a successful pilot that ended in March this
year.Under the initial pilot, five aspiring entrepreneurs from the blind and
low vision community got the chance to learn how to set up and run an online
business.Program facilitator Trudy Rankin says the new course will include an
intensive week of face-to-face sessions in Melbourne to equip clients with key
skills, before six months of weekly face-to-face meetings, online group
meetings and coaching sessions to help participants to establish a business as
a group.Participants then apply what they learned in the group setting to
develop their own online business.It’s hoped that Vision Australia can begin
the new online business course in the final quarter of this year.For further
details, or to register interest in the second pilot program, please email
Vision Australia Employment Manager Jan Hauser here.Back to top
What's on
There’s an audio described performance of Lord of the Flies at the State
Theatre Melbourne.Lord of the Flies has been transformed into a chilling,
beautiful and hugely entertaining new production by Sir Matthew Bourne (OBE).
Sunday 9 April at 3pm.If you live in the Albury-Wodonga region there will be an
audio described performance of Coranderrk at The Cube.At a Victorian
Parliamentary Inquiry in 1881, the men and women of the Coranderrk Aboriginal
Reserve went head-to-head with the Aboriginal Protection Board. Their goal was
both simple and revolutionary: to be allowed to continue the brilliant
experiment in self-determination they had pioneered on the scrap of country
left to them.Thursday 4 May at 7.30pmFor further information and to find more
event in your area go to Vision Australia’s events page here.Back to top
Keeping in touch with Vision Australia
Stay in touch with Vision Australia in between F.Y.I. newsletters, by tuning in
to our radio programs, listening to our audio newsletter or connecting with us
on social media.Talking Vision is our weekly, national current affairs radio
program. Listen to past Talking Vision episodes or find your local radio
frequency here.Your Vision Australia Roundup audio newsletter provides national
and local news from across Vision Australia. You can listen to the latest
edition of Your Vision Australia Roundup online here or call 1300 84 74 66 to
have future editions sent to you in the post.You can also keep in touch with
Vision Australia through our social media channels. Join our Facebook community
or follow us on Twitter.Back to topStella Glorie, Communications and
Marketing.Please feel free to contact us at info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or call
1300 847 466. You are receiving this email because you have agreed to be
contacted by Vision Australia.Vision Australia, 454 Glenferrie Rd, Kooyong VIC
3144
