Opinion pieces

The Australian Government is being criticised after it was revealed it will provide $200,000 out of a $2 million grant in taxpayer's money to support activities that undermine the work of Ms Maryanne Diamond, an Australian who is President of the World Blind Union (WBU).

Children with a vision and/ or hearing impairment in regional and remote areas will have greater access to services thanks to a new video conferencing program launched today.

Blind social worker Simran Kaur received the news of her life recently, when the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, overturned a decision by the Department and granted her permanent residency. Under our current immigration system, if you are legally blind and you want to call Australia home, the door is closed. Our immigration system is caught in 19th century thinking about disability, viewing people who are blind as burden's to society and in most cases, there is no mechanism to argue to the contrary short of an elusive Ministerial intervention.

Last Friday, Kevin Rudd visited our Coorparoo site to talk with staff over lunch and to have a tour of our facilities. He learned about the range of Vision Australia services and the key issues faced by people who are blind or have low vision in their daily lives.

Queenslanders with a disability, their families and carers will have new voices in government with the appointment of 75 Advisory Council Members around the state. Liz Jeffrey, Vision Australia's Advocacy Officer for Queensland is one of those successfully appointed to the role for a term of three years, commencing in September 2011. The other 74 members come from communities across Queensland - from Cairns to the Gold Coast and west to Mount Isa. Members include people with a disability, carers and advocates, as well as representatives of community organisations, businesses, local government, disability service providers and the wider community

Minister for Ageing Andrew Constance has today announced a massive expansion of NSW Seniors Card benefits following the signing of a reciprocal arrangement with the New Zealand Government.

The recent spate of natural disasters across Australia has increased demand for services supporting national and international communities, according to Deloitte's inaugural survey into the Not for Profit Sector - Fundraising in 2012.

Last week the copyright committee of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (SCCR) made great progress towards a law to improve access to books for blind and other print disabled people.

Blind champion Gerrard Gosens can climb Mount Everest, compete and do well in a national celebrity dance competition, and pick up an Order of Australia Medal, but he won't be able to vote independently or in secret at the upcoming Queensland election.

On Fiday 18 May, Senator Stephen Conroy announced that a talking version of the set-top box will be available through the Household Assistance Scheme (HAS).