Level 3
Ross House
247-251 Flinders Lane
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Telephone: 03 9654 1400 Toll Free: 1800 033 660 Fax: 03 9650 3200 Email: bca@bca.org.au
Blind Citizens Australia Website: www.bca.org.au
29th August 2019
Commissioner Ronald Sackville,
Blind Citizens Australia is the peak national representative body for people who are blind or vision impaired.
We commend the Royal Commission on their Draft Accessibility Strategy, outlining plans to communicate and connect with people with disability.
Blindness is an information disability. This means that most of the barriers that are faced by people who are blind or vision impaired result from them having limited access to information.
How people read information can come down to personal choice, convenience and ease. Some people with usable functional vision might use standard print or large print (san serif font like ‘Arial’ in size 16 or greater), audio format, electronic formats, Braille or a number of these formats depending on the task they are working on. Websites must be compliant with web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG), and any downloadable content must be available in accessible word, or html formats, and there must be the option of the provision of information in a person’s preferred format.
Thank you for your consideration in having a braille embosser in the commission’s offices. This is an extremely important asset to ensure that personal information is able to be produced onsite, therefore promoting confidentiality. Please note that some producers of braille are also disability service providers, so it is extremely important that
Blind Citizens Australia ABN 90 006 985 226. Gifts are Tax Deductible.
any personal documentation or information transcribed into braille is done so internally.
A person’s preferred format for information should be kept on file for ease of ongoing communications and updates from the commission.
Any videos produced that are available on the commission’s website should be audio described and captioned, where relevant. As well as captioning, a transcript of all videos should be available to allow access for those people who are Deaf or hearing impaired as well as being blind or vision impaired, or for those who are deaf/blind.
The options provided for people to contribute to and make submissions must be flexible. As well as being able to submit electronically, there must also be a dedicated phone line for people to make submissions by phone, as well as to submit by post and in a person’s preferred format. These options must be widely advertised and communicated to both the disability and broader community.
Not all people with disability have independent or accessible access to the internet, email or communications via websites. This could be due to age, lack of skills in using technology, or living arrangements where independent, accessible and/or unmonitored internet access is not available. The provision of information that is uncensored, able to be accessed independently and is clear and easy to read is necessary to ensure all people with disability are able to participate in this once in a lifetime royal commission.
Sincerely,
Angela Jaeschke
Advocacy and Policy Manager
Blind Citizens Australia
Direct number: 03 8417 1077 Office Phone: 03 9654 1400 / Toll free:1800 033 660
Email: angela.jaeschke@bca.org.au Web: www.bca.org.au