New Horizons

This is the audio edition of Blind Citizens News, for April 2020. It has been broken up into chapters for your convenience. It is narrated and produced by Glenn Morrow.

In this, the first episode to come out of our recently held Happy Hour on Global Accessibility Awareness day, we hear what the day is about, and we hear from David Vosnacos, Access consultant, and Assistive Technology Coordinator with VisAbility. David reminds us where we've come from, where we are now, and where to from here; in terms of digital accessibility. In coming episodes, we'll hear from Andrew Arch from Intopia, and Blind Citizens News editor, Jonathan Craig.

In this episode, we revisit Episode 471, from late 2016. We hear from padraig naughton who discusses some of the differences between blindness services in Ireland and Australia.

This week we revisit episode 439, from 2016. Steve Richardson wrote the New Horizons theme-song, and talks about the programme, themes which have been used throughout the years, and how he came to write and sing a tune that New Horizons listeners have heard for over four years now.

In this week's episode, we feature extracts from a recently held Blind Citizens Australia Happy Hour conversation on keeping your guide dog gainfully employed and motivated during the Coronavirus lockdown. Ryan Jones, from Guide Dogs NSW and the ACT gives us some ideas on how to keep your dog interested, motivated and well behaved during this period of staying at home.

In this week's episode, ahead of some comments from a NSW listener to New Horizons, we speak with Judy Jones, who holds the position of Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. In this strange time of working and socialising all from our homes, the internet and telecoms plays a bigger part in our lives than usual. Byt, who is there to assist those whose telecoms experience has not been up to standard, or is not what they would have wished? Judy discusses her background, the Ombudsman service and how you might take your telecommunications dispute further.

It is vital that in these strange times we stay as informed as possible. Blind Citizens Australia is sending an update by mail to all of its members. This is the feature on this week's New Horizons. Whether or not you are a BCA member, or regardless of your access to technology, you can continue to be informed and stay up to date with happenings within the Blind and Vision Impaired community.

This week we bring you the editorial from the recently published edition of Blind Citizens News. Jonathan Craig, editor of Blind Citizens News has written on a subject of interest to many blind and vision impaired people. Also, a way for you to get involved with New Horizons.

In this week's episode, we explore one of the most popular way to join your friends and colleagues during this time of imposed social isolation. Find out how you can use your telephone and Web-Browser to join meetings, receive services and more.

In this week's programme, we feature the audio from a video published late last week by BCA CEO, Emma Bennison. Here about work BCA is doing on behalf of blind and vision impaired people in Australia, and how blind and vision impaired people can get together in this time of physical and often social isolation. Sally Aurisch gives us some detail about how you can save money on drinks during BCA's happy hour conversations - oh no, sorry, it's BYO only!