Audio

This is our audio page. Here you will find audio content created by BCA.

You can use the below links to quickly take you to specific parts of this page.

BCA Audioboom Channel

Audioboom is a social media application that allows small audio clips to be recorded and posted to our Blind Citizens Australia channel. Audio clips that appear on the channel are then available for listening to anyone via the Audioboom website.

Use the BCA Audioboom channel to record an audio clip onto our Blind Citizens Australia Audioboo page.

Alternatively, if you have a smart phone, their is an Audioboom app for several platforms, including I-phone and Android. We have found that using these apps is a quick and accessible way to create and upload your audio clips.

Once you have downloaded the Audioboom app to your mobile phone, go to channels, then choose the Not for Profit channel and use the search box to search for the word blind. You will then be provided with a list of channels, choose the Blind Citizens Australia channel.

National Conventions

BCA holds a national convention every second year; and holds State Forums in the year between National Conventions.

National Convention 2015

Listen to the convention recordings
Download the convention recordings and program

National Convention 2013

Listen to the convention recordings
Download the convention recordings

State Forums

BCA holds State Forums in the year between National Conventions.

State Forums 2016

Read the NSW/ACT State Convention program
Listen to the NSW/ACT State Convention audio
Download the NSW/ACT State Convention audio and program

State Forums 2014

Read the Victorian State Forum program
Listen to the Victorian State Forum audio
Download the Victorian State Forum audio and program

Listen to or Download SoundAbout

SoundAbout is a quarterly audio magazine produced by Blind Citizens Australia. It is interview style, with content organised, researched, and interviewing by BCA members. Below is a list of SoundAbout program files for listening or download. The audio file is around 80 minutes in length, in MP3 format. If you choose to listen direct from this page there could be a slight delay while the file loads.

SoundAbout and other BCA audio files are also available as a podcast! Using your pod catcher of choice, you can use the URL http://wordpress.bca.org.au/feed/ to manually subscribe.

Listen to or Download New Horizons

New Horizons is Blind Citizens Australia’s weekly radio show. It is an interview style, with topics relevant to people who are blind or vision impaired. Below is a list of New Horizons program files for listening or download. It runs for about 15 minutes, in MP3 format. If listening direct from this page there could be a slight delay while the file loads.

New Horizons and other BCA audio files are also available as a podcast! Using your pod catcher of choice, you can use the URL http://wordpress.bca.org.au/feed/ to manually subscribe.

Program 490: 13 February 2017We hear from Helen Freris about the latest developments from Blind Citizens Australia’s National Women’s Branch. Hear about upcoming teleconferences, and some exciting news in the fight against violence against women.
Program 489: 6 February 2017We hear from Lauren Henley about a submission Blind Citizens Australia is making, providing feedback about the National Disability Strategy. She explains where the strategy fits into the broad landscape of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and how you can have your thoughts and ideas known. BCA needs to have your comments by 5th March, in order to be included in its submission.
Program 488: 30 January 2017We hear from Emma Bennison, who will soon commence duties as Executive Officer with Blind Citizens Australia. She tells us of her priorities for the organisation, and about the years of leadership and experience she brings to the role.
Program 487: 23 January 2017John Simpson joins us to pass on some long awaited news about Blind Citizens Australia, and particularly its future. Find out who will be the next Executive officer, and some changes on the board.
Program 486: 16 January 2017We feature the final in our series on the recently held Human Rights Oration, held last December in Melbourne. We continue the panel discussion.
Program 485: 9 January 2017We hear the first part of the panel discussion which followed Graeme Innes’ speech at the Human Rights Oration, held in Melbourne in December. The topic is employment for people with a disability.
Program 484: 2 January 2017We hear from Graeme Innes, former Disability Discrimination Commissioner. This is an edited version of the speech he gave at the recently held Victorian Human Rights Oration in Melbourne. Talking about the right to work for people with a disability, Graeme discusses his own employment history, as well as the background to current legislation regarding employment for people with disabilities, and how each employer in Australia can help. This web version is longer than the radio version.
Program 483: 26 December 2016Ahead of some important news from Blind Citizens Australia, we hear the first in a series on the Human Rights Oration, held on December 7 in Melbourne. We hear some introductory remarks from Kristen Hilton, Victoria’s Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner.
Program 482: 19 December 2016We hear about a new support mechanism for younger members of the LGTBI community, who are also blind or vision impaired. Stormy Meiying Liu tells us of her experiences, and what motivated her to establish Team Rainbow.
Program 481: 12 December 2016We hear from BCA president, Emma Bennison, about what could well be the issue of the year, the lack of audio description on Australian television. Emma tells us of the current situation, and what we hope for the future.
Program 480: 5 December 2016We meet the two Australian winners of this year’s Onkyo Braille Essay competition. They discuss their motivation for entering, and why they chose the topics which won them their prizes.
Program 479: 28 November 2016We hear from Lauren Henley, who has recently rejoined the staff of Blind Citizens Australia. She updates us on some important issues for people who are blind or vision impaired, and outlines her new role.
Program 478: 21 November 2016We hear from long-time BCA board member, Barry Chapman. Barry has just resigned his position on the board of Blind Citizens Australia. Find out why, and what Barry is up to.
Program 477: 14 November 2016We hear again from Ivan Molloy, who up until March this year, headed up the Overseas Services branch with BCA. We hear just a few of the achievements of the branch, and its impact on blind and vision impaired people in third world countries.
Program 476: 7 November 2016We hear from long-time BCA member, Jan Miller, who tells us all about the recently held Hobart Forum. Hear what’s happening for blind and vision impaired people around Tasmania, the impact of the NDIS, and the recent changes to Guidedogs Tasmania. Following Jan, we are reminded about an interesting initiative from the new Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
Program 475: 31 October 2016We feature the second part of a presentation given by Jason Bake, who among other things, runs a 400 cow dairy in the Coffs Harbour Hinterland. In this Question/Answer session, hear how he navigates the farm, trains guides for trekking, and many other interesting tips.
Program 474: 24 October 2016We visit the recent NSW/ACT State Convention, held in Coffs Harbour. We hear part one of a two part presentation by Jason Bake, who aside from managing his family owned dairy business, walks trails all over Australia, and overseas. He tells us how he works with his sighted guides and some of the places he has walked.
Program 473: 17 October 2016We hear about some accessibility features integrated into an exhibition held at the National Museum of Australia. As well, we hear from Paul Price, who recently attended Blind Citizens Australia’s Queensland state forum.
Program 472: 10 October 2016following on from last week’s program, we continue the discussion with Padraig Naughton, a visitor to Australia from Dublin, Ireland. Hear about the changes to education over the years, Guide-Dog discrimination and more. Also, a reminder about the upcoming BCA state forums in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.
Program 471: 3 October 2016We revisit the international scene. In this first of a two part series, Padraig Naughton, director of Arts and Disability Ireland, describes the landscape for people who are blind or vision impaired in his home country. If you’d like to find out more about Arts and Disability Ireland, check out http://www.adiarts.ie.
Program 470: 26 September 2016John Simpson, vice-president of Blind Citizens Australia, discusses details for the upcoming AGM, to be held in Sydney in November. He also tells us about the new National Policy Council. Nominations are being sought from BCA members, so it’s time for us to step up and get involved.
Program 469: 19 September 2016We discover the accessibility options to be found in some Samsung televisions. Also is an interesting publicity idea from the US.
Program 468: 12 September 2016We hear about the recently held World Blind Union General Assembly. Emma Bennison, BCA president, tells us of some of the exciting things she saw and heard during her recent trip to the US as one of the Australian delegates.
Program 467: 5 September 2016We speak with John Simpson, Vice President of BCA, about the upcoming state forums. We firm up the dates, some of which have changed, and also hear about the time and location of the BCA AGM. If you would like to attend a convention or forum in your state, get in touch with the BCA office, and they’ll assist you.
Program 466: 29 August 2016The second part of Bruce Maguire’s talk on touch-screens, with a particular focus on the accessibility of Albert, the new EFTPOS terminal from the Commonwealth Bank.
Program 465: 22 August 2016We commence a two part series featuring Bruce Maguire, on the development of touch-screens. In particular, the difficulties many blind and vision impaired people are experiencing with the new craze meeting the retail industry – Albert.
Program 464: 15 August 2016We say a sad farewell to Blind Citizens Australia CEO, Leah van Poppel, who has been with us now for just over a year. Also, an update on convention dates, and some information from the National Women’s Branch of BCA.
Program 463: 8 August 2016Rikki Chaplin, advocacy officer with BCA joins us to tell us how we can get our questions asked about the Census, the latest goss on Audio Description, and just who is Albert?
Program 462: 1 August 2016The second part of a two part talk by Blind Citizens Australia CEO, Leah van Poppel, presented at the Round Table on Information Access for people with a print disability. Leah tells us exactly what we can do to bridge the digital gap for people who are blind or vision impaired. We also hear from Humanware about their latest products to assist blind and vision impaired people in their daily lives.
Program 461: 25 July 2016Blind Citizens Australia CEO, Leah van Poppel, tells us about factors affecting equal access to digital information for blind and vision impaired people. In this first part of a two part talk Leah gave at the Round Table on Information Access for people with a print disability, she outlines the impact of unequal access, and just who is disadvantaged the most.
Program 460: 18 July 2016Find out when the state conventions will be happening in your state. There is also news specifically for those in the ACT, and we hear from Pacific Vision about some of the products they sell and support.
Program 459: 11 July 2016We hear from Graeme Innes AM, about his newly published autobiography, Finding A Way. Find out what Graeme is up to, and his motivation for writing the book. In the last few minutes of the program, we hear from Nigel Herring, who earlier this year received the lifetime achievement award from the Round Table on Information access for people with a print disability.
Program 458: 4 July 2016We catch up with founding BCA member, Bill Jolley, who recently attended a meeting of the International Council on English Braille, in the USA. He tells us what happened, and gives us his thoughts on the recent developments in braille technology. At the end of the program, some very welcome news for people with a print disability in Australia and overseas.
Program 457: 27 June 2016We hear from three people and their experiences relating to Blind Citizens Australia’s key election priorities. John Simpson, vice-president of BCA tells us how the disparity between the funding available through the National Disability Insurance and My Aged Care schemes affects him, BCA president Emma Bennison talks about the appalling lack of audio description on Australian television, and former Disability Discrimination commissioner, Graeme Innes talks about the lack of funding for peak bodies to carry out advocacy on behalf of people with disability.
Program 456: 20 June 2016We hear from Michael Andersen from the Reserve Bank of Australia, about recent exciting developments in the accessibility of Australian currency. BCA has a long history of advocating for banknote accessibility, and Michael tells us about the RBA’s successful community consultation project, and the useful contribution of the Blind and Vision Impaired community.
Program 455: 13 June 2016Discover BCA’s election priorities, and how you can help get the message across. If you have a story to tell, find out from Rikki Chaplin, how you can inform your local member, and help your community as well.
Program 454: 6 June 2016We revisit childhood, with the BallyLand Magic app. This IOS app is designed to teach the very young, and perhaps the not so young, how to use Apple’s built-in Screen Reader, VoiceOver. Find out what BallyLand is, and how you can visit, for lots of fun-packed adventures.
Program 453: 30 May 2016We hear how four years of work and research have come to fruition. We hear from Neil Jarvis, president of the Round Table on Information Access for People with a Print Disability, about the Orbit Braille Reader – a low-cost braille display which is set to be a game-changer for blind people all over the world. At the end of the program, some interesting information particularly of concern to Tasmanians who are blind or vision impaired.
Program 452: 23 May 2016We join the Round Table on Information Access for people with print disabilities in celebrating the achievements of a man who has become an institution in the Adaptive Technology sector. Neil Jarvis, president of the Round Table, tells us all about this year’s recipient of the Tammy Axelson Lifetime Achievement award, which since 2009 has been presented to people who have had a significant impact on the Print Disability sector.
Program 451: 16 May 2016We speak with Emma Bennison, president of Blind Citizens Australia, about the forums recently held in South Australia and New South Wales. Also, is an update on BCA’s thoughts on the upcoming federal election.
Program 450: 9 May 2016Budget has been the word of the week and New Horizons is no exception. Find out how the federal budget will impact on the lives of Australians who are blind or vision impaired, as well as some unwelcome news affecting our Radio Reading network. We hear first from Blind Citizens Australia CEO, Leah van Poppel, then we talk to Nicci Lindemann, manager of 2RPH in Sydney to find out how the proposed cuts to Community Radio will impact on RPH stations across the country. You can sign the petition established by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia at www.facebook.com/keepcommunityradio.
Program 449: 2 May 2016We hear from Leah van Poppel, CEO of Blind Citizens Australia, about What BCA believes are the big issues facing us at the 2016 federal election, the NDIS, My Aged Care and other issues.
Program 448: 25 April 2016We head to NSW, where we hear from Krystel Keller, newly appointed Executive Officer of Blind Citizens NSW about an upcoming forum to be conducted between members of BCNSW and BCA. We’ve been mentioning it for some weeks on the program, so here’s your chance to find out exactly what it’s all about, and why you should attend. Finally is a brief reminder from BCA CEO, Leah van Poppel.
Program 447: 18 April 2016We continue our discussion with Lee Kumutat, a woman who is blind and living as a journalist in the UK. Hear how she got started in radio, and if she’s faced any discrimination in her chosen career.
Program 446: 11 April 2016We hear from Lee Kumutat, an Australian who is currently living in the UK, working as a radio producer, presenter and journalist. Hear about her move, and some of the differences between the UK and Australia, particularly in regard to transport, and the difference in attitudes to people who are blind.
Program 445: 4 April 2016Ahead of some BCA updates, we look at how to subscribe and receive the New Horizons podcast from the Vision Australia library. As well, there are some exciting updates to Vision Australia’s Connect app, which allows IOS and Android users to read and/or download books.
Program 444: 28 March 2016We talk all things Braille. We hear from Jordie Howell, a member of the executive committee of the Australian Braille Authority, about the Onkyo Essay Competition, the forthcoming Round Table on Information Access for people with a Print Disability, and lots more. Finally, Vaughn updates us on latest happenings from BCA including an important survey regarding communications, as well as some teleconferences for people interested in Aged Care reform.
Program 443: 21 March 2016We ask what is "Flash Sonar"? How can blind people be given a greater glimpse of their environment and navigate more effectively? We speak with Daniel Kish of World Access for the blind, an Orientation and Mobility specialist from the US who is currently visiting Australia conducting seminars and training for O and M instructors and people who are blind.
Program 442: 14 March 2016We hear from David Blyth, inaugural president of Blind Citizens Australia, in response to last week’s interview with Ivan Molloy. We also hear from Helen Freris of Melbourne, vice president of BCA’s National Women’s Branch, about moves to improve communication for women across Australia.
Program 441: 7 March 2016We are privileged to hear from Ivan Molloy about the Overseas Service special interest branch of Blind Citizens Australia. Ivan tells us about the inception of this branch and about some of the amazing projects in which he has been involved. We reflect on the sad news that this branch will be winding up very soon, and hear why.
Program 440: 29 February 2016Branches, aged care issues and a concert are the topic this week. We hear from Emma Bennison, Blind Citizens Australia president about these issues. She also tells us how the job has affected her, and what she hopes for the future.
Program 439: 22 February 2016We talk to the winner of the competition for the new theme for New Horizons, Steve Richardson, who is no stranger to Blind Citizens Australia. He presents our national audio magazine SoundAbout, and has been involved with RPH broadcasting for over 20 years. At the end of the program, you can hear the complete song, which has been entirely written, recorded and produced by blind and vision impaired people. If you would like your own copy, it will soon be available from iTunes and other online platforms, all proceeds going to BCA.
Program 438: 15 February 2016We conclude our My Aged Care feature, with Karen Knight, who tells us how the aged care reforms impact on a service provider. She also gives us further information about how people over 65 may find out more, and get their needs met. There is an important announcement about a media statement at the end of the program.
Program 437: 8 February 2016We continue our look at the My Aged Care program. We hear from two BCA members, Pearl and Peter Sumner of Victoria, who tell us how they got involved, and exactly what the MAC program means to them.
Program 436: 1 February 2016We start a very interesting series on the My Aged Care scheme. Lynne Davis, who holds the portfolio for the NDIS and My Aged Care programs on the BCA board, gives us a broad overview of the scheme, and what it means to people over 65. In the coming weeks we will be talking to some participants about their experiences, likes and dislikes.
Program 435: 25 January 2016Vaughn Bennison visits the Blind Citizens Australia office in Melbourne, where he speaks with CEO, Leah van Poppel. She tells us how she’s enjoying the job, and covers issues such as funding, aged care and others. Vaughn also tells us of a new e-mail address for New Horizons feedback.
Program 434: 18 January 2016We hear from Jenny Dawson about parenting, from the Women’s Branch session at the 2015 Blind Citizens Australia National Convention.
Program 433: 11 January 2016We continue our theme of wayfinding, with information from the 2015 Blind Citizens Australia National Convention. We hear from Amy Barrett-Lennard, an orientation and Mobility specialist with Visability, and Bashir Ibrahim from Guide Dogs QLD.
Program 432: 4 January 2016Vaughn Bennison speaks with Jane Bryce of Visionary Access Consulting about the new Australian Wayfinding Standard.