Victory

Dear Supporters,

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news in our campaign for blind leadership within Vision Australia. Following the overwhelming response from the 1408 blind people and our supporters, the Vision Australia Board has revised its position on the CEO recruitment process. Bill Jolley, Chair of the Board, has confirmed that Vision Australia will now commission an external search for a new CEO, with a clear focus on lived experience of blindness or low vision as a desirable attribute for the role.

The Board acknowledges that while Vision Australia would be proud to have a blind or low vision CEO, they also recognise that the necessary skills for the role are not always widely held. The recruitment process will adhere to Vision Australia’s Affirmative Action Policy for people who are blind or have low vision, removing barriers often experienced by blind and low vision applicants. This is a significant win, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your support!

However, this is just the beginning. United Blind Leaders will continue working to ensure that blind and vision-impaired people are represented at every level of leadership, both within Australia and beyond.

To stay connected and be part of our future campaigns, we invite you to join our mailing list by visiting www.unitedblindleaders.org/join-our-mailing-list We hope you will encourage your networks to do the same by sharing this update with them.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are making a real difference!

Warm regards,

Emma Bennison

John Simpson

Vaughn Bennison

Graeme Innes

On behalf of United Blind Leaders