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Welcome

Aid for the Blind has been established for over 30 years and provides accommodation services for blind and vision impaired people in Queensland, Australia. Aid for the Blind also aims to widen vocational expectations and social skills through funding of research initiatives.

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About Us

Aid for the Blind was founded over 40 years ago by Gordon and Reverend Elsie Dodd. Their mission was simple, to improve working conditions and provide affordable self-contained living accommodation.

Today we operate 32 independent living units in Fairfield, Brisbane and raise funds by operating opportunity shops. This year we will start building 8 new units at our Fairfield site. We have also provided a grant of $100,000-00 for research into educational methods, anticipating combining government and industry assistance to provide meaningful goals and expectations, improving old and developing new technology in Braille and computers. Hopefully, this will lead to a centre of excellence for the future. We are grateful to Griffith University agreeing to undertake this research on behalf of Aid for the Blind.

We are a self-funded charity who needs your help to achieve the highest possible expectations for meaningful employment and future opportunities for the vision impaired. The more of you who join our vision the stronger we can become to achieve these goals that are affordable and readily available to all vision impaired persons.

Aid for the Blind is asking for your interest and involvement to better the lives and futures of the vision impaired by raising their expectations for the future.

Please contact the office and register your interest.

Board of Directors

Currently there are 10 Directors. The Board must have a minimum of four Directors who are vision impaired or blind to ensure relevance and equity as stated in our Constitution (136kb). The board of Directors meets monthly and contact information is available via the office.

CEO and Staff

Paul Dakin has been CEO of Aid for the Blind since 2002. The CEO is supported part-time by Office Manager Karen Thompson.

Annual Report

Reports on the activities of the organisation are available on request.
Please contact our main office for information.

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History

During 1968 Elsie Dodd learned her dear and close friend in England had become blind. Elsie became determined to help in some way all persons who were handicapped by the lack of sight.

Pathfinders Aid For the Blind was established with meetings held at the home of Elsie and Gordon Dodd, and was closely associated with Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School.

In 1970 Amalgamation of Pathfinders Aid for The Blind and Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School took place. There was confusion over other charities using the Pathfinder name, so Aid for The Blind was adopted. Resolution to establish accommodation for blind persons of all ages was adopted as the primary objective.

The organisation continued to grow, membership increased, and the main source of income was from street collections.

Volunteer collectors travelled throughout Queensland raising funds. The success of the organisation was due mainly to the original people staying involved, with the dream of a Charity to help blind persons in need.

Brisbane City Council approved the lease of land at Cameron Street, Fairfield.

First Stage was the building of Units 1-17, opened January 1982, later named Eldon Courts in honour of Elsie and Gordon Dodd.

Second Stage, building of Units 18 – 25 Opened March 1985

Third Stage, building of Units 26 – 33 Opened November 1987

1991 Adjoining house in Wilkins Street purchased for future development.

1996-1999 in an effort to establish other income streams and finance further development the Clothing Bin Collection venture was established and as a natural progression Op Shops were opened to provide a sales outlet for these donations.

Aid For the Blind is a member of NACRO (National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations).

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Contact

For information about any of our services please phone our head office, send us a fax or drop us an email.

Address: 10 Cameron Street, Fairfield, Qld, 4103.

Phone: 07 3846 1258

Fax: 07 3846 2085

Email: aidblind@bigpond.net.au or info@aidfortheblind.org

Website: www.aidfortheblind.org

Feedback

We welcome any comments, complaints or compliments that you may have about our website or our organisation.

To provide feedback there are two options:

  1. enter your comments in the online discussion board, or
  2. send us an email.

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Membership

Membership of Friends of Aid for the Blind is a way to provide support for the charitable activities that we undertake. Becoming a member assists the organisation to lobby on behalf of its members and for Blind and Vision Impaired people who need support. To become a member of Friends of Aid for the Blind there are two options:

  1. enter your details in the online form provided, or
  2. download the form (in MS Word format 135kb), fill in your details and send or fax it to us.

Join the mailing list

Joining the mailing list allows to you send and receive group email messages. Join by filling out this online form.

Receive the email newsletter

If you prefer not to become a member or to join the mailing list, please feel free to register your email address with us to receive our email newsletter.

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News

2008

September

Education Project

Although the past focus of Aid For the Blind has predominantly been on supporting adults, particularly in relation to their accommodation needs, we recognise that enabling people who have a vision impairment to fulfill their potential requires concerted efforts and appropriate support from many angles, from a very young age.
With this in mind, Aid For the Blind is developing a new program, to be known as VIPER (Vision ImPaired Education Resource). The VIPER concept recognises that for most V.I. children the combined development of Braille and computer skills from a very young age is critical.
Aid For the Blind believes that access to learning opportunities to develop optimal literacy skills is a basic right for any young child. For V.I. children, fulfilling this right is dependent upon the availability of educational support and technology, including access to technology within homes, schools, tertiary institutions, workplaces, libraries etc.
These are the types of issues that the VIPER program is seeking to contribute to.

February

2007

February

2006

December

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About blindness

Aid for the Blind has been established for over 30 years and provides accommodation services for blind and vision impaired people in Queensland, Australia. Aid for the Blind also aims to widen vocational expectations and social skills through funding of research initiatives.

Our day-to-day operations are not involved in seeking a cure for blindness; however the following list of useful links may help your investigations in a variety of areas.

Tips from a Blind Person

Des Pampling is a member of Aid for the Blind and has prepared the following to assist people with the understanding and interactions with vision impaired and blind people:

"To interact with a blind or vision impaired person.

Blindness is not a disease that other people can get, so don't be afraid to communicate with a Blind or Vision Impaired Person, as that person looks normal to a sighted person.

Address the Blind Person, if they have a name badge call them by name otherwise call them the Blind Person, and say your name, most Blind or Vision Impaired Persons don't mind being called a Blind Person to get their attention, when talking to them, until you get their name.

In general a Blind or Vision Impaired Person is not deaf, and they do not know you are speaking to them unless you call them by name, as they can't see that you are looking at them, and you don't need to raise your voice either, as most of them are not deaf and usually have pretty good hearing.

When you are assisting a Blind or Vision Impaired Person always ask them how they would like you to assist them. The general rule is for them to hold your right arm above the elbow and that puts them half a pace behind you and they can follow every move you make as you are walking. Also advise them what is coming up ahead, such as steps etc, (if the Blind or Vision Impaired Person is carrying a cane in his left hand, naturally they would hold your left arm above the elbow).

When assisting a Blind or Vision Impaired Person with a Guide Dog and are on the move, the Blind or Vision Impaired Person will instruct the Guide Dog to follow you. Please do not touch the guide dog.

When assisting a Blind or Vision Impaired Person to a vehicle just take them to the side of the vehicle near the door so they can open the door for themselves, as they use this as a guide as to where the seat is. Blind or Vision Impaired People use their hands as their eyes, and they have to feel where the things are as a normal person can see this.

When you are in company of a Blind or Vision Impaired Person and you want to do something by yourself, always leave the Blind or Vision Impaired Person near a wall or something, never just leave them in the middle of nowhere. When a person cannot see, their orientation is all out of whack.

When you are assisting a Blind or Vision Impaired Person to a chair in a room or at a table etc, just put them at the chair so they can feel the chair and they will find how to sit on it, do not try to sit them down on the chair.

When you are in conversation with a Blind or Vision Impaired Person and you wish to leave and go somewhere else, either make contact with that person by touching them on the shoulder, or saying their name. Tell the person that you are leaving and will be back or whatever, as the person will start talking to you again and there will be nobody there. They don't see you leave, and of course if you return announce that you are back again.

If you are assisting a Blind or Vision Impaired Person with meals or food of any kind, tell them what is on the plate etc, and if you place a drink there tell them where it is as they use their hands to find it and will possibly knock it over.

In general a Blind or Vision Impaired Person doesn't mind if you tell them that something is out of place, like the collar of a shirt is not out over their jacket, or if they have odd socks on, as there will be another pair the same at home in the drawer!!!.

In general most Blind or Vision Impaired Persons are fairly jovial and usually make jokes about themselves, and don't mind others making jokes about Blindness.

The main thing with Blind or Vision Impaired Persons is communication."

Useful Links About Blindness

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Accommodation

Aid for the Blind operates 32 independent living units at 10 Cameron Street Fairfield. Each unit is fully self-contained with its own bathroom, kitchen and laundry.

Cameron Street is an easy walk to Fairfield Gardens Shopping Centre, Fairfield and Dutton Park Rail Stations and the Fairfield Road City Bus.

There is currently a waiting list for new residents and we are planning to build more units to ease the situation. A development application to build more units on an adjoining property has been lodged with Brisbane City Council.

Persons interested in future vacancies may register their details with the Fairfield office by phone or email.

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Donate

We are totally dependent on our shops, donations and rental income as we receive no government support.  So any aid to help increase our accommodation and research is gratefully received.

Op Shops

Aid for the Blind operates five Recycled Clothing Shops selling clothing, shoes, cutlery, crockery, bric-a-brac and some furniture and electrical goods.

Stock is sourced from public donations through our donation bins located in car parks and at roadside collection points from Sunshine Coast to risbane's southern suburbs. Op shops are staffed by committed employees and volunteers, working six days a week. Unsaleable clothing is cut up and sold as 'service' rags.

Op Shop Locations

Donate online today

Make a donation online using the secure engine of ourcommunity.com.au.
Donate Online

How to make a bequest

Bequests are welcome after the family is cared for. The following is a sample for bequest wording in a will:

"I give the sum of $ (free of all duties and charges) to Aid for the Blind (Qld) Inc, for its general purposes absolutely. I declare a general charitable intention. The receipt of the secretary or treasurer of the association shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the payment of that sum. My executors and trustees shall not be obliged to enquire into the application of money or assets, the subject of this legacy."

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Discuss

Go to the discussion board.

We have provided a range of discussion boards also known as bulletin boards for you to raise issues and ideas. The aim of these discussion boards is to provide a place for you to talk about things that are important to you, to network with like-minded people and also to let us know what your concerns are.

What is a discussion board?

Discussion groups, lists or forum use web or internet based software to manage text-based discussions. The discussions are based on common interest groupings and several have been established by Aid for the Blind for its members as well as the general public to discuss topics of interest.

This discussion forum uses threads which means that you have a main topic like computers, which will have a range of discussion threads for example about the different types of computers available or issues people have with using computers.

How to contribute

You can contribute to the discussion board by either:

Some discussion boards require you to be registered as a user, however others allow you to read and/or post topics as a guest user. Look for an "add post" button and click on it. You will then need to type your message and a subject for your message. Then by clicking "submit" or "post" (depending on the discussion board you are using), you will immediately add your message. Click on the "help" button if you need specific instructions about contributing.

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Links

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Help

This website is designed for blind and vision impaired people as a priority. We have been careful to design for accessibility within the Web Accessibility Initiatives Guidelines.

How to use this website

We would like to provide some information here to support people who are using assistive technology. Any feedback you can provide either through the Focus Group survey, via email, or in the feedback section of the online discussion board would be most valuable.

How would you prefer to use this website?

Please let us know if you have any feedback or comments about your use of this website including any recommendations for improvement.

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Privacy and copyright

Unless otherwise noted, all materials on this site are Copyright © 2007 Aid for the Blind. All rights reserved.

Aid for the Blind is committed to protecting the privacy of all the individuals with whom it conducts its service and business operations. The organisation is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and undertakes to adhere to the National Privacy Principles. Aid for the Blind will not lend, sell, barter, trade, or otherwise give any personal information you submit to us to any external party.

By subscribing to our services (such as the newsletter, forum, e-mail list, etc), you agree to receive content as part of that subscription. You subscription may be cancelled at any time through the process outlined within the service you are subscribed to or by contacting Aid for the Blind. We are not responsible for content sent or visible to you as part of your subscription to these services and are not responsible for content submitted by others.

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