At BCA we regularly apply for and receive funding from federal, state and local governments, corporations and philanthropic organisations to create and run a variety of projects.
2021-2022 BCA Hugh Jeffrey Scholarship Program
Funded by the Commonwealth’s Information, Linkages and Capacity-building program and the Jeffrey Blyth Foundation, BCA is offering 5 scholarships for educational expenses up to $5,000 for Semester 2, 2021, and Semesters 1 and 2, 2022. Applications for the first round of BCA scholarships have closed, but applications for the second round will open January 17 – February 13, 2022. Each semester will have a separate application and awarding process, scholarship recipients will be funded for one semester only.
Visit this page for more information.
National Disability Insurance Agency – Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Fund
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) was established to support individuals with disability in Australia to live an independent life.
The NDIA doesn’t only fund individuals though. Through its Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grants program it also funds organisations to create projects that increase the opportunity for all people with disability to participate in their community.
Disabled Peoples and Family Organisations Grant
In 2019, BCA’s application to the Disabled Peoples and Family Organisations (DPFO) grant round was successful. This grant seeks to increase the capacity of organisations and individuals who are blind or vision impaired to engage in their community.
Through this grant, BCA is able to create a new and updated website, purchase a new database that is accessible to all staff, and employ a Membership Development Coordinator who seeks to engage with people who are blind or vision impaired from all communities and increase their awareness of and interaction with our organisa<ation.
Eye to the Future Employment Project
Blind Citizens Australia is the national representative organisation of people who are blind or vision impaired.
Our mission is to inform, connect, and empower Australians who are blind or vision impaired and the broader community.
Blind Citizens Australia’s ‘Eye to the Future’ project aims to change employer perceptions of people who are blind or vision impaired in the workplace. The project also includes a youth focus component, supporting students who are blind or vision impaired transitioning into the workforce.
The project aims to promote the employability of people who are blind or vision impaired by showcasing success stories in a peer-to-peer supportive environment, providing tools and resources to both employers and employees around remote working, inclusion, accessibility, and adaptive technology, as well as providing work placement and internships for people who are blind or vision impaired in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
The first phase of this project commenced in 2019 and created a series of short films showing a ‘day in the working life’ of people who are blind or vision impaired. These short films were designed to showcase the diversity of roles and experiences people who are blind or vision impaired have within employment. An online platform was established to provide information and resources to both employers who were looking for information on employing a person who is blind or vision impaired, and also to students who were transitioning from secondary school, TAFE or university, into employment.
Two online workshops were held to showcase how employers can support people who are blind or vision impaired in the workplace. These workshops covered topics including accessible recruitment, reasonable adjustments and real examples of workplace modifications.
Unfortunately, the first phase of the project was put on hold in early 2020 due to the global pandemic. However, with new funding in 2021 from the Department of Social Services Information, Linkages and Capacity Building – Economic Participation fund, we are pleased to re-launch the Eye to the Future project 2.0
Throughout 2022, our project will:
- connect with industry leaders and employers to promote the benefits of hiring people who are blind or vision impaired and to reduce the stigma surrounding employing someone who is blind or vision impaired.
- Connect with students transitioning from secondary school, TAFE, or university into the workforce, who may be interested in being connected to employers, being mentored, or being assisted into internships.
- Continue creating and adding new information and resources to the Eye to the Future website for businesses, as well as for students transitioning into the workforce.
- deliver a series of online and face to face roundtables and workshops to educate employers about recruiting and retaining staff who are blind or vision impaired.
- hold an Employment Symposium on Monday 10th October 2022 to build the confidence of employers to recruit and retain staff who are blind or vision impaired.
- And much, much more!
Below you will find links to further information about our project, as well as a link to the Eye to the Future website which includes information, resources, and videos for employers interested in employing people who are blind and vision impaired, and individuals looking for employment.
Connect with us!
You can connect with us on social media via the links below, or if you prefer, you can contact us by email bca@bca.org.au or call 1800 033 660.
Follow us on social media
Blind Citizens Australia on Facebook
Blind Citizens Australia on Twitter
Transitional Advocacy Funding Supplement
In July 2019 BCA received a grant from the NSW Department of Families and Communities. This grant will not only support the continued delivery of advocacy services for residents of NSW but it will also contribute to a project that will see the creation of resources that support the Service Provider Expectation Policy, and allow us to host some teleconferences to further educate members about the policy and these resources in early 2020.
Aged Person’s Welfare Foundation
This project, running from September 2019 to August 2020, will develop resources, case studies, deliver workshops and phone support to older Australians, which will provide them with information on individual advocacy, as well as specific information around services and entitlements available. An additional benefit to this project will be the opportunity to build connections with peers and increase the exchange of communication and ideas within this community.