Governance

The Association’s Board of Directors is elected by the Members of the Association.  Members include clients, families and carers of clients, donors and interested members of the public.

Board of Directors

Elizabeth Needham (President)

Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers

 

 

 

 

Brooke Arnold (Vice President)

Company Accountant, Echo Services

 

 

 

 

Tony Hagan (Vice President)

Marketing Manager

 

 

 

 

Kim Laurence (Honorary Treasurer)

Financial Consultant

 

 

 

 

Paul Bell

Marketing and Financial Consultant

 

 

 

 

David Manera

Barrister and Solicitor

 

 

 

 

Debbie Schaffer

Company Director

 

 

 

 

Peter Hickson

Managing Director, Spices Catering

 

 

 

 

Mick Lee

Retired Mayor of the Town of Victoria Park

 

 

 

 

Dr Haruhisa Handa

International philanthropist and businessman

 

 

 

Consumer Advisory Committee

The Consumer Advisory Committee is a Committee of the Board of the Association.  It meets every two months and consists of people who are blind or vision impaired and/or their carers. The role of the Committee is to:

• comment and advise on policy issues relating to the Association’s services referred to the Committee by the Board and where appropriate make recommendations to the Board on these issues;
• comment on service policy issues referred by the Management of the Association;
• bring to the attention of the management and/or Board any issues which affect the quality of life of people with a vision impairment;
• review on an annual basis the use and operation of the Association’s grievance procedures and to recommend to the Board any changes to these procedures that may improve their effectiveness in resolving consumer’s grievances; and
• advise on the need for the introduction of new services.

The Consumer Advisory Committee has been involved in consultations re the design of the Association’s new facility.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the committee or have a query regarding services please contact Peter Johnson, the Chair of the committee. He may be contacted by email ([email protected]) or telephone his worknumber 9222 6777.

Peter Johnson - Chairperson

Peter is 56 years of age and has been totally blind since he was 18 months old.  Since he left school after year 12 he has been involved in trying to improve conditions for those who are blind. He currently sits on the Board of the Association, is a director of Blind Citizens WA and works on a number of committees for Blind Citizens Australia.  His hobbies include reading, being a passionate Docker’s supporter and the occasional stint in the garden.

Jennifer Dawson

Jennifer Dawson, who is totally blind, is married with two teenage boys.  She had a little sight when she was a child. During her teenage years she lost her remaining sight due to Glaucoma.  Jennifer leads a very independent life, running her home and getting involved in the community.  She is passionate about supporting others who are blind or vision impaired, particularly those who are new to vision loss.

She has many years experience in advocating for people who are blind, particularly in the field of access.  As well as being a very involved client at the Association for the Blind, Jennifer also gives her time as a volunteer.

Michelle Griffin

Thirty nine year old Michelle Griffin was diagnosed with Retnitis Pigmentosa at the age of 13 and lost her remaining sight over the next ten years. She works part-time and enjoys walking, socialising, living life to the full, accepting and learning from new challenges and has travelled the world. On the 10 July 2003 she received her Guide Dog, Piper.  Piper, a female Labrador, is five years old.  Michelle says Piper is very strong minded, stubborn, and has a lot of character.

Lindy Bull

Lindy had a medical career until she became totally blind at the end of 2000 at the age of 42. This was due to multiple complications of Type 1 Diabetes including cataracts, Rubeosis Iridis (new vessels in the iris) causing glaucoma and retinal damage. Since that time she has become involved in the disability sector serving on various committees such as the Ministerial Advisory Council On Disability, and the Board of the Association for the Blind of WA. 

She lives with her husband, Peter and uses a white cane for mobility. Lindy has been working on her technological skills since losing her sight and uses a computer screen reader, JAWS, a Bookport mobile device and a PACmate laptop. She has also developed an enthusiasm for recreational tandem cycling.

Des  Heenan

Des Heenan retired in November 2000 after more than 30 years as a Judge - 25 in the District Court and five years in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.  He developed macular degeneration shortly after his retirement and had to give up tennis, taking up lawn bowls instead.  His vision impairment brought him to the Association early in 2004 and he joined the Blind Bowling Club.  His wife Dale is a keen tennis player and they are both members of the Fremantle Football Club.

Greg Madson

Greg has had Retinitis Pigmentosa since he was a small boy with usable sight until the age of 25. He travelled widely within Australia by motorbike until returning to WA and retraining with no usable sight. He trained for eight years as a tandem cyclist, reaching international representative level, competing in the paralympics and world championships.  He has served as a director of Blind Citizens Australia and president of Blind Citizens WA for the past seven years. He has been employed at   the University of WA for five years and has developed an extensive knowledge of information technology. He is assisted by his guide dog, Pollock.

Jennifer Rawlings

Jennifer is fifty four and she has rheumatoid arthritis which she has had since she was two years old. She has secondary glaucoma and has light perception which means that  she can tell when it is day or night or if there is a light on in the room. She is married with one daughter and has a granddaughter. Jennifer's interests are knitting and reading (talking books) and she likes to experiment in the kitchen. She enjoys attending the consumer advisory committee meetings which keep her up to date with what is happening and she hopes to help anybody she can.

Penny Rogers

Penny Rogers is partially sighted with some central vision as a consequence of the genetic condition, Retinitis Pigmentosa. While using a white cane for mobility she is still able to read. The deterioration of vision due to Retinitis Pigmentosa has been subtle occurring over a long period, becoming more acute in the late 1990s. At the moment Penny is exploring various technological aids.  Recently completing university studies, Penny is now job hunting. Penny says that participating in the Consumer Advisory Committee has been a worthwhile and instructive experience, and that she has learnt more about the issues confronting people who are blind or vision impaired but more importantly appreciated the shared expertise of the committee members.

Janet Shaw

Janet is totally blind and has a Guide Dog. She had limited vision for most of her life, and then lost her sight entirely six years ago. She is a qualified social worker, but is now self-employed, offering motivational speaking and writing/author talks. Together with her knowledge of both low vision and total blindness issues, Janet brings her advocacy skills to the committee. Janet also sits on the Women with Disabilities WA Planning Committee and the Nedlands City Council Access group.