An "open letter" to Vision Australia

An open letter TO VISION AUSTRALIA
October 27 2008 
My name is Graeme McGowan.

Congratulations! You and your wonderful organization have finally destroyed the last link with the ROYAL VICTORIAN INSTITUTE for the BLIND, a much loved and well known Victorian icon for over 140 years.

Just to tell you a bit about myself: I attended the RVIB nursery and school from 1953 to 1966 and then went to the Training Centre at St Kilda Road, where I learned piano tuning and repairing for two years.  In 1970, I secured full-time employment with Allans Music.  In 1981, I did further training in America at the School of Piano Technology for the blind in Vancouver, Washington State.  Since October, 1982, I have successfully run my own small business, sub contracting to a number of prestigious music companies, including Allans Music, Billy Hyde Music and Bernies Music Land, and currently have a large, thriving, private clientele part of which, I'm proud to say has been RVIB. 

Now that your organization has succeeded in "breaking" what the Institute did and stood for, it's obvious to me and many others that you no longer have any regard for those of us who have been totally blind all our lives.  Your main focus seems to be in aged care.  You now appear to have no interest whatsoever in the real needs of blind children and adults.  When I grew up, we had three totally blind teachers who became role models and mentors for all of us, and to this day we value and respect their hard work, huge commitment and their unstinting support.  The man who taught me piano tuning, Dick Sutcliff, was also blind.  He was a brilliant musician, a highly regarded piano tuner and for many years he directed the blind orchestra.  It's a very sad time for blind people and your organization has blatantly destroyed everything to do with blind children's welfare.

I recall last year your advertising for Carols by Candlelight specifically promoting the fact that funds raised from the event would benefit services for blind children. 
What has happened? 

With regard to the closure of our school, how do you honestly expect families to adapt and cope alone in the mainstream system without adequate educational and peer support? As I understand it, there will no longer be regular contact between blind children and their specialist teachers who have provided valuable information and feedback to families for over 40 years. 
How will blind children maintain contact with each other as in the Skills Program? All that good work has gone down the drain.  Many of these families have children with multiple disabilities. I can only imagine how the parents of these children must be feeling right now: ABANDONED, DISTRESSED, FRUSTRATED? People were given to understand the school would be relocated which now apparently will not be happening.  What right do you and your board of management have making these decisions without any consultation with the parents of these children, not to mention the general run of the mill blind people.  You have sold and closed St Kilda Road, and are in the process of closing 201 High Street, and the Burwood Special Education Centre.  What has happened to the funds from these property sales? I know many other blind people who are very distressed with the way your organization has gone about its destruction of the blind community throughout Victoria by closing down such wonderful facilities which have played an integral part in many of our lives for over a century.  In the long term, these radical changes will undoubtedly have a lasting and detrimental effect on education and recreational activities such as blind cricket, skiing and other social programs.  What happened to the saying: "From the cradle to the grave." Did you know that was one of RVIB's most famous statements? They actually tried to look after ALL blind people.  Are we living in the past?  No.  I don't think so.  At one time, there was the factory where any blind person could basically walk in and start work until something more satisfactory could be found.  As you would no doubt be aware, employment is becoming more and more challenging and difficult for blind people today.  In closing, I would suggest you and your board of management take a long, hard look at what you are planning because if you don't, I fear there will be a tremendous backlash from the general public, and I, for one, hope there is. 

I intend raising public awareness with regard to your destructive decision-making policies by widely circulating this letter.  You must take notice of what people are saying because if you don't, your organization will not, and cannot  last in its present state.  Graeme McGowan.