AAPVI Western Australia
 About Pam the Barras family, and Vizhelp, a Western Australian support group for parents/care givers of people who are blind or vision impaired,.
Perth, Western Australia is one of the most isolated capital cities in the
world!
Western Australia or WA as it is known locally, is also a huge place and
distances can mean isolation for some people.
If you have a child with a disability, that makes life difficult, as you may never meet another parent of a child with a disability, and probably not any other family with a child who is blind or vision impaired.
Vizhelp was founded about 10 years ago, as a group to give support and provide a means of bringing families together.
I am legally blind having been diagnosed with juvenile glaucoma at the age of 19.
At the time, I was expecting to be told more about my eye condition and what my long term prognosis was. Neither of these things happened.
The first time that I met someone who was blind, after my diagnosis, was when I was at University. I had not really paid attention to other people who are blind or vision impaired. I certainly did not relate to a man with a dog guide, at that time.
My family consisting of husband, Colin, and two daughters, Kathryn and Gemma live in metropolitan Perth. Gemma has Peters Anomaly, which may be related to my eye condition. She is married, and a student at Murdoch University, studying computer science. My eldest daughter is a lawyer practicing in a large commercial law firm in the CBD.
I work as an Access consultant and have been an advocate for people with
disabilities for several years.
I have learned to read Braille, and it is marvelous to be able to read a book again. What I missed was the feel of a book, reading the words at my own rate, and with my own voice in my head.
One of the most interesting things I have done in the last few years is
going on a camping/hiking/4WD holiday to the remote north-west of WA in the
Kimberley which is about 3 times the size of Texas! One of the most
extraordinary areas of this region is the Purnululu National Park, which has
recently gained world heritage status. The striking Bungle Bungle range
forms part of this area with its bee hive shaped domes, made of sandstone
with striking bands of orange and green.
My favourite spot was Zebedee Springs, a natural hot spring, with a waterfall, moss rocks and beautiful natural rock pools. Having not had any support as a young person who suffered a loss of vision, it has highlighted for me the importance of peer support.
You can visit the Vizhelp web site at www.vizhelp.org
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