From Vision in Australia, this is talking vision. And now here's your host, Sam, calling.

From Vision in Australia, this is talking vision. And now here's your host, Sam, calling.

Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And for the next half hour, we talk matters of blindness and low vision.

Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And for the next half hour, we talk matters of blindness and low vision.

It's my objective to see that the services that come under my care of comparable standard and or comparable access really to the services that people can get under the NDIS.

It's my objective to see that the services that come under my care of comparable standard and or comparable access really to the services that people can get under the NDIS.

Welcome to the program. That voice you just heard was deputy chair of Vision Australia and member of the federal government's Aged Care Council of Elders Bill Jolly, talking about what he'll be focusing on in his role on the council over the coming months and years. I had the opportunity to catch up with Bill shortly after he attended the council's first meeting a few weeks ago to discuss how it went. And you can hear my conversation later on in today's show. But before you hear from Belfast, I also had a quick chat with Chief Operating Officer of the Attorney-General's Department Cameron Gifford about the new digital statutory declaration form made accessible for users who are blind or have low vision, which is available on their website to download. That conversation is just around the corner. So if this sounds useful for you or someone you may know, be sure to stay tuned. I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision. As of earlier this year, the Department of the Attorney General has been proud to announce the launch of a new accessible digital statutory declaration form for users who are blind or have low vision and to tell us more about the form. It's my great pleasure to welcome Chief Operating Officer Cameron Gifford. Cameron, thank you very much for your time today. Welcome to talking vision.

Welcome to the program. That voice you just heard was deputy chair of Vision Australia and member of the federal government's Aged Care Council of Elders Bill Jolly, talking about what he'll be focusing on in his role on the council over the coming months and years. I had the opportunity to catch up with Bill shortly after he attended the council's first meeting a few weeks ago to discuss how it went. And you can hear my conversation later on in today's show. But before you hear from Belfast, I also had a quick chat with Chief Operating Officer of the Attorney-General's Department Cameron Gifford about the new digital statutory declaration form made accessible for users who are blind or have low vision, which is available on their website to download. That conversation is just around the corner. So if this sounds useful for you or someone you may know, be sure to stay tuned. I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision. As of earlier this year, the Department of the Attorney General has been proud to announce the launch of a new accessible digital statutory declaration form for users who are blind or have low vision and to tell us more about the form. It's my great pleasure to welcome Chief Operating Officer Cameron Gifford. Cameron, thank you very much for your time today. Welcome to talking vision.

Thanks for having me, Sam.

Thanks for having me, Sam.

Now, firstly, Cameron, could you tell us a bit about the digital deck form and how it works in comparison with the traditional form?

Now, firstly, Cameron, could you tell us a bit about the digital deck form and how it works in comparison with the traditional form?

Yeah, thanks, Sam. So essentially, it's a computer based form. It's using HTML for those of your listeners with technical knowledge. It means that you can complete the form or fill in the fields. Online screen or other assistive technology can therefore be used. And once you're done, you're able to convert it into a PDF, which means no one can change your texts. You can print it out, and you can take that along to sign in front of your witness. One major requirement was for the PDF, which is generated once you've filled out the fields online to be stored exactly as per the existing statutory declaration form, so that the statutory declaration is a legally valid document. So we worked with our policy team and the developers to be able to do that. It's also important to point out here that the form does not transfer or store any data on the website. It's all done on the user's computer or device, their mobile or tablet, for instance. So the privacy of users was a really important consideration as part of that project.

Yeah, thanks, Sam. So essentially, it's a computer based form. It's using HTML for those of your listeners with technical knowledge. It means that you can complete the form or fill in the fields. Online screen or other assistive technology can therefore be used. And once you're done, you're able to convert it into a PDF, which means no one can change your texts. You can print it out, and you can take that along to sign in front of your witness. One major requirement was for the PDF, which is generated once you've filled out the fields online to be stored exactly as per the existing statutory declaration form, so that the statutory declaration is a legally valid document. So we worked with our policy team and the developers to be able to do that. It's also important to point out here that the form does not transfer or store any data on the website. It's all done on the user's computer or device, their mobile or tablet, for instance. So the privacy of users was a really important consideration as part of that project.

Well, that's definitely something to give our listeners peace of mind, for sure. And now you've touched on this a bit already, Cameron, but what are some other advantages of the accessible form from your perspective?

Well, that's definitely something to give our listeners peace of mind, for sure. And now you've touched on this a bit already, Cameron, but what are some other advantages of the accessible form from your perspective?

Yeah. So for us, it was really keen that we made this as accessible as possible, so the hard copy versions that we're looking to replace here really weren't as user friendly as they needed to be. So the ability to do this entirely online. The mobility of the information with the safety of the information has some real advantages that this new form provides.

Yeah. So for us, it was really keen that we made this as accessible as possible, so the hard copy versions that we're looking to replace here really weren't as user friendly as they needed to be. So the ability to do this entirely online. The mobility of the information with the safety of the information has some real advantages that this new form provides.

And Cameron, what was the motivation for the creation of the form? Was there some internal discussions or had you received some outside feedback from users, perhaps who are blind or had low vision?

And Cameron, what was the motivation for the creation of the form? Was there some internal discussions or had you received some outside feedback from users, perhaps who are blind or had low vision?

Yeah, great question, Sam. So we actually originally had Vision Australia conduct an accessibility audit of our department's website in July 2020 when we last updated our website. And while it was found that the overall accessibility of our website was very good, it did identify that a statutory declaration form was not wholly accessible in its available formats. So a blind or vision impaired user, for example, would need to print the form and then seek third party assistance to complete it in the hard copy. And that really meant then that they had to place their trust in that third party to faithfully transcribe and read out to them their declaration before they could sign their name to it. So one of our policy teams here in the department, the legal systems branch, together with our communications, with publishing teams, worked with the developer and Vision Australia Digital Access Team to create the online, more accessible version that we're now talking about.

Yeah, great question, Sam. So we actually originally had Vision Australia conduct an accessibility audit of our department's website in July 2020 when we last updated our website. And while it was found that the overall accessibility of our website was very good, it did identify that a statutory declaration form was not wholly accessible in its available formats. So a blind or vision impaired user, for example, would need to print the form and then seek third party assistance to complete it in the hard copy. And that really meant then that they had to place their trust in that third party to faithfully transcribe and read out to them their declaration before they could sign their name to it. So one of our policy teams here in the department, the legal systems branch, together with our communications, with publishing teams, worked with the developer and Vision Australia Digital Access Team to create the online, more accessible version that we're now talking about.

Okay, wonderful. And tell us about the development of this digital static form. Now, understand, as you've just mentioned, that the department worked quite closely with the Vision Australia Digital Access Team. So how did that all go with COVID and balancing all those sort of things as well?

Okay, wonderful. And tell us about the development of this digital static form. Now, understand, as you've just mentioned, that the department worked quite closely with the Vision Australia Digital Access Team. So how did that all go with COVID and balancing all those sort of things as well?

It was all pretty seamless, I've got to say, and I've really got to give it a shot. The Vision Australia Digital Access Team and we felt that they've really been through our side throughout this whole project and we're so grateful for their support, guidance and assistance. So the digital access team and initially conducted the audit. I was referring to them and were the ones who identified the shortcomings of the original statutory declaration format. So without them, this project really may not have actually come to fruition as we progressed in developing, testing and implementing the online statutory declaration form the Vision Australia's digital access team. And I've got to give a shout out here to Matthew Portland, who is the digital accessibility consultant. He was there to help us review tests and adjust it until we got it right.

It was all pretty seamless, I've got to say, and I've really got to give it a shot. The Vision Australia Digital Access Team and we felt that they've really been through our side throughout this whole project and we're so grateful for their support, guidance and assistance. So the digital access team and initially conducted the audit. I was referring to them and were the ones who identified the shortcomings of the original statutory declaration format. So without them, this project really may not have actually come to fruition as we progressed in developing, testing and implementing the online statutory declaration form the Vision Australia's digital access team. And I've got to give a shout out here to Matthew Portland, who is the digital accessibility consultant. He was there to help us review tests and adjust it until we got it right.

Excellent news. And finally, Cameron, how can people access the digital stack that form a question?

Excellent news. And finally, Cameron, how can people access the digital stack that form a question?

So it's available on our website. WW dot eiji dot gov. Scott, are you? There's a new link to the new online statutory declaration on our home page on the latest news, and I should say it's one of our most popular items on our website. It's accessed from our website between 5000 and 7000 times each week, and since the more accessible online statutory declaration form has been available and it came out online in December of last year, it's been accessed almost 14000 times by more than 10000 users, so it already got great uptake

So it's available on our website. WW dot eiji dot gov. Scott, are you? There's a new link to the new online statutory declaration on our home page on the latest news, and I should say it's one of our most popular items on our website. It's accessed from our website between 5000 and 7000 times each week, and since the more accessible online statutory declaration form has been available and it came out online in December of last year, it's been accessed almost 14000 times by more than 10000 users, so it already got great uptake

has certainly great news to hear and a very accessible way to access the statutory declaration form for everyone out there. Thank you very much, Cameron. That was Cameron Gifford, their chief operating officer from the Attorney General's Office, talking to me today about the new accessible statutory declaration form available on the Attorney General Department's website. Our next guest is a name familiar to quite a few out there, I'm so among other things, you might know him as deputy chair on the Board of Vision Australia or executive member of the World Blind Union. But more recently, he's added yet another string to his bow as a member of the Federal Government, Department of Health, Aged Care Council of Elders. The council met just a few days ago. So what better time to speak with none other than Bill Jolly? Bill, thank you very much for your time today, and welcome back to talking vision.

has certainly great news to hear and a very accessible way to access the statutory declaration form for everyone out there. Thank you very much, Cameron. That was Cameron Gifford, their chief operating officer from the Attorney General's Office, talking to me today about the new accessible statutory declaration form available on the Attorney General Department's website. Our next guest is a name familiar to quite a few out there, I'm so among other things, you might know him as deputy chair on the Board of Vision Australia or executive member of the World Blind Union. But more recently, he's added yet another string to his bow as a member of the Federal Government, Department of Health, Aged Care Council of Elders. The council met just a few days ago. So what better time to speak with none other than Bill Jolly? Bill, thank you very much for your time today, and welcome back to talking vision.

Thanks, Sam. And it's good to be with you and to welcome you as the host of talking pictures, this is our first talk since you've taken up that role. So it's good, good to be with you

Thanks, Sam. And it's good to be with you and to welcome you as the host of talking pictures, this is our first talk since you've taken up that role. So it's good, good to be with you

and good to have you now. Firstly, bill people might be wondering what exactly the Aged Care Council of Elders is, so. Could you fill our listeners in a little bit more about that?

and good to have you now. Firstly, bill people might be wondering what exactly the Aged Care Council of Elders is, so. Could you fill our listeners in a little bit more about that?

Well, the Aged Care Council of Elders comes out of its genesis really is a recommendation that was made in the aged care royal commission that was held a couple of years ago, two to three years ago. So the Aged Care Royal Commission together made 148 recommendations and including a recommendation that there should be established at Aged Care Council of Elders to provide the government with community focused advice and feedback in relation to aged care. When we talk about aged care, we talk about a whole range of services starting with incidental or episode of services to people provided in their homes. Perhaps some therapy, maybe some respite care. Also, they set set of services under my aged care, which can range from support for community activities to some basic gas therapy support right right through to more and more intense assistance for people at home with bathing. Toileting, eating, meal preparation, getting in and out of bed, and then people then may receive residential aged care. So that's really the the intense end of the care spectrum where people are in residential aged care. And so the royal commission looked at Australia's system of aged care and found that there was serious problems with the levels of funding with the care standards, with staff training, pretty much everything really ranging over services provided by commercial providers and services provided by non-government organisation, not for profit organisations and even some services provided by state governments. Some residential services. So the Royal Commission had, as I say, 148 recommendations that they made. One of those recommendations was then for the establishment of the Aged Care Council of Elders. And then last year there was a call sent out for nominations or applications for positions of that council and through Vision Australia's advocacy and government relations area, the area headed by Chris Edwards. It was suggested that that I might like to consider making an application. And this, of course, would be good for regional Australia because it would enable Vision Australia to have its voice heard in the better heard in the age in the General Aged Care Debate and Vision Australia to take tuned to what the government and the community were seeking about services to older people. Because of course, in fact, the majority of blind people are older people that they're not people like myself who who were blind from an early age and. So it's it's important that that Aboriginal Australia, we're really tuned in to this area of service and to this changing area of service where there will undoubtedly be more changes towards individualised funding compared with that block grant funding for organisations. So anyway, I. Encouraged through Chris Edwards and run putting a nomination, and I was there was over 130 nominations and 48 people chosen. There are three people on the council with who are officers in the Order of Australia and three other Order of Australia members and medallists. There are three doctors, three professors and there's a few members of the proletariat. It just Mr Abbott is just like me. So it's a very good blend of people. It's chaired by Ian Yates, who is very active in this field, and he is from the Koetter, which is the Central Council on the Ageing. So he's head of COTA nationally, but has has also been involved for a long time with the Council of Social Service. That's ICOs and also to South Australia. So it's a very well credentialed group. The one of our members was Senior Senior Australian of the Year last year. Professor Peter Carma, who's a very long standing indigenous leader, is, and I think was Race Discrimination Commissioner some time ago is a member of the committee, as is Kay Patterson. She used to be Senator Patterson from Victoria, who is the commissioner for older Australians with the Human Rights Commission. So, as I say, very experienced both in or to some extent, the the delivery and experience of services in rural Australia. Also, people who provided strong advocacy in the dementia area and it's a very well-balanced group. And and so I was quite surprised really to be to join this group, really representing the community of people with disabilities and from the particular specialist area of of vision loss and and certainly certainly quite an honor to be on the council.

Well, the Aged Care Council of Elders comes out of its genesis really is a recommendation that was made in the aged care royal commission that was held a couple of years ago, two to three years ago. So the Aged Care Royal Commission together made 148 recommendations and including a recommendation that there should be established at Aged Care Council of Elders to provide the government with community focused advice and feedback in relation to aged care. When we talk about aged care, we talk about a whole range of services starting with incidental or episode of services to people provided in their homes. Perhaps some therapy, maybe some respite care. Also, they set set of services under my aged care, which can range from support for community activities to some basic gas therapy support right right through to more and more intense assistance for people at home with bathing. Toileting, eating, meal preparation, getting in and out of bed, and then people then may receive residential aged care. So that's really the the intense end of the care spectrum where people are in residential aged care. And so the royal commission looked at Australia's system of aged care and found that there was serious problems with the levels of funding with the care standards, with staff training, pretty much everything really ranging over services provided by commercial providers and services provided by non-government organisation, not for profit organisations and even some services provided by state governments. Some residential services. So the Royal Commission had, as I say, 148 recommendations that they made. One of those recommendations was then for the establishment of the Aged Care Council of Elders. And then last year there was a call sent out for nominations or applications for positions of that council and through Vision Australia's advocacy and government relations area, the area headed by Chris Edwards. It was suggested that that I might like to consider making an application. And this, of course, would be good for regional Australia because it would enable Vision Australia to have its voice heard in the better heard in the age in the General Aged Care Debate and Vision Australia to take tuned to what the government and the community were seeking about services to older people. Because of course, in fact, the majority of blind people are older people that they're not people like myself who who were blind from an early age and. So it's it's important that that Aboriginal Australia, we're really tuned in to this area of service and to this changing area of service where there will undoubtedly be more changes towards individualised funding compared with that block grant funding for organisations. So anyway, I. Encouraged through Chris Edwards and run putting a nomination, and I was there was over 130 nominations and 48 people chosen. There are three people on the council with who are officers in the Order of Australia and three other Order of Australia members and medallists. There are three doctors, three professors and there's a few members of the proletariat. It just Mr Abbott is just like me. So it's a very good blend of people. It's chaired by Ian Yates, who is very active in this field, and he is from the Koetter, which is the Central Council on the Ageing. So he's head of COTA nationally, but has has also been involved for a long time with the Council of Social Service. That's ICOs and also to South Australia. So it's a very well credentialed group. The one of our members was Senior Senior Australian of the Year last year. Professor Peter Carma, who's a very long standing indigenous leader, is, and I think was Race Discrimination Commissioner some time ago is a member of the committee, as is Kay Patterson. She used to be Senator Patterson from Victoria, who is the commissioner for older Australians with the Human Rights Commission. So, as I say, very experienced both in or to some extent, the the delivery and experience of services in rural Australia. Also, people who provided strong advocacy in the dementia area and it's a very well-balanced group. And and so I was quite surprised really to be to join this group, really representing the community of people with disabilities and from the particular specialist area of of vision loss and and certainly certainly quite an honor to be on the council.

That concludes the first half of my conversation with Bill Joy. I'm Sam Kelly and you're listening to talking vision on Business, Charlea, radio associated stations of age and the community radio network. If you'd like to find out more about the program, like where to find your local radio frequency or listen to past programs, you can find all this and found more on the Talking Vision web page. Just type talking vision into your search engine, or you can find the program on the podcast app of your choice or through the Vision a style library. And now please enjoy the second half of my interview with Bill now, before the break bill, you did touch on there in quite some detail about how you did get involved with the council through the recommendations from Chris and Ron and the application that you went through last year. But did you want to perhaps go into a bit more about your particular role on the council? You've mentioned there that you will be advocating quite heavily on behalf of the blind and low vision community, but how do you anticipate bouncing off the other members and perhaps blending in that way?

That concludes the first half of my conversation with Bill Joy. I'm Sam Kelly and you're listening to talking vision on Business, Charlea, radio associated stations of age and the community radio network. If you'd like to find out more about the program, like where to find your local radio frequency or listen to past programs, you can find all this and found more on the Talking Vision web page. Just type talking vision into your search engine, or you can find the program on the podcast app of your choice or through the Vision a style library. And now please enjoy the second half of my interview with Bill now, before the break bill, you did touch on there in quite some detail about how you did get involved with the council through the recommendations from Chris and Ron and the application that you went through last year. But did you want to perhaps go into a bit more about your particular role on the council? You've mentioned there that you will be advocating quite heavily on behalf of the blind and low vision community, but how do you anticipate bouncing off the other members and perhaps blending in that way?

Well, first of all, I should say that the application process was pretty good. It was. It was pretty streamlined. You just had to write a thousand word essay and put in a résumé. So it was a very easy and straightforward, accessible process. I think the Council of Elders will be looking, in fact through me to some of the experiences that they have been in the disability community and leadership in the disability community, which has embraced the concept of human rights as a platform for services, for welfare and other services that that they don't come from a health perspective, they come from a human rights perspective. So if we if we come back then to the Council of Elders and to a lesser extent, my role on the Council of Elders, the government is looking to develop and implement reforms which are wide-ranging reforms and to consult with the community in the development of those reforms. So the first area of development and consultations will be for this area of Commonwealth Home Support Program and my aged care and support for people in their home. And there's a discussion paper that's come out about that and there will be consultations over the next few months. So I'll have some involvement in those, perhaps some public forums or in particular talking to the relevant groups in the in the blindness field and the disability sector generally, so that people understand what these reforms are and kind of get a sense of how beneficial they will be and hopefully to head off any identified drawbacks that there that there might be so. So that's in the shorter term. That's the direction that we're heading. I'll be talking to groups like Blind Citizens Australia and Vision Australia, of course, and also the sort of the overarching body in the blindness field these days, which is Vision 2020. And so they also have an interface to look at aged care. So I'll certainly be talking to them. One of the really political areas, Sam has been the argument from the disability community that the NDIS should be extended beyond the age of 65 or 67, whatever it is, the aged pension age. Now that argument was run and not one 10 years ago when NDIS was introduced

Well, first of all, I should say that the application process was pretty good. It was. It was pretty streamlined. You just had to write a thousand word essay and put in a résumé. So it was a very easy and straightforward, accessible process. I think the Council of Elders will be looking, in fact through me to some of the experiences that they have been in the disability community and leadership in the disability community, which has embraced the concept of human rights as a platform for services, for welfare and other services that that they don't come from a health perspective, they come from a human rights perspective. So if we if we come back then to the Council of Elders and to a lesser extent, my role on the Council of Elders, the government is looking to develop and implement reforms which are wide-ranging reforms and to consult with the community in the development of those reforms. So the first area of development and consultations will be for this area of Commonwealth Home Support Program and my aged care and support for people in their home. And there's a discussion paper that's come out about that and there will be consultations over the next few months. So I'll have some involvement in those, perhaps some public forums or in particular talking to the relevant groups in the in the blindness field and the disability sector generally, so that people understand what these reforms are and kind of get a sense of how beneficial they will be and hopefully to head off any identified drawbacks that there that there might be so. So that's in the shorter term. That's the direction that we're heading. I'll be talking to groups like Blind Citizens Australia and Vision Australia, of course, and also the sort of the overarching body in the blindness field these days, which is Vision 2020. And so they also have an interface to look at aged care. So I'll certainly be talking to them. One of the really political areas, Sam has been the argument from the disability community that the NDIS should be extended beyond the age of 65 or 67, whatever it is, the aged pension age. Now that argument was run and not one 10 years ago when NDIS was introduced

and put it up. But when the NDIS and the I, yeah, my age.

and put it up. But when the NDIS and the I, yeah, my age.

Yeah, that's that's right. Now, I don't I don't believe in that. The any benefit in prosecuting that argument still. I think we've got to accept from the disability field. We've got to accept that that's that that there is that demarcation. However, it's my objective to see that the services that come under my aged care, they are including particularly assistive technology, therapy services and home modifications and home based support like cleaning, gardening that those services are of. Standard and comparable access really to the services that people could get under the NDIS, and so therefore it shouldn't really matter whether it's the NDIS program or the aged care program. We want to try and have a and that's my objective where I'll be working towards to make the transition as seamless as possible or the demarcation as minimal as as possible, because otherwise we're going to have a problem where if we if we were to extend the NDIS, then the costs would would would grow significantly. So there is some learnings that we could take from experience in the disability community, both in terms of advocacy by people with disabilities and the provision of services to people with disabilities that are transferable to the aged care space. And that's one of the areas particularly that I'll be focusing on and where they the council will will look to me and some others for specific advice and guidance.

Yeah, that's that's right. Now, I don't I don't believe in that. The any benefit in prosecuting that argument still. I think we've got to accept from the disability field. We've got to accept that that's that that there is that demarcation. However, it's my objective to see that the services that come under my aged care, they are including particularly assistive technology, therapy services and home modifications and home based support like cleaning, gardening that those services are of. Standard and comparable access really to the services that people could get under the NDIS, and so therefore it shouldn't really matter whether it's the NDIS program or the aged care program. We want to try and have a and that's my objective where I'll be working towards to make the transition as seamless as possible or the demarcation as minimal as as possible, because otherwise we're going to have a problem where if we if we were to extend the NDIS, then the costs would would would grow significantly. So there is some learnings that we could take from experience in the disability community, both in terms of advocacy by people with disabilities and the provision of services to people with disabilities that are transferable to the aged care space. And that's one of the areas particularly that I'll be focusing on and where they the council will will look to me and some others for specific advice and guidance.

Okay. And Bill, understand you recently had your first meeting together with the Aged Care Council of Elders. Tell us a little bit about that. I understand also an introductory kind of meeting so they'll smoke, establishing a foundation and a bit of a groundwork, but don't go into a bit of detail of how that all went.

Okay. And Bill, understand you recently had your first meeting together with the Aged Care Council of Elders. Tell us a little bit about that. I understand also an introductory kind of meeting so they'll smoke, establishing a foundation and a bit of a groundwork, but don't go into a bit of detail of how that all went.

We had a session of that where people introduced themselves and talked about their their backgrounds and and their expectations for the committee, and that was very interesting to have a group from from all over Australia. People can find a lot of this information. It's really just best to to Google aged care reforms or something like that and and the various leaks will will come out. I also noted that the secretary of the department, Michael Lye, he mentioned that his background in the public administration is in fact in the disability field. And I said, Oh, that's good, because that means that he will understand a lot of the the issues from the perspective of the the disability sector, which will kind of make my life a bit easier. Although he won't be at all the meetings, but his influence and his aura no doubt will be. But but in terms of understanding sort of some of the the basic concepts, so that was good then. So that was about it. The first meeting and we'll be having a second meeting on the 24th of the 18th of February. So not not going away and yet will probably meet monthly, at least for the first half of the year and settle down to probably maybe six, six to eight meetings to year after that. And it is intended that as soon as we can that we may face to face in Canberra. And I think that's a good idea. Was it to be like you say, you get to know some of the people get to know them outside of the formal environment of the committee. And that's how the agents, the networks are spawned and an effective little working groups when people get to know each other and can form common ground to work on. So all in all, I think it's made a pretty good start and I'm well, I'm proud to be there. And as I've said to people, all I can do is promise to do my, to do my best, to contribute as best I can in what is a very complex field of public policy.

We had a session of that where people introduced themselves and talked about their their backgrounds and and their expectations for the committee, and that was very interesting to have a group from from all over Australia. People can find a lot of this information. It's really just best to to Google aged care reforms or something like that and and the various leaks will will come out. I also noted that the secretary of the department, Michael Lye, he mentioned that his background in the public administration is in fact in the disability field. And I said, Oh, that's good, because that means that he will understand a lot of the the issues from the perspective of the the disability sector, which will kind of make my life a bit easier. Although he won't be at all the meetings, but his influence and his aura no doubt will be. But but in terms of understanding sort of some of the the basic concepts, so that was good then. So that was about it. The first meeting and we'll be having a second meeting on the 24th of the 18th of February. So not not going away and yet will probably meet monthly, at least for the first half of the year and settle down to probably maybe six, six to eight meetings to year after that. And it is intended that as soon as we can that we may face to face in Canberra. And I think that's a good idea. Was it to be like you say, you get to know some of the people get to know them outside of the formal environment of the committee. And that's how the agents, the networks are spawned and an effective little working groups when people get to know each other and can form common ground to work on. So all in all, I think it's made a pretty good start and I'm well, I'm proud to be there. And as I've said to people, all I can do is promise to do my, to do my best, to contribute as best I can in what is a very complex field of public policy.

Absolutely. And certainly, as you mentioned with COVID, it's very complicated right now. So very important work that you and the council are doing now. Bill, finally on another point, what are you looking forward to getting involved with in 2022?

Absolutely. And certainly, as you mentioned with COVID, it's very complicated right now. So very important work that you and the council are doing now. Bill, finally on another point, what are you looking forward to getting involved with in 2022?

Well, a lot of the council, I think the area of most interest for me is the the reform programme for aged care. What is now at my aged care in the aged care support for people in their homes and the sort of services that are provided by organisations like Vision Australia? So that's probably the focus area for me on the council. Other than that, are looking forward to a pretty quiet year. I'm looking forward to a steady year. Vision Australia, that we can get into operating in a COVID normal manner, and I think COVID normal matter means, you know, sort of people kind of using common sense in how they manage their own COVID and and also in the precautions that they take and so on. But it also means from an organisational point of view that we are going to have to be very flexible in the staffing arrangements and and really put, you know, valuing as as we do the the the welfare and the commitment of our staff value those attributes very highly and and work even more flexibly than we have in the past. So that will be a challenge for us.

Well, a lot of the council, I think the area of most interest for me is the the reform programme for aged care. What is now at my aged care in the aged care support for people in their homes and the sort of services that are provided by organisations like Vision Australia? So that's probably the focus area for me on the council. Other than that, are looking forward to a pretty quiet year. I'm looking forward to a steady year. Vision Australia, that we can get into operating in a COVID normal manner, and I think COVID normal matter means, you know, sort of people kind of using common sense in how they manage their own COVID and and also in the precautions that they take and so on. But it also means from an organisational point of view that we are going to have to be very flexible in the staffing arrangements and and really put, you know, valuing as as we do the the the welfare and the commitment of our staff value those attributes very highly and and work even more flexibly than we have in the past. So that will be a challenge for us.

Sounds like you'll you'll be kept quite busy for some time, but I'm all for a good reason now. That's right. Yeah, thank you so much, Bill. That was Bill Jolly, their deputy chair of Vision Australia and more recently member of the Federal Government Department of Health's Aged Care Council of Elders. And that's all we have time for today. You've been listening to talking vision, talking vision is a production of Vision Australia radio. Thanks to all involved with putting the program together. And remember, we love your feedback and comments. You can contact us at Toking Vision at Vision Australia dot org that's talking vision all one word at Business Shire dot org. But until next week, it's bye for now.

Sounds like you'll you'll be kept quite busy for some time, but I'm all for a good reason now. That's right. Yeah, thank you so much, Bill. That was Bill Jolly, their deputy chair of Vision Australia and more recently member of the Federal Government Department of Health's Aged Care Council of Elders. And that's all we have time for today. You've been listening to talking vision, talking vision is a production of Vision Australia radio. Thanks to all involved with putting the program together. And remember, we love your feedback and comments. You can contact us at Toking Vision at Vision Australia dot org that's talking vision all one word at Business Shire dot org. But until next week, it's bye for now.

You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during business hours on 103000 eight four seven four six. That's one three eight four seven four double six or by visiting Vision Australia dot org. That's Vision Australia dot all.

You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during business hours on 103000 eight four seven four six. That's one three eight four seven four double six or by visiting Vision Australia dot org. That's Vision Australia dot all.