In this episode, Steve Vamos speaks with Connor McLeod who at just 12 years of age and blind from birth, started a petition to the Australian government to introduce tactile banknotes letting blind or vision-impaired people quickly identify its value.
When he was initially brushed off, he lobbied MPs and lodged a formal complaint to the Human Rights Commission. He even went to Canberra with his mum to deliver his petition, with 57,000 signatures. Connor’s campaigning was successful, and starting in 2016, new banknotes were introduced.
This is a wonderful, uplifting story of resilience, independence, being steadfast in your beliefs and forever changing the Australian currency. Listen here.