November 30th, 2022Legally blind – but you wouldn’t know it: public events to promote awareness

The Hepburn Shire Council is hosting three public events to celebrate International Day of People with Disability in partnership with its Disability Advisory Committee.

The day aims to increase public awareness and understanding of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions.
A community talk will be held in Daylesford tomorrow, Thursday 1 December, with special guest speaker
and blind advocate Karan Nagrani.
Karan is legally blind, but if you passed him in the street it’s likely you wouldn’t know. Diagnosed
at the age of 11 with a degenerative genetic condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa , the now 36-
year-old only has a fraction of his vision remaining. In a few years he will lose whatever little
vision he has left.
Karan is also the first openly LGBTIQA+ person to be nominated for Blind Australian of the Year.
Karan is dedicated to helping people across the globe understand that blindness is a spectrum
and normalise being gay and having a disability.
“International Day of People with Disability is a chance for all of us to challenge the way we think
about disability and help Hepburn Shire become more inclusive,” said Mayor, Cr Brian Hood.
Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) member David Moten encouraged community members to
come along to the talk or head to a drop-in session at Clunes or Creswick.
“We’re hoping to talk to community members about the DAC and promote the experiences of
people with disability in the Shire,” said David.
“We’ll also be talking to people about the new Disability Action Plan and how it relates to people
living with disability, their friends and family.”
International Day for People with Disability community event
When – Thursday 1 December from 2pm to 4pm
Where – Victoria Park sports pavilion, Daylesford.
Drop-in sessions to discuss ideas for the new Disability Action Plan are also set for:
Clunes – Friday 2 December from 10.30am to 12 noon outside The Warehouse – Clunes. Led by
DAC members Andrew Brown and John Condon.
Creswick – Friday 2 December from 1pm to 2.30pm outside the IGA supermarket (wet weather
location is inside Creswick Hub). Led by DAC member David Moten.