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About Braille House

Our mission is to empower people of all ages who are blind or have low vision through alternative formats.

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Our Management Committee

Our dedicated management committee is composed of experienced professionals who guide Braille House with expertise and passion. Each member plays a crucial role in upholding our mission and driving our strategic vision forward.

Barry Oliver

Barry is a Discipline Head of Finance in the UQ Business School and well known in Brisbane having moved here from Canberra nearly a decade ago. He lives in Yeronga. Barry has had various interviews in th...
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Amanda Acutt​

Amanda is an experienced policy practitioner and analyst in the Queensland Public Service. She works with her team to improve outcomes for young people and communities in a fair and balanced youth justice system...​
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Nigel Harris​

Nigel is Managing Director of Nigel Harris & Associates, an advisory and consulting practice specialising in philanthropy and fundraising leadership. In a career spanning 40 years, Nigel has held executive and gove...​
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Vickie Anderson​

Vickie Anderson has over 20 years experience working with people living with blindness or a vision impairment (BVI). This experience, her passion for the work and her determination to learn new skills and techniques...​
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James Grant​

James is a senior compliance professional and heads up the compliance function at one of Australia’s leading energy infrastructure organisations. James has held a number of executive level...​
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Karen Prins​

Karen has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, holding several executive roles leading both new business and client relationship teams. An experienced contributor to Management Co...​
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Meyrick Adams​

Meyrick was truly moved by Braille House’s mission to open the world of literacy to all by transcribing print books into braille for blind and low vision readers. As someone who values the knowledge and joy that reading brings, Meyrick believes ev...
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Our dedicated team

Meet the people behind Braille House. Our diverse team of staff and volunteers work tirelessly to provide exceptional services, ensuring that every individual has access to the world of words.

Join us!

We’re always on the lookout for volunteers and dedicated helpers. If you would like to provide some talent, experience, or just helo out. We would love to hear from you!

Submit your interest

Richard Barker

Richard commenced as General Manager of Braille House in 2021. With 40 years of media and commercial radio experience at Hit105 and Triple M, Richard was responsible for revenue generation, audience ratings and fundraising for the Brisbane Roy...
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Margo Carwardine 
Margo came to Braille House as a volunteer late in 2021 from a background in education and school leadership spanning nearly four decades. Margo’s interest and involvement in the inspiring work of Braille House grew, as...
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Kelly Phelan 

Kelly brings a unique blend of academic and professional expertise to the nonprofit sector. Her career spans marketing, fundraising and event management roles for major corporations including Walt Disney and Caesar’s Enterta...​
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Eva Lo 

Eva started as a volunteer at the Braille House Library in 2021 before becoming the full time Librarian in early 2024. She has experience working in school libraries and bookstores. She has a Master of Information from Charles Sturt University, with a s...​
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Production Binding Team 

More than 35 transcribers, proofreaders and book binders work behind the scenes to produce over 170,00 pages of braille each year. Lead by our Production Manager, Renee, our production team is comprised primarily of volunteers, many of whom are retired schoolteachers and librarians. Several members of the production team are blind or low vision and have been coming to Braille House as volunteers and/or library borrowers for several decades. 

Teaching Team 

Our five-person teaching team conducts braille and Moon instruction for blind and low vision students, as well as a Braille for Print Users course. Classes are offered both in-person and remotely. In addition, Braille House delivers Braille Awareness presentations in schools, libraries and for interested corporate and government partners. 

Frequently asked questions

Got questions? We have answers. Learn more about our services, how to access our resources, and what Braille House can do for you.

Braille is a system of raised dots which is primarily read with fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision. Braille is not a language, rather, it is a code by which many languages may be written and read. Braille is used by people all over the world in their native languages and provides a means of literacy for all.

Unified English Braille (UEB) is the official Braille code used in Australia, adopted in 2005. Though this has been the standard code in which we produce resources and fee-for-service products, our library collection still includes “pre-UEB” volumes which are available for borrowing.

Braille House aims to provide Braille lessons to everyone who is interested. To receive more information, please contact our Learning Coordinator by emailing kkieu@qbwa.org.au, or calling 07 3848 5257

The Braille House library is free of charge for individuals Australia wide. The library team strive to provide our borrowers with a personalised experience, taking into consideration our borrower’s reading preferences and requests. To become a member, please contact library@qbwa.org.au. You can view the library catalogue to see what books are available here.

It is difficult to provide an exact cost because it depends on the words being used and the contraction of those words. If you are looking to have something transcribed or produced in Braille, all you have to do is send through what you want transcribed and Braille House will contact you to discuss your needs with the view to progress a quote and recommendations for the best format. Please contact coordinator@qbwa.org.au with your requirements and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

We rely on the generosity of the general public through donations and bequests, as well as corporate sponsorship and a small variety of grants. Volunteer support is also critical to the provision of our services. Braille House currently receives limited government funding

There are a number of ways to get involved with us at Braille House, including donating, corporate sponsorship, in memorium gifts, bequests, or volunteering. You can find more detailed information by going to our get involved page here

We encourage you to reach out to us via:

Phone: 07 3848 5257

Email: admin@qbwa.org.au

Have a question not listed here? Submit your own here

In the news!

Braille House transforms lives by providing expert Braille and Moon tuition, tactile resources, and a free library for people who are blind or have low vision.

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(07) 3848 5257

507 Ipswich Road
Annerly Qld 4103
Send an Email to the
Braille House Coordinator
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. Braille House honours the deep traditions of storytelling, sharing, and preserving culture, which have empowered knowledge for generations. In this spirit, we strive to connect people who are blind or have low vision with the written word

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B.Comm, Grad Dip Pych, M.Ec, PhD. 

Barry Oliver

Barry is a Discipline Head of Finance in the UQ Business School and well known in Brisbane having moved here from Canberra nearly a decade ago. He lives in Yeronga. Barry has had various interviews in the local media on his research, especially on overconfident CEOs and their impact on companies. Barry has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher and consultant in finance working for various universities and organisations. Prior to his current position, Barry was Reader in Finance at the ANU and worked for the Commonwealth Department of Finance. He has published in major academic journals including Journal of Banking and Finance, International Review of Finance, Pacific Basin Finance Journal, Australian Journal of Management and Accounting and Finance as well as being quoted in the Australian Financial Review many times. After completing his PhD in 2001, Barry returned to study psychology completing this qualification in 2008. From then, Barry’s research has been strongly influenced by psychology. Barry brings to Braille House considerable finance expertise and an understanding of the work of Braille House, as his mother was blind.

BA (Hons) LLB (Hons) PhD

Amanda Acutt

Amanda is an experienced policy practitioner and analyst in the Queensland Public Service. She works with her team to improve outcomes for young people and communities in a fair and balanced youth justice system, through leading legislation, strategy and policy direction.

MBA, CFRE, GAICD

Nigel Harris

Nigel is Managing Director of Nigel Harris & Associates, an advisory and consulting practice specialising in philanthropy and fundraising leadership. In a career spanning 40 years, Nigel has held executive and governance leadership roles in non-profit organisations, most notably serving as Chief Executive Officer of Mater Foundation (Queensland) for 24 years.

BS in Orientation & Mobility, MS in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy

Vickie Anderson

Vickie Anderson has over 20 years experience working with people living with blindness or a vision impairment (BVI).  This experience, her passion for the work and her determination to learn new skills and techniques has taken her to 3 different countries to work with people in the BVI community.

MFP, Adv Dip Financial Services

James Grant

James is a senior compliance professional and heads up the compliance function at one of Australia’s leading energy infrastructure organisations. James has held a number of executive level roles throughout his career, leading both large teams and business units. 

MBA(Exec), GIA(Cert), GAICD

Karen Prins

Karen has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, holding several executive roles leading both new business and client relationship teams. An experienced contributor to Management Committees, Karen has held past positions as Brisbane Chair of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation and Treasurer for the Queensland Women in Super Committee.

Meyrick Adams

Meyrick was truly moved by Braille House’s mission to open the world of literacy to all by transcribing print books into braille for blind and low vision readers. As someone who values the knowledge and joy that reading brings, Meyrick believes everyone should have access to books. As a Director of Orizan, a strategic marketing consultancy, he helps brands find and unlock hidden revenue, streamline processes, and launch clever campaigns across Australia. With a wealth of experience in marketing, sales strategy, and business development, Meyrick looks forward to applying his skills to help Braille House grow its reach and impact. His commitment to supporting Braille House’s life-changing work stems from a deeply personal belief in the transformative power of reading for all.

Librarian 

Eva Lo 

Eva started as a volunteer at the Braille House Library in 2021 before becoming the full time Librarian in early 2024. She has experience working in school libraries and bookstores. She has a Master of Information from Charles Sturt University, with a specialisation in Records and Archives Management. Eva can read Braille by sight at an elementary level and is working to improve this skill. 

Business Development and Fundraising Manager 

Kelly Phelan 

Kelly brings a unique blend of academic and professional expertise to the nonprofit sector. Her career spans marketing, fundraising and event management roles for major corporations including Walt Disney and Caesar’s Entertainment, as well as academic roles at universities in Australia, the U.S. and Botswana. Kelly is passionate about education, an avid reader and dedicated to supporting literacy and accessibility for blind and low vision individuals. 

Special Projects Manager and Executive Assistant 

Margo Carwardine

Margo came to Braille House as a volunteer late in 2021 from a background in education and school leadership spanning nearly four decades. Margo’s interest and involvement in the inspiring work of Braille House grew, as did her role. In mid-2023 Margo was appointed as the Project Coordinator of the Accessible Tourism Enabler Grant received by Braille House as part of the Queensland Government’s Year of Accessible Tourism. Margo holds a Dip Teach, B.Ed., Grad Dip Arts and MEd.    

General manager

Richard Barker

Richard commenced as General Manager of Braille House in 2021. With 40 years of media and commercial radio experience at Hit105 and Triple M, Richard was responsible for revenue generation, audience ratings and fundraising for the Brisbane Royal Children’s Hospital Christmas Appeal.

In 2016, he became CEO of Queensland Rugby Union. He has served as a board member for several organisations and charity committees. Richard works closely with the Management Committee to provide strong governance and strategic direction to Braille House.

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