My Insight Into The Blind Reading Revolution: Ron McCallum
Distinguished Monash Alumni, Ron McCallum AO is the Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Chair of Radio for the Print Handicapped of New South Wales Co-operative. He is also one of two Deputy Chairs of Vision Australia and in 2008 was appointed as a member of the Federal Government’s National People with Disabilities and Carers Council.
In 2003, he was awarded a Centenary Medal for his role as a labour law scholar and for his role as a disabled citizen in our nation. In 2006 the Queen’s Birthday honours recognised Professor McCallum with an Officer in the Order of Australia for his services to tertiary education, for industrial relations advice to governments, for assistance to visually impaired persons and for social justice. In 2007 Professor McCallum received an Alumni Achievement Award from Queen’s University Canada where he had undertaken postgraduate studies in law from 1972 to 1974.
In 2008, McCallum was elected to the first Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations which monitors compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In February 2009, he was appointed inaugural Rapporteur to the Convention and in October was elected Chair of the Committee. He was re-elected to the Committee in 2010 and remains as Chair.
Watch his inspiring TedX Talk, ‘My Insight Into The Blind Reading Revolution‘, or read his Alumni profile here.