Laptop Containing Social Welfare Information Stolen
On 1st August 2008 the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) was informed by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Office that one of its stolen laptop computers contained personal and payment information relating to certain Social Welfare customers. Those affected include customers in receipt of Blind Pension and State Pensions (old age and retirement).
Officials in the Department of Social and Family Affairs believe there is no evidence however that customer information has been misused or compromised in any way. The Department has been in contact with the Bank of Ireland, its bank, and it has seen nothing to indicate any connection between fraud activity and missing DSFA records.
Nonetheless, customers are being asked to check their own records, particularly their bank records, to ensure that there has been no suspicious activity. If they notice anything suspicious they should contact their financial institution and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
The Comptroller and Auditor General’s Office was conducting an audit of payments on specific schemes for a period in 2005. If a customer was not in receipt of a welfare payment in the particular month in 2005, their information was not on the laptop and they need not take any further action.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs is currently writing to all of the customers whose personal details were contained on a laptop. A dedicated helpline has been set up by the Department for members of the public to ring if they are one of the people affected or if they have any concerns.
Freephone helpline: 1800 690 590 (9am – 6pm) or email helpline@welfare.ie
New Improved Bus Stop Timetables
New Dublin Bus stop timetables are now available to see at two stops on O’Connell St.
Dublin Bus has requested that NCBI get feedback from people with low vision, to see if the new timetables at the bus stops are legible.
The first stop is a northbound stop, outside Flanagan’s Restaurant and McDonnell’s near Dublin Bus Head Office. The stop serves the routes 10, 10a, 40a and 140.
The second stop is across the street from the first one, it serves south bound buses. The stop serves the routes 10, 10a, 58c, 63, 116 and 145. It is outside Budget Travel and Talk Shop.
Dublin Bus has requested people with low vision to give feedback on a new type of bus number. In this instance, Fiona Kelty, NCBI Access and Awareness Coordinator organised for a group of people with low vision to meet at St. Anne’s Road, Drumcondra on September 11th, to take a look at the bus number.
If you are interested in giving your feedback, please contact either
Fiona Kelty on Lo Call 1850 33 43 53 or email
fiona.kelty@ncbi.ie
or **Dolores Quinn, Dublin Bus Accessibility
Tel: 01 703 3204** or email dolores.quinn@dublinbus.ie
World Sight Day: Eyes on the Future
VISPA (the Vision Impaired Service Providers Alliance) is to publish a study which sheds new light on the levels of blindness in Ireland at a conference in Dublin in October.
Blindness in Ireland today
The Report, “Eyes on the Future: A study into the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in Ireland”, reviews data and demographic information that is available in Ireland and compares it with that of other countries in order to give an up to date picture of blindness in Ireland today. In addition, the report makes a number of projections and predictions regarding sight loss into the future.
Service planning into the future
The Study, which was led by Professors Jonathan Jackson and Colm O’Brien, is being finalised at the time this article is being written. It is, however, intended that the study will assist the VISPA membership (Fighting Blindness, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI (National Council for the Blind of Ireland) and St. Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired) in preparing their service planning into the future, securing funding and engaging in the public policy process.
The report is being published at VISPA’s inaugural Annual Conference which is being held to mark World Sight Day on Thursday, 9th October at St. Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired, in Dublin. It is hoped that a Minister of State will address the conference to mark the day. Professors Jackson and O’Brien will also be joined by Dr. Giuliana Sylvestri who will make a presentation on the five main eye conditions that the report picked up. A number of other experts in their fields will also speak, covering a range of topics which tackle some of the challenges that service providers face now and in the future.
A more detailed article on the Report and the VISPA Conference can be read in the next edition of NCBI News.
Research on Travel for People who are Blind or Vision Impaired
Dr. Marion Hersh, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, is carrying out research into ways to improve the understanding of the travel process for people who are blind or vision impaired to determining whether there is a need for new travel aids, information systems or more accessible public spaces to make travel easier.
As part of this research Dr. Hersh is looking for people who are blind or vision impaired to complete questionnaires and be interviewed. The questionnaires should not take more than half an hour to complete and the interviews will take about an hour and will take place in a convenient location to the person with sight loss or can be over the phone.
If you are aware of a service user who would be interested in completing a questionnaire or being interviewed or if you would like further information about this research, please contact Marion Hersh on m.hersh@elec.gla.ac.uk or Tel: 00 44 141 637 4925