The ABA Executive Committee is elected every two years at the ABA’s Annual Meeting, which generally takes place in April or May, immediately before the Round Table Conference on Information Access for People with a Print Disability.
The members of the Executive Committee serving terms from 2023 to 2025 are:
ABA Chair
Tristan Clare
Tristan Clare is a braille transcriber and proofreader with NextSense production team (formerly RIDBC). She has been a member of the ABA Executive since 2018 and is a member of the Australian Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille Committee.
Immediate Past Chair
Jordie Howell
Jordie Howell has served as Chair of the Australian Braille Authority since 2016. She works as a braille music transcriber at Vision Australia and as a braille music teacher at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre (SVRC). Jordie is Australia’s representative on the ICEB Executive Committee and Chair of the ICEB Braille Music Committee. She also represents Australia on the Onkyo Braille Essay Contest marking team. Jordie is a touch reader and an accomplished vocalist. She helped to write the Australian Addendum for Braille Music Transcription and is a leader at the annual National Braille Music Camp.
ABA Executive Committee Members
Kim Barber
Kim Barber is the immediate past Convenor of the Sydney Region Braille Forum. Kim is a vision specialist teacher and leads Braille and Large Print Services for the NSW Department of Education. Kim is the Chief Examinations Officer for the Australian Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille.
Ben Clare
Ben Clare is passionate about braille literacy and access to braille education for all. He has spent years travelling to the South Pacific regions to provide training and equipment support to their braille educators, as well as acting as a blind role model for their students. Ben is the Co-president (May 2025), Secretary and Social Media co-editor for the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (SPEVI). Ben joined the ABA Executive in 2023.
Deb Murphy
Deb Murphy is a multi-format producer who has been transcribing braille at Vision Australia for over 30 years. She is also on the ANZAGG Executive and has been involved in many working groups to write guidelines for the production of braille, accessible graphics and 3D printing.
Amanda Acutt
Amanda is an experienced policy practitioner and analyst in the Queensland Public Service. Currently, she is part of a team in the Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support that is responsible for leading major policy and legislative reforms to improve outcomes for young people and communities in a fair and balanced youth justice system.
Blind since birth, Amanda is an avid reader with a thirst for knowledge and love of learning. The privilege of a braille-based education has been, and continues to be, fundamental to Amanda’s personal and academic achievements. She joins the ABA with a genuine dedication to raising the profile of braille, to ensure that people who are blind or have low vision can fulfil their potential, and thrive.
Janine Land
Janine is an experienced braille transcriber for the South Australia School & Services for Vision Impaired (SASSVI). She joined the ABA Executive in 2023.
The Australian Braille Authority is a subcommittee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with a Print Disability Inc.
[JUN 25]