Walk with Us

Steve was born totally blind and grew up mostly in Southeast Queensland.

He is an audio engineer/producer/presenter of radio programs. He has 30 years' experience in the community radio industry in various roles at Brisbane's Reading Radio.

Steve holds qualifications in both audio engineering and counselling and is adept at several musical instruments. Steve enjoys clock collecting, Trainspotting, and Australian rules football.

Steve relocated to Hobart two years ago to be with his wife. He is a member of the Blind Citizens Tasmania committee and works for the Blind Citizens Australia national office as the new Horizons podcast producer/presenter.

Courtney McMahon, an internationally certified and registered Orientation and Mobility Specialist, brings 15 years of combined experience in education and allied health.

Having worked as a school teacher before specialising in Orientation and Mobility five years ago.

Beyond her clinical work, she serves on the City of Hobart's Access Advisory Committee and the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia's Professional Development Committee.

Courtney thrives on the variety of supporting clients of all ages and unique goals, and she especially enjoys helping white cane users master navigation and unlock everyday freedom.

Duncan Meerding is a designer maker whose nationally and internationally recognised Nipaluna (Hobart) practice explores materiality, light, darkness and different sensory experience.

In 2005 at the age of 18 Duncan lost his central vision from Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), leaving him partially blind with less than 5 per cent vision.

Over 16 years, he has developed a distinctive approach to transforming reclaimed and underutilised timber into lighting and furniture that challenge conventional ideas of perception and sustainability. His recent large-scale works include the Propeller Bloom Pendant Light, the immersive Light Forest and the Trunk Lights. In 2026, his solo exhibition Wild Light at Cradle Mountain integrated audio description into the creative development.

As well as running his own practise, Duncan is the current President of the Tasmanian Branch of Blind Citizens Australia. Duncan's work has been exhibited internationally at Euroluce in Milan, Venice Design during the Venice Biennale and Vivid Sydney. He has received SIT DARC and LIT Lighting Design Awards and was a Guest Teaching Fellow for University College London's pioneering Architecture Beyond Sight course.

Duncan uses his cane for exploring his local environment, getting around town, and travelling abroad.

Blind since birth, Emma has spent much of her career working to shift the way disability is understood, from a focus on individual limitation and service provision to one grounded in rights, leadership, belonging and the expertise of disabled people themselves.

Emma is a former Chief Executive Officer and President of Blind Citizens Australia and has held senior leadership roles across the disability sector. She is also a Director of NV Access, the organisation behind the free NVDA screen reader, and co-founder and Deputy Chair of United Blind Leaders, an international movement working to elevate blind leadership and increase the power and influence of blind people in organisations and communities.

A lifelong white cane user, Emma brings both personal and professional experience to conversations about accessibility, independence, and inclusion.

She is particularly passionate about challenging low expectations of blind people and creating a world in which blind people are recognised not simply as recipients of support, but as leaders, decision-makers and contributors who shape the systems and communities around us.

Lily Gatehouse is a 9 year old who has been completely blind since birth, from the condition Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).

In the Braille House literacy challenge in 2026, Lily gained first place in reading and writing for her age group. In the Tasmanian Young Achievement Awards 2026, Lily was voted the winner for the people's Choice Award.

Lily has a keen interest in learning and reading and is an older sister to two young brothers with the same condition, Eddie (3) and Andy (7).

She has been to two braille music camps in Queensland and has a general interest in music and performing. This is displayed by singing performances at two large Hobart events; the Variety Gala Ball and Carols By Candlelight over the last 4 years.

Lily has been using a cane since she was 3 years old, she sees the importance of her cane as a device to explore the world around her and participate in school life.