Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to announce that on the Monday, 1 June, the In Sight of Dreams Foundation came to life. This is a wonderful charity that was the brainchild of local man Ben Felten. It was begun with the noble aim of providing people with a disability with hope, inspiration, mentoring and life skills. I commend the vision of the board, which includes: Stephen Barnes; Pamela Habek, who today becomes an Australian citizen; Kevin Magee; Nadia Kentera; Leo Felten; and, of course, Ben Felten. I would also like to acknowledge the work of Richard Glover and Stephen Toomey, who have done so much work on a pro bono basis.

Ben Felten is an exceptional local man. He was born with a degenerative eye disease, and has dedicated his life to helping people with a disability. By his late twenties, Ben was fully blind. Ben represented Australia in rowing and cricket, and set up the Nepean Blind Sports Club. At the moment, Ben has his heart set on setting the world speed record on a motorbike for a blind man. Currently, he has got his motorbike up to 220 kilometres per hour, but he is after the Guinness Book of Records: Ben Felton is after 268.33kilometres an hour. I commend Ben Felton for this wonderful organisation, and congratulate the In Sight of Dreams Foundation for the dreams that they have to provide opportunity for people with disability.