java - Accessing private field in a subclass -

i'm creating class extends propertychangesupport. want override firepropertychange():

firepropertychange implemented in propertychangesupport:

public void firepropertychange(string propertyname, object oldvalue, object newvalue) {     if (oldvalue == null || newvalue == null || !oldvalue.equals(newvalue)) {         firepropertychange(new propertychangeevent(this.source, propertyname, oldvalue, newvalue));     } } 

my intended override of firepropertychange:

public void firepropertychange(string propertyname, object oldvalue, object newvalue) {     if (oldvalue == null || newvalue == null || !oldvalue.equals(newvalue)) {         firepropertychange(new joystickpropertychangeevent(this.source, propertyname, oldvalue, newvalue)); //compile error: source not visible     } } 

joystickpropertychangeevent class created , extends properychangeevent.

the problem intended implementation not compile because source private , has no getters in propertychangesupport, subclasses have no access it. cannot modify propertychangesupport's code.

is there more elegant way of solving having private copy of source field of subclass?

related question: how access private variables of class in subclass?

i question design of this.

the method trying override has been made private reason, if change implementation wouldn't advise since don't know impact have elsewhere.