Coalition funding for Guide Dogs Victoria
Guide Dogs Victoria welcomes the announcement of $2 million dollars in funding to upgrade their veterinary clinic, custom boarding kennels and breeding centre in Kew.
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Global Action Plan paves way for Regional Plan!
As a result of excellent advocacy work by a range of IAPB members, the new World Health Organisation Universal eye health: a global action plan 2014-19 was endorsed at the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva in May. This is a major milestone for global eye health!
Vision 2020 Australia gears up for World Sight Day
Vision 2020 Australia is once again preparing for World Sight Day (WSD), which this year falls on Thursday 10 October. The theme for 2013 is ‘Universal Eye Health’ which was born out of the new Global Action Plan launched earlier this year. The Action Plan’s purpose is to increase access to comprehensive eye care services that are integrated into health systems, and reduce avoidable blindness and vision impairment by 25 per cent by 2019.
Vision Summits facilitate conversation with Government and Opposition
With the sector’s eyes firmly on the looming Federal Election, Vision 2020 Australia and its member organisations have been campaigning to ensure eye health remains on the agenda of both the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition. On 9 July Vision 2020 Australia held a Vision Summit with the Coalition and last Wednesday a second summit was held with representatives from the Australian Government. More than 40 CEOs from leading eye health and vision care organisations across Australia attended each of the summits to ask questions of federal parliamentarians.
Government and ABC fail to deliver on accessible TV for Australia’s blind
Blind Citizens Australia, on behalf of people who are blind or vision impaired, has today lodged 21 complaints of disability discrimination with the Australian Human Rights Commission against the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) and the Federal Government for its failure to provide fully accessible content on Australian television. All complaints call for the Federal Government to commit ongoing funding to provide a minimum of 14 hours of audio described content per week.
Funding boost by AusAID for optometry faculty development
Following the success of last year’s Australia Awards Fellowship, hosted by the Brien Holden Vision Institute, funding has been awarded again by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) to run the Fellowship in 2013, providing a sizeable boost to global optometry faculty development. This year eighteen candidates will join the Fellowship program in Australia from the Western Pacific and South Asian regions – including Fiji, India, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan and Vietnam.
Multilingual online platform provides breakthrough in optometry education
More than 600 million people globally speak either French, Spanish or Portuguese and a breakthrough in optometric education will now result in many millions of these having greater access to eye care in their local communities.
Eye care leader wins world award at WCO
In optometry there are few global accolades and Professor Brien Holden has just about won them all, but the vision correction researcher, educator, innovator and entrepreneur for eye care solutions globally, joined an elite group in the optometry field today when the World Council of Optometry (WCO) acknowledged him with its Distinguished Service Award – their highest honour. A pioneer in contact lens development and eye health, and now a global leader of efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision impairment, Holden is only the sixth to receive the award.
Academic Vision Centre handed over to the Ministry in Malawi
The future of eye care in Malawi became brighter today when an Academic Vision Centre, the first of its kind, was handed over to the Malawi Ministry of Health by a consortium of partners dedicated to the eradication of avoidable blindness in Southern Africa.
Pre-election policy proposals
Integral to Vision 2020 Australia’s mission is to advocate for improved eye health and vision care for all Australians. With the announcement of the 14 September Australian federal election, Vision 2020 Australia is developing funding and policy proposals for consideration by the Australian Government and the Opposition. The first proposal finalised: Progressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and vision care lists recommendations the sector would like to see adopted by both sides of politics.