Vision Australia at a Glance
As a Peer Support Program volunteer Karen offers new Vision Australia clients support over the phone.
Read Karen's story here.
Vision Australia is a not-for-profit organisation and the nation’s leading provider of blindness and low vision services. We provide the equipment and training that enables people who are blind or have low vision to live their lives to the full.
On this page:
About us
Vision Australia is the leading provider of blindness and low vision services in Australia. We work in positive partnership with Australians who are blind or have low vision to help achieve the possibilities they choose in life.
We do this by developing practical solutions to everyday challenges. Striving together we create exciting lifetime possibilities by providing comprehensive training and easy access to the world's information.
We provide services to people at home, in our centres and in the community, from regional and metropolitan locations in NSW, the ACT, Queensland, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Victoria.
We offer a range of services that can be tailored to a person's level of vision, supporting people who have some remaining sight to those who are blind.
Most services are free.
Our vision
Vision Australia is a living partnership between people who are blind, sighted or have low vision. We are united by our passion that in the future people who are blind or have low vision will have access to and fully participate in every part of life they choose.
Our mission
Vision Australia will achieve this through creating a community partnership of knowledge, skills and expertise to enrich the participation in life of people who are blind or have low vision and their families. We will ensure that the community recognises their capabilities and contributions.
Our merger statement
Combining the skills and resources of several leading blindness organisations to create one national voice, Vision Australia is committed to delivering exceptional and efficient services that open up exciting possibilities for our community.
Vision Australia in numbers
- 948 staff (including full-time and part-time as of August 2008).
- 4103 registered volunteers.
- Half our clients are 79 years of age or over.
- 64% of our clients are female.
Corporate information
Registered Business Office: 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong VIC 3144
ABN: 67 108 391 831
Our Clients
We provide services to tens of thousands of Australians with varying degrees of vision loss. While half our clients are over 79, our youngest clients are just beginning their lives.
Our services meet the needs presented over the course of a lifetime – from children’s requirements through to study, employment, equipment, independent living, information, policy and advocacy, recreation and other vital services. Most of our services are offered free of charge. We also work closely with government and business to break down barriers for people who are blind or have low vision.
Eligibility
Vision Australia provides services across Australia to people who are blind, have low vision or have difficulty reading standard printed material.
Our logo
Visual and audio logos to accompany the name Vision Australia have been devised in line with the principles of best practice. You will find examples of these in this website.
Together with the name and tagline, these logos can engage three vital senses - sight, touch and hearing. The result is both memorable and accessible.
Our History
Vision Australia was formed in 2004 through the merger of Royal Blind Society, the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Vision Australia Foundation and the National Information and Library Service
This decision was based on the understanding that we could enhance our blindness and low vision services by working together, rather than separately - combining our skills and resources to open up new possibilities for the people we support.
Each of these founding organisations had worked with the blindness and low vision community in Australia for over 100 years.
Our organisation was further expanded in December 2006 through the amalgamation of Royal Blind Foundation Queensland. And, in November 2007, Hear A Book, a Tasmanian producer of audio books was also merged into Vision Australia, further expanding our extensive catalogue of audio books.
In 2008, Vision Australia merged with Seeing Eye Dogs Australia in order to provide more Orientation & Mobility (O&M) options to our clients.
Our history is made up of many milestones: achieving voting rights for people who were blind and importing the first talking books are just a few.
How we work
From early 2005, the Board of Directors of Vision Australia appointed its first permanent Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gerard Menses. Following this, the Board and senior management developed a strategic direction to enhance blindness and low vision services in Australia.
It is our living partnership that makes us strong. Our community consists of people from all walks of life, with varied interests and experiences. We have more than 1,000 staff and 3,700 volunteers who are united by a passion for living our Vision. The four pillars of IPTA underline this culture:
- Information that we make accessible to clients
- Problem Solving that helps overcome barriers to a full range of life choices
- Training to teach these solutions to the community
- Access, opening the door to new possibilities for our clients - the sum result of all our activities
These four priorities guide our work - from service delivery and advocacy to governance.
Our services
- Access Advice
Our practical assistance and advice assists governments, organisations and businesses to plan, design and produce fully accessible services, products and built environments. - Accessible Information Solutions
Combining experts on web and online accessibility services and accessible print information, we help our customers deliver comprehensive and effective communication that is accessible for all Australians. - Audio Description Services
Our highly trained Audio Describers narrate the visual aspects of live theatre performances, tours and videos so that people who are blind or have low vision can enjoy the same level of access to a range of recreational activities as a sighted person. - Audio Publishing
Vision Australia's audio publishing unit produces a selection of contemporary Australian writing for audio users of all ages. These unabridged audio books are available for direct sale or are widely available from educational and public libraries throughout Australia, including the Vision Australia Information Library Service. Vision Australia has partnered with numerous national and international organisations to ensure and increasing supply of the latest digitalised audio books to the Australian market. - Children's Services
A range of programs is offered to facilitate each child's development, access to education and independence through their life stages. - Community Education
Vision Australia provides a range of community education programs and online resources. Our Speakers' Network of volunteer public speakers is particularly well-regarded and are constantly in demand for speaking engagements with everyone from preschoolers to business people and nursing home residents. - Deafblind Services
We offer specialist services for people who are deafblind, providing individual assessment, advice and intervention to enhance their level of community participation and independence. - Employment Services
Services are available to help people find and keep a job or achieve a promotion. We also assist people to settle into a new role and modify their workplace to suit individual needs. - Equipment Solutions
We sell, demonstrate and advise on equipment that helps people of all ages to manage daily activities independently. - Further Education Bursaries
Vision Australia is proud to help students who are blind or have low vision to pursue their chosen fields of learning. Bursaries are awarded to people who for financial reasons would not be able to participate in further education by providing adaptive technology up to the value of $6,000. - Independent Living Services
We provide assistance with daily living skills such as cooking and handling money. Vision Australia also provides orientation and mobility (O&M) training, recreation information and counselling as well as peer support and social programs. - Information Library Service
We provide information and recreational reading in accessible formats including braille, audio and electronic formats for people who have difficulty reading printed material. Books, magazines, newspapers and audio described videos are circulated through the mail. Access to electronic journals, books and other material is provided via the Internet. We also transcribe printed material into accessible formats such as braille, audio, electronic and large print. - Low Vision Services
Vision Australia offers individual assessment, advice and training to assist people to make the most of their remaining vision using lighting, contrast and magnification to help with everyday tasks such as reading and writing. - Policy and Advocacy
Vision Australia is committed to breaking down barriers that exist for people who are blind or have low vision in our community. We develop formal organisational policies in order to assert positive influence and bring about change. We also build strong links and networks with other blindness service providers and consumer organisations to achieve positive outcomes. - Recreation Services
Vision Australia offers advice about adapting activities so people can continue enjoying their current hobbies and pastimes or take up a new recreational pursuit. We organise many recreational events, camps and Come 'n' Try days as well as providing information about community sporting and social groups. - Technology and Training Solutions
Vision Australia assesses technology requirements in a person's home, school or workplace in order to recommend equipment or strategies to meet their individual needs. We also provide training in keyboarding skills, adaptive technology and braille. - Vision Australia Radio
Vision Australia radio provides news, information and entertainment for people unable to read standard print, through a network of RPH community radio stations across Victoria and southern New South Wales. We also work in conjunction with other RPH stations across Australia. Vision Australia Radio programs are also streamed online at www.visionaustralia.org/var.
Our locations
We currently operate more than 35 service centres, providing services directly to people who are blind or have low vision in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory. We also provide an Information Library Service to clients nationally.
Our People
Chair
Dr Kevin Murfitt is the Chair of Vision Australia.
Kevin is a psychologist and received his PhD on research studying employers' attitudes to graduates with a disability.
Kevin was consultant to the Willing and Able Mentoring Project (WAM) 2000 and Deakin University's Disability Awareness consultant and Disability Liaison Officer. He received a 2002 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Human Rights Award for his contribution to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Accessible Public Transport Standards.
CEO
Chief Executive Officer, Gerard Menses, is charged with the overall strategic direction and management of Vision Australia.
Gerard is on the Board of the Centre for Eye Research Australia and Vision 2020 Australia where he chairs the Corporate and Governance Committee. He is a Trustee on the Advisory Board, Committee for Melbourne. Gerard is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management - he was awarded their highest honour as the Professional Manager of the Year Queensland 2001.
In 2006, he accepted the Prime Ministers National Employer of the Year Award on behalf of Vision Australia.
Previously, Gerard was CEO of Endeavour, Australia's largest state-based charity and prior to that Gerard was CEO of AnglicareSA - the largest community organisation in South Australia.
Staff
Vision Australia employs more than 1000 staff, including braillists, occupational therapists, orthoptists, psychologists, employment officers and computer experts.
Volunteers
About 4.500 registered volunteers help to provide a broad range of services for Vision Australia, including narrating student textbooks and local newspapers. We also have a network of fundraising committees, including several Black & White Committees.
How much does it all cost?
It costs more than $80 million a year to provide our services. Since just over a third of our funding comes from Government sources, we must rely on generous support from the community. Thankfully, our fundraising work is greatly augmented by the efforts of numerous community groups and dedicated individuals.
What can you do?
We are grateful for the generous support we receive from people within the community who choose to:
- Make tax-deductible donations
- Leave a gift in their will
- Volunteer
- Form corporate partnerships with Vision Australia
- Assist with community fundraising
- Spread the word
- Buy a lottery ticket
- In-kind donations from business
It is also helpful when you meet someone who is blind or has low vision if you:
- Introduce yourself (don't presume they will recognise your voice)
- Ask whether they need assistance (don't be offended if they say no)
- If the person indicates they would like assistance to get around, do not grab their hand or arm. Allow them to hold your arm lightly, just above the elbow. Watch for obstacles and be specific when describing surroundings.
- Relax and speak normally, using hand gestures and maintaining eye contact
Contact us
All general enquiries: call 1300 84 74 66
Donations: call 1800 42 20 77
This page last updated: 15 July 2010