Vision Australia launches new support program
Vision Australia has launched a specialised service for children and young people who are deafblind. The program aims to provide each client with a dedicated lead service provider who understands the complexities of deafblindness. You can learn more about the service here.
NDIS essentials for children with dual sensory impairment: Information for Families Webinar 7th October
Children with dual sensory impairments or deafblindness have unique communication, mobility, and safety needs, and the NDIS plays a crucial role in supporting them. This webinar offers practical guidance to help families feel more confident navigating the NDIS for children with dual sensory needs. This webinar is presented in spoken English with Auslan interpretation and live captions. Click here for registration and further details.
CPD Opportunities
Looking for COMS points? Try APH Hive. If you’re looking to do some free online learning for COMS points, try APH Hive. They have a large catalogue of courses that are free! Thanks to Fiona Henwood from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT for this great suggestion.
Upcoming Conferences
- International Mobility World Conference 2026: Gujarat, India, 18-20 November 2026
- SPEVI Conference: Sydney, 18–20 January 2027.
Other Professional Development Opportunities:
- SPEVI Ready, Set, Create! 2-part series on practical tactile resources
Part 1: High-Tech Speed & Low-Tech Staples
When:Â Thursday 24 September 2026, 3:30 PM AEST
Part 2: The Great Tactile Show & Tell (Bring Your Homework!)
When:Â Wednesday 11 November 2026, 3:30 PM AEDT
All information and registration links can also be found on the SPEVI website.
- The team at Exceptional Educators have created a free resource library, which includes ten of their most popular past presentations.
- Developmental disability and deafblindness workshops: This practical two-day workshop is suitable for anyone with an interest in combined deafness and blindness, sensory disability and complex disability. Registration is free. Workshops are being held at various locations around Australia throughout 2026 and 2027.
- NextSense Blind and Low Vision Masterclass Series – Access to Participation: Recontextualising the Expanded Core Curriculum for Meaningful Inclusion, Independence and Employment
This workshop series recontextualises the ECC as a framework for access to participation: enabling students to engage meaningfully in learning, develop personal agency, enhance wellbeing, and prepare for successful transitions to further education, employment and adult life. Drawing on Dr Melissa Fanshawe’s PhD findings, and contemporary research of inclusion, participants will explore how ECC skills contribute to independence, self-determination and work readiness. Through the themes of access, agency, wellbeing and shared responsibility, the series will challenge educators and service providers to consider how the ECC can be embedded across educational settings to improve lifelong outcomes for students who are blind or have low vision. Full details including registration on the NextSense website.
You can find other PD opportunities at the OMAA website.
Remember also to log in to your ACVREP Account to access your free copies of essential professional resources – the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) and the Journal of Special Education.
Are you hosting or attending an upcoming CPD event? Would you like to be able to earn points towards ACVREP recertification at the same time?
Click here to find out how you can register your event.
Job Vacancies
Have you looked at the Job Vacancies page on the OMAA website recently? You’ll find position vacancies listed for various agencies and locations across Australasia so remember to check it out.
 Other News
- A big win! Uber has reversed its decision to charge a $5 fee for Uber Assist, following strong advocacy from Vision 2020 members, including Vision Australia and Guide Dogs. These organisations raised concerns that people with disability were being asked to pay extra to access services that support their independence and participation in the community. In response, Uber announced it will remove the additional Uber Assist fee and review the service to ensure it meets the needs of people with disability. The company has also committed to establishing an Accessibility Advisory Panel to help ensure its services better meet the needs of people with disability. You can read more here.
- New York has become the first US state to ban AI-enabled smart glasses and other recording-capable eyewear in all state courthouses, citing concerns about covert recording of audio, video, images, and AI-generated transcripts. The measure aims to protect the integrity of court proceedings, confidential communications, and courthouse security.
- The TGA has updated safety warnings for several GLP-1 medications, saying they have potential to cause a rare but severe eye condition. Patients experiencing sudden vision changes should seek urgent ophthalmological assessment, although RANZCO advises that people should not stop their medication without medical advice. Read RANZCO’s press release here and read the TGA’s safety update here.
- Sylvia Stinson-Perez shares her experience of walking the Camino de Santiago with vision loss.
- A major review has found that following a Mediterranean-style diet may help slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- Vision 2020 has welcomed the Government’s commitment to mandate Audio Description and expand captioning services, improving media accessibility for people with disability. You can read the announcement here.
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