Upcoming Conferences
- National Deafblind Conference 2025: Filling in the Gaps and Joining the Dots: University of Sydney, Australia, 27 – 28 November 2025. Attendance is free. For all information and to register for tickets to attend online or in person, visit the Conference website. Please be aware that this conference does not offer COMS credits.
- International O&M Online Symposium: online, worldwide, 28 – 30 January 2026. Early bird registration is now available, and you will earn 18 CEUs (Continuing Education Units).
- 2026 Round Table Conference, Adelaide, 24 – 26 May 2026.
- 2026 CVI Conference: The Collective Power of US: Boston, United States, 19-21 July 2026
- 2026 AER International Conference: Louisville, Kentucky, United States, 29 July – 2 August 2026. Call for papers now open. Submit your abstract by 2 December 2025. Please click here for more information about submitting an abstract.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
November master series From Stigma to Strength: The Role of Educators in Supporting Students with Blindness and Low Vision will discuss the benefits and positive impacts of stigma resistance, the power of community, and the influence of BLV educators and professionals in reducing the impact of stigma. This series will contribute 4 PD hours towards COMS re-certification with ACVREP as it addresses the Core Domains of the OMAA O&M Framework. Recordings for post digital access are included in the course purchase.
Did you miss August’s O&M Community of Practice meeting on working with kids? There were some wonderful ideas and tools shared. Check out the recording here. A reminder that registered OMAA Members who attend live are eligible to receive 1 COMS continuing education point per CoP Meeting. The next Community of Practice meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 18 November covering the topic of “O&M Techie Time” – please join us for our last meeting for 2025!
You can find other PD opportunities at the OMAA website.
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.
Call for Submissions on O&M, Sport and Recreation
Posted on behalf of Frances Gentle:
The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) invites submissions for the January 2026 issue of The Educator. The theme is “Physical Activity: Orientation and Mobility, Sports and Recreation”.
Physical activity builds independence, health, and confidence. This issue will explore skills in orientation and mobility, sports and recreation, and technology innovations such as fitness apps, wearables, navigation tools, tactile maps, and adaptive sports equipment. Share your articles, case studies & reflections.
Deadline: 30 November 2025
Email submissions: Publications@ICEVI.org
Submission guidelines: https://icevi.org/resource-library/the-educator/
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.
SeeWay launches national campaign
World Sight Day saw the launch of a national awareness campaign from SeeWay, a free, national, online service by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. SeeWay supports people with permanent changes in vision, and their families and carers, by providing access to mental health counselling, digital literacy training, and everyday independence tools.
Research participation invitation
The University of Sydney’s INCUBATE program is conducting research to better understand how people who are blind or have low vision experience in-store and online payments. They are running a short anonymous survey to capture everyday experiences and accessibility challenges when making payments. The insights will help inform more inclusive and independent payment solutions in Australia. You can participate in the survey here.
Journal Articles
AER The New Re:View, is a practice-focused journal sponsored by AER that offers articles and short pieces, including “Virtual Thoughts: Provider Voices on Teleintervention with Families of Young Children with Visual Impairment.”
A reminder that you can access free copies of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) and the Journal of Special Education via your ACVREP account. Simply log in to My ACVREP and you can access the journals here.
Other News
- The findings of a two-year Australian trial show the potential of AI to increase access to sight saving eye screenings. You can read more about the study and the research here.
- National survey: Vision impairment rates down but access gaps remain.
- Man’s own tooth implanted in eye to restore his vision.
- Musk says Neuralink could restore vision to blind next year.
- Target USA launches accessible checkout, built with the blind and low vision community.
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