Building Positive Impact Together
Every dollar you raise helps achieve a positive impact for people living with blindness and low vision to live their lives with the independence they seek. That in turn promotes real social inclusion.
Emotional support and groups for social inclusion
Occupational therapists for independence
Mobility specialists to stay safe and get around
Orthoptists to assess functional vision and make recommendations
Education and employment support to achieve aspirations
Aids and equipment from our shop to improve daily living
Technology and training to stay connected
Early intervention, children's and adolescents' specialised services
Seeing Eye Dogs for independence
Audio books and library for leisure and learning
Helpful information and advice for clients and families
My Aged Care and NDIS experts to maximise funding
The Year in Numbers
In 2018-19 you and thousands of like-minded fundraisers helped make this possible. We couldn’t support as many people as we do without your most generous support. So many people have been helped in so many ways.
25,435
Vision Australia clients received 392,816 hours of service
2857
Volunteers
1.13m
Volunteer hours
12,139
Clients accessed library services
15.4%
Of employees are blind or have low vision
96%
Client satisfaction
730,719
Books, magazines, newspapers and podcasts circulated
55,674
Pairs of glasses and vision aids funded by the NSW Spectacles Program
2,224
Children received 49,716 hours of service
9.1
Employee new promoter score
3,300
Audio hours were produced from 78,300 pages of printed materials
153
Live performances were audio described
70,000
Print pages converted into accessible formats:
107,000
to braille
10,000
to e-text
5,000
to large print
2,050
to tactual graphics
Highlights from 2018-19
LEAP Leadership Camp
Participants in our new nine-month youth leadership program – Learn, Engage, Act, Perform (LEAP) – joined 200 young leaders from across Australia at a four-day leadership camp. It was a great opportunity for them to connect with each other and share common experiences.
Bendigo Easter Egg Hunt
Children who are blind or have low vision, their families and the wider community look for hundreds of thousands of Easter eggs at the annual Vision Australia Bendigo Easter Egg Hunt.
Envoy Connect
Moving away from CDs at the end of 2018, our Library introduced clients to the new and exclusive Envoy Connect audio player. The solar powered device features a huge memory yet fits easily in the palm of your hand and, best of all, it’s extremely affordable.
New $50 Note
Vision Australia Chief Executive Officer Ron Hooton, with Board member Bill Jolley and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg inspecting the new $50 note at Vision Australia’s Kooyong Centre. The $50 note became the third Australian banknote to include tactile features.
Puppyhood to Partnership
Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs hold their inaugural Puppyhood to Partnership event, celebrating the matching of Seeing Eye Dogs with their handlers. From left to right, handlers Claire, Mark, Debra and Jennifer and their Seeing Eye Dogs Willow, Miller, Royce and Jedda.
Refurbished Kooyong Site
Then Governor General Peter Cosgrove and Chair of the Board, Andrew Moffat with Jennifer Smith, Refurbishment Project Manager at the opening of the refurbished Kooyong site.
Vision Australia Awards
Adventurer, Nick Gleeson, receiving a Vision Australia Award. The awards honour those who help to make a substantial difference through their commitment to Vision Australia’s mission to ensure people who are blind or have low vision can live the life they choose. Other Vision Australia Award winners were long-standing Queensland volunteers, Debbie and Ashley Lenehan, the Black and White Committee, and Carols by Candlelight performers, singer Sylvie Paladino, and the National Boys Choir.
Carols by Candlelight
Thousands of people again flocked to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for the 82nd Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight. This Christmas Eve tradition raises funds to support services for children who are blind or have low vision and their families.
When vision loss starts to impact daily life, it’s time to call Vision Australia. We are vision loss experts and work with people of all ages to maximise their remaining vision. With your support we help people achieve independence, stay safe and increase their ability to participate in everyday life.
