Mr Damien Tudehope MP, Member for Epping. 11 August, 6.01pm, Hansard NSW Parliament.
“I take this opportunity to reflect on the work of Vision Australia. It is a great charity that makes an outstanding contribution to the community. Vision loss is becoming more prevalent in society and, in response to the resultant increased demand for services, Vision Australia recently opened a new service facility in Epping. I was privileged to be its guest at the opening on 13 July. I cut the ribbon and thought how fortunate my electorate was to be home to such an important new service facility. Last week Minister Ajaka visited my electorate to talk about the delivery of the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS]. It is organisations like Vision Australia, which provide such vital services to the community, that will benefit from delivery of the NDIS. It will help them to better provide their clients with the services they want and need.
Vision Australia is a leading national provider of blindness and low-vision services in Australia. It works in partnership with Australians who are blind or have low vision to help them achieve the possibilities they choose in life. Vision Australia has 15 service providers, comprising adult and paediatric occupational therapists, orthoptists, orientation and mobility trainers, and a regional manager working out of the new Epping site, as well as a high number of dedicated volunteers. Vision Australia currently provides expert services to 520 clients living within the Sydney north and north-west area. With the establishment of this site, they are now able to provide services to the approximately 8,000 community members who are blind or have low vision.
At the opening I remarked on how technology is streamlining the way we do things and how, in many ways, technology is improving accessibility for people with a disability. However we should also be mindful of the challenges technology can bring. The widespread use of touch screens on so many devices, for example, can present a real challenge for someone who is visually impaired. We should not take for granted the impact that these sorts of changes can have on someone's lifestyle.
I want to talk about two individuals I met when I visited the new centre, which is located near my office in Rawson Street, Epping. Mia is an inspiring young lady who joined me in cutting the ribbon to open the centre. She is 16 and a long-time client of Vision Australia. This new centre will provide great support to her, much closer to where she lives. Mia has a hereditary condition called macular atrophy. Her central vision is poor and she has to rely on her peripheral sight. Mia spoke with confidence and sincerity about the difference that the support of Vision Australia has made in her life. She will shortly be visiting Canada, to take part in a specialty retreat, through Vision Australia. It was great to meet her.
The other individual who made an impression on me was Michael Simpson, the general manager of the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory [ACT] branch of Vision Australia and Alternative Information Services. Michael was one of the first people who greeted me at the door. He made me feel most welcome. After becoming totally blind at 18 as a result of two separate incidents, Michael's first connection with Vision Australia—then known as the Royal Blind Society of NSW—was as a client. Michael is responsible for delivering services to clients in New South Wales and the ACT through the National Information Library Service, the alternative format production service and the National Contact Centre. Michael served as national president of Blind Citizens Australia for seven years. He has held senior roles on bodies that provide advice to government and the corporate sector on issues related to vision impairment.
I thank Brendan McMahon, who is the regional manager for Sydney North and North West, and Victoria Agnese, the client liaison officer at the Epping centre, for their support and assistance as well. The new Epping centre is a great asset. It adds to a growing list of reasons the Epping electorate is such a great place to live, work and raise a family.