Jean Lowe, from Croydon, has been serving the community by helping people who are blind or have low vision lead better lives. She has worked as a volunteer at Vision Australia for 25 years.
After she retired Jean felt it was important to remain an active part of the community and that Vision Australia could provide her with the greatest opportunity. “When I stopped working I didn’t just want to do nothing, I already knew about the work they did with blind people so it was the place I thought I could be the most useful.” She said.
Over the years Jean has had many roles within the organisation including driving clients to appointments, visiting clients in their homes and acting a guide during major events. “When I started I didn’t want an inside job. Each time a service changed I would ask ‘what can I do now?’ As you get older some things become more difficult but this work it’s not too arduous, it just keeps going.” She said
Jean currently volunteers one day a week with Transcription Services assisting proof-readers by comparing braille to an original piece of text. This can involve reading all sorts of printed material from books to restraint menus, household bills or the rugby league fixtures.
“The variety is amazing. I quite enjoy doing science and maths textbooks because you keep up with what’s going on in schools. It’s great that people are able to do things for themselves and not have to rely on someone reading to them all the time.” She said.
Jean‘s achievements, along with more than 4,000 Vision Australia volunteers around the country, will be recognised during a special Morning of Celebration on May 8 as part of National Volunteer Week
“It’s just something I enjoy doing really It wouldn’t matter whether I get the recognition or not. It’s a familiar place. I walk in and I know people, it’s a part of my life one day a week.” She said
“Volunteers are essential to our ongoing work we simply couldn’t do what we do without them,” said Rolf Geerlings, Coordinator of Volunteers at Vision Australia
Download the Jean Lowe media release