Vision Australia is changing the way that it connects with clients and the blind and low vision community.
A key priority of our Strategic Plan is to look at ways in which we can broaden and strengthen our engagement with clients.
Following consultations with the blindness and low vision community and the Vision Australia Board, a new strategy has been developed to assist us to meet this aim, called the Program of Engagement.
The Program will provide opportunities for families, young people, adults and seniors to connect with Vision Australia in a way that best suits them. This may include online, over the telephone, in person and through new technologies as they become available. It will also ensure that all clients have the opportunity to have a voice in setting the direction of Vision Australia.
We will be working to:
Under the Program of Engagement, elements of the existing Client Consultative Framework will be replaced with this new model. The Client Representative Council and Regional Client Committees will no longer be meeting. We would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the client representatives who have volunteered their valuable time and energy to Vision Australia in these roles over a number of years. Vision Australia’s Local Client Groups will remain and form an integral part of the Program of Engagement.
For more information on how you can get involved, subscribe to the For Your Info email newsletter here or contract your local Vision Australia centre.
A key priority of our Strategic Plan is to look at ways in which we can broaden and strengthen our engagement with clients.
Following consultations with the blindness and low vision community and the Vision Australia Board, a new strategy has been developed to assist us to meet this aim, called the Program of Engagement.
The Program will provide opportunities for families, young people, adults and seniors to connect with Vision Australia in a way that best suits them. This may include online, over the telephone, in person and through new technologies as they become available. It will also ensure that all clients have the opportunity to have a voice in setting the direction of Vision Australia.
We will be working to:
- Encourage strong local connections with Vision Australia centres, such as by holding community forums, piloting a new Community Engagement Volunteer role to support local groups and activities, and building capacity and leadership skills in local communities.
- Provide opportunities for Vision Australia to hear from its community, such as by running consultations on specific topics, creating opportunities for clients to meet the Vision Australia Board and Leadership team, establishing a new Client Reference Group to provide advice from a lived experience perspective to the Board, and building effective ways to capture and analyse the information that we hear.
- Strengthen opportunities for peer support by connecting Peer Programs, Telelink, Local Client Groups and community groups under the Program of Engagement and building a stronger online and local community.
Under the Program of Engagement, elements of the existing Client Consultative Framework will be replaced with this new model. The Client Representative Council and Regional Client Committees will no longer be meeting. We would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the client representatives who have volunteered their valuable time and energy to Vision Australia in these roles over a number of years. Vision Australia’s Local Client Groups will remain and form an integral part of the Program of Engagement.
For more information on how you can get involved, subscribe to the For Your Info email newsletter here or contract your local Vision Australia centre.