As part of White Cane Day Celebrations, Vision Australia Central Coast and Hunter are holding the Through My Eyes art exhibition.
The exhibition will be made up of works depicting the importance white canes play in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision and will run from September 29 – October 31.
Submissions for the exhibition are currently being sought, with it open to artists who are blind or have low vision as well as those from the sighted community.
One artist who has submitted a piece to the exhibit is Julie Duell, whose piece “Challenges” was inspired by her late partner’s experience living with low vision as a result of macular degeneration.
Tony, Julie’s partner was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2003 at the age of 77 and his eyesight continued to deteriorate until he passed away in 2017 with only peripheral vision left in one eye.
For Tony, his vision loss meant he had to take a step back from interests such as painting, but Julie said he dealt with that by making the most of the activities who could do.
“He dealt with the problem bravely and positively by maximising whatever he could still do,” Julie said.
“His main enjoyment turned to lawn bowls, which he played up to five times a week. If needed, his bowling comrades would dangle a white handkerchief over the jack for him to bowl to,” she said.
Things like using contrast to help Tony identify different items as well as support with magnification and technology were provided by Vision Australia, which Julie said had a significant positive impact on Tony’s quality of life.
Supporting Tony as his vision continued to deteriorate did hold some challenges for Julie, however she considers it a privilege that she was able to be by Tony’s side through the journey.
While Tony’s vision loss occurred later in his life, his experiences made July think how vision loss would impact someone younger in life as they navigate things such as work and having a family along with the general tasks of day-to-day life.
Julie’s piece depicts a mother who is blind walking with a white can and holding the hand of her child. Thought bubbles from the mother’s head contain life’s day-to-day tasks that can be made more challenging by vision loss.
“Caring for my elderly partner with macular degeneration awakened me to the many challenges to be overcome [due to] diminishing eyesight,” she said.
“It made me wonder how younger people cope with little to no sight, especially those with responsibilities.”
Find out more about the Through My Eyes Exhibition and how to submit works here.