Queensland’s leading provider of services to people who are blind or have low vision, is calling on candidates and their parties to ensure funding is directed to support Queenslanders with vision-impairment, particularly seniors.
With the help of public donations from across Australia, Vision Australia spends $7.9 million each year to provide support services to approximately 70,000 Queenslanders who are blind or have low vision.
Vision Australia’s General Manager Queensland and NT Services, Karen Knight said that with the ageing population, and a greater percentage of seniors being affected by blindness and low vision, the organisation faces a real risk of not being able to provide its current levels of service into the future.
“Vision Australia supports the blind and low vision community to live full lives. We help our clients stay in mainstream education, find fulfilling jobs, maximise technology use and get around using public transport,” said Karen.
“Of great importance to our clients, in particular our senior clients, is learning the life skills that help them to live independently.
“We are understandably concerned about how services for seniors and people living in country Queensland will be funded into the future.”
Vision Australia is also seeking a positive commitment from candidates and parties to its policies on more-accessible public transport, higher taxi subsidies, opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, support for school leavers and employment.
“We want to ensure that the blind and low vision community has the same opportunities and choices as the sighted community, and are not financially disadvantaged or face discrimination,” confirmed Karen.
A positive commitment, prior to polling day, from candidates will flag to Queenslanders who are blind or have low vision that the Government will fight for a stronger deal for Queensland seniors living with a disability.
Further information
Vision Australia’s election priorities are available on the Vision Australia website at www.visionaustralia.org/qld-election
Media contact
Vanessa Sandhu, Communications Advisor, Vision Australia, 0422 302 790.