An AU$75 million state-of-the-art facility, custom built for people with vision and hearing loss, has been opened in the Macquarie University precinct in Sydney.
The NextSense centre for innovation will not only deliver ‘best in class’ client services but will be a centre for research and sharing of practical knowledge, training the next generation of professionals in the field.
NextSense Chief Executive Chris Rehn said the centre was “an important investment in removing barriers for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision”.
“It is a nationally significant piece of social infrastructure that will cement the leading role Australia already plays on the world stage in hearing and vision service delivery and research.
“We welcome the Australian Government’s significant financial support of $12.5 million to this project – it will change lives and create new opportunities for the way education and services are delivered to all people with sensory disability.”
“It is a nationally significant piece of social infrastructure that will cement the leading role Australia already plays on the world stage in hearing and vision service delivery and research.”
A National Headquarters
The centre will be the focal point for NextSense national operations and will house allied health, disability and cochlear implant services for children and adults, a school and preschool, and a major research and professional education program.
The centre will explore ways to advance education for all children with hearing and vision loss, regardless of their location. And it will help NextSense scale up to meet the growing need for in-person and remote hearing and vision services across Australia.
“By 2050, more than six million Australians will have hearing loss and more than one million will be blind or have low vision, and this will continue to grow,” Mr Rehn said.
He said acting early when children have hearing or vision loss is “critical in setting them up for life and giving them a level playing field”.
Mr Rehn said the building design of the new centre “puts people with hearing and vision loss first”. Accessibility features include the highest possible acoustic standards, wayfinding braille signage, and walls and furniture with high-contrast elements to allow better depth perception.
The facility was opened by Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP.
