Vision Australia has released a list of priorities ahead of the 3 May federal election, calling on the next federal government to act on key areas of significance to the blind and low vision community.
The low vision organisation has identified four key priorities for the 2025 federal election.
Aged Care
Vision Australia has called for the provision of dedicated block funding for vision services delivered to aged care consumers. It is also advocating for a streamlined referral pathway for aged care consumers identified as having a vision impairment. The organisation said vision services should be recognised in the same way as clinical care, by the next federal government.
Assistance Animals
Vision Australia has called for the establishment of a national register of assistance animals.
National Disability Insurance Scheme
The organisation has called for implementation of a differentiated pricing model for therapy-based services delivered by allied health professionals and other professionals under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Information Services
Vision Australia has requested the new government implement a longer-term funding model to ensure the continued provision of information services.
action in these priority areas would have “a significant impact for people who are blind or have low vision and the associated support sector”
Community Impact
Vision Australia’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs and Advocacy, Chris Edwards, said action in these priority areas would have “a significant impact for people who are blind or have low vision and the associated support sector”.
“It’s well known that Australia has an ageing population, and that incidences of blindness or low vision are more prevalent in older people, so it’s vital that older Australians have an easy path to the support they need and that organisations like ours are properly funded to meet the increased demand for services,” Mr Edwards said.
“It is a similar situation with the NDIS. The specialist vision services we provide require significant expertise, compliance, and investment and we believe that should be recognised in the NDIS funding model to ensure people who are blind or have low vision are receiving the best support possible.”
While aged care and NDIS funding issues are common across the disability sector, Mr Edwards said the election priorities around assistance animals and information services are particular to the blind and low vision community, but no less important.
“In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of assistance animals in the community, however there are no consistent regulations on training requirements for these animals. We believe this needs to be addressed to improve community awareness and recognition of the rights of handlers of Seeing Eye Dogs and other highly trained dog guides.
“There is also an expectation that organisations like Vision Australia will produce and distribute information to educate the blind and low vision community on topics such as common eye conditions and the strategies and supports available to assist them.
“While this is important, we believe the work we do in producing and providing this information should be recognised as a service by the government and funded as such.”
Further information on Vision Australia’s election priorities is available at: visionaustralia.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/Election%20priorities_Accessible.pdf.
