Eye conditions can cause problems in day-to-day living, even before significant deterioration of vision. Age-related macular degeneration can cause blurred or missing areas of vision, and wavy, broken or distorted lines.
SeeWay, an initiative of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, has been established to provide free practical support for people navigating vision loss. Monica Lette, SeeWay’s Business Development Manager, explained the service to Dr Margaret Lam.
While low-vision rehabilitation is well established as a vital component of holistic care, its integration into standard clinical practice remains inconsistent. This is not due to a lack of commitment from clinicians, but rather a longstanding focus on disease treatment over lifestyle adaptation, and confusion as to where to refer patients for support.
However, there is increasing recognition that early referral to holistic low-vision services – including mental health support, digital literacy training, and adaptive strategies – can significantly enhance patient outcomes.
SeeWay aims to provide these services, and in doing so, to complement those delivered by established providers, such as Glaucoma Australia, Diabetes Australia and KeepSight, Macular Disease Foundation Australia, and Guide Dogs.
As an optometrist, the addition of SeeWay to Australia’s patient support network immediately piqued my interest as it broadens the scope of care I can offer my patients.
Q: What is SeeWay, and how would you like optometrists and ophthalmologists to use it?
Monica Lette, SeeWay’s Business Development Manager.
SeeWay is a comprehensive network of support for individuals experiencing permanent low vision, their families, and carers. Our aim is to complement professional eye care and existing patient support services, by providing support to people experiencing permanent changes in vision due to conditions such as ocular trauma, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, or inherited disorders. These conditions often leave people feeling unsure of where to turn for practical and emotional support.
Our service simplifies referrals for low vision patients by offering no-gap counselling, digital skills training, and practical strategies to maximise remaining vision – right from the point of diagnosis. And our online support network helps patients gain understanding of lifestyle needs and delivers personalised content, providing information and support, such as connection to low vision services.
Many people with vision loss do not qualify for government funding, though they are in no less need of assistance in navigating daily life. SeeWay is designed to bridge this gap, offering pathways for individuals to access the guidance they need earlier in their vision loss journey.
SeeWay’s free online support network is research-based and designed to be patient centric
Q: What unmet need does SeeWay serve?
Significant gaps exist between clinical care and functional adaptation for patients with low vision. The National Eye Health Survey found that, in 2020, 61,000 Australians were living with moderate uncorrectable vision loss and this figure is predicted to reach 114,000 by 2050.1
People with moderate low vision are underserved and unfunded in terms of support and resources. Individuals with low vision face numerous challenges in accessing critical information, participating in daily activities, maintaining independence, emotional wellbeing, and social inclusion. Information and connection to support services needs to be provided at times when the patient is receptive to receiving it. SeeWay’s online tool is ideal for those who may not be ready to receive one-on-one low vision support but would benefit from knowing those services are available when required.
Patients are increasingly independently seeking information and ‘researching’ on the internet, which we know can lead to confusion, with difficult to digest or irrelevant information. We recently conducted a digital landscape analysis to examine what people with early vision loss are searching for online and how they are being served information. We found that Australians are asking Google vision loss related questions over four million times a year, including 95,000 searches for ‘macular degeneration’ per month, and 35,000 searches per month for diabetic retinopathy.
Most of these results are clinical and fear-inducing, rather than practical and solutions-focussed. And results are often from overseas websites.
SeeWay directly addresses this gap by providing practical, Australian-specific, and human-centred support, ensuring patients receive clear, reassuring, and action-oriented guidance at the right time.
Ultimately, our goal is to support the whole person – not just their vision – at a critical time of adjustment
Q: How can eye care professionals connect their patients with SeeWay?
Connecting patients to SeeWay’s online support is simple and doesn’t place extra time demands on the practitioner. Practitioners can simply supply the patient with a brochure, which has a QR code to help them navigate to our website. Alternatively, they can provide our website link: seeway.com.au.
Patients will register their details and then be connected with the appropriate services, which will guide them through the next steps of adaptation. We see this as a critical extension of clinical care, ensuring patients not only receive a diagnosis and treatment, but also the tools they need to continue independent living.
Q: How do you see SeeWay evolving in the future?
SeeWay’s free online support network is research-based and designed to be patient centric.
The pilot programme’s concept testing has helped deepen our understanding of what patients find helpful, and we’ve used patient feedback to inform additional content and services.
This month (May 2025) our online platform will move out of the pilot phase and will officially launch its permanent offering. Even then, a process of continuous review will facilitate ongoing enhancements.
A major challenge today is the absence of structured referral pathways between health care practitioners and low vision services. So, as SeeWay grows, we aim to work closely with eye care providers to create a seamless transition from medical diagnosis to functional adaptation, ensuring every patient diagnosed with permanent vision loss is automatically connected to resources they need – not just when their vision has significantly deteriorated, but from the moment of diagnosis.
By embedding holistic referrals into clinical pathways, we can ensure patients receive comprehensive, proactive care, rather than seeking support only after experiencing severe decline.
Ultimately, our goal is to support the whole person – not just their vision – at a critical time of adjustment.
Q: Finally, is there any evidence to support the value of services like SeeWay?
Low vision management is evolving; the need for a collaborative, patient-centred model of care is becoming increasingly clear. Research by Luu et al.2 suggests that early intervention in mental health support, digital literacy training, and adaptive rehabilitation significantly improves vision-related quality of life.
Despite this evidence, many patients remain under-referred to services, because clinicians do not have access to structured pathways for referral. SeeWay aims to change this by providing a simple, effective referral process, integrating low vision support directly into routine care.
A Patient’s Perspective
Despite proven benefits of early intervention, many patients are unaware that low vision services exist. SeeWay spoke with Elena Thompson,* who had been diagnosed with neovascular macular degeneration (nAMD), about her journey through diagnosis, treatment, and early adaptation. Ms Thompson’s experience highlights the importance of informing patients about holistic low vision care, and the gaps in current referral pathways.
“About two years ago I was driving my car when I noticed the car a few metres in front of me had a crooked number plate. Then another car. I told my daughter what I was experiencing, and she made me an appointment immediately with my ophthalmologist.
Age-related macular degeneration can cause blurred or missing areas of vision, and wavy, broken or distorted lines.
“The diagnosis of macular degeneration was not foreign to me because I had two family members already with it, but I never expected to get it myself,” she said.
… many do not seek support until they are significantly impacted
Like many patients with nAMD, Ms Thompson was prescribed intravitreal injections to help manage the condition. However, her experience with the treatment was initially difficult.
“I received injections in both eyes every two to three months. Perhaps I could have had a better experience with stronger anaesthetic. I used to nearly jump through the roof with pain.”
After struggling through painful injections, she sought a new ophthalmologist, and the difference was immediate.
“My new doctor made a complete difference. I never feel any pain when I go and see him. Now I have four-monthly injections, and my macular degeneration has stabilised. My doctor is so wonderful. He communicates so clearly.”
Ms Thompson received sight-saving medical treatment but remained unaware of any low vision support services.
“I wasn’t made aware of any support services available. I was handed a single sheet of paper with some information about the diagnosis. I just had total confidence in my doctor. I didn’t know that any other support existed. I’m sure it would be very beneficial. I had a close family member who also had macular degeneration. He only had peripheral vision remaining. He would have really benefited from some support.”
This experience is common among patients with low vision – many do not seek support until they are significantly impacted, or they’re simply unaware that help is available.
While Ms Thompson remains independent, she recognises the significance of support services for those with any low vision diagnosis.
“I never thought I would end up with macular degeneration. I’m a very independent person. I’m a voracious reader. I’m still driving. If I lost my independence, that would become a whole other problem in itself.”
Reflecting on what would be helpful, Ms Thompson reiterated, “the support of a dedicated low vision support service, one that connects me with services and information as and when I need it”.
“I think it would be really helpful for people to go to one special place where they could get help and support and meet others in the same position as themselves. Then you know you’re not the only one.”
*Patient name changed for anonymity.
About SeeWay |
|---|
| SeeWay connects patients with tools, resources, and community from the moment of diagnosis. Bridging the gap between medical care and practical adaptation, SeeWay
ensures patients don’t only receive treatment, but also education, guidance, and emotional support to navigate life with low vision. Support includes:
With one simple referral and national reach, SeeWay helps guide patients to other support services when appropriate, ensuring they’re never alone on their journey. Visit: seeway.com.au. |
Dr Margaret Lam BOptom UNSW Post Grad OcTherapy practises optometry at 1001 Optometry in Bondi Junction in Sydney and teaches at the School of Optometry at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer. She is the immediate past National President of Optometry Australia.
References
1 National Eye Health Survey (2016), Vision 2020 Australia. Available at: vision2020australia.org.au/resources/national-eye-health-survey-report. [Accessed March 2025].
2. Luu W, Kalloniatis M, Ly A, et al. A holistic model of low vision care for improving vision-related quality of life, Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 103:6, 733-741, doi: 10.1111/ cxo.13054.
