Glaucoma Australia was founded at a time when glaucoma was not well understood, detected far too late, with many affected people cared for after irreversible damage had occurred. Today, as Glaucoma Australia proudly marks its 40th anniversary, we stand at a genuine turning point in how this disease is detected, treated, and supported.
The stories of people like Estelle Powell and one of our great Ambassadors, Mike Amor, remind us why progress matters. Both illustrate glaucoma’s defining cruelty: a disease that advances silently, often dismissed in its early stages, yet capable of profoundly altering lives. Their experiences also underscore how far care has come – from limited treatment options and fragmented support to earlier intervention, safer surgery, and a far stronger emphasis on the patient experience.
Clinically, the transformation has been remarkable. Advances in imaging, visual field analysis, and risk stratification now allow glaucoma to be identified earlier and monitored with far greater precision. Selective laser trabeculoplasty and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery have filled the long-standing gap between eye drops and major surgery, reducing treatment burden while preserving quality of life. For many patients, these innovations have delayed – or entirely avoided – the need for more invasive procedures.
Equally important has been the shift beyond the clinic. Community-based detection initiatives, shared-care models between optometry and ophthalmology, and digitally-enabled recall and adherence support are reshaping glaucoma management as a lifelong condition rather than a series of isolated appointments. This evolution recognises a simple truth: preventing blindness depends as much on systems, education, and continuity of care, as it does on clinical expertise.
As Glaucoma Australia enters its fifth decade, the mission remains clear but newly achievable: find glaucoma earlier, manage it smarter, and ensure no one faces this disease alone. Forty years on, glaucoma may still be incurable – but for the first time, avoidable blindness is firmly within our power to prevent, and this sits front and centre within our developing National Action Plan.
Adam Check
Chief Executive Officer,
Glaucoma Australia
