It may look odd – a dog kitted out in an overall having his paws painted by a ten-year old girl, but it’s just one of many activities a child can enjoy during a session of Dog-Assisted Therapy. Tahnee Neesham has Asperger’s. She’s just finishing six sessions of Dog-Assisted Therapy at VisAbility and her mum…
We’ve held our first ever ‘Test Drive a Guide Dog’ workshop in Western Australia, for youngsters who may be considering a Guide Dog when they’re a bit older. Seven teenagers aged between 14 and 18 took part in the event held at VisAbility over the school holidays and all of them had some form of…
Physiotherapist Mim, is part of our amazing team at the Children’s Therapy Centre. She works primarily with children with disability to help them move and do things they have difficulty accomplishing. Her sessions are always fun, and always play based.
Leading the way for businesses across Tasmania, Hotel SOHO with the help of VisAbility launched their low-vision and braille menus during Jul-EYE (eye health month).
Last year we asked our staff three questions: What do others feel when they are with you? What do they learn from you? How do they grow and transform through spending time with you? The reason – to find out where our staff beliefs and sense of purpose lie. We wanted to give staff the…
The statistics don’t make comfortable reading. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three times more likely than non-Indigenous people to be blind or have low vision. They also wait much longer for cataract surgery, up to 63% longer. But now a planned initiative aims to reverse that trend and to help people experiencing vision…
VisAbility is committed in the support we offer to older Australians, ensuring our clients live the best possible life. Six years ago, the Australian Government introduced My Aged Care which was targeted to assist individuals aged 65 and over and those aged 50 or over from Torres Strait or Indigenous backgrounds. The aim of the…
“I rely on Braille technology as much as oxygen.” These are powerful words from student Ness Vlajkovic, a 21-year-old who can hardly hear or see. When she was just seven years old, Ness took charge of her first BrailleNote, a handheld computer for Braille users which enables her to communicate. This helped fuel her love…
Award winning Tasmanian Artist Duncan Meerding always had a passion for creating. When his vision deteriorated in 2005, he was left with less than 5 per cent vision concentrated around the peripheral field. At that point he didn’t think he could make anything again. ‘I was lucky enough to find out about a safety course…
Reunion stories can be so uplifting, when people meet as friends, form strong bonds, but then circumstances mean they lose touch before meeting again. At VisAbility we have our own reunion story with an unusual twist. Holiday program As a child Marija Clark, Social Worker at VisAbility, participated in school holiday programs held by the…