Southern Low Vision

04/06/2026

This week, we celebrate Orthoptics Awareness Week

As orthoptists, they lead with compassion, provide expert support, and make a meaningful impact in the lives of people living with macular disease.

Meet some of the faces behind Eye Connect who are also orthoptists. Our orthoptists play a vital role in helping people understand their diagnosis, stay on track with treatment, and adapt to changing vision with practical, everyday support. They are also at the forefront of ensuring community members are aware of the different sorts of non-clinical support that MDFA offers.

03/06/2026

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I love the mileage l get from this classic photo! 😄
Happy Orthoptics Awareness Week.

01/06/2026

👁 Happy World Orthoptic Day and Orthoptic Awareness Week from Yours Truly: Julie Fitzpatrick of Southern Low Vision!
http://www.southernlowvision.com.au

Because I am an Orthoptist, I am in a privileged position to offer patients lots of life-changing information, aids and/or rehabilitation strategies to help them make the most of remaining vision, in the presence of a diagnosed eye condition.

My role involves offering innovative orthoptic private practice on an ‘as-needed’ basis, always striving to offer the best value to clients who may (otherwise) not be able to afford low vision aids. This is done with the help of funding from affiliates of My Aged Care, or from TAC, DVA, NDIS or by supplying more affordable low vision aids.

Eccentric Viewing and post-stroke scanning for reading are two examples of training I offer.

I can go above and beyond vision testing because I am an Orthoptist!
After years of also working in ophthalmic clinics, I was so happy to discover what we can offer clients in our unique platform of low vision rehabilitation.

This has been such a great marriage of my university-based theory, experience and practical skills, making huge differences to the lives of many clients, both young and old.

The person-centered perspective and broader determinants of health also tie into my teaching roles. I am well positioned for this because I am an Orthoptist and I also hold a separate Master of Public Health.

👁 What will Orthoptics allow you to offer? 👀

Southern Low Vision provides adaptive equipment, advice and rehabilitation for reading to people of all ages with ‘low vision’ in Geelong, Surf Coast and surrounding regions, Colac and Inner to Western parts of Melbourne, Victoria.

28/05/2026

It was a pleasure to assess 'Ms O' this week, who used to be an avid reader before a retinal haemorrhage and Age Related Macular Degeneration gave her some moderate to advanced vision loss. This was impacting the clarity of both the newsprint and some subtitles on her television.

After a brief Orthoptic assessment of her remaining vision, we easily matched her abilities to some new aids. Ms O is so thrilled and will continue to see her ophthalmologist for her regular eye injections to help maintain the vision she has.

21/05/2026

In the lead up to Macular Degeneration Awareness Week, here's one of my favourite posts shared here once again.

Watch The Macular Disease Foundation Australia website as well, to gain good insight into the condition.

Low Vision aids which l provide for reading; may include optical magnifiers through to eccentric viewing training (as explained here).

18/05/2026

I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Hugh Taylor while l was completing a postgraduate diploma about images for a visual acuity chart for coastal-based Indigenous Australians.

Such a humble and kind man. It is great to see Hugh's mission for addressing trachoma has played out well. 👁

Thirty years ago, Professor Hugh Taylor refused to accept that vision loss was inevitable when he founded the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA).

Today, that belief has helped lead to one of Australia’s most significant public health achievements – with the World Health Organization (WHO) confirming on 29 April that Australia has eliminated trachoma – once the leading infectious cause of preventable blindness.

For many years, trachoma affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
This milestone has been decades in the making, built on the work of communities, clinicians, researchers and supporters coming together to create lasting change.

In the 1970s, teams travelled to hundreds of remote communities, examining more than 60,000 people. Today, trachoma rates in at-risk children have dropped from 14.9% in 2009 to 1.5% in 2024.

As we celebrate 30 years of the organisation Professor Taylor founded, CERA continues to focus on preventing avoidable vision loss and translating research into real outcomes for patients and communities.

This is what progress looks like when we refuse to accept the status quo – and keep working toward a future without vision loss.

📰 For Age subscribers, a link to the article is in the comments 👇

16/05/2026

Leisurelink is excited to welcome a new inclusive Low Vision Aqua Fit Program.

This 20-week pilot program is all about making aqua classes accessible for people with low vision and their carers, while creating a supportive space to stay active, build confidence in the water, and connect with others.

The program is proudly supported by the City of Greater Geelong and delivered by Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria.

Program details:
📅 3 June - 11 November
⏰ Wednesdays, 2:00pm-2:45pm
🔗 To learn more or register, visit www.blindsports.org.au/sports/aquatics-swimming

14/05/2026

Have you ever noticed something unusual in a photo? 👁️📸

A white glow in the pupil or a difference between the eyes might seem small, but it can be an early sign of retinoblastoma, a rare childhood eye cancer.

During World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, take a closer look at your child’s photos. If something doesn’t look right, it’s worth getting it checked.

Spotting the signs early can make a life-changing difference.

Find out more in our 'Keeping young eyes healthy' guide. You can download it for free by subscribing to our Monthly Eye News (link in comments) 👇

09/05/2026

Happy Mother's Day! 💝

08/01/2026

A great time was had delivering the low vision service presentations and aid displays at Deakin University's School of Optometry today. 👁