Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum kicked off the day with a charismatic rendering of his life and experience with retrolental fibroplasia. Growing up before the advent of comprehensive disability services, he faced discrimination from an early age. Nevertheless, he excelled in his studies, attended law school, and became the first totally blind person appointed a full professorship at a university in Australia or New Zealand. He expressed gratitude for the assistance of his colleagues, students, and wife throughout his studies and early teaching career, and emphasized the limitless possibilities that now come with the era of technology.

Briony Glastonbury introduces the Save Sight Institute

Briony Glastonbury introduces the Save Sight Institute

John Grigg by The Save Sight Institute

John Grigg by The Save Sight Institute

Jenna Jones, a Paralympic swimming gold medallist, recounted her educational difficulties before being diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, and her methods of adapting thereafter. Teachers initially attributed her inability to complete projects to behavioural problems, and – as a kindergartener – Jenna could not accurately describe the issues she was experiencing. Upon learning of her vision impairment, Jenna refused to accept any social constraints. With the support of her gym teacher, she threw herself into sports and thrived. Her school modified her class schedule to better suit her condition, and friends assisted her in school and social outings. Still a competitive swimmer, Jenna is now also studying to become a masseuse.

Jenna Jones, a Paralympic swimming gold medallist, recounted her educational difficulties before being diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, and her methods of adapting thereafter. Teachers initially attributed her inability to complete projects to behavioural problems, and – as a kindergartener – Jenna could not accurately describe the issues she was experiencing. Upon learning of her vision impairment, Jenna refused to accept any social constraints. With the support of her gym teacher, she threw herself into sports and thrived. Her school modified her class schedule to better suit her condition, and friends assisted her in school and social outings. Still a competitive swimmer, Jenna is now also studying to become a masseuse.

Our Education Panel on ‘managing school transitions’ featured accomplished Goalball athlete Brodie Smith along with disability educators and advocates Susan Leong, Audrey Housbey, and Claire Mahony. Brodie, who has the degenerative eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, detailed her transitions through primary, secondary, and now tertiary education, where she is now studying to become a high school teacher. She noted the benefits of having a support team at home and in school, where teachers accommodated her condition with a personal learning program that included not using green pens, using enlarged fonts on her handouts, and extending her time to complete exams. These adjustments kept her in pace with the curriculum without alienating her from her peers. Though she identified this support network as the key factor for her successful transitions through different environments, she also emphasized independent resolve in prevailing over outside judgements or constraints based on her vision impairment. The specialists similarly underscored support networks and services, advising parents to enrol their children in preschool, and contact their principals and teachers early so the child is adequately familiarized with the school (and vice versa) before classes begin. Since its inception, NDIS has opened a range of services to students including functional assessments, vision mobility specialists, personalized learning plans, and state funded assistive technology that help students succeed in school and beyond.

Our Education Panel on ‘managing school transitions’ featured accomplished Goalball athlete Brodie Smith along with disability educators and advocates Susan Leong, Audrey Housbey, and Claire Mahony. Brodie, who has the degenerative eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, detailed her transitions through primary, secondary, and now tertiary education, where she is now studying to become a high school teacher. She noted the benefits of having a support team at home and in school, where teachers accommodated her condition with a personal learning program that included not using green pens, using enlarged fonts on her handouts, and extending her time to complete exams. These adjustments kept her in pace with the curriculum without alienating her from her peers. Though she identified this support network as the key factor for her successful transitions through different environments, she also emphasized independent resolve in prevailing over outside judgements or constraints based on her vision impairment. The specialists similarly underscored support networks and services, advising parents to enrol their children in preschool, and contact their principals and teachers early so the child is adequately familiarized with the school (and vice versa) before classes begin. Since its inception, NDIS has opened a range of services to students including functional assessments, vision mobility specialists, personalized learning plans, and state funded assistive technology that help students succeed in school and beyond.

Our Braille Panel discussed the value of learning braille in the era of technology. The panel featured Connor McLeod, who successfully campaigned for tactile Australian banknotes in 2016, and vision impairment specialists Vincent Nguyen, Sonali Marathe, and Harzita Hashim. While braille may appear anachronistic in the face of ever evolving technological services, the panel argued that braille serves as a foundation for skills you’ll need throughout life. The panel agreed that it is an invaluable medium for spoken language to those with vision impairment and offers a stronger sense of independence than that of technological reading devices. Learning at a young age teaches children spelling and sentence structure that will come into use throughout their schooling and into the workforce. Our panellists referenced the relief braille gave to those experienced visual fatigue, particularly students. They suggested sighted parents use dual reading material that include print and braille so they may learn and read alongside their child.