Resources
START HERE — Living Well With Vision Loss
Ecosystem of Support, Accessibility & Community
Living well with vision loss is not about simply existing. It’s about connection, accessibility, wellbeing, independence, confidence, community, adventure, and discovering the many ways people continue to live full and meaningful lives.
This ecosystem has been shaped through lived experience, community feedback, exploration, and a belief that people living with blindness or low vision are not isolated and can continue to live well, stay connected, and embrace possibility.
The resources, organisations, tools, stories, and experiences shared throughout this page are intended as supportive starting points — helping people discover pathways to accessibility, independence, recreation, wellbeing, technology, travel, learning, and connection both within Australia and beyond.
Australia’s Ecosystem of Support
Australia offers a broad ecosystem of support for people living with blindness or low vision. From advocacy organisations and government supports through to adaptive technology, accessible travel, recreation, audiobooks, radio services, and community connection, there are many pathways that may assist people to continue living independently and meaningfully.
Support, Advocacy & Community
Connecting with the right organisations can provide support, advocacy, education, accessibility guidance, peer connection, and practical assistance throughout your vision loss journey.
Blind Citizens Australia — https://www.bca.org.au
Vision Australia — https://www.visionaustralia.org
Guide Dogs Australia — https://www.guidedogsaustralia.com
Deafblind Australia — https://www.deafblindaustralia.org.au
Retina Australia — https://retinaaustralia.com.au
Glaucoma Australia — https://glaucoma.org.au
Macular Disease Foundation Australia — https://www.mdfoundation.com.au
UsherKids Australia — https://usherkidsaustralia.com
Fred Hollows Foundation — https://www.hollows.org
Government Supports & Financial Assistance
A range of Australian government supports and accessibility initiatives may assist with independence, employment, transport, technology, mobility, and daily living.
NDIS — https://www.ndis.gov.au
My Aged Care — https://www.myagedcare.gov.au
Disability Support Pension — https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/disability-support-pension
JobAccess — https://www.jobaccess.gov.au
Companion Card — https://www.companioncard.gov.au
Disability Parking Permit — https://www.austroads.com.au/drivers-and-vehicles/disability-parking
Qantas Accessibility — https://www.qantas.com/au/en/travel-info/disability-access.html
Technology & Everyday Independence
Technology, adaptive equipment, signage, and accessibility products can support confidence, safety, communication, navigation, daily living, and independence.
Quantum RLV — https://shop.rls.org.au
HumanWare Australia — https://www.humanware.com
Pacific Vision International — https://1lowvision.com
Vision Australia Store — https://shop.visionaustralia.org
Braille Tactile Signs Australia — https://www.brailletactilesigns.com.au
Mobility, Recreation & Inclusive Experiences
Vision loss does not mean life stops. Recreation, movement, sport, travel, and inclusive experiences can support wellbeing, confidence, social connection, independence, and joy.
Blind Sports Australia — https://www.blindsportsaustralia.com.au
Paralympics Australia — https://www.paralympic.org.au
Disability Sports Australia — https://www.sports.org.au
Cocky Guides — https://cockyguides.com.au
Amplify Accessible Travel — https://amplifya11y.com.au
TravAbility — https://travability.travel
Riding Together — https://ridingtogether.org.au
iFLY — https://www.iflyworld.com.au
In Sight of Dreams — https://insightofdreams.org
Accessible Media, Libraries & Entertainment
Accessible books, radio, audiobooks, podcasts, films, and storytelling can support lifelong learning, connection, relaxation, wellbeing, and representation.
Vision Australia Library — https://www.visionaustralia.org/services/library
Vision Australia Radio — https://radio.visionaustralia.org
4RPH — https://4rph.org.au
Eye Health & Vision Care
Connecting with trusted eye health professionals and condition-specific organisations can support education, understanding, advocacy, and informed decision-making.
Optometry Australia — https://www.optometry.org.au
Orthoptics Australia — https://orthoptics.org.au
RANZCO — https://ranzco.edu
State & Territory Supports
Alongside the Australia-wide ecosystem of support listed above, each state and territory may also provide additional local organisations, concession programs, travel supports, and accessibility initiatives.
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
ACT Companion Card — https://www.companioncard.act.gov.au
New South Wales (NSW)
NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme — https://www.service.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory (NT)
NT Taxi Subsidy Scheme — https://nt.gov.au
Queensland (QLD)
Queensland Blind Association — https://qba.org.au
Queensland Taxi Subsidy Scheme — https://www.qld.gov.au/disability/out-and-about/subsidies-concessions-taxi
Vision Impaired Travel Pass Queensland — https://www.qld.gov.au/disability/out-and-about/concessions-passes
South Australia (SA)
SA Transport Concession — https://www.sa.gov.au
Tasmania (TAS)
Tasmanian Taxi Subsidy Program — https://www.transport.tas.gov.au
Victoria (VIC)
Statewide Vision Resource Centre — https://svrc.vic.edu.au
Western Australia (WA)
VisAbility WA — https://www.visability.com.au
WA Taxi User Subsidy Scheme — https://www.transport.wa.gov.au
Beyond Australia
Global Connections & Discoveries
Alongside the Australian ecosystem of support and accessibility, there are also many wonderful global organisations, creators, accessible products, travel experiences, apps, and communities helping people around the world live well with vision loss.
Global Organisations
World Blind Union — https://wbu.ngo
World Health Organization — https://www.who.int
Canada
CNIB Foundation — https://www.cnib.ca
Central America
National Council for Rehabilitation and Special Education — Costa Rica — https://www.cnree.go.cr
China
China Association of the Blind — https://www.zgcanlian.org.cn
United Kingdom
RNIB — https://www.rnib.org.uk
Northern Europe
Danish Association of the Blind — https://blind.dk
Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired — https://www.srf.nu
Central Europe
German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted — https://www.dbsv.org
Bartiméus — Netherlands — https://www.bartimeus.nl
Southern Europe
Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted — https://www.uici.it
Spanish National Organisation of the Blind — ONCE — https://www.once.es
India
National Association for the Blind India — https://nabindia.org
Japan
Japan Federation of the Blind — https://nichimou.org
New Zealand
Blind Low Vision NZ — https://blindlowvision.org.nz
Russia
All-Russian Society of the Blind — https://www.vos.org.ru
South America
Argentine Federation for the Blind — https://www.faica.org.ar
Brazilian Confederation of the Blind — https://www.cbb.org.br
United States
National Federation of the Blind — https://nfb.org
American Council of the Blind — https://www.acb.org
Africa
African Union of the Blind — https://www.afub-uafa.org
Global Tools, Travel & Everyday Discoveries
Around the world there are incredible tools, creators, travel experiences, and accessibility products helping people live independently, confidently, creatively, and adventurously.
Beyond My Blur — https://beyondmyblur.com
Traveleyes — https://www.traveleyes-international.com
Seable Holidays — https://seable.co.uk
Be My Eyes — https://www.bemyeyes.com
Seeing AI — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/seeing-ai
Ambutech Canes — https://ambutech.com
Glam Canes — https://glamcanes.com
PenFriend — https://uk.mantralingua.com/produ
cts/penfriend3
Meta Smart Glasses — https://www.meta.com/au/smart-glasses
MaxiAids Accessible Games & Recreation — https://www.maxiaids.com/recreation-games
I identify as blind
Author: Lachi
I identify as blind. A brazen celebration of disability culture, identity and power.
Resilience and Purpose
Author: Anne Mok
Discovering Strenght and Connection in Life's Cracks.
Books, Audiobooks & Stories
Stories have the power to educate, connect, inspire, and remind people that they are not alone.
I Identify as Blind — by Lachi
Unseen — by Molly Burke
Resilience and Purpose — by Anne Mok
The Story of My Life — by Helen Keller
Touch the Top of the World — by Erik Weihenmayer
Mr. Maple: A Guide Dog’s Journey — by Paul Castle
Matt Formston: Surfing In The Dark – by John Dickson
Nikki Hind: Dressed For Success – by John Dickson
Suggested image: Anne’s book, Lachi’s book, tactile/Braille books or large print books.
Movies, Documentaries & Media
Representation matters. Films and documentaries sharing blindness and low vision experiences can help build understanding, awareness, confidence, connection, and inclusion.
The Blind Sea — documentary by Matt Formston
The Miracle Worker — the story of Helen Keller
Blink (2024) — documentary exploring vision loss, family, resilience, and experiencing the world
Pick of the Litter — guide dog documentary following puppies on their journey to become guide dogs
The Secret World of Guide Dogs with Martin Clunes — documentary exploring guide dog training, partnership, and the human–dog bond
DISCLAIMER
Information, services, eligibility criteria, and support offerings may change over time and may vary between organisations, states, territories, and individual circumstances. Please visit each organisation’s website directly for the most up-to-date information.
This ecosystem has been created as a practical and meaningful starting point based on lived experience, community feedback, exploration, and accessibility-focused discovery. It is not intended to represent every available service, organisation, product, film, book, or support pathway.
