As COVID-19 cases in Australia drop and we continue to wait for a vaccine, life in Australia is set to enter a new normal phase. For people who are blind or have low vision, it’s important we anticipate what this might mean in regards to participating in society and accessing specialist and mainstream services.
Vision Australia’s Advocacy team is holding a special Stand Up for Your Rights: Participation and services in the COVID new normal webinar on Wednesday, February 3 2021.
The webinar will feature a panel consisting of people who are blind or have low vision. Confirmed panel members include Karen Knight, Vision Australia general manager of client services and Bruce Maguire, Vision Australia lead policy advisor.
We hope to add a special guest to the panel closer to the webinar.
Topics covered in the webinar will include:
- How to accomplish activities which have normally involved human assistance while being COVID-safe
- If masks hinder our ability to move around the community and strategies to address this
- Sighted guiding in COVID new normal;
- How we interact with automated and electronic systems intended to help reduce the spread of COVID
- How we deal with visual indications for social distancing or and what alternatives there may be
- Vision Australia services in the COVID new normal
- Vision Australia research in to COVID and people who are blind or have low vision.
Webinar details
When: Wednesday, 3 February 2020
Time: 6:30-7:45pm NSW/ACT/VIC/TAS; QLD 5:30-6:45PM; SA 6pm-7:15PM; WA 3:30-4:45pm: NT 4:30-5:45pm
Cost: Free (your own data or call charges will apply)
Book your place: Please register your details here.
Please note we are aware of some instances where people experience captchas when registering for Zoom webinars. If you experience any difficulty with registering please contact us at [email protected] with subject line "COVID new normal registration issue”.
Our panelists are keen to hear your thoughts and experiences and the challenges you feel are still present and we would also love to here any thoughts or questions you have beforehand. Please send them to [email protected]. You will also be able to ask questions or share your thoughts by voice and text on the night.
Meet our panelists
Karen Knight, General Manager Client Services
Karen is blind and has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is a qualified Psychologist. Karen is a single mother of two teenagers, and lives in Queensland where things were very restricted during the height of the pandemic. As General Manager of Client Services, Karen has overseen Vision Australia’s efforts to maintain services to clients while keeping both staff and clients safe.
Bruce Maguire Lead Policy Advisor
Bruce is blind and has a Master’s degree in Policy and Applied Social Research. Before joining Vision Australia in 2008, Bruce worked in the Disability Rights Unit at the Australian Human Rights Commission. He has also been Chair of the Australian Braille Authority and President of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities. He is also conducting a Vision Australia survey into people’s experience coming out of COVID-19.