ADVOCATING FOR AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN LIVING WITH VISION IMPAIRMENT
Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register
With
Dr Susan Silveira
Chief Investigator
Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register, NextSense &
Program Director
Master of Disability Studies (Macquarie University), NextSense
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | June 2025
The Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register (ACVIR), the first of its kind in Australia, captures uniquely Australian data which is used to improve services for children with vision impairment. The data is also available to researchers who work in the area of eye disease and disorders of vision.
Currently in Australia, we don’t know how many Australian children have vision impairment.
This makes it hard to plan for the services these children need, or to argue for research into preventing conditions which cause vision impairment.
NextSense Institute, in partnership with key Australian service providers, corporate donors, government departments and health professionals, has undertaken a major research project to develop and maintain an Australia-wide record of children with vision impairment.
This project is called the Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Dr Susan Silveira, Chief Investigator of the Register.
The Register collects accurate information on children who have been diagnosed by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) with vision impairment.. This information is used to establish the number of children with vision impairment, the causes and level of vision impairment and any additional disabilities and health conditions these children have.
The Parent or guardian of a child, aged 0-18 years, who has been diagnosed by an ophthalmologist with vision impairment, are invited to join the Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register.
The Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register (ACVIR) is sponsored by NextSense with support from Guide Dogs, Vision Australia, low vision service providers and families of children with vision loss.
Source: Written by AUDIENCED sourced from NextSense website
You Might also like
- 
					
					Strong primary care nursing solutions for a healthier AustraliaThe CEO of Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), Ken Griffin spoke with Australian Health Journal about the following: – APNA President Karen Booth representing Primary Care Nursing in the Australian Government led Strengthening Medicare Task Force 
 – The current key challenges in primary care nursing
 – Programs on diversity and student placement proposed in APNA’s pre-budget submission to Federal Government
 – A proposed initiative called Nurse-Supported Self-Care, with broadening role primary care nursing would play in the community
 – Hopes for other health priorities addressed in the Federal BudgetIn the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. 
- 
					
					Addressing Wound ManagementThe cost of chronic wounds in Australia is estimated to be $3 Billion per year, impacting 420,000 Australians. Not only is this a national economic concern, but more importantly, is the suffering the person may be going through. Australian Health Journal met with Hayley Ryan, Board Director and Chair at Wounds Australia and Director at WoundRescue to hear her work in chronic wound management, palliative wounds and pressure injury prevention to comfort those living with a wound. 
- 
					
					Child Dental Benefits Schedule needing greater awarenessSince its launch in 2014, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule has seen a gradual increase in participation year on year. The impact of COVID-19 and related shutdowns saw participation fall sharply in 2020. Though it increased 2021, the national target of 41% participation was not reached in 2021-2022, with the total (35.4%) more than three percent below 2018 participation rates. In an opinion segment, Australian Health Journal spoke with Abano Healthcare Group Clinical Director, Dr Fred Calavassy, with over 30 years of clinical experience, about his observations of the Child Dental Benefits Scheme ways to increasing participation rates. 
 
		
		 
					
																				
					 
					
																				
					