There are various support services in the community for people who are blind or have
low vision.
For example, there is a community support group that meets at the Bairnsdale RSL in the Rivers Room, on the first Wednesday of each month from 10.30am to 12pm, followed by lunch in the bistro.
The group is called the VIPs (Vision Impaired Persons) and is a welcoming community of people living with varying degrees of vision impairment from low sight loss to blindness. New members of the group are welcome.
This volunteer-led group offers connection, support and vital information for navigating life with vision loss. Members range in age from their 30s to their 90s, and they come together to share information and socialise.
Participants discuss services in the community, hear from invited speakers, and there is the opportunity for members to develop new social networks. A raffle is held and drawn during the meeting, with proceeds going towards future activities decided by the group.
The sense of camaraderie is strong with most participants
staying for lunch at the bistro immediately after the meeting to catch-up socially.
There is no cost to join the VIPs group, however members pay
for their own lunch and raffle tickets if they decide to participate in those activities.
At a recent meeting some of the members spoke about the benefits of wearing a badge that says they have low vision. When they are outside their home, the badge helps to alert others who they come in contact with, whether it is in a shop/cafe, or crossing a street, that they have low vision.
Vision Australia has these badges (as shown in the photo) with either a magnetic backing or a safety pin. Empower Support owner Andrew Wickham recently arranged to purchase sixteen badges and gladly donated them to the group members at their June meeting.
Empower Support also donated their time and resources to design and host the group’s brand new website (www.visiongroupbairnsdale.org)
For more information or to get involved, contact the Advertiser.
