November 13 - In Australia

Lyle and I are in Australia for our regular family visit here. The weather has been moderate with some clouds, some sunshine, and slightly cooler temperatures. At least, that is the way it has been for the past couple of days. The forecast predicts that if we wait a couple more days we will get into scorching hot weather.  It is spring here so anything is possible. 

Yesterday, I decided to visit an office of Vision Australia to purchase a new white cane. Actually I was hoping to simply buy a new tip for my old cane. With constant use, the round tip of my cane has worn to two thirds of its normal size. Unfortunately, the tips to the canes here attach in a different way than the ones in Canada so I ended up buying a totally new cane. 

The Gosford office of Vision Australia is a smaller version of the main office in Sydney, which is quite large in area and comprehensive in services.  I asked especially about support groups offered from the Gosford office but was told that these were mainly conducted by phone and that there were only a few opportunities for face to face support. 

My contact with the office was positive. I found Lyn, the receptionist on duty, to be extremely helpful and very pleasant. Vision Australia is a large organisation formed when smaller agencies offering services for the blind and low vision community amalgamated. The organization faces similar challenges, both financial and geographic, as does CNIB in Canada. 

The picture here shows me standing in front of the Vision Australia logo. The wording reads: Vision Australia, blindness and low vision services.