Who We Are

Vision 2020 Australia seeks to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision loss by the year 2020. We are focused on influencing policy and implementing programs that concentrate on:

• prevention and early intervention
• low vision and rehabilitation
• increasing the evidence base through research
• working to achieve global goals.

As the peak body for the eye health and vision care sector, we initiate and facilitate opportunities for member collaboration, undertake awareness raising activities and lead advocacy efforts on behalf of 60 members and associates. Our members are involved in:

• local and global eye care service delivery
• health promotion
• education and development
• low vision support
• vision rehabilitation
• eye research
• professional assistance
• community support.

Our focus includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, children and older Australians.

Our vision

Our vision is to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision loss by the year 2020 and ensure that blindness and vision impairment are no longer barriers to full participation in the community.

Our mission

Our mission is to be the national advocate for member organisations that:

• seek to eliminate avoidable blindness and maximise community participation for all those with vision needs
• help those with permanent vision loss.

Our role as the national peak body for eye health and vision care has enabled the sector to work more collaboratively and be better represented at all government levels.

A snapshot of eye health

Globally, approximately 285 million people are blind or vision impaired. 90 per cent of the world’s blindness exists in developing countries and is said to be both a cause and a consequence of poverty.

In Australia, almost 575,000 are blind or vision impaired. As Australia’s population ages, this figure is predicted to rise to almost 801,000 by 2020.

Vision loss has significant social and economic costs and greatly impacts independence quality of life.

The good news is around 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable or treatable. In Victoria, our work promotes the message Save your Sight: Get tested under the Vision Initiative program. Regular eye tests are key to early detection and allow for the best treatment options.

We are also committed to working on an international level to eliminate avoidable blindness under the VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative—in particular, the Global Consortium program is working in partnership in the Asia Pacific region.