Vision 2020 Australia is strongly committed to progressing efforts to close the gap for vision, and has supported member organisations in their advocacy to improve access, availability and integration of eye health and vision care services.
In 2019 Vision 2020 Australia released Strong eyes, strong communities as a call for action that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the same access to eye care as other Australians.
In the past three years, key submissions and proposals have included:
- Close the Gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health and Vision Care: Sector Funding Proposal (2015)
- Closing the gap in eye health and vision care by 2020 (2017)
- Vision 2020 Australia Submission to the Closing the Gap Refresh Discussion Paper (2018)
The work of Vision 2020 Australia is informed by its members. In our work on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health we are guided by the Vision 2020 Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee, whose membership spans community controlled organisations, eye care professionals, service providers, researchers and others.
Since 2006, Australia’s peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations and non-government organisations have united to improve the health and life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the Close the Gap campaign. In 2008 at the Close the Gap National Indigenous Health Equality Summit, the Australian, state and territory governments agreed to targets to achieve health equality within a generation, leading to the Closing the Gap Strategy.
Since that time, a substantial amount of work has been done by many individuals, organisations and communities to narrow the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health. In 2012, The Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision set out a comprehensive, whole of system strategy to improve access to eye health and vision care services and improved eye health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the nation. Vision 2020 Australia has also progressed significant policy work over this time.
Seven years later, Strong eyes, strong communities: a five year plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and vision builds on the work achieved through The Roadmap and sets out a plan for the next five years with increased involvement by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.