MDFA calls for funding of aids and technologies for vision impaired Australians

Macular Disease Foundation Australia has released a new report into the long-term funding requirements for aids and technologies to assist the 100,000 older Australians with vision loss or blindness.

The report, titled Low Vision, Quality of Life and Independence: A Review of the Evidence on Aids and Technologies, outlines how funding responsibility for this cause has vacillated between federal and state governments.

MDFA chief executive Julie Heraghty says it is an initiative that has "slipped through the cracks", leading to a reduction in the quality of life for people with vision impairment.

Nursing Review spoke with Heraghty about the report's findings and recommendations, including an overview of the issues, an explanation with examples of what vision loss aids and technologies are, estimates of the financial boost required, and who should foot the bill.

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