Visual impairment for every person is unique in terms of onset, diagnosis, progression, and treatment. Losing your vision and adjusting to life with limited or no vision can be a scary and confronting experience. While the primary loss is losing the ability to see, the associated secondary losses are often overlooked. Thus, the impact of vision impairment travels beyond the physical loss and quickly expands to a person’s social, emotional, and psychological functioning. 

At Guide Dogs Queensland, we empower individuals with low or no vision and their families to overcome the barriers and look to the future with hope and confidence as they adjust to a new life. The practice at Guide Dogs Queensland uses a person-centred, multidisciplinary approach to provide a holistic service. The service includes Orientation and Mobility, Guide Dog Mobility, Occupational Therapy, Assistive Technology, Psychology, and Lifestyle and Leisure programs. Adjustment period may vary from individual to individual; hence, it is crucial that the services are tailored to the client’s needs while taking into consideration their readiness to engage.

In this session, I would like to demonstrate how services are delivered at Guide Dogs Queensland to support clients through the period of adjustment.