Vision Australia

Vision Australia’s heritage collection illustrates much of the groundbreaking history of Australians who are blind or vision impaired.   It particularly focuses on the role played by Vision Australia in gaining improved rights for blind people of national and international significance - these included Australia’s first voting rights for blind people and the world’s first free postage of Braille.  It also tells the story of how Australia’s first Braille library, school and employment training for people who were blind or vision impaired were formed.

Vision Australia formed following the historic merge of the Royal Blind Society of NSW, Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, National Information and Library Service and Vision Australia Foundation in 2004.  It now provides services for more than 38,000 Australians with blindness, vision impairment and other disabilities. For more information visit the Vision Australia web site at http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/

The heritage collection consists of photographs, memorabilia, film, video and archives, which documents Vision Australia’s involvement in the rich and significant history of Australians who are blind or vision impaired.

Vision Australia is happy to receive donations of relevant photographs or other memorabilia. We are able to make copies and return original prints. Please contact Vision Australia's Curator if you would like to make a donation or loan material for copying.

Vision Australia is committed to abiding by copyright legislation and privacy laws. Permission has been obtained from owners of copyright where this is known. If you have any concerns about the images featured on the image database please contact Vision Australia’s Curator to discuss these further.

For further information on the collection please contact the Curator/Archivist at:

Heritage Collection
Vision Australia 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong Victoria 3144 Australia
phone +61 (0)3 9864 9349
fax +61 (0)3 9864 9210
email anna.fairclough@visionaustralia.org.au
web http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/ (Vision Australia)

Braille printing press being operated by its inventor Chief Librarian Minnie Crabb, Braille Library, Melbourne, c.1930s; Vision Australia FoundationBraille printing press being operated by its inventor Chief Librarian Minnie Crabb, Braille Library, Melbourne, c.1930s;
Vision Australia Foundation