Brien Holden Foundation in Sydney, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Brien Holden Foundation

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9385 7516

Address: Level 4 Rupert Myers Building, North Wing, Gate 14 Barker St, University of New South Whales 2052 Sydney, NSW, Australia

Website: https://brienholdenfoundation.org

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25.01.2022 Can't remember last time you have your eyes checked? Every two years is best, or every year if you have diabetes or other health conditions. Your eyes are worth a closer look #visionforeveryone #goodvisionforlife

24.01.2022 You can always rely on the Google Doodle to educate you about about brilliant people who have left their mark on the world. But today's doodle is extra special for those passionate about vision care and accessibility, like we are! Today Google is celebrating Japanese inventor, Seiichi Miyake, who was inspired to help his close friend whose vision was becoming impaired. Miyake invented tactile blocks with dots and bars, helping people who are visually impaired to navigate pub...lic spaces. These blocks are now used around the world at crosswalks and train stations! Go check out Google to learn more about this amazing inventor! Image: A doodle of yellow tactile blocks with dots on them spelling out 'Google' in different colours. A person with black sneakers and a cane stands before them.

24.01.2022 Encouraging all parents every child, every year! #ourchildren #myopia #myopiamovement #visionforeveryone

22.01.2022 Eyes are an essential part of your everyday life, take care of them! #eyecare #goodvision #zigziglar Image: Faded background image of a woman wearing glasses while someone helps her position it with quote reading: "I opened two gifts this morning. They were my eyes" Zig Ziglar

22.01.2022 We have exciting news! We are joining with Optometry Giving Sight Australia to become one entity from 1 July 2019. This new direction means we can better serve people in need of eye care and bring our work to the Australian community. We will continue to have a global footprint in the fight to eradicate avoidable blindness and vision impairment. Your support will continue to make a difference and reach those in need in communities all over the world.

21.01.2022 In support of the global pandemic response, the Foundation has been among the NGO's providing agile response to support Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's request to run Pivot Projects. The Pivot Project model realigns Australian Government funds to directly support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, at the ground level in developing communities. BHF currently has four Pivot Projects running in Vietnam, PNG, Pakistan and Sri Lanka which are providing direct response to the communities our programs service. https://www.iapb.org//bhvi-and-the-brien-holden-foundatio/ VISION 2020/IAPB #ANCP #AustralianAid #childeyehealth

21.01.2022 If you're unsure about how to act around people with disabilities, this great article by Nas Campanella is a must-read. Nas is a newsreader for Triple J ... and has been blind since she was six months old. Unable to read braille, Nas uses a speech program called Jaws, an electronic voice that plays her copy into her headphones, which she then repeats on air a second later. In her other ear, a talking clock keeps her on time. On top of that, Nas also hears her own voice and audio grabs. Pretty impressive, huh?! While disabilities can play a significant role in someone's life, they shouldn't stop anyone from achieving their dreams!

21.01.2022 #YearOfWelcome #RefugeeWeek For Hussein and his young family, moving a world away from home meant more than just giving up home. A doctor in his native Congo, he knows only too well the value of eye care for his familys and communitys health and well-being. Like all who enter Australia in Darwin, he and his family attended the Brien Holden Foundation Eye Clinic - conducted with our incredible partners the Melaleuca Refugee Centre - and received world class care. Now integrating into life in Australia, he hopes to continue his medical training, so he can help those who helped him. Brien Holden Foundation is proud to offer a warm welcome to Australia. Helping people see a brighter future for their families is at the heart of Brien Holden Foundations work in Australia.

20.01.2022 "Eyesight issues are increasingly common, with 86 per cent of Australians listing loss of vision as our top health concern...By 2030 Australia will have 564,000 blind and low-vision people up from 384,000 today Vision Australia predicts." How long is it since you visited an #optometrist? #Eyechecks are important for all ages. Book one today! #myopia #cataract #glaucoma https://www.theaustralian.com.au//87dd44d9ec137f2284784ffd

20.01.2022 "Did you know that approximately one in five Australian children suffers from an undetected vision problem or requires ongoing assessment? And many children and parents are unaware there might be a problem, because they just assume their vision is normal and they don't know what they dont know! Good vision is crucial for a childs educational, physical and social development." ... Get your childrens eyes checked today! #givingsight #visionforeveyone #ourchildren #myopia #MyopiaMovement

20.01.2022 For National Diabetes Week 2020, Diabetes Australias Heads Up campaign highlights the mental and emotional health impact of living with diabetes. Diabetics have to make up to 180 decisions more than people without diabetes each day. This leads to distress, anxiety and burnout. Diabetes related blindness in Aboriginal Australians is 4 times higher than in non-Indigenous populations and 98% of vision loss due to diabetes is preventable with early detection and treatment. Co-le...d by Brien Holden Foundation and the Australian College of Optometry, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and delivered with AHCSA - Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, the Centre for Eye Health and Optometry Australia, the Provision of Eye Health Equipment and Training focuses on preventing diabetes-related vision loss at the primary care level by providing eye health equipment, training and ongoing support to embed eye health into primary health care services. We are increasing the rates of diabetic retinopathy screening by Aboriginal primary health care services across the nation, including in some of the remotest parts of Australia. Visit https://bhvi.org/public-health/where-we-work/australia.html to find out more about our programs. Visit https://headsupdiabetes.com.au/ to find out more about National Diabetes Week 2020. Pictured: the team at Durri ACMS testing out a retinal camera. #NDW2020 #headsupdiabetes

20.01.2022 Rembering Professor Brien Holden four years on... Learn about his amazing Lifetime of Vision https://bit.ly/2ygZTI0 #visionforeveryone #myopia #optometry #brienholden

19.01.2022 Expand your eye care knowledge and improve patient referrals. Our recent webinar The Role of Primary Healthcare Workers in Eyecare is now available to watch i...n Rural Health Pro. The course is for nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Health Practitioners, chronic care workers, diabetes educators and GPs and no prior knowledge is required. Visit: https://bit.ly/2CENina This Brien Holden Foundation and RDN webinar was supported by the Australian Government Department of Health Visiting Optometry Scheme and assisted by the Western NSW Eye Health Partnership, a The Fred Hollows Foundation funded project.

18.01.2022 It's typically not recommended to cry in the workplace, but this is expecially true for astronauts! Image: An astronaut in space with text overlay: Did you know? Astronauts can't cry in space. Without gravity, tears form little balls and sting the eye. They eventually break free and float around.

17.01.2022 Since carrots are of no help, keep calm and enjoy all the chocolates this Easter! Happy Easter! #punintended... Image: A photo of a rabbit wearing glasses with text reading They said carrots would be good for my eyes they lied.

16.01.2022 There is much happening in research, product development and professional education to meet the myopia challenge, but it is critical we engage with those at th...e frontline parents, guardians and eye care practitioners to ensure they have the understanding and tools to protect our childrens futures. - Yvette Waddell, CEO, Brien Holden Vision Institute #MyopiaMovement #Myopia

16.01.2022 Meet Sony and Somita, two little children with severe vision impairment living in rural Cambodia. Make a gift before June 30 to make the most of your tax deduction. brienholdenvision.org/donate

15.01.2022 Are you worried about your childs eyesight? About one in five Australian children suffer from an undetected vision problem that is treatable or manageable through ongoing assessment. It is recommended to take your child for a full eye exam with an optometrist before starting school and regularly (every year) as they progress through primary and secondary school.If you notice any of the 10 signs, your child might have a treatable vision problem! Read more to know what to look... out for. Our Children's Vision is committed to ensuring access to comprehensive services and treatments. #childeyehealth #goodvisionforlife #ourchildren #50million

14.01.2022 Only 3 more weeks until the Deadly Enterprises Rugby League Carnival! Come on down and support a wonderful cause during NAIDOC week: https://fb.me/e/kSRe4DPrQ

13.01.2022 Meet Lowana, one of our visiting optometrists aiding in our mission to tackle vision impairment issues in our most rural and vulnerable communities across #Australia. https://clarencevalleynews.com.au/lowana-has-a-vision/

12.01.2022 There is a huge disparity in eye health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Diabetes related blindness in Aboriginal Australians is 14 times higher than in non-Indigenous populations and around 90% of vision loss in Aboriginal communities is preventable or treatable. On Close the Gap Day, thanks to funding from the Australian Department of Health, we're committed to addressing these inequalities and ensuring Indigenous communities have access to eye care. #AustralianAid

11.01.2022 #YearOfWelcome #RefugeeWeek In 2019, every refugee arrival into Darwin went through the Brien Holden Foundation Eye Clinic conducted in partnership with the Melaleuca Refugee Centre. Helping people see a brighter future for their families is at the heart of Brien Holden Foundation's work in Australia. https://bhvi.org//231-sharing-hope-brien-holden-foundation

10.01.2022 In 2019, 100% of refugee arrivals in Darwin went through the Brien Holden Foundation Eye Clinic conducted with our incredible partners, the Melaleuca Refugee Centre. The eye clinic has created a blueprint for cultural and clinical safety in Refugee Health at Melaleuca, says Melaleuca Refugee Centre Health Leader, Scott Andrews. The clinic has created an excellent model to aid the reform process for refugee health in the NT. Eye testing and the receipt of glasses, where ne...cessary, can be crucial moments of progress towards a new life for many of the people seeking to make Australia their new home. Our clients love their visits to the eye clinic, for many it is their first eye test, he says. Brien Holden Foundation is proud of its long-standing involvement with refugee services in Australia, and its commitment to providing accessible eye care to those in need. Pictured: Refugee Health Leader Scott Andrews with Brien Holden Foundation NT Project Manager Sarah Nicholls #YearOfWelcome #RefugeeWeek

10.01.2022 Are you one of 76% of parents of children under 12 years old who believe being prescribed glasses is the best course of action if a primary school age child is diagnosed with myopia? In fact, there are many treatment options that should be discussed when managing myopia Or maybe its a surprise to realise that only 12% of Australian parents know of the lifestyle factors that have an impact on child myopia? https://www.mivision.com.au//child-myopia-a-looming-publi/ Myopia Movement Our Children's Vision #visionforeveryone #myopiamovement #myopia

08.01.2022 Should you be worried about #glaucoma? What does 'at risk' mean for my sight? #endworry check it out today! #glaucomaweek #eyehealth

06.01.2022 Vale Genevieve Napper A note from Colina Waddell, Head of Australia Programs It is with much sadness that Brien Holden Foundation lost a wonderful Consortium team member on Friday. Genevieve Napper passed away after her tough fight with Ovarian Cancer. She certainly gave it her all. As Project Manager, I would like to pay recognition to her outstanding service and contribution to the Provision of Eye Health Equipment and Training project over the past three years. Her dedicat...ion to our program, especially the education courses, and embedding of the retinal cameras into primary health care will always be remembered. Genevieve had a long term interest in improving eye care access for communities in need. Her contribution to policy and service delivery developments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye care at national, state and regional levels was significant. She participated with drive and dedication to committees and working groups, including the Vision 2020 Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander committee, the Optometry Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health Advisory Group, the Victorian Aboriginal Eye Health Advisory Group and a number of regional Aboriginal eye health stakeholder groups across Victoria. It was beautiful that VACCHO acknowledged her many years of working together with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, to improve eye health on World Sight Day, 2019. She was so proud of this award. Thank you Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc Genevieve also had a strong connection to the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu Prevention of Blindness Project. It is 20 years now since the project started this is when I first met Genevieve. She travelled to Vanuatu with May Ho as a consultant to ICEE (now Brien Holden Foundation). She had so much to give and still continued to give right up until the end. She never, ever stopped. Rest in peace, lovely lady. You will be sadly missed by all those who were lucky enough to be touched by you. Our thoughts rest with Genevieves family at this time.

06.01.2022 The World Health Organization (WHO) has for the first time issued recommendations regarding childrens use of electronic screens, including that those under the age of one should have no exposure at all to screens. Calling out to all... support Our Children's Vision #ourchildren #50million #visionforeveryone #brienholden https://www.insightnews.com.au//New-international-guidelin

06.01.2022 Are you a young person looking for an opportunity to develop ‘real life’ work skills in administration? This is an amazing opportunity for a recent school leaver or a young person who is wanting to gain an entry-level administrative position. Brien Holden Foundation is seeking a part-time (15.2 hours per week) administration assistant for immediate start, based at our Northern Territory (NT) Darwin office. Click here for more: https://brienholdenfoundation.org//position-available-par/

06.01.2022 From suspicion to solution in just 5 days! In New South Wales, Dian Rahardjo, Brien Holden Foundation Education Officer and Community Optometrist, was recently involved in arranging a patient with diabetic retinopathy to urgently receive treatment during lockdown. Here is what happened:... A young patient with consistently uncontrolled blood glucose presented at Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service. Condobolin had received a retinal camera and training through the Provision of Eye Health Equipment and Training (PEHET) project. Emma Dargin, the Eye Health Co-ordinator, took a retinal photograph and immediately recognised that the diabetic retinopathy likely needed urgent referral. She sent through the photographs to the @Centre for Eye Health Reading Service (funded by PEHET). She also flagged this with Dian, who provides optometry services at the AMS, to discuss the best ophthalmology referral pathway as public ophthalmology services were also suspended. CFEH reviewed the images within 48 hours and recommended the patient receive ophthalmology services with 7 days as the patient had proliferative diabetic retinopathy with pre-retinal haemorrhages and potential macular oedema. Dian contacted optometrists and ophthalmologists at the nearest regional hub to find an ophthalmologist who was available and able to bulk bill the patient. With Jane Haggers (Project Officer at WNSW Eye Health Partnership), help, she was able to find a specialist in Orange who could see the patient urgently. Dian provided a referral to the specialist, based upon the photograph and CFEH report and the patient was successfully treated within 5 days! The patient was likely to lose even more vision if Emma had not taken the photo and recognised the urgency of the situation. This National Diabetes Week remember to check your eyes and look after your mental health. #NDW2020 #headsupdiabetes Pictured: Condobolin AHS Eye Health Co-ordinator Emma Dargin (right), with Frith Semmens, Condobolin AHS nurse and their retinal camera.

04.01.2022 Over in Port Macquarie, our Aboriginal Vision Program optometry service is at Werin Aboriginal Corporation Medical Clinic, with Optometrist Candice Pearson and Aboriginal Health Worker Valerie Smith conducting eye examinations to round out #WorldSightDay in Australia. NSW Rural Doctors Network A big thank you to our incredible partners, optometrists, and support staff involved in our Australia-wide programs!

03.01.2022 Eye checks are important for everyone ever year! Reach out and find a friendly optometrist in your community today. Let them help you safe guard your eye sight #visionforeveyone #optometry #goodvisionforlife

03.01.2022 Happy World Sight Day! We're putting #VisionFirst today, and everyday, as we fight to eliminate vision impairment and avoidable blindness. That's why we're running the World Sight Day Challenge to ask people to join us in ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to affordable eye care. We want kids like Milly to grow up happy and healthy, be able to stay in school and get an education. And with your support, we can ensure this is a reality.... So sign up for the World Sight Day Challenge, or donate now and show kids, like Milly, you're putting their vision first! www.worldsightdaychallenge.com.au/

03.01.2022 Were saddened by the horrific events that occurred in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, but are relieved to share that our team and their families on the ground are safe. Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation first began working in Sri Lanka in response to the 2004 tsunami, providing emergency eye care to people affected by the humanitarian disaster. What began as a trip to replace peoples glasses lost in the tsunami turned into an ongoing commitment to delivering eye care to... people in need. Our hearts and thoughts go out to all of Sri Lanka during this heartbreaking and difficult time. Image: Beautiful orange sunset and green mountains in Sri Lanka

03.01.2022 With the arrival of autumn and the daylight hours being shorter, don't forget to find ways to priortise playing outside with your children where you can #myopia #healthyeyes #outdoorplay #ourchildren #visionforeveryone

03.01.2022 Celebrating International Women's Day! For a decade, Lalithas eyesight had been causing her problems and recently had hampered her ability to work. Lalitha is... a skilled craftswoman who embroiders beautiful saris' to sell in her local community. With exacerbating vision problems, she was unable to work for hours; the strain on her eyes was too great to perform the intricate embroidery work. Soon after, she was referred by a friend to a vision centre run by the Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation in Colombo, Sri Lanka supported by our generous donors. She was prescribed a pair of glasses to alleviate any strain on her eyes while working. A pair of glasses improved Lalithas life significantly and meant she could continue to support her family. Eye care is important for all, regardless of gender. of those with vision impairment and blindness are women. This imbalance is not due to physiology, but the many hurdles stopping women from having the same level of access to eye care than men. A simple eye examination empowered Lalitha and many other women like her to support themselves and their families. Your support will continue to empower many others like Lalitha through the gift of vision. Happy International Women's Day! #BalanceforBetter #IWD2019 #givingsight

02.01.2022 Today marks the start of #NAIDOCWeek2020. Always Was, Always Will Be, this year recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. #NAIDOC2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country. To see, hear, and learn the world’s oldest history. The history of the First Nations’ people, one that is thousands of generations old, and continues to this day.... To find out more about NAIDOC Week and to get involved, visit https://www.naidoc.org.au #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe

02.01.2022 Hope all mothers, grandmas and carers had a fantastic day yesterday and managed to spend time outside - at least 2 hours - in the sunshine with their children Join the Myopia Movement and help Our Children's Vision be clear! #visionforeveryone #ourchildren #myopia #healthyeyes

02.01.2022 After receiving a grant from the Northern Territory PHN, the Brien Holden Foundation has been able to continue its important work in remote communities in the Northern Territory during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more: https://bhvi.org//228-ntphn-grant-supports-brien-holden-fo

01.01.2022 How well are your #children learning? Could their vision be holding them back? #ourchildren #goodvisionforlife #eyecheck #myopia

01.01.2022 Registrations are now open for the World Sight Day Challenge! Sign up and help us raise much-needed funds for eye care programs. Your support means people can access vital eye care services and the world around them. So grab your team and start brainstorming how you and your team can make a difference!... Image: Happy schoolchildren from Uganda.

01.01.2022 BHVI and Brien Holden Foundation acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pay our respect to their culture, and Elders past, present and emerging. #InThisTogether, Wednesday 27 May - 3 June marks National Reconciliation Week and the twentieth anniversary of Reconciliation Australias journey in shaping a more equitable and reconciled nation. We acknowledge the importance of National Reconciliation Week and recognise the many achievements for Abor...iginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout the history of this country. We embrace the spirit of this commemoration and we stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to continue to work together in our long-standing partnerships through which culturally accessible vision services are made possible. We pay tribute to the invaluable role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their organisations in the success of the Brien Holden Foundation Aboriginal Vision programs over the past 20 years. Through the Brien Holden Foundation Aboriginal Vision Programs, we provide optometry services in urban, rural and remote communities across New South Wales and the Northern Territory. During the COVID-19 pandemic we continue to work with communities to provide additional telehealth services as requested. For more information on how to get involved in #NRW2020 https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-reconciliation-/