UPFRONT Just as Insight went to print, GEORGE & MATILDA revealed two Queensland practices have joined its community. Medispecs North Lakes, north of Brisbane, and Atherton Optometrist, in the Queensland Tablelands Region, now join the more than 90 independents who have partnered with G&M. Founder and CEO Mr Chris Beer said more practices were expected. “As we begin to emerge, we are gearing up for our next wave of growth, with many of the country’s best independents now deciding
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now is the time to realise the value of their practice and benefit from the security and support we offer.” IN OTHER NEWS, a breakthrough bionic eye that delivers high-fidelity visual and spatial perception for the blind is one of 22 R&D projects to share in $47.1 million from the Federal Government. ARIA Research Pty Ltd has partnered with the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and World Access For The Blind for the project. Valued at $9.6 million, it has been funded under the Cooperative Research Centre Projects initiative and received $2.6 million. If successful, the project could provide new levels of independence for the blind
and vision impaired population nationally (600,000) and globally (over 337 million). FINALLY, new research commissioned by Vision Australia shows more than half of employers have never considered hiring a blind or low vision person. The survey of 1,003 employers – conducted by the firm EY Sweeney – also found many believed blind people would not be productive enough or thought they would be a financial burden. “We often hear from employers how they can’t find candidates who are qualified or committed, yet here we have evidence that employers aren’t even willing to consider a cohort of driven and talented candidates,” Vision Australia CEO Mr Ron Hooton said.
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A new study investigating the way people visualise things they have already seen found many adults are resistant to imagining their own vision in 2D – seeing it in its fully processed, knowledge-laden form instead. “The next question to ask is why did these people think in that way? Is it that they could not think in 2D, or that they chose not to?” the authors asked.
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Microsoft has launched its Surface Adaptive Kit, a series of sticky labels that make it easier for vision impaired users to identify keys and important components such as USB ports and lightening cables. Even the packaging itself has been designed to be easy to open.
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Publisher Christine Clancy
Until now, stem cells from mammals, including humans, have been used in organoid research, but Heidelberg University researchers have demonstrated that stem cells from medaka and zebrafish can also form complex retinal tissue that can be cultured in a petri dish. Among other findings, the researchers expect to gain new insights into the basic mechanisms of retinal development. n
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OCULAR TRAUMA Eye injuries led to more than 86,000 emergency department presentations in 2013-15 in Australia and over 51,000 hospitalisations. Image: LEI/Chris Barry. Full report page 45.
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