By BRIDGET COOK
SINCE Brandon Ah Tong lost his sight, he has used his voice to do what he can to improve the lives of those who are blind or vision-impaired.
The Lynbrook father was last week recognised for his work in doing just that at the 2014 Victorian Disability Sector Awards.
Mr Ah Tong, who has been blind for the past 10 years due to a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, took out the Emerging Leader category.
He is the director of Policy and Advocacy for the peak eye health and vision care body, Vision 2020 Australia, and was recognised for his extensive achievements in driving change for people who are blind or vision-impaired.
Mr Ah Tong has been a driving force behind the successful inclusion of people who are blind or vision-impaired in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, enabling people with a vision impairment to travel more confidently in Victorian taxis and matters relating to immigration for people with a disability.
Mr Ah Tong said he was humbled by the award.
“As someone who is blind, I know first-hand the challenges faced by people with a disability,” Mr Ah Tong said.
“Living with disability myself, gives me a personal perspective that I think is very important in being able to effectively advocate on behalf of others with disability,” he said.
Mr Ah Tong said he believed people with a disability had come a long way from living in institutions but there was still some work to be done now on integrating disability into other sectors of the community.
“Initiatives championed in Victoria, such as the Vision Initiative, are programs that seek to reach across health, disability and aged care to focus on getting the right interventions and supports for people at risk of vision loss and people who are blind or vision-impaired,” he said.
“These programs that realise that a continuum of care and support helps keep people independent and participating in the community as they choose are vital and must be continued,” he said.
Vision 2020 Australia chief executive Jennifer Gersbeck, who nominated Mr Ah Tong for the award, said his work was inspiring and gave a voice to those who were blind or vision-impaired.
“At the heart of his work is a belief that people with a disability have a right to equal opportunity in all aspects of life,” she said.
“This belief has inspired many changes to policy that ensure that blindness and vision impairment are no longer barriers to participation in the community.”
