O=MEGA23/WCO4 Conference to Highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Opportunities and Connections

O=MEGA23/WCO4, one of the most anticipated events in the global eye health community this year, will bring together a diverse array of eye health professionals in Melbourne in September. Based around the theme Optometry Unites, Down Under, the optometric event aims to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovative approaches within the sector and will feature various elements from, for, or of relevance to people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

This announcement comes during National Reconciliation Week, celebrated annually from 27 May to 3 June, and which commemorates the rich history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and encourages reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

This program element is relevant to practising Australian optometrists since AHPRA and the National Boards enshrined cultural safety as a guiding principle and objective for the National Scheme, which was adopted as law last October.

Optometry Victoria South Australia CEO Ilsa Hampton said: “The delivery of culturally safe care is an essential requirement for the optometry profession in Australia. Achieving this requires an ongoing commitment from health professionals to understand the unique needs and practices of First Nations communities and incorporate this knowledge into the delivery of care.”

Recognising the significance of cultural diversity and inclusivity, the conference will address some of the unique challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in relation to eye health.

Conference delegates can expect to gain valuable insights from the following presentations:

- Retinal photography screening for diabetic retinopathy in Victorian Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations (James Rule)

- A collaborative approach to implementing a supervised student-led optometric clinic with a metropolitan Aboriginal Primary Health Care Service (Jose Estevez/Tristan Glover)

- Implementing best practice clinical processes within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research: The Prophecy Study (Dominque Birbeck)

There will also be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural engagement workshop, led by a panel of speakers including Lauren Hutchison, Shaun Tatipata and Renata Watene, and a presentation from Mitchell Anjou and Shaun Tatipata titled: Beyond the roadmap to close the gap for vision. OV/SA CEO Ilsa Hampton will be running a session with Indigenous Allied Health Australia around ways to begin to engage with building cultural awareness.

ODMA has also included a category within its Awards of Excellence program to recognise optical suppliers embracing Indigenous Design or commitment of the organisation to Indigenous people and business. The Awards of Excellence are being presented at O=MEGA23 this year and Amanda Trotman, CEO of ODMA, stated: “This new category has been incorporated to both encourage businesses that are already supporting and celebrating Indigenous communities to share their stories and how they achieve this through such aspects as representation, employment, meaningful partnerships and cultural awareness and how the use of designs in the product is done with careful consideration for cultural and intellectual property rights.

“We hope this will also raise the focus on the importance of Indigenous inclusion so that other organisations could consider how they may increase their commitment to Indigenous people and business in the future,” Amanda explained.

As part of the event opening, the Djirri Djirri Wurundjeri dance group will deliver a dance and welcome to country for delegates. Djirri Djirri are the only Wurundjeri female dance group and are traditional custodians of Narrm (Melbourne) and surrounds. On the Saturday evening, an open-access Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and craft market will run alongside the evening’s social event, an initiative developed in partnership with Kinaway Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce.

The biennial O=MEGA event is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time, the World Congress of Optometry is an international event hosted in a different city across the world also on a biennial basis. This partnership is a unique alignment and rare opportunity to combine a national and international program to create the largest optometric event in the region. Event partners are Optometry Victoria South Australia, the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Assocation and the World Council of Optometry.

https://www.omega-event.org/program

About the World Council of Optometry

The World Council of Optometry (WCO) is an international membership-based non-profit organisation for individual optometrists, industry professionals and optometric organisations that envisions a world where optometry makes high-quality eye health and vision care accessible to all people. Its mission is to facilitate the development of optometry around the world and support optometrists in promoting eye health and vision care as a human right through advocacy, education, policy development and humanitarian outreach. To learn more, please visit www.worldoptometry.org

About Optometry Victoria South Australia

Optometry Victoria South Australia (OV/SA) is the professional association for optometrists in Victoria and South Australia. Our mission is to advance and promote the profession of optometry and to provide our members with the resources, tools, and support they need to deliver high-quality eye care to their patients. Find information, updates, and events at www.optometry.org.au