Not-for-profit organisation NextSense has opened a new $75 million centre for innovation at Macquarie University in Sydney with the aim of removing barriers for people living with vision and hearing loss nationwide.
NextSense – which provides services to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision – said the structure will support ongoing research, education, and treatment, to enhance people’s quality of life.
NextSense CEO, Mr Chris Rehn, said: “This new centre is an important investment in removing barriers for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision.
“It is a nationally significant piece of social infrastructure that will cement the leading role Australia already plays on the world stage in hearing and vision service delivery and research.
“We welcome the Australian Government’s significant financial support of $12.5 million to this project – it will change lives and create new opportunities for the way education and services are delivered to all people with sensory disability.”
The centre will be the focal point for NextSense national operations and will house allied health, disability and cochlear implant services for children and adults, a school and preschool, and a major research and professional education program.
Located in the Macquarie University precinct and Macquarie Park Innovation District, it will bring the organisation closer to its key partners already on campus.
The centre will explore ways to advance education for all children with vision and hearing loss across the country. It will also help NextSense scale up to meet the growing need for in-person and remote vision and hearing services right across Australia.
“By 2050, more than six million Australians will have hearing loss and more than one million will be blind or have low vision, and this will continue to grow,” Rehn said.
“We also know acting early when children have hearing or vision loss is critical in setting them up for life and giving them a level playing field. Advancing knowledge around best practice early intervention services and making sure families can access them is vital. With this new centre, we’re now in a better position to be there for those who need us and shape.”
The centre will facilitate new partnerships at Macquarie University, across Australia and internationally, between researchers, industry and governments. It has been designed to trial and share new ideas, advance the field, and drive better outcomes.
“We plan to use our centre for innovation to better connect our rich expertise as a leading service provider with what we learn from others – we need collective thinking if we’re going to drive change,” Rehn said.
A key feature of the centre is its building design, which puts people with hearing and vision loss first, with state-of-the-art equipment and spaces tailored specifically for them. Its accessible features include the highest possible acoustic standards, wayfinding braille signage, and walls and furniture with high-contrast elements to allow better depth perception.
“We’ve come such a long way from our beginnings in 1860 when Thomas Pattison established us as Australia’s first Deaf school,” Rehn said.
“Since then, we have achieved many firsts, from championing compulsory education in the 1900s for children who were deaf and blind, and pioneering teacher training in the 1930s, to creating the first digital version of the Auslan Dictionary, building Australia’s largest cochlear implant program, and launching the world’s first online braille training program.
“While we’ve never stood still in our 164 years, today we’re entering a new era. This next phase will significantly increase the contribution we can make to our sector, our clients and to all people with hearing and vision loss.”
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