O=MEGA23/WCO4, one of the most anticipated events in the global eye health community this year, will feature various elements from, for, or of relevance to people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisers announced during National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June).
Event organisers – Optometry Victoria South Australia (OV/SA), the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) and the World Council of Optometry – said the Indigenous element of the conference program is of relevance 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.
OV/SA CEO Ms 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 gain a true understanding of the unique needs and practices of First Nations communities and incorporate this knowledge into the delivery of care,” she said.
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 Associate Professor Mitchell Anjou and Shaun Tatipata titled: Beyond the roadmap to close the gap for vision.
OV/SA CEO Ms Ilsa Hampton will be running a session with Indigenous Allied Health Australia around ways to begin to engage with building cultural awareness.
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.
New category in Awards of Excellence
The Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (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.
ODMA CEO Ms Amanda Trotman said the new award will be presented at O=MEGA23.
“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 product is done with careful consideration of cultural and intellectual property rights,” she said.
“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.”
For more information, visit www.omega-event.org/program.
More reading
Diverse O=MEGA23/WCO4 program includes the latest in myopia control efficacy
Nearly 100 sessions on offer at O=MEGA23/WCO4 as conference program unveiled
ODMA Awards for Excellence program returns in 2023; winners to be revealed at O=MEGA23
