Turning a blind eye
A “heartless” decision to suspend a service which provides eligible elderly and disadvantaged people with free spectacles and other visual aids has been made by New South Wales’ Department of Family and Community Services. The VisionCare NSW program’s suspension at the end of this month until 1 July is expected to affect 25,000 people.
A “heartless” decision to suspend a service which provides eligible elderly and disadvantaged people with free spectacles and other visual aids has been made by New South Wales’ Department of Family and Community Services.
The VisionCare NSW program’s suspension at the end of this month until 1 July is expected to affect 25,000 people.
Board member of VisionCare NSW, Professor Brian Layland, told DPS News although the government has promised to continue funding when the new financial year begins, the problem remains that “they never allocated enough money to run the program”.
“They never knew how many people would apply. Each year the number of program applicants increases,” he said, adding while the elderly lose or break their glasses, the organisation would not be able to replace them.
“It’s a great pity these people will unfortunately be deprived to the right of living and seeing things like their television clearly. It’s all very well to say they can use their old glasses and do without – but it doesn’t work that way,” Professor Layland said.
Running for close to 20 years, NSW Opposition Leader, John Robertson, said the “heartless” decision would force the charity to “refuse applications for the first time in two decades”.
“It’s as if Premier Barry O’Farrell has gone out into the community, identified those who are already struggling the most and decided to do whatever he can to make their lives harder,” Mr Robertson said in a statement last week.
“Only the meanest, most out-of-touch premier would target the elderly and vision impaired with budget cuts,” he added.
The government claimed the program needed to be reviewed after reportedly consistently exceeding its $4.4 million budget for the past four years.
If people wish to apply for help by VisionCare NSW, all applications must be made by this Friday, 10 February 2012.
