Diversity and Inclusion
The ACO strives to ensure a culturally safe, welcoming and inclusive eye care service and work environment for all people
LGBTQIA+
The ACO is committed to creating safe and respectful environments, for LGBTQIA+ people accessing our services and LGBTQIA+ staff and students. We acknowledge we are in the earlier stages of this journey but as an organisation we are working towards creating a more inclusive and accepting environment for the LGBTQIA+ community.
We recognise that LGBTQIA+ people face significant barriers accessing health care services and employment and are committed to removing these barriers. We value collaboration and feedback from all LGBTIQA+ patients and staff so we can continue to improve our delivery of safe and responsive services and workplaces.
The ACO Rainbow Working Group (RWG) was established in early 2022 by LGBTQIA+ allies and advocates working at the ACO, with the goal to make the ACO a safe and inclusive place for LGBTQIA+ staff and patients. The group is working to promote the development of an organisational culture and environment that is safe and inclusive for these communities.
Gender pronouns are the terms people choose to refer to themselves that reflect their gender identity. These might be he/him, she/her or gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them, among others. Knowing and using a person’s correct pronouns fosters inclusion, makes people feel respected and valued, and affirms their gender identity.
Many ACO staff are choosing to show their pronouns on their signature on correspondence and email, and by wearing a pronoun pin. It has been wonderful to see many ACO staff members now wearing a pronoun pin as a display of allyship. Pins are available from the P&C office and the duty managers.
In 2022, the ACO adopted the use of the Progress Pride Flag in place of the Rainbow Flag which was previously used.
The pride flag serves as a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is a visual reminder of the struggles and oppression that people in the community have faced and continue to face, but it’s also a sign of hope. The widespread use of the pride flag allows LGBTQIA+ individuals to connect with each other and feel included regardless of their location.
Reconciliation & Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
The ACO is committed to reconciliation and ensuring our services and workplaces are culturally safe and inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The ACO has strong and established relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers and community members. These relationships inform our practice, and we are committed to further strengthening relationships and promoting partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders. We are involved in a number of partnerships, projects and service delivery models that demonstrates our reconciliation journey to date.
The ACO has operated a regular optometry clinic at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) in Fitzroy since 1998. Over more than 25 years, this clinic has grown to include ophthalmology services delivered by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
The ACO continues to work in partnership with VAHS to provide a comprehensive eye health service for its patients.
Since 2010, the ACO have been working in partnership with more than 20 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and a number of community health services in urban and regional Victoria, as well as in border regions in NSW and SA. This scheme, funded by the Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV), improves access to eye health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities living in regional and remote areas.
The Victorian Aboriginal Spectacles Subsidy Scheme (VASSS) program, which has been developed and managed by the ACO since 2010, is a Victorian State Government Initiative that aims to improve access to high quality visual aids for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Victorians.
Through the VASSS program, First Nations peoples in Victoria are eligible to obtain spectacles for a co-payment of $10. In Melbourne, this is exclusively available through ACO Eye Health clinics. In regional Victoria, VASSS is available through our partner practices.
We are involved in the Provision of Eye Health Equipment and Training Project, an Australian Government Department of Health funded initiative. A consortium of five organisations work in partnership to deliver this project based on their existing links and experience in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander eye care in discussion with local and regional stakeholders, and service providers. These organisations are: Brian Holden Vision Institute Foundation, Australian College of Optometry, Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, Centre for Eye Health and Optometry Australia.
The project is responsible for the procurement and distribution of up to 155 retinal cameras to primary health care clinics, who provide care to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. The project incorporates training on the use of the camera to primary health care workers and general practitioners, with the aim to support increased primary-level access to retinal photography for First Nations people with diabetes.
The ACO recognises the past treatments of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and how colonisation has impacted on their health. Our vision for reconciliation is to work collaboratively and walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities, to heal our national soul, address inequity and achieve justice by contributing to closing the gap in eye health outcomes. We believe that reconciliation is an ongoing journey, which we aim to enhance by building meaningful and mutually respectful relationships.
In May 2019, we were honoured to add a voice to reconciliation through the publication of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The development of our RAP reflected our belief that we were to progress that connection through new means of conversation and cooperation. In this work, we are committed to being guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations. In 2021, we launched our second Innovate RAP.
As the ACO continues to close the gap in eye health, we recognise our responsibility to better understand the factors contributing to the disparities in healthcare outcomes between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians. This commitment is central to ensuring equitable, culturally appropriate care for all.
We are proud to report that 96% of our fixed term staff successfully completed Cultural Safety training led by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) in 2024.
Asking the question is a small step we can all take to help in closing the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status can have a significant positive impact for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health outcomes, enhance cultural safety, and ensure that patients can access appropriate pathways to care. Additionally, improving reporting and monitoring of access to eye health services through identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status is an essential step to close the gap for vision.
Refugees and seekers of asylum
The ACO is proud to support refugees and seekers of asylum with culturally appropriate eye care. Often, refugees or seekers of asylum are referred by welfare or social support agencies. A Medicare card is not required if a person has a letter from the referring agency confirming their refugee or asylum seeker status.
We also work closely with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) to provide a regular clinic onsite at their facility in Footscray.
