A state-of-the-art facility for people with hearing and vision loss has opened in Sydney. Located at Macquarie University it will support research, education and treatment for people with sensory disability.
The NextSense centre will be the focal point for the 164-year-old not-for-profit organisation, housing allied health, disability and cochlear implant services for children and adults, a school and preschool, and a major research and professional education program. It joins key partners on campus, such as Macquarie University Hearing, Cochlear and Hearing Australia.
Speaking at the opening, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “This facility is as impressive as it is important, and one that will soon become an incubator for world-leading innovation and best practice.” The centre will benefit more than 10,000 Australians each year, with the majority seen physically at the centre, he said. “It represents the possibility of a better future for so many with hearing or vision loss.”
NextSense chief executive Chris Rehn said the new centre was 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.”
A key feature is its building design, with accessibility features that include the highest possible acoustic standards, wayfinding braille signage, and walls and furniture with high-contrast elements to allow better depth perception.
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 continues to grow, Rehn said.