top of page
Blog
Churchill Blogs
Learn more about BDA's founder Belinda O'Connor's travels to The Netherlands, Canada and the USA and how this has been synthesised to formulate a best practice approach for Australia's unique settings.
The NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust Churchill Fellowship to identify success factors and barriers for low vision and telescopic glasses driving.
Watch interviews and read stories on the world history of bioptic driving from Belinda's Churchill travels
13. Indiana Bioptic Driving arrangements - PENDING
Indiana Bioptic Driving arrangements - PENDING

biopticdriversaus
Jul 19, 2023


12. Chat with Dr Henry Greene as co-founder and President of Ocutech Inc.
About Dr Greene Henry Greene, OD, FAAO, is a graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. From 1974 through 1977 he studied low vision rehabilitation at the Industrial Home for the Blind in Brooklyn, NY, with Dr. George Hellinger, an early pioneer in the field of low vision. While in New York, Dr. Greene published papers regarding the vision issues associated with hearing loss while a consultant at the St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf. From 1977 through 1980 h

biopticdriversaus
Jul 19, 2023


10. Iowa Low Vision Driving without Bioptics in conversation with Dr Mark Wilkinson
Picture: Mark left, Belinda right Mark E Wilkinson, OD is Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Director, Vision Rehabilitation Service for Carver College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Iowa. Dr. Wilkinson's research interests are in two general areas; inherited eye diseases and driving with a reduction in visual functioning. I contacted Dr Wilkinson because I wanted an alternative view to bioptic driving in the USA and to lear

biopticdriversaus
Jul 8, 2023


9. Using tints to improve driver safety for the colourblind & Kentucky's Achromat's
Photo: Kentucky state driving school car, Belinda O’Connor from Bioptic Drivers Australia, Brenda Eadens, Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist and Bioptic Driving Program Driver Trainer of Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Chuck Huss, Driver Rehabilitation Specialist West Virginia. A topic close to my heart is that of using tints to improve functional vision for people with colour deficiency or colour blindness. This is a topic that needs considerable and

biopticdriversaus
Jul 8, 2023
11. Arizona: Chat with Bioptic Driver and Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist
VIDEO: Belinda in discussion with Suzanne on Bioptic Driving with Achromatopsia Chat with Suzanne - a bioptic driver with Achromatopsia This is a 40-minute video of my discussion with Suzanne Germano whom at the time of this recording has been a legally blind bioptic driver for 8 years. She has had no accidents and no infringement notices for speeding nor red-light camera. She is a safe driver. Suzanne and I were born with Achromatopias which means the cones in our retin

biopticdriversaus
Jul 8, 2023


8. Ohio’s Bioptic Driving Program – In Conversation with Dr Bradley Dougherty
Left: Dr Bradly Dougherty, Associate Professor, Ohio State University College of Optometry; Right: Belinda O'Connor, Bioptic Drivers Australia I was honoured to speak with Dr. Bradley E. Dougherty, OD, PhD, Associate Professor at the Ohio State University College of Optometry. Dr. Dougherty’s research interests include driving with central vision impairment, evaluation of new technologies for low vision rehabilitation, visual assessment, and analysis of patient-reported outco

biopticdriversaus
Jun 28, 2023


6. West Virginia 6-week bioptic driving program and Driver Performance Measure test
Picture of outside West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles Regional Office Driver Performance Measurement (DPM) test The student is introduced to the DPM in Week 5 of the program. The DPM tool provides a reliable criterion valid method of measuring dynamic behaviour patterns in actual traffic. The intellectual property is owned by Michigan State University (MSU) (by (Forbes et al, 1975) whom under contract work with other parties to develop a DPM driving route with accompani

biopticdriversaus
Jun 21, 2023


5. The West Virginia Bioptic Driving Program Overview and History and Chuck Huss
Photo: West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) sign in background. Left to right: Roxanna. L. Dove R.N., Medical Coordinator, WV Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV); Chuck Huss COMS, Vision Rehabilitation Consultant; Belinda O'Connor, Bioptic Drivers Australia; Arthur. D. Williams CDI, Bioptic Driving Program, WV DRS. West Virginia’s Bioptic Driving Program Underpinned by a 2008 Bill to Code noted below, the program (eligibility, curriculum, completion standar

biopticdriversaus
Jun 21, 2023


7. West Virginia’s same day Bioptic Training On Foot and In Car Passenger
Chuck, Ashley, Dan at West Virginia Division of Driver Rehabilitation Services During my visit to West Virginia, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate and observe one of the students enrolled in the WV bioptic driver’s training program participating in an on-foot, then active passenger in-car training exercise taught and reinforced by former instructor, Chuck Huss, COMS, Driver Rehabilitation Specialist. I wholeheartedly believe we need this in Australia. I’v

biopticdriversaus
Jun 21, 2023


4. History and Structure of Bioptic Driving Program for Québec Province
Belinda on the left in both photos. Left picture with Jean Paul LaChance, Low Vision Rehabilitation Optometrist. Right picture with Virginie Marchand, Bioptic Driving Program Coordinator and Orientation and Mobility Specialist. At Institute de Readaptation en Deficiency Physique de Quebec (IRDPQ). Québec Province Bioptic Driving Program Structure The structure of the program has been developed to fit into the standard process that everyone goes through to obtain a driver’s li

biopticdriversaus
Jun 21, 2023


3. Driving Instruction for the Bioptic Driver-Québec
Driving instructor is Alain, Student is Vanessa, Bioptic Driving Program Coordinator & Orientation and Mobility Specialist is Virginie. Standing beside the driving school car outside the rehabilitation center of IRDPQ (Institut de readaptation en deficience physique de Quebec). The driving instruction phase This phase commences from phase two through to phase four. By this time the low vision, bioptic driver has had classroom training on how to use their vision, experience i

biopticdriversaus
Jun 4, 2023


2. Vision Habilitation for Bioptic Driving: classroom vision training and driving simulator-Québec
Left picture of the use of a smart TV using Google maps to show Vision techniques. Right picture of a city setting in a driving simulator. Middle picture has a banner of the organisation in Québec that does rehabilitation for disabled people for Driving named IRDPQ. IRDPQ is one of the 14 centres that offers free low vision services to Québec province residence and is the other of two places that offers bioptic driving habilitation (the other being INLB in Montréal). This is

biopticdriversaus
Jun 4, 2023


1. Montreal's Bioptic Driving Program-Québec
Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (INLB) CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre – Longueuil, Montréal, Canada Visit date: Monday, 29 May 2023 Left to right: Véronique Small (Optometrist), Anyk Bélair (Optician), Annik Gemme (Driving Program Coordinator and orientation and mobility specialist), Vincent Moore (Optometrist), Belinda O’Connor (Bioptic Drivers Australia), Maude Gravel (Orientation and Mobility Specialist), Nicholas Leroux (Orientation and Mobility Specialist) Today’s Age

biopticdriversaus
Jun 1, 2023


Belinda talks to Damo
Belinda talks to Damo at Mushroom FM about her lived experience as a person with vision impairment on access barriers to becoming a bioptic driver. https://mushroomfm.com/node/2160

biopticdriversaus
Aug 8, 2020


Belinda talks to BCA
22 July 2020 Blind Citizens Australia: New Horizons - Episode 665, Bioptic Driving This week we speak with Belinda O'Connor from Bioptic Drivers Australia. Hear about Bioptic driving, and the establishment of a legal framework to promote bioptic driving and make it easier to be assessed as a bioptic driver. https://blindcitizens.podbean.com/e/new-horizons-episode-665-bioptic-driving/

biopticdriversaus
Jul 22, 2020


Rob talks to Studio 1
Check out BDA member Rob Eaves on this Vision Australia Studio 1 Podcast. Listen to his personal story on bioptic driving along with the presenter, Matthew Layton's own visceral reflections. https://varstudio1.podbean.com/e/bioptic-driving/?fbclid=IwAR2SO6_26vDQYzOlDig8wXSHhA4cquxeXU2aUQT1hlAvcRqfoSUcZiwbeII

biopticdriversaus
Jul 16, 2020


Council of Australian Governments approve reversion of wording for bioptic telescope in assessment guidelines
By National Transport Commission and Austroads This corrigendum sets out corrections to Assessing Fitness to Drive which was published by the National Transport Commission and Austroads in 2016. Amendment 2: Correction relating to use of telescopic lenses for driving In Part B.10, on page 127, OMIT: 10.2.7 Telescopic lenses (bioptic telescopes) and electronic aids) These devices may improve acuity at the cost of visual field. They are not an acceptable aid to meet the sta

biopticdriversaus
Aug 1, 2017


A win for drivers with central vision loss
By Vision2020 - www.vision2020australia.org.au A change to the Assessing Fitness to Drive (AFTD) guidelines that left a number of Australians with central vision loss unable to a obtain licence, or fearful of losing their right to drive, is set to be reversed. Read more

biopticdriversaus
Jun 13, 2017
bottom of page
