2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference

Welcome

Indigenous Eye Health (IEH) at the University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference (NATSIEHC) 2021: The Gap and Beyond will be held virtually on 20 – 22 April 2021.

The 2021 conference, previously known as the ‘Close the Gap for Vision by 2020 National Conference’, is being designed for virtual attendance and the online conference platform will support a range of exchange and interaction opportunities including supporting online social and cultural exchanges.

The 2021 conference will include speakers who were to present their work at the ‘Close the Gap for Vision National Conference 2020’, originally scheduled for March 2020 in Adelaide, and other postponed elements from the 2020 conference, together with new speakers and other additions.

Since 2017, the National Conferences have developed into a key annual gathering of the Indigenous eye health sector. The annual conference provides an opportunity for a wide variety of voices to discuss and share success stories and challenges in eye health from across Australia.

The conference aims to advance the collective work of the Indigenous eye health sector towards the shared goal of improving eye health access and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Delegates will include representatives from Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and other primary care service providers, eye care clinicians, policy makers, researchers, non-government organisations, hospitals, professional peak bodies and government departments from across the country.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related uncertainty over travel means that a physical gathering or gatherings could only be organised for participants to connect together if circumstances permit. Our conference bookings have been retained at the Adelaide Convention Centre on the dates announced and we will announce physical gathering opportunities closer to the time of the conference.

Please join us in April 2021. Further details will follow.

Please contact Guy Gillor at guy.gillor@unimelb.edu or on (03) 9035 8831 or Nick Wilson at nick.wilson@unimelb.edu.au or on (03) 8344 8675 with any questions.

Registration

We are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference (NATSIEHC): The Gap and Beyond. The 2021 conference will take place online from Tuesday 20 April – Thursday 22 April 2021.

Due to the ongoing challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic – in particular with regards to interstate travel – we have made the decision to host the conference fully online. To do this, we are utilising a virtual conference platform called ‘EventsAir’. Online conferences are a new thing for most of us, so we will be hosting a series of sessions in the lead-up to the conference where delegates will be able to experience and explore the online conference platform. Speakers and presenters will also be offered 1-on-1 sessions with IEH staff to familiarise themselves with the platform prior to the conference.

Dates and times:

Tuesday 20 April 2021 11am – 5pm (AEST)
Wednesday 21 April 2021 11am – 5pm (AEST)
Thursday 22 April 2021 11am – 5pm (AEST)

The conference times have been selected to allow people across the different Australian time zones to attend/participate. We also anticipate arranging additional and more social events between the hours of 5pm and 6pm (AEST).

Who should attend the conference?

The conference is designed to bring people together and connect people involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye care from local communities, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, health services, non-government organisations, professional bodies and government departments from across the country. We would like to invite everyone who is working on or interested in improving eye health and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Content

The conference will feature keynote speakers, plenary sessions, tabletop presentations, workshops, posters, sector awards, an exhibition of eye health promotional materials, cultural experiences and social functions.

Price

Due to the 2021 conference being held fully online, we are able to offer significantly lower registration costs. There are two registration types

3-Day| $100.00 (General Conference Registration)
3-Day | $50.00 (Community Conference Registration)*

* For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates and delegates employed or on the board of an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation

For Aboriginal community controlled organisations, after the first two conference registrations at $50, we will be pleased to provide complimentary registration for additional staff of that organisation also wishing to attend the conference. The additional registrations can submitted at the time of the initial purchase of registrations (this is preferred), but can also be added at a later date by contacting either Rachael Ferguson (rlf@unimelb.edu.au) or Nick Wilson (nick.wilson@unimelb.edu).

Payment

All delegates will be invoiced by The University of Melbourne for payment of registration costs. This invoice can be paid via bank transfer, BPAY and via credit card over the phone. Please allow 2 weeks once you register for your invoice to be created and sent to you.

Register

Community Conference Registration General Conference Registration

Questions

Please feel free to contact Nick Wilson (nick.wilson@unimelb.edu.au), Guy Gillor (guy.gillor@unimelb.edu.au) or Rachael Ferguson (rlf@unimelb.edu.au) if you have any questions about the conference.

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Abstracts

Abstract submissions are now open for the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference – The Gap and Beyond.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference (NATSIEHC) 2021: The Gap and Beyond will be held virtually on 20 – 22 April 2021 and we are inviting abstract submissions for Oral, Table Top, Workshop and Poster presentations in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health.

We welcome abstracts from all working in or interested in improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health. Topics should be relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and efforts to close the gap for vision and ultimately eliminate avoidable vision loss and blindness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia. This could include eye care in primary care; eye care stakeholder collaborations; community-led and cultural engagement approaches and initiatives; workforce development; challenges in coordination and case management; improving outcomes and access to services; health system changes and reform.

The conference will bring elements from the postponed Close the Gap for Vision National Conference 2020 and, in 2021, will be delivered fully online.

If you are interested in presenting your work, please submit your abstract below. Closing date for abstract submission is Monday 18 January 2021. We particularly welcome and encourage submissions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and presenters.

We hope to see you at the conference and thank you for considering sharing your experience and knowledge.

For questions, additional information, or support with your submission, please contact us at Indigenous-EyeHealth@unimelb.edu.au or contact IEH staff members Guy Gillor (guy.gillor@unimelb.edu.au) or Nick Wilson (nick.wilson@unimelb.edu.au).

KEY DATES:

Call for Abstracts Open	Thursday 26 November 2020
Call for Abstracts Close	Monday 18 January 2021
Acceptance Notification	Friday 19 February 2021

PRESENTATION TYPES:

The 2021 conference will include opportunities for presentation in several formats and we have adapted presentation formats to fit the online environment. Additional details to support these virtual presentations will be provided.

You may indicate your preferred format with your submission. Please note that there are limited spaces available for each type of presentation, and the organisers reserve the right to accept a proposed presentation in a different format than proposed by the authors.

Oral presentation: up to 20 minute presentation, to be advised.
Table Top presentation: A virtual adaptation of the Table Top presentation format, which provides opportunity in a smaller group setting for sharing of information and exchange directly with no more than 15 delegates. Each Table Top presentation will be for up to 10 minutes only, including questions and discussion.
Workshop: suitable for skill-sharing and practical knowledge exchange, and are allocated up to 90 minutes to be presented to no more than 60 people.
Poster presentation: The digital conference platform allows for a display of virtual posters including interactions with individual delegates.

Abstracts should be a summary of the presentation with no more than 200 words (not including title and authors).

SUBMIT ABSTRACT