The SPEVI local organising committee are pleased to invite you to the SPEVI 2020 Conference to be held in Adelaide, South Australia.

Adelaide is known as the festival city, Adelaide is bursting with culture, thriving restaurants and is the gateway to some of Australia’s best wine regions. Adelaide is well known for historic buildings, parklands, picture perfect beaches, colourful laneways, shopping and markets. Adelaide’s festivities are kicked off in January with the famous Tour Down Under which happens to coincide with the SPEVI 2020 Conference.  

The conference venue, Pullman Adelaide, is centrally located and has easy access to the city centre, transport, accommodation and local attractions. The SPEVI 2020 Conference will be structured around the theme 'Creating a Clear Vision for the Future'. This theme aims to challenge educators, related professionals, parents and families to join in the important conversations around creating a clear vision of the future; one which aims to remove barriers, create solutions and expand possibilities for people with vision impairment. Invited national and international speakers will lead the way in exploring this theme with Mike McLinden (University of Birmingham), Graeme Douglas (University of Birmingham) and Emily White (University of Melbourne) headlining the speakers. The conference organising committee looks forward to welcoming you to Adelaide.  

South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (SPEVI)

SPEVI is a dynamic organisation and the major professional association for educators of students with vision impairments in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region. SPEVI acts as the professional body in matters pertaining to the education and support of persons who are blind, have low vision, deaf- blindness or additional disabilities.

Presidents' Message - South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (SPEVI)

We are delighted to join our South Australian colleagues in inviting you to the 2020 SPEVI Conference. The conference will bring together researchers, professionals, parents and caregivers from across our region and globally who support children and young people with vision impairment. The Conference theme is “Creating a clear vision for the future”, and there will be opportunities to learn, share and celebrate the diversity of perspectives and approaches to service delivery. 

We congratulate members of the South Australia Organising Committee who have done an excellent job: finding great venues, locking in top keynote speakers, and putting together an exciting and informative conference program. We invite you to join or renew your SPEVI membership by the end of May 2019 to receive the reduced conference registration fee for SPEVI members. SPEVI’s relevance in these times is reflected in the vision-specific contributions the SPEVI NDIS-VI working group to current discussions on the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme. SPEVI’s publications inform the profession of current research and practice, including the SPEVI “Professional Standards Elaborations for Specialist Teachers (Vision Impairment)”, “Principles and Practice: Guidelines for quality education of learners with vision impairment” and the acclaimed SPEVI Journal which is now an open source publication on the SPEVI website. 

SPEVI supports innovative projects and technologies that align with our Vision and Aims, such as the Monash University “Accessible 3D Printed Graphics” research project, and the evidence-based research of SPEVI members. Adelaide is the place to be in January 2020. Enjoy the opportunity to connect with professionals and families, meet with peers and share your own expertise. 

We look forward to welcoming you to the SPEVI 2020 Conference! Phia Damsma, Frances Gentle and Sharon Duncan.

Keynote Speakers

SPEVI Local Organising Comittee