Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training Reflection By Virgilia Readett (ODA Member) I was fortunate enough to attend ODA’s Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) hosted course at Macquarie University, which was facilitated by Penny Dillon on 2nd – 3rd October. In the lead up, I braced myself for what I though would be a good, but heavy couple of days. These expectations were shattered. Rather than good, it was empowering, rather than heavy it was confronting to say the least. Across

Our mission is clear and simple - to bring accessible eyecare to those who need it most.   This year’s ODA Fiji Outreach was an...

The 2025 ODA National Excellence Awards were presented on the 7th March at The InterContinental Sydney as part of the annual ODA Gala...

Fiji is a stunning holiday destination in the South Pacific and home to 936,000 Fijians. Unfortunately, what many people don't realise is that it has one of the most underfunded health care systems in the world and approximately 40% of the population live below the poverty line. In July 2024 ODA embarked on a journey to the Viti Levu Island and provided vision screening to approximately 1,300 people and dispensed over 400 pairs of glasses via a mobile clinic. The work was...

The 2025 ODA International Conference in Sydney is set to be ODA's most impressive event yet. Taking place next March in the luxurious...

Bula (Hello)! For those following our journey in Fiji, it wouldn't be fair to end the story after day two. So to continue on from our...

On Monday 22nd July twelve ODA Members arrived in Fiji to join ODA’s inaugral international outreach project. The team's accomodation is being hosted by the College of Theology and Evangelism Fiji with a base camp on the outskirts of Lautoka, the second largest city in Fiji. With suitcases full of donated pre-cut prescription glasses ranging from -6.00 to +6.00, dispensing and screening tools, frames and a range of uncut astigmatic lenses, the team was eager to use their skil

Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA) is thrilled to be collaborating with the International Opticians Association (IOA) for our biennial...

The Silmo Academy is coming to Silmo Singapore (silmosingapore.com) this April so we thought we'd do a Q & A with Elaine Grisdale...

Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA) joined forces with Optometry Western Australia (OWA) to offer a dedicated in-person dispensing stream...

Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA) has organised a Fiji outreach, taking place over seven days from 22nd - 28th July 2024. A team of twelve ODA Members have joined the program to offer vision screening, eye education, optical dispensing and spectacle servicing to isolated villages and communities within the island outskirts. The itinerary also includes visiting schools where they will not only provide necessary eyecare and visual aids but will also distribute stationary and l

New Zealand Dispensing Opticians can now earn ODOB accredited CPD points by joining ODA's popular 'Webinar Wednesday' live sessions or by...

Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA) is collaborating with Optometry Western Australia to offer a dedicated in-person dispensing stream at...

The 2024 ODA Gala in Melbourne will include a weekend of optical dispensing events.

Nominations are open for The 2024 ODA National Excellence Awards honouring outstanding Optical Dispensers across Australia.

We had an absolute blast in Melbourne attending the O=MEGA23 Trade Fair and 4th World Congress of Optometry. Our experience truly...

Optical Dispensers Australia is thrilled to announce our latest corporate partnership! We are delighted to join forces with ProOptics, a...

A huge congratulations to the winners of the ODA 2023 National Excellence Awards! The award ceremony was a highlight of the ODA Gala that...

There’s nothing like an event to galvanise an industry, especially one that has been calling for a professional level of organisation...

ODA Member Bonnie Eason has given us a first hand account on what it's like to get your hands dirty and express your creativity in a...