The $75m facility will support research, education and treatment, removing barriers for people with hearing or visual impairments.
NextSense, a national not-for-profit working with people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision, has a new home.
Earlier this week Macquarie University launched the new NextSense centre, a state-of-the-art and purpose-built facility designed to improve the lives of people with hearing and vision loss.
The $75 million innovation hub will house a mix of clinical, research and education facilities, including the country’s largest cochlear implant service, a preschool, a school and a research and professional education program.
“[This] 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,” NextSense CEO Chris Rehn told media.
The NextSense centre’s design was developed with people with hearing and vision loss at front of mind, including many accessibility features such as wayfinding braille signage as well as high-contrast walls and furniture to allow for better depth perception.
Over 6 million Australians are expected to have hearing loss by 2050, Mr Rehn said. A further 1 million will be blind or have low vision by the same date.
The new facilities will provide a much-needed boost for adults and children alike.
“We know that despite being the largest group affected by hearing loss, adult awareness of its huge health and social impacts is low. If we improve this awareness and access to adult hearing care, we can go a long way to keeping our ageing population healthy and connected, reducing the risk of social isolation, falls, mental ill health and cognitive decline,” Mr Rehn explained.
“We also know acting early when children have hearing or vision loss is critical in setting them up for life and giving them a level playing field. Advancing knowledge around best practice early intervention services and making sure families can access them is vital. With this new centre, we’re now in a better position to be there for those who need us and shape.”
The centre is located in the Macquarie Park Innovation District. The hope is that NextSense will serve as a gateway for novel partnerships between the university and national and international organisations from research, industry and government.
Mr Rehn thanked the Federal Government, who provided $12.5 million in funding, for their support of the initiative.
“[This project] will change lives and create new opportunities for the way education and services are delivered to all people with a sensory disability.”