Our Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) assists people with disability, their families, and carers to access services at the Eye and Ear.
The Disability Liaison Officer can:
Support people with disability, including those who identify as aboriginal and LGBTQI+ to access the community disability supports and services they require.
Help identify the barriers people with disability face when accessing health care at the Eye and Ear and liaising within the hospital to assist with reducing these barriers.
Work with a patient’s community-based care team to provide safer, accessible and more inclusive care during a hospital stay and/or outpatient clinic appointments.
Provide information and support to Eye and Ear clinical staff to assist them to meet individual care needs in hospital and once a patient returns home.
The Disability Liaison Officer cannot:
Make a referral to specialist clinics on your behalf. Please speak to your General Practitioner (GP), Optometrist or ENT Specialist regarding a referral to the Eye and Ear Hospital.
Change your appointment time or date- please contact the Patient Services and Access on 03 9929 8500
Fast track your surgery- surgery priority is triaged based on medical assessment.
Contact us
Email: DisabilityLiaison@eyeandear.org.au
Telephone: 03 9929 8234. Select option 3. Please leave a voicemail as prompted. Please note: the DLO is available in a limited capacity, and we will endeavour to get in touch as soon as we can. If on site, and requiring urgent DLO support, please speak with a nurse or medical officer.
Alternatively, please complete the form at the bottom of the page and we will be in touch.
Resources for people with disability
Australian College of Optometry runs a specialist disability service equipped with a wide range of diagnostic equipment. This service is staffed by experienced optometrists to provide optometry eye care to patients who may struggle to find appropriate care in commercial practice due to disability.
Disability Gateway (Australian Government) provides information and services to help people with disability, their family, friends and carers, find the support they need.
People with disability who need someone to speak up for them can use to search for independent Disability Advocacy providers in their area Ask Izzy – Disability Advocacy
To view information about your rights and responsibilities in Easy Read, view My Healthcare Rights.
The Eye and Ear Hospital and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Do you have a new Eye or Ear related diagnosis?
It is important to understand that not all impairments or diagnoses are considered a disability. You must ensure that you have discussed whether you are likely to currently meet NDIS criteria with your doctor, based on your diagnostic tests. Once you have discussed this with your treating team, you can then decide whether you would like to apply for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. If you’re still unsure if it is worth applying, speak with your NDIS Local Area Co-Ordinator. You can find the closest location to you here.
If you don’t think the NDIS is appropriate for you, there may be alternative community-based services that meet your needs that are beneficial. The Eye and Ear Hospital Social Work team may be able to assist you to source alternative supports in some circumstances.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the scheme the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) access to provide funding to eligible people with disability to promote independence, engage in community and improve quality of life.
While the Eye and Ear can’t make an application for you, we can help if you are thinking of applying for the NDIS by providing support documentation. The Eye and Ear medical team who are regularly involved in your treatment may be able to support your application in certain circumstances. If you have decided to apply, please contact The Eye and Ear Hospital’s Health Information Service (HIS) to raise a request for Supporting Evidence once you have discussed this with your treating team.
-You must have checked your eligibility with the NDIS website and initiated your Access Request. The Eye and Ear Hospital do not complete Access Request Forms.
-Your medical team at the Eye and Ear must have diagnosed you with a permanent and severe disability, and/ or have treated you for a diagnosed, permanent and severe disability within the last 12 months.
-The Eye and Ear must have evidence of your disability in your patient file.
-You must not currently see a privately funded Ophthalmologist or ENT Specialist.
Please note that medical officers provide supporting evidence in good faith and for the intention of supporting a patients right to apply for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The Eye and Ear Hospital do not guarantee access to the NDIS by providing supporting evidence. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the supporting evidence provided, documentation is based on the medical knowledge and clinical evaluation available at the time of writing. It is not intended to serve as a comprehensive diagnosis or a definitive statement of the patient’s future needs or conditions. The hospital, including its staff and affiliated medical professionals, accepts no liability for any decisions made by the NDIS or any other third parties based on the information contained in the supporting evidence provided. The use of this documentation is at the discretion of the NDIS and the applicant and should be considered in conjunction with other relevant evidence and assessments.
Accessible Parking at The Eye and Ear
Curbside Accessible parking bays are located outside the Eye and Ear Hospital Gisborne St Entrance as well adjacent to The Eye and Ear Hospital on Albert Street between Gisborne Street and Morrison Place. An Australian Disability Parking permit is required to park in these bays. Vehicles displaying an Australia Disability Parking permit or Double Time permit can also park for double the time shown on general ‘green signed’ parking spaces. Please read street signs carefully when parking your car in the street, clearways are strictly enforced. Victoria Parade and Albert Street are subject to Clearway Tow Away Zones.
The closest is Wilson Parking – 410 Albert Street, Wilsons parking is not coordinated by the hospital and patients need to check with Wilson’s regarding fees and charges. Consider pre-booking online as this may be cheaper. The hospital does not cover patient parking expenses.
Disability Action Plan
At the Eye and Ear Hospital we are committed to greater access and equity of care for people with disability.
Our Disability Action Plan 2024-2028 lays the groundwork for what we aim to improve on and achieve for people with disability during the action plan period. This is an ongoing body of work building on the previous plans progress and furthering our initiative in response to newly identified needs.
Please see our Support Services page for information on a range of support services including social work, interpreters, patient transport (when medically indicated) and accommodation options.
To read more, or link in with the Eye and Ear Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health team visit the webpage above. The Disability Liaison Officer can, with your consent work with the Mirring Ba Wirring team to support you to access health care at the Eye and Ear Hospital.
Informed consent in healthcare means you will be provided with enough information to understand your treatment options and make the right decisions about your care.
