18. Australian bioptic driving history and current status
***Content Warning: contains allegations of bullying from medical professionals and derogatory commentary about people with vision conditions* ** Australia's bioptic driving practice started in the 1980s with the national medical guidelines permitting the use of bioptics for driving in 2012. Like the USA there has and continues to be much controversy by way of political wars over evidence and facts. The aim of my Churchill Fellowship is to being back to Australia the knowledge of low vision and bioptic driving with the view of implementing systems here fit for Australians. Below I have documented the history, including evidence of interactions from bioptic drivers with health professionals, driver licence authorities and correspondence with Bioptic Drivers Australia. What we see is a documented history of a politically powerful faction in the eye health industry leading their narrative that seems to extend beyond facts and evidence to personal attacks on other eye health professi...