Australind hypnotherapist expands training with assistive service

A blind Australind hypnotherapist is able to expand her operation thanks to technologies that have provided a “lifeline” to her business.

Kathryn Hewitt works in hypnotherapy and lives with cone-rod dystrophy — a genetic disease which affects the retina and has led her vision to deteriorate over time.

Ms Hewitt wanted to learn about hypno-birthing and found most of the training material was not accessible to people with low vision, but a Federal Government program helped her to access it.

“I’m a member of the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists, and I have to undergo regular training,” Ms Hewitt said.

“Most of the training material provided is not accessible to people with low vision, but that’s where the Government-funded program is helping.

The Print Disability Services Program, delivered by VisAbility, supports organisations to produce print materials in alternative formats for people who are vision impaired and unable to read standard print texts and resources.

“My training material is being recorded in the form of audio books at VisAbility’s studio,” Ms Hewitt said.

“You have to keep updated with current practises in my role to stay registered. This service is like a lifeline to me.”

VisAbility specialist services manager Dinesh Burah said the program was free to people aged 65 or older with a print disability or for those who did not have an NDIS plan in place, like Ms Hewitt.