About
Vickie Anderson

Orientation and Mobility Specialist & Vision Rehabilitation Therapist

Vickie Anderson has over 20 years experience working with people living with blindness or a vision impairment (BVI). This experience, her passion for the work and her determination to learn new skills and techniques has taken her to 3 different countries to work with people in the BVI community.

Vickie was trained in the USA as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist and is an internationally Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). She prides herself in being able to work with people of all ages, yet, has solidified herself as an expert working with children around QLD. It is her mission to ensure everyone gets a timely and excellent service regardless of the request.

Her passion for the BVI community has also led her down the path of training family members and other professionals. She believes that this is equally as important as training people living with vision loss. Vickie loves doing professional development for individuals and companies! She truly believes she can help the world understand vision loss one presentation at a time.

Vickie has found a new passion in the world of vision loss… fighting for high standards. She is now working with universities that provide Orientation and Mobility qualifications, has been mentoring fledgling O&Ms, has taken a role in the Professional Standards Committee in the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia (OMAA) and has been working with any company who will listen to her about the need to set a high standard for all service provision in the BVI world.

When Vickie isn’t doing the job she loves, it’s time to hang out with her little family: husband, Dave, and their dog children. Her crazy little family keeps her free time full, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Anne Clarke

Anne Clarke is an experienced Occupational Therapist with a Masters of Health Science (Developmental Disability) from the University of Sydney. Anne has had the privilege to work alongside people in a range of settings, providing advice and support, helping those who require her skill-set to reach their potential. Her approach to assessment is conversational and she hopes the experience is like catching up with an old friend over a cuppa and an iced vo-vo.

Anne has enjoyed breaks from work as an OT to explore some magical faraway places with just a guide book and a toothbrush in her backpack. Nowadays, she packs half the house just to get to the park. She has replaced her backpack with a nappy bag, for now.

A few goals Anne would like to achieve this year include, to return to running, to finish baby books for her children, to make it through a Star Wars film without falling asleep and to roll over her super into one fund.

Karli Murton

Karli is an internationally Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) who recently returned from 8 years in Vancouver where she worked for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (now Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada). She’s looking forward to more sun, and less snow, and is excited to be working with her ‘old’ colleagues at VA&A. Karli understands that vision loss can cause people to feel trapped in their homes, and her hope is that by undertaking O&M training, people of all ages will feel less isolated and more active. She loves exploring new travel routes alongside clients and racking up steps on her pedometer.

Prior to travelling overseas she worked as an O&M in Queensland for 5 years after making the switch from her previous career as a medical research assistant.

Karli’s full-time job is chasing after her son and daughter. She looks forward to spending more time with clients as her two children grow. When there’s time to spare Karli enjoys playing tennis, swimming, and hiking, always followed by coffee and doughnuts, or burgers and beer!

Jessica Pascoe

Jessica Pascoe is a counsellor and the newest addition to the team, she is excited to bring her extensive experience in counselling and vision loss services to VA&A.

As a qualified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and Masters in Counselling, she brings understanding of vision loss along with therapeutic supports for the emotional and psychological challenges such as grief and loss, trauma, anxiety and low mood/depression.

Studies show that it is often the emotional impact of vision loss that is felt most forcefully, yet not always given attention. It is Jess’s mission to fill this gap in supports for individuals experiencing vision loss and work hand in hand with the individual and their family to bring hope and strengthen overall well-being.

Jess is a new mum and describes her motherhood journey as sheer joy mixed with disarray and bewilderment. She also has two fur babies and enjoys being out with the whole family especially Nudgee dog beach. When she has time to chill, a juicy Netflix series paired with caramilk chocolate is her version of heaven.

Jennifer McMahon

Jennifer McMahon currently manages the social media component of the organisation, and is responsible for creating content for the VA&A Facebook page. She also assists with client referrals and communication.

Jennifer works to ensure her interactions with clients are enjoyable, supportive and relevant to their needs. Jennifer is also a qualified Orientation and Mobility Specialist with a Master of Human Services through Griffith University.

She has experience in needs assessments, long cane training, travel route and public transport training, and electronic travel aids.

She loves bushwalking with her little family, eating cupcakes and can not go past a good Dad joke.

Andrea Nielson

Andrea (Andi) Nielson is a Specialist Vision Impairment Teacher who acts with great passion and care to prepare and deliver high quality, effective learning programs for people with a vision impairment or blindness. With a Bachelor of Special Education, specialising in Vision Impairment, Andrea draws on 25 years of experience, where she has empowered clients (birth to adulthood) to reach their full potential.

As a skilled and passionate educator, Andrea supports the client through assessing functional vision, observation of skills, and construction of tailored individualised learning programs that are both relevant and engaging. Andrea has an extensive knowledge of assistive technology and can provide Braille literacy support for both clients and their carers, achieving a wholistic support structure for the client and their family.

As a skilled advocate, Andrea enables a team approach to engage the client, family/carer, medical professionals, allied health and other outside agency support.

In her down time, Andrea enjoys cooking and baking fine foods which she loves to share with family and friends. Tilly-Rose is her much loved furry companion and together they enjoy walks at the beach and the local surrounds.

Liz Bromage

Bookkeeper

Liz is a certified bookkeeper and currently undertaking an accounting degree. Within the VA&A team, her role is to ensure records are kept up to date and accurate. While most of the time she works in the background, keeping in touch with Vickie and the team, she will sometimes be in touch with clients, too.

When she isn’t working hard behind the scenes, she enjoys being a wife and mother (both human and fur baby). She has a passion for being authentic both professionally and personally; loves to sing, especially with her sisters at Christmas time; and retreating to the family farm anytime she can.

Our Values

VA&A is guided by 5 values - Respect, Fun, Transparency, Honesty, and Always an Expert Service. These are more than words for the VA&A team; these values are evident in every interaction and every task every single time.

Respect: The VA&A team always shows due regard for the rights, feelings, and aspirations of others, whether this be clients, professional contacts, and other VA&A team members.

Fun: The team cultivates a fun, relaxed and encouraging atmosphere that in turn cultivates a supportive environment. This results in better learning and program outcomes for all.

Transparency: VA&A team members provide a transparent service being open and honest in all our interactions with clients and contacts.

Honesty: Truthfulness, sincerity and authenticity form the absolute foundation for the VA&A team.

Expert Service: VA&A is a professional organisation providing an expert service. However, if our team isn’t the best suited for your needs, we will refer you on to a company that is.

AboutVickie Anderson