SPEVI 2027 Conference announcement and request for Expressions of Interest

[ph...@sonokids.com]

Dear colleagues and friends,

Please share below important message from the SPEVI Inc co-presidents through your networks.

 

 

SPEVI 2027 is coming and we need you!

 

Dear SPEVI members,

 

Announcing Sydney as the host location for the 2027 SPEVI conference! This biennial extravaganza held during January, one of SPEVI's primary activities is a highly respected event globally, showcasing quality research, exploration of topics and strategies related to the education of learners with vision impairment and multiple disabilities, interaction with colleagues, collaboration, networking, social events and so much more! Sydney, a renowned tourist and events hotspot and one of Australia's premier cities will be an ideal location for us to gather, learn and have lots of fun; Sydney in summer is a magical place. The conference is the primary event of its kind held regionally, attracting specialist teachers, researchers, assistive technology distributors, manufacturers and designers, parents, students and interested individuals from Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and beyond.

 

Confirmation of venue, conference dates, etc will be shared with you early in the New Year.

 

Along with inspirational participants and presenters, our conferences are so impactful and memorable due to the extremely hard work of dedicated volunteers who make up the conference organising committee, drawn from our dynamic and highly expert membership, essentially the building blocks to the successful events we stage every two years. Whilst putting together such events and being a member of the conference organising committee can be challenging and somewhat time consuming, the ultimate reward is seeing it all play out to the enjoyment of all attendees and for the benefit of the students who we work with. If you would like to collaborate alongside inspirational volunteers, want to be part of the next memorable chapter of the SPEVI journey, are a current or renewing SPEVI member from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and globally, are creative, can work in a team, have a feel for designing an exciting program of events and presentations, have skills in accessible document creation and promotional materials, can attract sponsors from within and outside the vision education and assistive technology spheres, like to have fun, can problem solve, etc, etc, we want to hear from you! While we're seeking conference committee members across our membership, the committee should also include a core group of members who are in Sydney or who can visit on a semi-regular basis to strengthen on the ground presence, liaison with the venue, potential interaction with Sydney based sponsors, that sort of thing. Committee members may also wish to recommend people from outside the committee to assist with conference related activities or preparations; an example could be assistance with venue orientation for vision impaired attendees just prior to the conference. Conference organising committee meetings are generally held monthly via Zoom with regular Email contact between meetings to further conference organisation. Meetings may become slightly more regular as the conference approaches with some increase in Email traffic at that time. It is not essential for all committee members to attend every meeting with Email updates being circulated but it is expected members will endeavour to attend as many Zoom meetings as possible. These can be held at times of day that suit the majority of committee members.

 

If you'd like to volunteer for this special experience, please send an expression of interest to Ben Clare, bwc...@gmail.com by 6 February 2026. We are looking to hold our first conference organising committee meeting during the week commencing 23 February. If you would like to highlight particular expertise you possess or even wish to be the conference convener, please let Ben know.

 

Please join us in January 2027 for an unforgettable experience in the harbour city!

 

Kindest regards,

 

Ben and Jo, SPEVI Inc Co-presidents

 

 

 

Message ends here. Email signature below. 

 

Phia Damsma
Creative Director Sonokids Australia - Developers of Accessible Educational Software and Apps https://www.sonokids.org

Fellow of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia