You’ll rarely spot Rayan Hijazi without her mobile eye-testing kit. It’s what defines this specialist eye health professional as a SensesWA Orthoptist, skilled in assessing, diagnosing and managing eye disorders in people who are deafblind.
Moving from Sydney to Perth was the opportunity Rayan had been looking for to provide specialist support to the deafblind community after gaining experience in community eye testing, surgical centres and health support.
“Our five senses are so crucial for everyday life and often taken for granted. People born with vision and hearing loss, or who acquire it in later life, need tailored support,” she says.
“Everyone deserves to feel supported and included, and with the right mentors and professional therapists we can create a world that doesn’t exclude them.”
Rayan recognised her future lay in specialist eye care after completing an internship with an eye care centre and she returned to university to gain her Masters in Orthoptics.
Her determination to make a difference to those with eye disorders was one of the reasons she signed up with Cambodia Vision – The Gift of Sight.
In 2022, she joined a medical team travelling to Cambodia to screen and treat people with debilitating eye disorders, including glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts and strabismus.
She’s the first to say it was a humbling experience.
“I appreciate the roads paved by others, but what inspires me are the people I meet along the way,” she says.
“Like the man who had no vision for 25 years due to dense cataracts. Then after a simple 30-minute surgery he could see the world around him. Wow, that happiness in his eyes.
“They think that we changed their world only, but in reality, they changed mine, through their kindness and humbleness,” Rayan says.
Back in Australia, Rayan has quickly settled into her role at SensesWA, working to keep eyes healthy and cared for.
“As well as eye testing in the home, I’ll also help people with impaired vision use magnifying equipment, for example, or help them organise their homes so they are low-vision friendly,” she says.
“We create support systems that are tailor-made to ensure daily living is seamless and comfortable for those with mild, moderate or severe vision loss.”
In her spare time you’ll find Rayan among the flowers, putting her Certificate II and Certificate III in floristry to good use.
“Floristry ensures I have a means of expressing myself within my admiration of art and craft,” she says.
For more information about Deafblind Services at SensesWA contact us on 1300 111 881 or visit our senseswa.org.au.
