Beginning at Revolution Sports Park the children had turns on the trampolines and inflatable obstacle courses, before the group journeyed to Newcastle Museum for an interactive science show.

After learning about the sciences at the museum, the kids had a more hands-on experience as they entered Supernova. The day also included meeting stuffed versions of Australia’s wildlife, including koalas and platypuses.

One of Vision Australia’s paediatric speech pathologists, Kristin Mueller, was involved in the program and said giving younger children who are blind or have low-vision a chance to experience holiday fun is important for their development.

“Our child clients can face challenges keeping on the same development path as sighted children, and these sorts of activities are important in supporting their cognitive, physical and social development,” Ms Mueller said.

“The school holidays are a great time for children to get out and try different things and we want to make sure that those who are blind or have low vision have the opportunity to do that. It’s an opportunity for our clients to have a bit of fun in an environment that’s supportive.”

Ms Mueller also explained that the trips to the Newcastle Museum and Revolution Sports Park gave children a chance to get “hands-on”, which is “really valuable” for visually-impaired youth.

“Because our clients can face issues with print and other visual materials, activities and exhibitions that make information accessible in other ways are really valuable,” she explained.

“Whether it’s things they’re studying in school or their outside interests, incorporating things like tactile or audio features make a huge difference when it comes to accessibility and inclusion.”