Orthoptics Australia

What Orthoptics Australia does

Orthoptics Australia (OA), formally Orthoptics Australia Ltd, is the national peak body and not-for-profit professional association representing orthoptists across Australia, with additional members from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Founded on 25 September 1944 as the Orthoptic Association of Australia, it is the third oldest orthoptic association in the world, behind only the British Orthoptic Society and the American Association of Certified Orthoptists. The association has grown from twelve founding members to over 600 members today, serving practicing orthoptists in public hospitals and ophthalmology practices, orthoptic students at La Trobe University and the University of Technology Sydney, eye health researchers, and eye health industry partners. OA operates with a lean staff of 1–10 employees, with day-to-day administration outsourced to Associations Professionals.

The organization's product suite centers on member services, continuing professional development, and knowledge dissemination. Core offerings include OA Membership (providing access to CPD events, OA Online Education (OAOE), professional indemnity insurance, directory listing, and networking), the annual OA Conference, the peer-reviewed Australian Orthoptic Journal (published annually since 1959), the OA Online Education online CPD platform, and a public-facing directory of orthoptists. Supporting infrastructure includes a self-serve member portal built on Membes association management software, the EventsAir event registration system for conferences, and an OA Online Shop e-commerce storefront for educational materials. Technology is functional and operationally adequate rather than proprietary or differentiating.

OA generates revenue from four primary streams: recurring membership fees, conference registrations (tiered earlybird at AUD $735 and standard at AUD $975–$1,095 for full registrations), conference sponsorship packages (platinum, gold, silver, and activity-based tiers), and transactional revenue from the OA Online Shop. Distribution is direct-to-member through the website, a fortnightly eNewsletter, social media, and member webinars, supplemented by annual awareness campaigns such as Orthoptics Awareness Week and World Orthoptic Day. Financial scale indicators — 600+ members, an expected 100–120 delegates at the 2026 Auckland conference — suggest an annual operating budget well under AUD $5M, though revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The association maintains seven MOU partnerships with eye health organizations including Glaucoma Australia, Macular Disease Foundation Australia, Guide Dogs Victoria, CERA, Cataract Kids Australia, UsherKids Australia, and SeeWay (Guide Dogs NSW/ACT).

Name

Orthoptics Australia

Legal name

Orthoptics Australia Ltd

Website

https://orthoptics.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Orthoptics Australia is the national peak body representing over 600 orthoptists across Australia and internationally. The not-for-profit professional association delivers membership services, continuing professional development, an annual scientific conference, the Australian Orthoptic Journal, and profession advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Healthcare Association Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132)

akta.pro primary industry

Vision Therapy & Orthoptics (HLAKAKAM)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Continuing professional development
• Orthoptic education programs
• Healthcare membership organisation
• Eye health research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaumaris, Victoria

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees providing access to member benefits, CPD events, professional resources, and representation services
2. Conference registration: Revenue from conference registrations including earlybird and standard rates for members and non-members, student rates, and day registrations
3. Conference sponsorship: Platinum, gold, silver, and activity-based sponsorship packages for the annual OA Conference
4. OA Online Shop: Revenue from sale of educational materials, resources, and products through the OA Online Shop

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Orthoptics Australia is a not-for-profit professional association that provides paid membership services to orthoptists across Australia and internationally. Its core offerings include annual membership with access to CPD events and resources, an annual scientific conference, online education via the OAOE platform, the peer-reviewed Australian Orthoptic Journal, research grants up to $5,000, professional indemnity insurance access, and a public directory of orthoptists.

Product overview

Orthoptics Australia is a national peak body representing orthoptists in Australia. The organization provides a suite of member services including professional membership, annual conferences, online education (OAOE), and the Australian Orthoptic Journal. These offerings are interconnected: membership provides access to CPD events, online education, and research grants; the annual conference showcases research and provides networking; the journal publishes scientific findings; and the directory enables referrals. OA functions as a professional association rather than a commercial product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OA Membership Services Annual membership providing practising orthoptists in Australia and internationally with access to CPD events, the OAOE online education platform, professional indemnity insurance, advocacy, and a community of 600+ orthoptists.
• OA Annual Conference Annual scientific conference providing orthoptists and eye health professionals with continuing education, networking, exhibition opportunities, and presentation of peer-reviewed research.
• Australian Orthoptic Journal (AOJ) Annual peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Orthoptics Australia covering orthoptic research and eye health, intended for orthoptists, researchers, and eye health professionals.
• OA Online Education (OAOE) Online continuing professional development platform providing educational modules and resources for OA members.
• OA Online Shop E-commerce platform for purchasing educational materials, resources, and conference-related items by members and other orthoptists.
• OA Research Grant Program Research grant program providing up to $5,000 per year to OA members to support pilot studies in vision sciences.
• Directory of Orthoptists Searchable directory of registered orthoptists available to members and the public for referrals.
• OA CPD Events Continuing professional development events including webinars, workshops, and educational sessions delivered to orthoptists.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cataract Kids AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered charity focused on improving visual outcomes of children with cataract. Provides support, information, and microgrants to families. OA members can access Cataract Kids' Stories for enhanced understanding of childhood cataract and patient journey.
• SeeWay (Guide Dogs NSW/ACT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree digital resource designed to address unmet need of people with moderate low vision. Provides essential resources, guidance, and support complementary to clinical expertise provided by orthoptists. Available nationwide through seeway.com.au.
• Guide Dogs VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides vital support across services for Victorians with low vision or blindness including Orthoptic Low Vision Services, Assistive Technology Support, Children's Mobility Services, and Peer Support through online community hub CatchUp.
• Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading eye research organization conducting research into eye disease and vision impairment. Partnership supports evidence-based advancement of orthoptic scope of practice.
• Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational peak body providing information and support for people affected by macular disease. Partners with OA to advance eye health care and sponsors OA conference awards.
• Glaucoma AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak organization for glaucoma patients providing education, support, and resources. Partnership strengthens ties with the broader eye health care community.
• UsherKids AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting children with Usher syndrome and their families. Partnership extends OA's reach into rare disease support within eye health.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Others

• Centre for Eye Research Australia: Leading Australian eye-research organisation and OA MOU partner. Comparable in being mission-driven and member-funded, with overlap in research grant administration and eye-health publication.
• Glaucoma Australia: Patient-focussed peak body for glaucoma with which OA holds an MOU. Analogous as a small advocacy non-profit operating in the same eye-health ecosystem and sharing sponsorship and awareness events with OA.

Direct peers

• Canadian Orthoptic Society: National professional body representing orthoptists in Canada. Closely analogous to OA in scope (membership, annual conference, journal, advocacy) and audience (clinical orthoptists).
• British and Irish Orthoptic Society: National professional association for orthoptists in the UK and Ireland. Functions as a direct counterpart to OA, providing CPD, conferences and advocacy for orthoptists in the country that founded the global profession.
• International Orthoptic Association: Global umbrella body for orthoptic associations founded with Australian involvement in 1967, now spanning 24 member countries. Comparable mandate of profession-wide advocacy, education and congresses.
• American Association of Certified Orthoptists: US national credentialing and membership body for certified orthoptists. Comparable structure, scope of services (certification, conferences, journal) and member model to Orthoptics Australia.

Broad incumbents

• Optometry Australia: National peak body for optometrists in Australia. Sits in the same vision-care ecosystem where orthoptists practise and overlaps in CPD, conferences and advocacy themes.
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists: UK professional body for ophthalmologists. Closely mirrors the position RANZCO holds in Australia relative to OA: a larger specialty college within whose clinical pathways orthoptists operate.
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists: Specialist medical college for ophthalmologists in Australia and New Zealand. Adjacent peak body in the same clinical space where OA members practise; interacts through referral pathways and shared policy.

Regional players

• New Zealand Association of Optometrists: Professional association for optometrists in New Zealand. Comparable in structure (membership, conference, advocacy) and adjacent in scope to OA across the Tasman.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orthopticsaustralia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Orthoptics Australia