ACOD - Australasian College of Optical Dispensing

31/10/2026

ACOD Workshops are in over drive now!!! 😮

These pics are from Adelaide and Hobart, and for the month of November we have huge end of course workshops running in Perth, and Brisbane, and Sydney, and Melbourne, and Auckland, and Canberra.😮👍

Wishing every ACOD student all the best as they showcase their skills and knowledge in their assessments at these workshops. 😁👍👏👏🕺

28/10/2026

What a great webinar topic! 🙌
If you’re free tonight at 7pm (Sydney time) we highly recommend attending this👇
It’s free for ODA members which includes ACOD students.

🛑 Stop what you’re doing! It’s WEBINAR WEDNESDAY week and if you haven’t registered yet - it’s time to do it now!

Fiona Om, Professional Services Manager at CR Labs will be exploring “Weird and Wonderful Cases” so if you’ve ever come across a spectacle job that leaves you scratching your head, then this one is for you? 🤔

Join us and hear Fiona discuss a range of challenging and unconventional cases from the world of optical dispensing.

From complex prescriptions and prism requirements to customised tints and specialised lens designs, she’ll unpack some of the unique challenges that can arise and the considerations that go into finding the right solution.

Discover how sound optometric knowledge, practical considerations and thoughtful problem-solving can help you navigate even the most unusual spectacle jobs.

Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge or feel more confident tackling those tricky dispensing challenges, this is a webinar you won’t want to miss!

📅 Date: Wed 28th Oct
⏰ Time: 7pm AEDT (Sydney time)
🎟️ Register now: https://www.odamembers.com.au/event-details/webinar-wednesday-exploring-weird-and-wonderful-cases-with-crs-professional-services
💰FREE for ODA Members / $55 for Non-members

26/10/2026

ACOD loves industry collaborations, and yesterday was a perfect example! 😁👍

40 students of Orthoptics from the University of Technology Sydney Masters Program met with ACOD teachers for a half day of training, in the rooms of our wonderful Next Sense.

Students heard about the work of Next Sense, toured the amazing facilities, and then participated in some introductory optical dispensing practical activities.

Thankyou to our Next Sense hosts Sue Silvera and Amal Maait, and to our UTS colleagues Amanda French, Vincent Nguyen and Mara Giribaldi. 😁🙏

12/10/2026

Shout out to John Nicola at wonderful Optiqueline! 😁🙏

Thank you John for your latest huge donation of quality frames to ACOD, to be used in our workshops all around Austrália and New Zealand, for the training of tomorrow's qualified optical dispensers! 😮😁👏👏

Donations like these help ACOD to deliver high quality practicals for teacher demonstrations, student practise and student assessments. 😁👍

Thank you John, and thank you again to all of ACOD's generous partners and supporters. 😁👏👏🙏👍

09/10/2026

April Petrusma discusses the 2026 ODA Fiji Conference, and the outreach work being done by South Pacific Eye Care Foundation (SPEC).

29/09/2026

🔥WEBINAR WEDNESDAY IS TOMORROW!

A safe optometry practice isn’t just about physical safety - it’s also about creating a workplace where people feel supported, valued and able to do their best work.

Join Paula Peachey for this practical one-hour webinar exploring workplace health & safety (WHS) and staff wellbeing in optical practice.

From busy dispensing floors and ergonomic workspaces to workload, communication, incident reporting and recognising the early signs of stress and burnout, Paula will share practical examples and strategies that can be applied in your practice every day.

💡 You’ll explore:
• Everyday WHS risks in optical practice
• Ergonomics and creating safe workspaces
• Incident reporting and communication
• Workload management and competing priorities
• Recognising stress and burnout
• How workplace culture and supportive leadership influence wellbeing
• The connection between staff wellbeing, retention and patient/customer service

With extensive experience across clinical practice, practice management, training and mentoring, Paula brings a practical perspective on supporting both people and practices.

🎓 1 ODA CPD Point / 1 NZ DO ETHICAL Point
🎟️ FREE for ODA Members
💰 $55 AUD for Non-Members (incl. GST)
⏰ Wed 30th Sept 7pm AEST

👉 Register now: https://www.odamembers.com.au/event-details/webinar-wednesday-whs-wellbeing-employer-employee-and-business-obligations

24/09/2026

🎟️ EARLY BIRD DEAL IS ON! 🎟️

Your weekend of learning, connection, inspiration and all things optical is officially calling. 👀✨

The 2027 ODA Conference & Gala is coming to the heart of Sydney - and our Early Bird pricing is now LIVE!

📅 30 April – 1 May 2027
📍 Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Join optical dispensers and industry professionals from across Australia and New Zealand for two big days of CPD, practical learning, industry connection, exhibitors, networking and plenty of ODA fun - plus the Gala on Friday night! 🥂

💥 Early Bird tickets won’t last forever, so if you already know you’re coming, now is the time to lock it in and save.

Bring your team. Bring your colleagues. Bring your enthusiasm. We’ll see you in Sydney! 💙

👉 Book your place now: https://www.odamembers.com.au/odaconference

01/09/2026

🎙️ WE’RE ON THE FOCUSED VIEW PODCAST!

Want to learn more about the work behind the South Pacific Eye Care Foundation (SPEC Foundation)? 🌏👁️

We recently sat down with Michael Nasser at the Focused View Podcast to share our story, our mission, and the work we’re doing to help improve access to eye care and vision services in disadvantaged communities across the South Pacific.

From our outreach programs to the incredible support of our volunteers and the optical industry, there’s plenty to discover! 💙

🎧 Have a listen and learn more about the SPEC Foundation and the difference we’re working together to make.
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ykYECEwmOfV19lqCGZROn?si=xMlCl5sPQbmXEDm8H9wyRg&utm_source=copy-link

Thank you to the Focused View Podcast for giving us the opportunity to share our story! 🙏

Optical Dispensers Australia Chedy Kalach April Petrusma Allyson Freind The Focused View

25/08/2026

🔥 Our August Webinar Wednesday is tomorrow night! 👓

Would you agree that the relationship between your practice and the lens lab is one of the most important partnerships in optical dispensing?

✅ Labs act as an extension of your team, providing advice, troubleshooting, order processing and job updates.

This session, led by Sara Leonard of Hoya Lens Australia unpacks the most common red flags in lens ordering and walks through practical workflows to improve order accuracy and reduce remakes.

There’s still time register and it’s FREE for ODA Members or just $55 for Non-Members.
🔗 https://www.odamembers.com.au/event-details/webinar-wednesday-secrets-from-the-lab-tips-to-enhance-lens-ordering

27/07/2026