Journey to independence: Churchill Fellow's vision for empowerment

Cassandra Embling doesn’t just dream of a more inclusive world; she is actively creating one. With personal experience as her compass, the Monash Business School alum is on a mission to enable people who are blind and vision impaired to live independently.

Learning how to cook, clean, mow the lawn and go grocery shopping are tasks most people take for granted.

But for vision-impaired Monash Business School alum Cassandra Embling, acquiring these essential life skills involved moving to another country.

“I took part in a two-year residential program based in Auckland, which helps people who are blind or vision-impaired to develop the skills and the confidence to live independently,” Ms Embling said.

With no equivalent program in Australia, Ms Embling counts herself fortunate to have had an opportunity denied to so many of her peers. And it’s a situation she is determined to change.

“I’ve had a dream for a few years now to set up a similar program in Australia,” she said.

“Australia really needs something like this - there is a huge demand for more support and greater resources to enable this independence.”

The journey to empowerment

Ms Embling, a Monash Bachelor of Business, Management and Marketing graduate, is several steps closer to fulfilling her ambition after being awarded a prestigious 2023 Churchill Fellowship.

She plans to use the research grant to head to the USA and Canada in April 2024 to investigate a range of services and programs.

During a jam-packed seven-week visit, she will visit 13 centres to observe classes, conduct interviews and evaluate outcomes.

She also hopes to learn how these programs cater to people with additional disabilities and those who lose vision later in life.

“I can’t wait to learn about the facilities that house the programs, what sorts of skills they are teaching and how the programs are delivered,” she said.

She will use these best-practice insights to inform the design of Australia’s first program to help vision-impaired and blind people build the vital skills required for independent living.

“I’m lucky to have a blank canvas in Australia to design this program, but I need and want to learn from those who have done this before – I would be crazy to ignore that,” she said.

“There is huge scope for what the program could cover, and it feels great to be taking steps towards achieving it.”

Learning through lived experience

A passionate disability advocate, Ms Embling has worked with diverse clients ranging from big corporations to small start-ups, helping guide their decisions about technological developments, product design and public access.

“I have a passion for doing what I can to educate others and to make a difference for my blind and vision-impaired peers,” she said.

“I really love supporting people in this way.”

She said lived experience was the key to developing effective programs for people who are blind or vision impaired.

Sadly, all too often it is overlooked.

“People try to innovate and solve problems that don’t really exist because they can’t possibly imagine how they would manage a particular task if they were to lose their sight,” she said.

“It’s important that people talk to the cohort they are trying to help before coming up with a solution.”

Failing to consult the end-user is not a mistake she will make in the design of her own program.

“I have ideas of what I want it to look like, but it’s important to me to understand what others want before I get too far down this road,” she said.

“I envisage each student’s program looking quite different based on their goals - some may like to focus on cooking, others may want to focus on parenting when you can’t see, and so much more.”

‘Seeing where the wind takes you’

Ms Embling said she learned a crucial lesson at Monash - sometimes, you have to let go of control and rely on others for support and guidance.

“In group assignments, I would often feel like I wanted to be in control,” she said.

“But it’s important to step back and tap into the strengths of the people around you.”

She said this approach had not only proven beneficial personally, it had opened the door to new opportunities.

“Networking, and seeing where the wind takes you, is very valuable,” she said.