Meet Kirsten

Kirsten is legally blind. born with Septo-optic dysplasia, a rare condition in which Kirsten was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia and a pituitary gland abnormality, she relies on her seeing eye dog Kimba and other senses to be independent.

From a very young age, Kirsten’s family encouraged her to be all she could ever dream of – helping her to get involved in sports like swimming, rowing, goalball and athletics, but she was always passionate about singing.

After graduating from Newcastle University, Kirsten moved to Sydney after gaining employment with Vision Australia. With funding from the NDIS, Kirsten lives independently, learning to cook, clean and maintain her apartment. 

With her seeing-eye dog Kimba, she navigates Sydney’s public transport, taxis and Ubers as she makes her way to work and operatic productions she is involved in.

Her beautiful voice, working behind the scenes raising awareness about disability and helping others with vision loss sets her apart from most other people her age.