What does 'Close the Gap' actually mean?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children generally have better vision than other Australian children. But as adults, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are three times more likely to go blind.

‘The Gap’ refers to these differences in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

Since 2006, Australia's peak health bodies, NGOs and human rights organisations have worked together, aiming to achieve health and life expectancy equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

150,000 Australians participated in 1,596 Close the Gap events across the country in 2017. This is called the 'Close the Gap' Campaign.

The goal of the Close the Gap campaign is to achieve health equity and reduce the life expectancy gap within a generation.

The Fred Hollows Foundation actively participates in and supports the steering committee of the campaign.

Read more about the Close the Gap campaign, or read on for 5 ways you can contribute to the movement

#1 Educate yourself

One of the best ways to be an advocate for change is to educate yourself on the issues, as well as on how to build respect and relationships between cultures.

Issues involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples that you should be aware of are:

• The tragic historical events that occurred in our shared history
• The persistent and ongoing health and eye health issues
• Concepts that are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, including ‘the Dreaming’, country, language, law, the environment, family and kinship

Here are some great resources you can check out:

• Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
• Share Our Pride
• Reconciliation Australia

#2 Get a (politician) pen pal

In Australia, a democratic state, we can use our voice to demand basic human rights, like equality and fairness.

Closing the gap is about equality and there are a number of key political actions that are needed to drive the Close the Gap movement forward.

Write to your local MP, the Prime Minister and the Ministers for Health and Indigenous Australians asking them to support the call for an extra $85.5 million over five years to help close the gap in eye health.

#3 March proud

National Close the Gap Day falls in March each year. In 2020, it will be on March 19th.

Attending a Close the Gap day event is a great way to bring the cause to your local community and to the forefront of Australian media. It’s also a great way to surround yourself with people just like you. People who know that change is needed and that sitting on the couch probably won’t help that change to occur.

Visit the ANTaR website to register an event. You can start an event on behalf of your workplace, school, sports club or community group. You can also download all the resources you’ll need to advertise your event, including banners and images for social media

#4 Join the movement by signing a petition

There is an upswell of support for the Close the Gap movement, and its strength lies in the number of people supporting it.

Petitions can create buzz for an issue online, help to secure valuable media stories, and can initiate important conversations in political spaces.

Sign our petition demanding action to Close the Gap in eye health, and to receive updates on our advocacy work at The Foundation.

You can also join over 180,000 other Australians and sign ANTaR’s pledge to Close the Gap.

#5 Be social

Using your social media network is incredibly powerful and can result in real change.
Here are a few ways you can build social media momentum within your friend and follower groups:

• 'Like' and share the Close the Gap Facebook page, and see if there's anything happening you'd like to be involved with; 
• Spread awareness and tell your family and friends about the current state of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by reposting articles and facts on your social media channels; 
• Share petitions, viral videos and influential speeches as Facebook or Instagram stories or posts, encouraging everyone in your network to throw their support behind the cause; and
• Share this article with your social networks so more people know exactly what they can do to Close the Gap.

Be part of the generation that makes a change and Closes the Gap for good.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Perkins - The Fred Hollows Foundation

Matthew is The Fred Hollows Foundation's social media specialist. After realising he was paying his way through a psychology degree with media work, Matthew decided to take a crack at working as ABC Radio’s online and on-air producer in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. He figured, ‘why not make a stab of it as a career?!’
 
From Kalgoorlie, Matthew found his way to Perth and then on to Sydney, helping to establish the social media presence of both 702 ABC Sydney and ABC current affairs program, 7:30.
 
These days, Matthew uses those skills in the campaign to end avoidable blindness