NextSense clients Allie, from Newcastle, and Josh, from Brisbane, are nearing the end of their school days. The two high schoolers have had a busy year in and out of the classroom, with Allie, who is deaf, starring on the stage with her Auslan signing choir, and Josh, who is blind, rising up the ranks of the blind golfing world.

We had a chat to both of them to find out how life's going for them, what support and technologies have made a difference, and what's next.

We have supported Queenslander Josh since he was about a year old, and in that time his list of achievements has grown as quickly as he has.

Josh, who has been legally blind since birth, has learned to read and write in braille and access technologies and materials that support his learning with the help of his NextSense teachers, School Support team and Accessibility and Inclusion team.

We last spoke to him in 2022, after he became the first Australian to win a prestigious international writing competition.

Now, as he nears the end of his high school years, the national junior blind golf champion, student leader, and engineering and architecture aficionado shares what he’s been up to lately, how the right support has made a difference in his life, and his goals for the future.

Can you tell me a bit about you now – do you have any new interests or hobbies, or have you been building on old ones?

I am currently in Year 12 and have a busy year at school. I am a Student Leader and College Representative Council Leader, which keeps me busy. I still enjoy playing golf and am still interested in civil engineering, science and architecture.

I am particularly interested in large scale transport infrastructure including roads, railways and airports. Last year, I was selected to be a Student Ambassador at the University of Queensland.

A real highlight for me during 2024 was being invited to complete a short course/summer school at a London university in architecture. It was an incredible experience.

I was fortunate to complete my Grade 8 AMEB Voice and Communication exam last year.

How has NextSense supported you?

I receive NextSense school support and transcription services which is organised through my school.

The NextSense School Support, Connected Services and Accessibility and Inclusion services have been incredible. Over the years, I have been taught how to read and write in braille. All my textbooks are transcribed and brailled by [NextSense Manager of Accessibility and Inclusion] Sonali and the transcription team, which is a big job. The amount of work they do is amazing.

My NextSense school support teacher, Pranitha, meets with me weekly when possible, via Zoom, to help with anything I need, which I am very grateful for.

I have so many wonderful memories with NextSense. I first started with NextSense when it was the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children and I was about 12 months old. Over the years, I have received the most incredible support. I have enjoyed braille camps and my fondest memories are of our trips to Sydney to stay at NextSense. I am very grateful to the staff at NextSense for teaching me to read braille. This has helped me so much over the years and I wouldn’t have achieved what I have without this.

It started with learning the braille dots using muffin tins and by fun learning activities which centred around my interests. I would receive brailled books along with 3D models of famous architecture in the post and then have a Zoom session about each one.

What support and technologies have you found most helpful at school?

The Curriculum Leader, Learning Enhancement at my school has been incredible. She is always looking for ways to assist me and is very proactive in identifying where things may not be accessible. The most helpful thing is having the support of her and the administration at the school who all believe in my ability and want to see me achieve in my senior years.

I use a combination of assistive technologies. I use my Braillesense, which is a refreshable braille display. I also use my laptop, screen reader and CCTV.

How are you accessing your study materials?

For Specialist Maths, Mathematical Methods and Physics, my textbooks are brailled by NextSense. For English and Economics, I mostly use my Braillesense and laptop to access study materials.

How is golf going for you?

Golf is going well. I had to miss quite a few tournaments due to my eye surgeries. However, I have had some memorable tournaments in the past couple of years also.

I am the current Australian and Queensland Junior Blind Golf Champion, having played in the ISPS Handa Blind Golf Australian Open and the Blind and Low Vision Queensland Open and Stableford Tournaments.

Internationally, I have played in tournaments in the US and UK, including the British Blind Golf Open and England and Wales Blind Golf National Strokeplay Championship. I am hoping to play in UK, US tournaments and national tournaments in 2026.

Are you still writing for fun?

I still enjoy writing. With year 12, my writing has mostly been for assessments, however, I hope to do more writing when I finish my external exams at the end of the year.

What are you finding most challenging about your final year?

During year 11 and year 12, I unfortunately have had some serious eye issues, requiring numerous surgeries and procedures, including emergency eye surgery. This has meant I have had to catch up on a lot of school during this time.

What are you most looking forward to about finishing school?

I am looking forward to having some more spare time to pursue the things I enjoy like playing golf.

What are your plans for the future?

I am hoping to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) double degree at university. I would love to have a career in large-scale transport infrastructure and to also improve my golf game and to play in more national and international blind golf tournaments.

What advice would you give to others going into their final year of school?

I think the main thing is to just be kind to yourself and remember that you can only do your best. It is important to try to remain positive when things don’t go to plan. It is also helpful to take the advice of your teachers and connect with them as much as possible. .

We first met deaf apparel designer and advocate Allie and her mum Amy in 2020. Then thirteen years old, Allie had progressively lost her hearing and received a cochlear implant to help her access sound two years prior.

Five years on, Allie is in her final year of school, had a second cochlear implant, and is honing her performing arts and Auslan skills.

Allie was recently selected to perform at Star Struck, a performing arts showcase that brings together more than 4,000 students from 150 schools from the Hunter and Central Coast regions of New South Wales. Check out her audition below, where she performs the song ‘Tightrope’ from The Greatest Showman.

Allie says she wasn’t too nervous about taking to the stage, because she had been performing with the Hunter Signing Choir for more than six years. The choir, for students who are hard of hearing, uses a mix of Auslan signs, dancing and singing.

‘I’d done Star Struck for years with the Hunter Signing Choir, so I’d grown quite used to it’, she says.

‘But on the stage you actually cannot see the audience – you have a light straight up in your eyes, so I wasn’t really nervous at all.’

Allie says she has her mother Amy to thank for getting her involved in the choir. She has made lifelong best friends and had the opportunity to travel and perform at a range of events, from Christmas carols to the Australian Deaf Games and NSW Seniors Festival Expo.

It has also given her Auslan skills a big boost.

‘With [Allie’s] singing and signing, it has helped her learn a lot more,’ says Amy.

Her itinerant teacher has also been a big help in showing her how to be more expressive with her signing, which enhances her performance.

Allie continues to be supported by NextSense for audiology, attending regular mapping sessions for her cochlear implants with audiologist Maree. She also recently experienced another perspective on our services, doing two days of work experience at our Broadmeadow centre, where Amy says the staff ‘know her through and through… they are like family’.

There, she had the opportunity to sit in on other clients’ cochlear implant mapping sessions and says she learned a lot being on the other side of the chair. ‘It was pretty amazing how they know what to do,’ says Allie.

With her work experience and a recent performance at the Teachers Federation celebration dinner now behind her, Allie’s focused on completing her final months of high school. She says it’s ‘a lot of work,’ but she’s coping well.

And as for what’s next, Allie is having a hard time deciding what she wants to do when she finishes school. But as a creative and analytical thinker, she is leaning towards studying either graphic design or criminology.

‘It’s the why criminals did what they did… that’s what I am really interested in,’ says Allie. ‘It’s on that questioning side.’

We can’t wait to see what’s next for you, Allie!