The purpose of this qualification is to provide the vision habilitation/rehabilitation sector with a specialised workforce focussed on the application of technical knowledge and skills in clinical and community settings.

This qualification is targeted at people seeking to further develop their knowledge, skills and abilities in one or more of the vision habilitation/rehabilitation fields.

Graduates of this qualification will lead and coordinate an individualised quality service for people who have a vision impairment, are blind, or are deafblind, to enable them to live safe, productive and interdependent lives.

The qualification is stranded to recognise the particular specialist knowledge and skills required for different roles in the vision habilitation/rehabilitation sector.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

- Teach individuals ways to manage the physical, sensory, and psycho-social impact of vision impairment on aspects of their life, using appropriate culturally responsive processes and protocols.
- Design, lead and coordinate the writing and implementation of a customised habilitation/rehabilitation plan for a person who has a vision impairment, is blind or is deafblind; and monitor and evaluate results.
- Identify the current and future capability of a person who has a vision impairment, is blind, or is deafblind; and through this continuous assessment, plan and deliver a customised specialist habilitation/rehabilitation programme.
- Apply knowledge of national and international research and developments in vision impairment to manage own learning and performance in complex and dynamic contexts/systems, using best practice methods, resources and professional networks, in order to provide a constantly improving customised outcome-focused service.

Graduates of the Daily Living strand will also be able to:
- Teach adaptive/developmental daily living techniques which enable people who have a vision impairment, are blind, or are deafblind, to reach their potential through the use of compensatory skills to perform everyday activities.

Graduates of the Low Vision Therapy strand will also be able to:
- Teach people who have low vision to maximize their functional visual skills and abilities by providing low vision person-centred therapy service.

Graduates of the Orientation and Mobility strand will also be able to:
- Teach people who have a vision impairment, are blind, or are deafblind, to use their remaining senses to determine their position in space and to plan and negotiate safe and efficient travel, by providing an orientation and mobility service.

Graduates of the Technology and Communication strand will also be able to:
- Teach people who have a vision impairment, are blind, or are deafblind, to communicate and to access and manage information by providing an adaptive technology and communication service.

The qualification provides a pathway for people with a disability-focussed qualification at Levels 4, 5, or 6 to progress within the health and disability qualifications framework; for people already holding other higher-level qualifications in a human services related field, seeking to focus on one of the vision rehabilitation/habilitation specialisations; and for people with relevant experience.

Graduates may progress via an appropriate undergraduate degree (e.g. Bachelor of Health Science with a major in Rehabilitation) to a specialised educational or clinical qualification such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation or Master of Health Science (Rehabilitation); or complete another specialisation in vision rehabilitation by undertaking training in an additional strand of this diploma.