Meet Matt Formston, the blind surfer with big visions. Matt Formston always dreamed of becoming a professional surfer. But by the time he was five years old, he was almost completely blind. Matt never let that stop him. Now he is a record-holding cycling Paralympian and a world champion surfer. Discover how being vision impaired has made Matt who he is today.

A new series published by Vision Australia in partnership with Berbay Introducing Big Visions Books.

Each biography is about an Australian hero living with blindness or low vision. These might not be people whose names you know, but you'll remember their stories.

"This series of wonderful books is a great way for us to spread that message and help future generations throw of the misconceptions and expectations placed on them by society."
-Vision Australia CEO, Ron Hooton.

Features

Each book:

Features an Australian hero
Champions resilience
Encourages inclusion
Shows Innovation
Has literary credibility

Benefits

Each story is inspiring and are intended to prompt conversation about what it means to preserve and to help reader develop social and emotional literacy skills
These books are about every child seeing him or herself in the story and consequently imagining what is possible
Each book is printed with Braille alongside printed text, which will prompt teachers and parents/carers to talk to about the different ways we can read and learn
These books are written by a CBCA award-winning author who conducted interviews with each of the biography subjects

Achieving Goals

Big Visions is a book series, aimed at children who are blind or have low vision. Each book features an Australian hero, who champions resilience and encourages inclusion. These books aim to inspire a child to live the life they choose, by dispelling the misconceptions and expectation placed on them by society.

The Big Visions book series is ideal for children aged 5 years and older who are blind or have low vision.

Further Information

Also available in other alternative formats: audio and electronic
Extent 40pp text (self-ends)
Matt Formston Surfing in the Dark
ISBN 978-0-6455584-0-1
Publishing month March 2023

Positive reviews are in for Surfing in the Dark.

Formstonâ successes, and failures, can inspire and empower all people and this necessary and worthy book is the first in what is sure to become a ground-breaking and vital series for all ages. Books and Publishing Review, Jan 2023