The Late Richard Grills

MR RICHARD GRILLS Appointed to ODMA Board 3/04/1996. Passed away 12/7/2022

Richard commenced work as a Dispensing Optician at OPSM in 1960 and rose to become the Principal of the Guild of Dispensing Opticians Optical Dispensing Training Course. Richard has been a lecturer in Optics at the Masters in Visual Science at Sydney University since 1970. From 1976 to 1978 Richard was employed by SLE Medical, the distributor of the first Ophthalmic Lasers, Phaco Emulsification and Vitrectomy systems in Australia.

Richard founded Designs For Vision Pty Ltd in 1978 with two Optical Dispensing outlets changing in 1982 from a retailer to a distributor of Ophthalmic and Optometric products. Designs For Vision (now a Paragon Care brand) is one of the leading distributors of Ophthalmic and Optometric products throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Richard was a director of the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) and is ODMA’s immediate past Chairman, serving as Chair for 10 years, a director of the Genetic Eye Foundation from its inception, a director of the Macular Disease Foundation from its foundation, a director of the Bionic Eye Foundation and the Chair of the former Essilor Vision Foundation. Richard also held the Deputy Chair of the National Ophthalmic Suppliers Association or NOSA working on ophthalmic conferences for the entire lifetime of that organisation. He was a member of the Visiting Advisory Board at both UNSW Optometry School and UTS Orthoptic School.

 
Richard joined the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) Board in April 1995.  Richard remained a director of ODMA right up to his passing and was also instrumental in hatching the plans for ODMA’s major events. He championed low vision through the 1970s right up to the present day. In fact, he found ways to modify fitting techniques to fit commercially available high-powered loupes and telescopes, into spectacle frames, thus giving people who previously could not afford it, a chance to see a little better. At the Guild of Dispensing Opticians in the 1980s he taught a whole generation of optical dispensers including – Steve Daras, Peter Smith, Bob Boden – who are now themselves valued industry experts. Another of Richard’s great contributions was what he called the Blind Babies project, securing  funding for aphakic spectacles not covered under Medicare for babies born into underprivileged families with congenital cataracts.

Richard practically bridged the gap between optometry and ophthalmology – he moved seamlessly between the two.  Richard achieved this in a way no one had ever done before and his legacy includes much improved relations between the two professions.