Table of Contents

1. RNZFB Board Meeting Dates 2026
2. Board of Directors
3. Executive Leadership Team
4. Chair’s Newsletters
5. Annual Reports
6. RNZFB Constitution
7. RNZFB Constitution Review
8. Synergia Service Review Report
9. RNZFB Board Elections 2026
10. RNZFB Chair’s Award
11. Special Meeting of Members
12. Report on Feedback on Board Policy
13. Plain English guide to RNZFB Constitution

RNZFB Constitution Review

As you may be aware, Simpson Grierson carried out a governance review of the RNZFB constitution last year. Their final report was delivered in January this year and first discussed by the Board in March.

At its July 2026 meeting, the RNZFB Board agreed to ask Members and other stakeholders to consider the next steps following this review. In this paper we list Simpson Grierson’s key findings and summarise the Board’s responses, including what we feel is the best option for how the Board should be formed. The paper leads to questions we ask you as members, clients and stakeholders to think about, with an invitation to let us know what you think.

This is not a notice of a vote and it does not make any change to the Constitution. This is a consultation document. We want to explain:

• what Simpson Grierson recommended;
• what the Board is considering in response;
• why change may be needed;
• the options for future Board composition and appointment; and
• how Members and stakeholders can give feedback before any formal constitutional amendments are drafted.

Background to the Recent Review

Every few years, the Board carries out an independent review of the RNZFB Constitution to make sure it continues to meet the aspirations of Members, remembering that Members own the Constitution and the Board itself is accountable through the Constitution. Last year, we engaged Simpson Grierson to carry out this latest review. We were aware of a growing sense of dissatisfaction amongst some sectors of our community. With this in mind, we specifically asked Simpson Grierson to review whether the current RNZFB governance structure is fit for purpose, and to consider:

• the concept of co-governance with the blind, low vision and deafblind community;
• Board diversity and sector representation;
• te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi; and
• whether the current elected Board model continues to meet the needs of the organisation and its community.

Simpson Grierson engaged with community leaders, Members, consumer organisations and other stakeholders. They also looked at RNZFB Board materials, best practice in the sector and questionnaire feedback from the wider RNZFB community.

In their report, Simpson Grierson identified and explored a number of issues, including:

• low participation in Board elections;
• concern that the Board may not always have the right mix of governance, financial, legal, medical, cultural and lived experience;
• concern that some parts of the community do not feel represented;
• the importance of blind, low vision and deafblind leadership;
• the need to better use the expertise of consumer organisations;
• the need for a stronger client voice in decisions;
• the importance of te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi to the RNZFB community; and
• uncertainty about how RNZFB’s commitment to te Tiriti / Treaty should be put into practice.

Review Findings

In this section we set out the recommendations made by Simpson Grierson that could impact on the Constitution, and provide some comment from the Board’s perspective.

Recommendation 1: Refine and Clarify RNZFB’s Organisational Purpose

Based on their consultation, Simpson Grierson said they did not feel that the organisation’s purpose is sufficiently clear. They felt that it is hard for the organisation to be effective as a disability service provider and an advocacy and community organisation at the same time.

The Board does not accept this concern and we have no plan to narrow the organisation’s purpose in the Constitution. We fundamentally believe that blind, deafblind and low vision people must be able to function as fully autonomous, independent citizens, doing their best to contribute to society alongside everyone else. We know that blind people need specialised skills and training to overcome the impact of blindness and vision impairment, and we also know that society needs to be accessible and inclusive so all can flourish. Society looks to the RNZFB as a major source of expertise on blindness, deafblindness and low vision. Of course the RNZFB Board works with like minded organisations, but in the end we must allocate the resources available to us in a way that provides our clients the training and support they need, and raises awareness in society so our clients can fully participate.

The Board accepts that the organisation’s priorities can change over time. This is best reflected in the strategic plan and other planning documents, rather than by narrowing the purpose in the Constitution.

Recommendation 2: Retain the Incorporated Society Model

Simpson Grierson recommends that the RNZFB should remain an incorporated society.

The Board accepts this recommendation and has no plan to explore other structures for the RNZFB. The Incorporated Society model recognises the role of Members and provides a familiar basis for the organisation’s governance. Some changes may still be needed to ensure the Constitution fully complies with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.

Recommendation 3: Adopt a Recommended Board Model, with Board Directors Recommended to the Membership By an Independent Panel in Accordance with a Matrix of Desired Skills and Attributes

Simpson Grierson has made this recommendation in response to growing concern about whether the current fully member-elected process consistently provides the mix of skills, perspectives and experience needed to govern the RNZFB. The Board shares this concern, noting also that participation in director elections has significantly declined in recent years and continues to decline. In the next section, we include some figures showing how much voter participation has steadily declined since 2013.

The Board is asking for feedback on how directors should be chosen in future. The Board considers that a Board Appointments Panel as recommended by Simpson Grierson may be the best option, but the Board wants to hear from Members and stakeholders before deciding whether to pursue such an option. This is the most significant issue arising from the review so we explore this in more detail later in this paper.

Recommendation 3A: Allow Directors Who Are Not Eligible to be Clients to Hold Membership

The Incorporated Societies Act 2022 requires at least half of the officers of an incorporated society to be members. Simpson Grierson identified a risk that the Board could become non-compliant if too many directors were not Members.

The Board is reluctant to recommend an automatic mechanism that would make non-Member directors Members simply because they are appointed to the Board. There is a concern that any such mechanism acts to side-step the intention of the act that an incorporated society must be strongly governed by its members.

The Board will consider other lawful and practical options, including whether membership status should be built into any future skills matrix or appointment process.

Recommendation 7: Give Textual Primacy to Te Tiriti O Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi in the RNZFB Constitution

Simpson Grierson recommended giving textual primacy to te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi in the Constitution. They felt that it would be better for a standalone clause to express the organisation’s commitment to te Tiriti / Treaty principles, rather than treat it as part of the organisation’s objects.

The Board accepts this recommendation and will pursue it as we develop the next proposed changes to the Constitution. Legal advice and engagement with Kāpō Māori and other stakeholders will be needed before wording is finalised.

Other Recommendations

Simpson Grierson made other recommendations which the Board accepts and which we will factor into our work. These do not impact on the Constitution so are not included in this paper.

Declining Participation in RNZFB Board Elections

The table below shows a continuing decline in participation in RNZFB Board elections. Between 2013 and 2025, the number of voting forms returned fell from 813 to 272. Over the same period, the number of registered voting members fell from 7,379 to 1,984.

	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013
Registered Voting Members	1984	3023	4363	4323	4612	7032	7098	6590	6339	6138	6271	6837	7379
Voting Forms Received	272	263	392	528	658	677	754	835	602	765	661	703	813

Source: 2025 Returning Officer’s Report.

Alternative Options for How the Board is Formed

The most important issue arising from the review is whether the current fully member-elected model remains the best way to form the Board for the future.

It was back in 2003 when blind people formally adopted the first Constitution that established the organisation as an incorporated society, with its Board of Directors elected by members. This decision was made with an overwhelming majority of support amongst blind, deafblind and low vision people. It reflects a move away from what was perceived as a paternalistic structure where the Government of the day had the final say over who could be on the Board, to the idea of self-determination of blind people, blind people electing the Board and having broad control over the resources raised in their name.

The current Member-elected model has served the organisation for many years and has produced capable and committed Boards. It supports member self-determination and direct accountability to Members, and the Board does not dismiss that history. However, Simpson Grierson’s consultation also identified concerns about whether the current process consistently produces the mix of skills and diversity of life experience needed, and whether all parts of the community feel represented. Some people feel the Board lacks diversity, and they feel unrepresented by the Board. Voter turnout has continued to decline, and only a small proportion of Members now take part in Board elections. The Board is concerned that this may weaken the democratic process and no longer fully reflect the self-determination of blind people. It therefore wants to consult with the community about whether a better way of forming the Board can be found.

There are those who might feel that specific sectors of the community such as age and ethnic groups should be directly represented on the Board. This is called sectorial representation. Simpson Grierson commented that sectorial representation is not the best solution for guaranteeing diversity on the Board. They said sectorial representation is incompatible with the incorporated society model, and there are better ways of achieving diversity.

Simpson Grierson recommends that the RNZFB move to a new process whereby the Board would be appointed by the AGM on the recommendation of a Board Appointments Panel. We will discuss this option shortly but first we briefly outline other options that might be considered.

Option 1: Keep the Current Fully Member-Elected Model

Under this option, directors would continue to be elected directly by Members much as they are now. This option preserves the strongest form of direct democratic control by Members and the principle of member self-determination. The current model has served the organisation for many years and has produced capable and committed Boards. The Constitution also allows the Board to co-opt up to two directors where additional skills or experience are needed. However, this power has not removed all of the risks identified with a fully elected model, particularly where only a small proportion of Members participate in elections. It does not address the concerns identified in the Simpson Grierson report, including low voter turnout, limited nominations, possible skills gaps, lack of diversity, and the risk that the Board may not always have the right mix of skills, perspectives and experience.

Option 2: Board Assessment Panel

Under this option, candidates would still be elected by Members, but an assessment panel would assess candidates against a skills matrix and provide information or recommendations to Members before they vote. This option could help Members understand how candidates match the Board’s needs. It would preserve a direct Member vote. However, it may not fully address skills gaps if Members vote for candidates who do not meet the Board’s identified needs. It may also be difficult to design in a way that is fair to candidates and trusted by Members.

Option 3: Hybrid Model

Under a hybrid model, some directors could be appointed through a panel and some could continue to be directly elected by Members. This option may appeal to Members who want to retain a democratic component while also strengthening Board capability. However, it could be more complex to design and explain, and it may not fully solve the issues identified in the review unless the balance between elected and appointed directors is carefully considered. A variation of this approach may be that depending on the number of directors that would be elected, the election may not be held annually as it is now. It may be held every two or every three years.

Option 4: Board Appointments Panel

This is the option Simpson Grierson has recommended. Under this option, an appointments panel would identify, assess and recommend directors for approval by the AGM, using a skills matrix and clear criteria. The AGM, which of course is a meeting of Members, would have the power to not accept the panel’s recommendation, in which case the panel would reconsider and come back to a subsequent meeting of Members with a new recommendation.

A Board Appointments Panel would need strong safeguards. These could include clear rules for who sits on the panel, a published skills matrix, conflict of interest rules, accessibility requirements, information for Members, and ways to ensure lived experience and te Tiriti / Treaty capability are properly considered.

This is the Board’s preferred option for consideration. It appears to respond most directly to the concerns identified in the Simpson Grierson report, including declining election participation and the need for a reliable mix of Board skills, knowledge, perspectives and experience.

Questions for Feedback

This is not a formal survey. However if you would like to contact us with your thoughts, you might like to answer the following questions.

1. Do you agree that the current Board election model needs to change? Why or why not?
2. Do you support the Board’s preferred option of a Board Appointments Panel?
3. To ensure the panel reflects the objectives of the organisation,
   1. what criteria would be important for a panel (of say three people); and
   2. what process is best suited to selecting the panel?
4. If you do not support a Board Appointments Panel, which option would you prefer and why?
5. How should the model protect lived experience of blindness, low vision and deafblindness?
6. How should understanding of te Tiriti / Treaty and te ao Māori be reflected in the model?
7. What information would help you feel confident that any new process is transparent, fair and accountable to Members?
8. Do you have any other comments to share about possible changes to the organisation’s governance?

How to Provide Feedback

There are several ways you can let us have your feedback. They are:

• Email to BoardSecretary@BlindLowVision.org.nz
• Record your submission on the Telephone Information Service, menu option 3, 1, 5, 5.
• Post your submission in your preferred format to Board Secretary, RNZFB, Private Bag 99941, Newmarket, Auckland 1149.

Please let us have any comments you want to share with us no later than Wednesday 23 September 2026.

We realise there is a lot of material to understand. If you have any questions or wish to receive the Simpson Grierson report or related materials in your preferred accessible format, please contact the Board Secretary at BoardSecretary@BlindLowVision.org.nz or phone the National Contact Centre on 0800 243333.

The current Constitution is available for download from the Governance section of the Blind Low Vision New Zealand website. Alternatively, you can access the Constitution on the Telephone Information Service by selecting menu option 3, 1, 5, 1.

The Board thanks you for taking the time to participate in this process.

Conclusion

At this stage, the Board is consulting. No constitutional change is being made now. There is no postal ballot under way.

We have asked our community to comment and we will consider the feedback received.

If we decide to proceed with any change, we will seek legal advice and prepare draft constitutional amendments. Members would then receive the formal proposed amendments, an explanation of the changes, and information about how to vote. Any change to the Constitution would require the support of two thirds of Members who vote. The earliest practical timeframe for a formal constitutional vote is likely to be the 2027 Annual General Meeting.

We encourage Members and stakeholders to take this opportunity to tell us what you think, including whether you support the Board’s preferred option or favour another approach.

This is the final opportunity to contribute your views before the Board considers the feedback and decides whether to develop a formal proposal for constitutional change.

Service Review Report

Blind Low Vision NZ is committed to delivering high quality services to our blind, deafblind, and low vision clients, assisting them in living the lives they choose. To ensure that we are delivering excellence in all we do, the Board and Management had Synergia Consulting complete a brief, high level independent review of the experience of clients using our services. You can read the Executive Summary here.

The full report is available on request from the Board Secretary boardsecretary@blindlowvision.org.nz

Executive Summary

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Chair’s Award 2026

You are invited to nominate candidates for the Chair’s Award 2026.

The award is designed to honour a blind, deafblind or low vision client who has demonstrated an outstanding level of achievement in any field of endeavours. We encourage nominations from all areas of life and for achievements of every kind. The intention is to celebrate the many different ways blind, deafblind and low vision people contribute, inspire and achieve, so please consider nominating someone whose efforts and achievements deserve to be recognised.

The award will be presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind to be held on Saturday 21 November in Dunedin. The Chair’s Award includes a trophy that the recipient will hold for one year, a framed certificate, and $1,000 as tokens of recognition.

Please submit your nominations to the Board Secretary no later than Sunday 18 October 2026. Please provide full background in support of the nomination. You can nominate persons who may have been nominated previously but were unsuccessful.

To nominate someone send an email to BoardSecretary@BlindLowVision.org.nz or if you would like support with this, you can phone the Contact Centre on 0800 24 33 33.

Previous winner of the Chair’s Award

In 2025, the Chair’s Award went to Robert Hunt, a talented writer and athlete who lives with vision impairment. Robert’s resilience, determination and positive “get on with life” attitude reflect what Blind Low Vision NZ is all about. Read about Read about Robert’s achievement in this news item.

Special Meeting of Members

At its March meeting, the RNZFB Board approved a number of constitutional changes to be presented to its members for discussion, consultation, and voting in October and November.

The changes being proposed relate to:

• a simplified approach to directors remuneration;
• a diversity clause;
• dispute management; and
• various administrative matters.

To read more about the proposal and the proposed changes, visit the Governance page on our website, the RNZFB elections website, TIS menu 315, or download a Word version of the documents listed below:

• Notice of Explanation re Proposal to amend the RNZFB rules 2024 (Word doc).
• Director Fees Summary Report (Word doc).

If you would like more information about Board elections, the Constitution or the voting process or timeline, please contact the Returning Officer by email to boardsecretary@blindlowvision.org.nz or phone the Blind Low Vision NZ Contact Centre on 0800 24 33 33.

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Report on Feedback on Board Policy

• Eligibility to receive Services (Word doc).
• Board Engagement and Communications with Stakeholders (Word doc).
• Disputes and their Determination (Word doc).
• Review of Mandatory Policies (Word doc).

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