The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) Redress Group (RRG)

Paving the Way – a New Journey Out of the Shadows of the Past

By Kylee Maloney

On 18 September 2025 the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, in accordance with Recommendation 3d. of Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in state and Faith-based Care apologised formally for the harm it did to children and adults in its care between 1950 and 1999. A recording of the apology hui, held on 18 September in Parnell, is available on the Blind Low Vision NZ YouTube channel.

For some attendees this was closure, relief or simply recognition. For some four Blind Low Vision NZ members who survived abuse, however, it represented both the culmination of a year’s work and the beginning of a new and challenging journey.

Since the release of the report in 2024 and following an email from then RNZFB Board Chair, Clive Lansink, Blind Low Vision NZ Chief Executive Andrea Midgen invited contact from survivors. Eventually, four of those who came forward, myself included, would become members of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (RNZFB) Redress Group.

One of the first to do so was Dr Pam MacNeill of Wellington, who attended Elmwood Resource Centre’s Sight Saver class in Christchurch in the 1960s and 1970s, has extensive experience in the Public Sector and served as a Principal Advisor to the Royal Commission.

“I believe it is critical that we, as survivors, lead and manage this process: everything about us, with us!” says RNZFB Redress Group Chair, Pam. “This represents a departure from past thinking in which Blind Low Vision NZ members have been representatives at best; it’s why I also answered CE Andrea’s call.”

For Dr Don McLaren of Geraldine, who attended Homai in the 1960s and has decades of experience in the private and academic sectors, the call was an intensely personal one: “When I think of the people I lived with for those years at Homai College I could not walk away I needed to contribute in some way to reduce the pain.”

Stephanie (Stephie) Birkhead, who was placed in Homai from infancy in the 1960s and now lives in Missouri, USA, goes further: “I believe acknowledgement matters. What happened to survivors should not be minimized, forgotten or handled quietly. I wanted to ensure that lived experience is heard and taken seriously and that the redress process reflects the real impact of past harm. This should not happen to anyone else.”

Together with other survivors and the RNZFB, we four had co-designed the 18 September apology and now turned to the task of designing a redress and compensation framework. This has involved monthly meetings, many emails, much research and learning along the way.

“The redress framework is in draft form at present and considering the complexity of the situation this is very good progress,” says Don McLaren.

Pam MacNeill agrees: “We are on track in terms of our timeframe and I am very happy with the collaboration between us.”

Stephie Birkhead adds that the work is emotionally complex and demanding: “At times progress can feel slow but I recognize that careful listening, consultation and thoughtful decision-making are essential if the process is to be credible and respectful.”

No small part of this challenge is designing the scaffolding around the claims framework, so that survivors are supported to navigate the process safely and respectfully.

“We need a clear process for contacting and working with us, to get their redress claims to the RNZFB Board for action,” states Pam MacNeill. This process will also respect the choice of some survivors who may wish to send their claim directly to the RNZFB Board.

Don McLaren is equally practical: “‘We hope to lay a foundation framework for past abuse survivors to use for redress to reduce the pain and anxiety and build a meaningful life for themselves, to take advantage of this window of opportunity to build their life, develop skills and improve their overall well-being.”

Stephie Birkhead has hopes for the wider Blind Low Vision NZ as well as individual survivors: “I want to see genuine recognition of harm, meaningful accountability and lasting cultural and systemic change. Beyond any individual outcomes, I hope this work contributes to healing—for survivors and for the organisation as a whole.”

As we approach the completion of the Framework, I am all too aware of the pioneering opportunity RNZFB has to be a global leader, as we four demonstrate the benefits of survivor-led, member-led innovation and change.

Pam MacNeill agrees: “As survivors working on behalf of fellow survivors, we are very clear about what is required post-apology, in order to provide fair and reasonable redress and a mechanism to minimise the likelihood of abuse occurring in future.”

However, both Don and Stephie remind us that this work is undertaken by people with lived experience.

“We are real people who live and hurt like everyone else in this world,” cautions Don.

“For us this is deeply personal,” echoes Stephie. “Trust can only be rebuilt through transparency, humility and a willingness to listen, even when what is heard is uncomfortable. Survivors will be paying attention to the decisions and outcomes of this process.”

So, as we prepare to send our work to our elected representatives, we ask them to hold two truths: the pioneering and the personal.

Meantime, while we await the Board’s decisions and work with them to ensure this process, all four of us would still like to hear from survivors.

“Be courageous, be yourself and do not let the past define your future,” encourages Don McLaren.

“If you were abused while in the care or significant influence of the RNZFB between 1950 and 1999, please come forward and we will work with you to apply for redress,” invites Pam MacNeill.

Stephie Birkhead would like to tell fellow survivors, “You are not alone and your experiences matter. Our process may not be perfect but we hope it will reassure you that you deserve dignity, care and respect — and that your voice has value whether or not you choose to use it publicly.”

All four of us would like to caution anyone relating their experiences that doing so will likely trigger memories of past events and open old wounds. It is imperative that you have ongoing emotional support throughout.

Anyone wishing to contact the RNZFB Redress group should email Stephie Birkhead on s1birkhead@outlook.com.

Anyone who needs help to relate their experiences can either talk to one of us, or contact the government-funded Survivor Experiences Service.

You can call them during weekdays at 0800 456 090 between 8:30am and 4:30pm or text them on 8328.

If you prefer to write you can email contact@survivorexperiences.govt.nz to tell your story or records2@survivorexperiences.govt.nz for help with records queries.

Alternatively, write to them at Survivor Experiences Service, PO Box 805, Wellington 6140.

If this article has triggered negative memories, the service has a Survivor Experiences Support Page which has contacts for 24-hour help lines and other therapeutic services.

Kia kaha.

Principles

The Group is guided by the following principles:

• Survivor-led and survivor-informed
• Transparent and accountable
• Trauma-informed and culturally safe
• Collaborative and respectful

RNZFB Apology Hui

On 18 September 2025, following the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind organised a formal public apology event for known survivors who experienced abuse while in our care. A recording of this event is now available on YouTube: RNZFB Apology Hui 18 September 2025 Parnell, Auckland.

A transcript of the hui is available here: [tbc]

Photos of the group? [TBC]