Our Vision, Your Future

Nā matou te moemoea, nā koutou te tau tītoki

Blind Low Vision NZ, Formerly Blind Foundation

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Meet Sally—

Blind Low Vision NZ Member

Before contacting Blind Low Vision NZ, Sally thought the end of her career was near.

“There was a moment in time when I was making a lot of mistakes and colleagues were often pointing them out to me. No matter how much effort I put in, mistakes still occurred. Initially, I did not make the connection between low vision and making mistakes, and I thought I might lose my job because of it.”

Sally is a Registered Nurse currently working as a lecturer in nursing at AUT.

She was born three months premature with retinopathy. Like many of our clients, Sally has more than just one eye condition. She has had multiple detached retinas, cataracts and developed glaucoma in 2009. For Sally, this means her sight is patchy in her left eye, and she can’t see anything out of her right eye.

Blind Low Vision NZ supported her with adaptive technology and accessibility workarounds so that she could continue working. With our support, Sally acknowledged the fatigue associated with reading that comes with low vision and came up with strategies to manage this and excel in her career.

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Introducing … Our Vision, Your Future

Nā matou te moemoea, nā koutou te tau tītoki

Strategic Plan 2020-2024.

As we celebrate 130 years on 9 July 2020, we are embarking on a new era in our organisation.

With much optimism, it’s our pleasure to share our new strategic direction with you. In creating Our Vision, Your Future, we took into account over 500 formal submissions from our consultation process and assessed 9000 pieces of information and feedback from a variety of stakeholders including the people we serve, volunteers, staff, donors and a wide range of partner organisations.

We are committed to delivering on our four key priorities and doing it in a manner which is authentic to our four new values.

Here’s to the next chapter in our long and storied history as we empower New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind or have low vision to live the life they choose.

John Mulka

Blind Low Vision NZ Chief Executive

Rick Hoskin

RNZFB Board Chair

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130 Years Strong

RNZFB Strategic Plan 2020-2024

Blind Low Vision NZ (Formerly Blind Foundation)

We changed our name in 2019 to communicate we support people who are low vision as well as blind. Our new name better represents the diversity of sight loss that people experience with three quarters of our members identifying as low vision. We want people whose vision can’t be corrected by lens to understand that Blind Low Vision NZ is a place they can connect with for practical and emotional support.

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As we enter our 130th year, this represents a unique opportunity of change for the RNZFB. 180,000 Kiwis currently are blind, deafblind or have low vision and we are forecasting those numbers will increase to 225,000 by 2028.

We also recognise that fundamental societal challenges still exist in Aotearoa and the world. The barriers that remain require tenacity and collaboration with a vision to provide equal opportunity for all. The world is changing rapidly and we must keep pace with this change to meet people’s expectations of daily life. We need to find new solutions, new ways to contribute to a New Zealand where equal opportunity is the norm for our community.

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Our Mission

Empower New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind, or low vision to live the life they choose.

Pages 7-8

Our Values

Person Centred

People are at the heart of everything we do and we are led by their needs.

We design services that meet people’s needs now and in the future.

Collaborative

We believe that to make change happen, we need to bring people, ideas and resources together in new combinations. Partnerships and teamwork are fundamental to our success and we co-design through effective engagement and collaboration.

Adaptable

We acknowledge the world around us is changing and that we need to change by innovating and applying creative solutions to move forward. We are resourceful in response to this change.

Accountable

We deliver on our promise and hold ourselves responsible. We are honest, candid, transparent and respectful in all aspects of our work, applying good judgement for effective decision-making.

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Our Key Priorities

1. Independence

People who are blind, deafblind or have low vision have choices about how they live their lives as independent citizens in their communities.

How we will deliver this

Empower people through on-going support services including information, mobility, equipment and recreation, to realise their potential as citizens. Connect people with technology that is accessible and affordable so they are future ready.

2 Educate and Equip

Empower people who are blind, deafblind or have low vision with the information, advice and tools to thrive through lifelong learning opportunities.

How we will deliver this

Core rehabilitation/habilitation services as the cornerstone of what we do and provide, including an emphasis on youth transition programmes towards acquiring the skills of job readiness, preparation and employment choices.

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3.Social Inclusion

People who are blind, deafblind or have low vision are included in society and have choices as to how to actively participate.

How we will deliver this

Enhance the opportunities for people who are blind, deafblind or have low vision by promoting the principle of society being fully inclusive. Encourage access for all to public services, information and the physical environment. Increase awareness and public education. Collaborate with consumer organisations to achieve measurable impact.

4. For Purpose Organisation

People centred, knowledge based, adaptable and drives change.

How we will deliver this

Hold ourselves accountable to deliver the most cost effective and sustainable ways of working, including maximising the digital world to drive our decision-making. Inspire a diverse workforce with a culture of accountability, performance and recognition.

Pages 11-12

“With Blind Low Vision NZ’s support, not only did I get employed, but I started my own business, my own recording label.”—Ese

(Founder and Director of Tejit Records)

Pages 13-14

Over-Arching Principles

Motivated as a “for purpose” organisation we exist to empower New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind or low vision to live the life they choose. Our community includes those individuals who are blind, have low vision or a combination of both sight and hearing loss or may have a print disability. We endorse and will be guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Treaty of Waitangi, the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026 (NZDS) and He Korowai Oranga (Māori Health Strategy) in our consideration, decisions and actions.

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Blind Low Vision NZ

Formerly Blind Foundation

Contact Us

Blind Low Vision NZ Contact Centre

4 Maunsell Road,

Parnell, Auckland 1052

Private Bag 99941,

Auckland 1149

0800 24 33 33 info@blindlowvision.org.nz

facebook.com/blindlowvisionnz

blindlowvision.org.nz

This information is also available in e-text, audio and braille on request.

End of Our Vision, Your Future