Meet Phil. Until 2009, he loved his work as a youth counsellor. Passionate about the outdoors, adventure and helping young people discover their potential in Aotearoa’s stunning environment, Phil was a young father living his dream life. But in one day, the colour drained from his life.
“I woke up to a very dark, quiet world.”
Suddenly, meningitis dealt him a devastating blow, leaving him without his sight, hearing, or mobility. Plunged into darkness overnight, Phil desperately needed someone to pull him out. He needed someone like you.
Phil initially couldn’t see past his losses. “I was completely deaf and blind, confined to bed for many months, and struggling with my mental health,” Phil recalls. “I had lost not only my physical abilities but also my job, my income and the home that came with my role at the camp.”
Phil’s long, difficult journey back began when Blind Low Vision NZ reached out and connected him to a counsellor. “His message was powerful,” Phil recalls. “He asked me, ‘Are you disabled, or are you enabled?’ At the time, I believed my life was ruined. But that message began to shift something inside me.”
It was the beginning of support that provided far more than training and services – it taught him a new way of thinking. Thanks to generous people like you, Phil found a new way to live.
“They truly understood what I was going through,” he says. “I was taught Braille by a blind tutor who sat beside me using tactile sign language. Their patience and willingness to learn and communicate with me made a lasting impact.”
Learning Braille meant Phil could continue to communicate with his loved ones. He didn’t just feel connected. He began to feel hope. “Braille brought colour back into my life,” Phil remembers, beaming.
Overcoming Barriers, Rediscovering Independence
As Phil was learning to navigate his new world, he soon faced another challenge. Phil realised “the world is built for people who can see and hear”. “I remember moments of deep frustration—trying to navigate systems that weren’t designed for someone like me. Whether it was trying to manage finances, attend medical appointments, or communicate with agencies, I constantly ran into barriers. Accessing life’s essentials became yet another difficulty to overcome.”
Your donation provides people like Phil with crucial technology training: from using voice assistants such as Alexa, to screen readers and accessible apps, to independence skills that enable daily tasks with growing confidence – like learning to tell when the jug has boiled by sensing vibrations.
“Little by little, I began to see how Braille and accessible technology could actually empower me,” Phil says. “With Blind Low Vision NZ’s incredible support, I’ve learned to live on my own with care as needed. I manage my own cooking, prepare shopping lists, and make my own choices. This autonomy is something I treasure.” Today, he’s working towards a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology, he’s a board member of a non-profit organisation acting as a powerful advocate for accessibility, and he even completed the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he says, thrilled.
Phil’s story shows the impossible can become possible – with the right support. But that support comes at a cost.
Every three hours, someone in New Zealand goes blind or develops vision loss – that’s 248 people this Blind Low Vision month alone. And with the number of Kiwis in Aotearoa who are blind, dead blind or have vision loss projected to rise to <TBC> by 2028, your donations are more important than ever.
“Your support helps keep essential services running, so people like me can live with dignity, hope, and purpose,” says Phil.
Want to help more Kiwis like Phil? Donate today.
Your gift helps us provide Braille training, technology support, independence skills, and counselling services that bring hope, freedom and confidence to so many lives.
Phil puts it beautifully: “Blind Low Vision NZ has been a lifeline for me. They lowered a ladder into the dark hole I was in. They helped me find the rungs, placed my hands and feet on the rungs and taught me how to climb. As I climbed out, my world began to fill with fresh air and rays of sunshine. I rediscovered who I was – a person of value. I’ve been given independence, purpose, and direction.”
Your support means Kiwis like Phil live with independence, dignity and purpose. And most importantly – hope.
“Your donation doesn’t just help one person – it has a ripple effect. It transforms lives and empowers people to grow, connect, and live with meaning. I’m so thankful to be a small influence on others. Your support helps keep essential services running, so people like me can live with dignity, hope, and purpose,” says Phil.
Donate today and give Kiwis like Phil the chance to live with independence, dignity and hope.
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