What's New

Current Happenings: Audio Described television for blind, vision  impaired and deafblind children and adults is around the corner. Thanks to NZ On Air, and funding of $500,000, this will become a reality early in 2011. You can read more about this development by visiting NZ On Air's website, checking out our own media release, and reading the joint release from the Ministers of Broadcasting and Disability Issues.  The Association continues to work with TVNZ and NZ On Air to bring the service to fruition. 

Ann Bain won the extra-ordinary election for the Member at Large position (voting closed on Monday 2 August). Ann took office on Thursday 5 August 2010 and in September, will attend her first Board meeting.

Nominations for the World Blind Union and three Member at Large positions close on 19 August. If you have something to offer back to the blind community, and you meet criteria to be a voting member of this Association, then standing for election to fill any of the aforementioned positions may appeal to you.  Take this link to find out about criteria, and timeframes for the close of nominations and voting. Nomination forms are available as follows: World Blind Union and Member at Large.

Wellington Seminar: Hon Pansy Wong, Associate Minister for Disability Issues hosted this year's Wellington Seminar Parliamentary Function. The afternoon at parliament began with demonstrations on: accessible telephone voting, real time scheduling (courtesy of Greater Wellington Regional Council), screening of an audio described movie and accessible websites. During her address, Hon Pansy Wong took the time to  acknowledge the many issues upon which the Association is working. Her friendliness, spontaneity and interaction with attendees was well recieved and appreciated. You can take this link to read her address and learn more of what the Associate Minister had so say.

We launched two further supplements to "The Great Barrier Brief": "Are We Being Taken for a Ride? (Issue 1: Nationally Consistent Total Mobility Scheme); and "Are You Walking the Talk?" (Issue 5: Accessible Telecommunications Services).

Local Body Elections - Are you ready to vote (a message on behalf of the Electoral Enrolment Centre)? Local elections are just around the corner, and you will only get your voting papers if you are correctly enrolled to vote in time. An enrolment drive is currently underway to get people to enrol or check their enrolment details. Everyone enrolled to vote has been sent an enrolment update pack in the mail.  Anyone who hasn’t received their pack isn’t enrolled correctly, and won’t be sent voting papers for the local council and district health board elections.

You can enrol if you are: 18 years of age or older; and  you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent reident; and you have lived in New Zealand more than one year continuously at some time in your life. Enrolment forms are available from the elections website www.elections.org.nz, by freetexting your name and address to 3676, from any PostShop or by calling 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56). 

The deadline to enrol is Friday 20 August.

Conference 2010 - Life is for Living:   Conference runs from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 October inclusive. We are in Christchurch at the Sudima Hotel (minutes from the airport) this year.  Blindness is not a barrier to getting on with life and this year's speakers will reinforce this. We will publicise guest speakers and their topics once they are confirmed.  Early registration is encouraged and to this end the Conference Registration Form is available via this link.

Focus - June Issue:  this link will take you to straight to the June issue.  

Summary of Board Meetings: Summaries of key outcomes of Board meetings are produced following each Board Meeting.  These are made available to Branches and others interested in following the Association's workload.  Visit our News page and have a look at our meeting summaries.  The most recent summary provides highlights of the Board's May 2010 Meeting.

Is this the Right Bus? This publication is a supplement to The Great Barrier Brief.  It addresses Issue 2 - Accessible Public Transport.  To learn more about the issues faced by blind and vision impaired travellers we encourage you to read "Is this the Right Bus?"  Hard-copies are available upon request, just contact our National Office and ask for them.

The Great Barrier Brief:  Issues identified in this publication form the basis of the Association's on-going advocacy programme.  Taking this link will lead you to "THE GREAT BARRIER BRIEF" and the Association's register of issues.

President's BLOG: The President's BLOG is a public commentary on issues of concern to blind and vision impaired people living in New Zealand.  If you have not already subscribed, now is the time to do so - the President's BLOG reflects the Association's perspective with a view to improving an understanding of blindness issues.  Take this link to vist the President's BLOG and hear from our National President, Clive Lansink..

Proposed Changes to RNZFB Governance: The establishment of a Governance Working Group in 2009, resulted from the Association's advocacy seeking a full review of the Foundation’s constitution.  Facilitated by Kevin McCaffrey the working group comprised Vaughan Dodd, Geoff Gibbs, Geraldine Glanville, Clive Lansink, Jonathan Mosen, Dean Rea.  The Governance Working Group's report and recommendations were submitted to the Foundation's Board of Directors in November 2009.  The report and recommendations are now publicly available.

Schedule of Association 2010 Board Meetings: The Board's next meeting is the weekend of 11-12 September.  Meetings for the remainder of the year are scheduled to be held at the Association's National Office as follows:  19 November.  The Board's Annual Planning Meeting will occur on 20-21 November.  Observers are always welcome to attend routine Board Meetings.  If you intend coming along you will need to inform the Executive Officer approximately four days prior to the Board meeting.  Costs incurred when observing at Board meetings (meals, travel etc), are the responsibility of the "observer".   

Benefit Issues - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): This resource is available in all formats. The  FAQ is available by taking this link or you can contact the National Office for a copy in your preferred format.  If you are having difficulties with benefit entitlements and would like some assistance, you should contact the Association's Executive Officer Rose Wilkinson. 

National Feedback Line:  If you are keen to keep abreast of issues raised on the Association's National Feedback Line, remember Martine Abel records this weekly.   If you have missed the most recent bulletin or you want to hear an earlier recording, take the Feedback Line link .

You are encouraged to check out our Website - please feel free to pass on any feedback and suggestions for improvement.