Great blindness representation on the Auckland Council Disability Leadership Group

Auckland Mayor Len Brown recently announced the membership of Auckland Council's Disability Leadership Group.

Eleven people have been selected including three blind and partially sighted people: Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) Ambassador and Vision 2020 Chairman, Don McKenzie; Association of Blind Citizens New Zealand President and New Zealand Blind Consumer Consortium Chair, Clive Lansink; and Human Rights Commission Advisor, Terry O’Neill. Also selected for the group as a strong link to the blindness sector was RNZFB Executive Director of Stakeholder Relations, Sara Peary. The group of eleven will identify and represent the interests of disability communities as they relate to council strategies, policies, plans and bylaws in Auckland.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, the council's governing body liaison for the group, said: "We need to ensure that we plan the future of Auckland with our disability communities. It is no longer enough to simply consult as an afterthought. We have an excellent group to guide the process and I am looking forward to working together."

It is excellent to have such a great connection in the new group to the sight loss and blindness sector, we look forward to the difference it will make for building an accessible Auckland in the years to come.