• Introduction
• Story One: Teaching blindness skills for 6/60s
• Story Two: Investing in Members
• Story Three: The Experts
• Story Four: For members, by members
• Story Five: Getting on with life
• Pointers for the Foundation from the Strategic Leadership Institute
• Appendix One: Working groups participants

Introduction

The following 'stories' have been created by groups comprising members, Board members, staff, representatives of consumer organisations, community committees and other stakeholders. The stories do not represent the personal views of any of the participants. The stories are designed to present ideas about what the Foundation may be like in the year 2020.

The stories were developed in response to the financial analysis that demonstrated that the Foundation will be $2 million in deficit by 2012, and $10 million in deficit by 2020, if it carries on as it is today. Information about this situation was provided to stakeholders at a workshop held on 1 March. The same information was also communicated broadly to stakeholders through a range of channels including the Foundation's Telephone Information Service (TIS) and the website.

This stage of Project 2020 – Sustaining our Future focussed solely on ideas. The next phase will focus on analysis of these strategic options or models.

Have your say

Not everyone can attend the 14 June workshop where the stories will be discussed. If you have a view that you would like to express, and you are not attending the workshop, please talk with someone who is or send us your views. You can do this via TIS, our website or 2020 or post to Project 2020, Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, Private Bag 99941, Newmarket, Auckland. We look forward to hearing from you.

What happens next?

The stories will be discussed on 14 June. During this, new ideas will be sought or existing ideas re-woven. Then there will be an analytical phase where a small group of experts consider the stories or strategic options. They will be looking at the viability of the options. This information will be provided to interested stakeholders in late August. Consultation feedback will be sought via TIS, email, etc. and a final workshop will be held on 6 September. As with the other workshops, a range of stakeholders will be invited to attend. Following this, an options paper will be prepared for the Board. This options paper will set out the options including their feasibility and acceptability. Based on this information, the Board will set a direction for the Foundation.

Five stories are presented now along with a few notes that came out of a Strategic Leadership Institute course for which the Foundation provided a case study. Some consistent themes emerged from the stories. These included the need to consider:

• Increasing our lobbying activity
• Reviewing and altering our property arrangements and investments
• Changing the structure of the workforce
• Shedding some services
• Delivering less services one – to – one in the home
• Providing much better information
• Being clearer about what we do
• Making better use of technology and remote, eg. Webcam
• Being at the forefront of standards and quality
• Building our profile.

Story One: Teaching blindness skills for 6/60s

In this story the Foundation focuses on its core business. That is, teaching blindness skills. The Foundation has narrowed the eligibility criteria for access to services and only delivers services to people who have vision of 6/60 or less.

A. Assumptions and responses regarding 2020

Economic

1. In 2020, the Foundation cannot afford to do everything we now do, so we need to be selective about what we provide.

2. In 2020, there is increased competition and fragmentation of national funding for services so the Foundation needs to be more resourceful.

3. In 2020, there is competition for service delivery funding. To be the provider of choice, the Foundation must harness and hold blindness-related knowledge and be recognised as the pre-eminent experts in blindness.

Political / Legal

4. In 2020, to get what the Foundation needs it must lobby successfully.

Ethical/Social

5. In 2020, the ethnic mix is more diverse so the Foundation needs to be more culturally responsive.

6. Society is more individualistic and demanding so the Foundation needs to communicate more effectively how it makes a difference.

7. In 2020, people will be happy to pay but they will have higher expectations of service delivery.

8. There is a risk that member numbers will continually increase but we need to limit member numbers in order to provide effective services. To minimise member numbers the Foundation needs to advocate for blindness prevention.

Technological

9. In 2020, technology is accelerating. The Foundation needs to keep ahead to ensure accessibility is built in so members' needs are met. It also needs to provide training to help blind people keep ahead of technology changes.

10. In 2020, society and knowledge are moving even more rapidly. To be effective in this environment, the Foundation needs to find, engage and hold staff that can continually learn and adapt.

B. Vision, Mission and Values

Who the Foundation provides services to in 2020

Members are adults with vision of 6/60 or 10 degrees or less.

Vision

To promote independent choices.

Mission

The Foundation focuses it efforts on:

1. Teaching blindness skills.

2. Building blindness knowledge.

3. Advocating for the removal of barriers.

Values

1. Internally and externally consistent or congruent.

2. Empowering members to develop the skills they need.

3. Member directed - members determine their own and the organisation's pathway.

4. Collaborative and consultative.

5. Taking a team approach to providing services.

6. Creative, flexible and adaptable.

C. Strategic Options

Teaching blindness skills

The Foundation is a Needs Assessment Service Coordination Agency (NASC). We receive government funding to provide Needs Assessment and Service Coordination services. Ophthalmologists and Optometrists refer members to the Foundation if they meet our eligibility criteria of 6/60 or a field of 10 degrees or less. If not, they are referred to low-vision clinics or optometrists who specialise in the field of low vision aids. We refer members following their assessment either to our own blindness-specific rehabilitation services or alternatively to other agencies that are better placed to meet needs such as deafblindness, or already provide well-established services such as counselling.

Our NASC staff are based at one of our three offices or they are co-located with another NASC agency throughout the country.

The Foundation provides world-class assessment and rehabilitation services through our three centres, where residential courses are also held. The Foundation's assessment and rehabilitation centres are based at Homai campus (Auckland), Wellington and Burwood (Christchurch). All of our services are focussed at these highly specialised assessment and rehabilitation facilities. If members need support in their local community, this is provided by a local service provider such as an occupational therapist (OT) or one of our volunteers. Local OTs and our volunteers provide basic adaptive daily living skills in the home and assist with the learning of routes. They also provide a point of contact. Members who have completed a rehabilitation programme know that local support is available and that they're not alone.

If members wish, a family member or support person can accompany the member during their rehabilitation programme (or refresher). This is encouraged as the support person can also learn blindness skills and reinforce learning when the member returns to their local community.

The Foundation owns no other properties. We cashed up and put the money into other safe investments. We use the profits from these investments wisely. We are now fully sustainable and have been able to look at how else we can invest in our members.

Our three centres are owned or leased. Decisions around ownership and lease are made on the basis of commercial viability and flexibility over time. Off-loading our property has helped us get better government contracts, as we're no longer seen as being asset-rich.

Orientation and mobility are a key focus for rehabilitation. Instructors are specialists who are trained in the use of electronic, cane and guide dog skills. Electronic mobility aids are maximised but it is recognised that long cane skills are still the basis of mobility. The skills taught are fully transferable. Concentrated courses and refreshers are run. Advice can also be obtained by members remotely through one of the centres. All members receive an electronic device through which they can access a centre based instructor.

Adaptive technology is also a major focus. The Foundation provides information about options for adaptive technology. We provide instruction and provide support. This is paid for by the software suppliers. However, we find that younger members are now well versed in computers and tend to be able to pick up the skills more readily.

Other general life skills, cooking dinner, firing up the BBQ and keeping the house running, are also taught at the assessment and rehabilitation centres.

The Foundation recognises that one of the real benefits of its assessment and rehabilitation centres is that the contact with other blind people results in life-long peers, mentors and friendships.

The Foundation spends far less on service delivery as we no longer spend half our time driving to and from people's homes. To counter the downside of this, we ensure that the skills we teach are fully transferable.

The Foundation no longer delivers services that others can or should deliver. BLENNZ provides all the services required to equip children to participate in a sighted world, as children and then adults.

Building blindness knowledge

We are a training agency. We train our own staff, volunteers, members and external agencies. Our staff are highly respected in the blindness community world-wide. They are well rewarded for the work they do, both financially and intangibly.

The Foundation knows more about living with blindness than any other organisation in the country. The Foundation sets the standards for practice in blindness-related fields. Standards have been built into contracts with organisations such as rest homes who deal with blind people on a day-to-day basis. We also provide training to the organisations that members come into contact with on a day-to-day basis such as transport operators.

Best practice is recognised in all parts of the Foundation's operations. As such, the Foundation no longer breeds guide dogs, because it was never cost effective for the Foundation to do so. Stock is bought in as required from the best providers, locally or internationally. We still train dogs and work with handlers to build the skills they need to move round freely in the community. We have strong links with our international counterparts to ensure that our knowledge remains at the leading edge.

We are clearly focused on blindness-related knowledge. The Foundation does not get side-tracked into areas outside our defined portfolio of expertise. Consequently, we do not provide deafblind services, except for blindness-specific services. Other service providers provide services to the deafblind community.

Advocating for the removal of barriers

The Foundation drives societal change by advocating at a systemic level for issues of significance to blind people. One major issue the Foundation took on was prevention. The Foundation has driven the reduction of people needing to access our services. Most people who could benefit have been able to access treatments for their eye conditions. This has been estimated to have decreased the potential membership by 50 percent.

Members also have access to a wider range of technologies which are now readily available in member's homes. Reading/writing technologies are also more automated including for those who prefer to access their reading material in braille.

The 'written word' is equally accessible to sighted and blind people through the internet and public libraries. Public libraries now provide accessible formats to all members of the community including blind people. The Foundation is no longer subsidising the government or local councils by providing or distributing content, including talking books and magazines. The Foundation continues to reinforce the importance of access to information, although this is now widely accepted and understood by the community at large. The Foundation provides training around accessible information and points people to standards and service providers.

Specialist vocational services providers now understand the needs of blind people. Vocational services deliver equally well to blind and sighted. This has helped the Foundation focus on its core business which is teaching blindness skills.

The built environment is easier to navigate because of our environmental modification advocacy and consultancy. New and re-modelled buildings take into account the needs of the vision impaired community – and actually work better for everyone – from kids to the elderly.

Individual advocacy is clearly in the hands of a range of consumer interest groups such as the Association of Blind Citizens and Parents of Vision Impaired (PVI).

We have fewer elderly members than we did in the early 2000s as new treatments have become more widespread and as our focus has shifted to assessment and rehabilitation of those with 6/60 or less. As we focused our sights on those with 6/60 or less the Government was forced to better fund services for people with vision impairment who did not meet our criteria. This meant that low vision clinics took on more responsibility for the work they always should have been doing.

D. How we achieve all this

The keys to our success have been:

1. Focusing on the core business of teaching blindness skills.

2. Making sure that we put our all into ensuring members have fully transferable skills.

3. Getting government contracts for the work we do via NASC and rehabilitation contracts.

4. Cashing up our property portfolio.

5. Not undertaking work that others can or should deliver.

6. Many of the services offered in 2008 are now available from other agencies. Some services have been picked up by generic agencies including low vision work, library, job placement and counselling.

7. The Foundation has helped develop other agencies to deliver services to acceptable standards, in areas such as alternative formats and deafblind services.

8. BLENNZ provides all the services required to equip children to participate in a sighted world.

9. Reducing the number of members accessing our services by lobbying for access to prevention, treatment and tightening our eligibility criteria.

10. Really investing in the members we do have.

Story Two: Investing in Members

A. Assumptions and responses regarding 2020

Economic

1. In 2020 there is more competition for funding in general, including from consumer organisations. To counter this, the Foundation is self-sustaining.

2. In 2020 is still a significant need for services. The Foundation ensures members are well-informed about the opportunities and that staff have knowledge and skills to pass on.

Political/Legal

3. To achieve its objectives, the Foundation has built an effective political profile.

4. In 2020, it is even harder to be heard as charities are more professional. The Foundation's name needs to be at the front of mind.

Social/Ethical

5. In 2020 there is a greater risk of social isolation. To counter this, the Foundation equips members to take up options for social engagement.

6. In 2020, the Foundation has a clear policy regarding who is charged for services.

7. In 2020, New Zealand society is more materialistic and this impacts on the funding base. To manage within this funding context, the Foundation needs to be clear about the range of services it provides and deliver them efficiently.

Technological

8. In 2020, there will be an increasing range of adaptive technologies. To maximise opportunities for members the Foundation will provide training.

B. Vision, Mission and Values

Who the Foundation provides services to in 2020

1. The Foundation provides services to blind and vision-impaired New Zealand residents who meet our eligibility criteria (which is slightly tighter than 6/24). Services are provided to people who want them and can benefit from them. Services are provided free of charge.

2. Services are also available to 'pre-members' on a fee-for-service basis.

3. Others may access services from the Foundation if the Foundation profits from this activity, or if there is no additional cost to the Foundation.

Vision

Making a positive difference in the lives of blind and vision impaired people.

Mission

1. Enabling independence and facilitating life adjustments.

2. Promoting effectiveness.

3. Providing information and awareness and reinforcing a positive image.

Values

1. Proactive and solution focused.

2. Trusted and understood.

3. Collegial.

4. Using resources efficiently.

C. Strategic Options

Enabling independence and facilitating life adjustments

Enabling independence requires both individual skill development and changes at a societal level.

At the individual level the Foundation is working in partnership with members to ensure they are aware of their options. The Foundation ensures members can access services that help them develop the skills they need to find new ways to do whatever they want to do.

The Foundation provides information through a range of means including a phone help-line (0900 OBugger) and video link. The Foundation's website provides excellent information to anyone. The video-link provides access to an immediate back-up through a webcam facility. (A small charge for calling 0900 OBugger is paid by the caller. Use of webcam assistance is provided on a fee-for-service basis and staffed by volunteer viewers who can read a letter, label or say which two socks make the right pair!)

Trained staff provide professional helpline advice – often they are retired staff who work on a very flexible basis including working from home. These staff also manage contacts to 0800 SCREEN which provides an initial and immediate screening and prioritisation service. There is no charge for calling this number. Sometimes a call results in no further action because a simple solution is communicated over the phone or the caller is referred to a more appropriate provider.

For new members who meet the slightly tighter criteria (than 6/24), a home visit is made. The Core Service Provider (CSP) is skilled in a full range of blindness services including counselling, ADL, O&M and adaptive technology. On the first home visit the CSP usually spends three to four hours with the new client assessing, demonstrating and providing services. They provide a remote connection for future contact and come back for a follow-up after three months. The CSP has a van which is equipped with 80 percent of the equipment used. They sell equipment to members on the spot. The CSP monitors members' progress and is responsible for outcomes.

Members who have had a long association with the Foundation also phone into 0800 SCREEN whenever they require information or services from the Foundation. They are then referred to the right part of the organisation or provided with immediate phone advice.

Pre-members, people with vision impairment who do not yet meet our eligibility criteria, can also call 0800 SCREEN. We do not charge for the advice they get through this service. However, if they want specific services we do charge them at cost recovery. They can also subscribe to our wholly owned subsidiary, the Library. Pre-members pay a subscription to access library services.

The Foundation supplies tools, particularly technology tools, and trains members in their use. It still has a few staff who are specialists in adaptive technology and in counselling for more complex needs. All other staff are generalists. The Foundation ensures that it charges other agencies for services or equipment wherever possible. This is particularly so for employment related equipment and skill development.

Members support each other too. We still have a well used telephone support service which is a member-to-member phone chat line. Other electronic links are also supported by the Foundation.

The Foundation recognises that blind people don't live in a vacuum. Society needs to change too.

The Foundation is lobbying to improve the world we live in. Legislation has been enacted and rights have been improving for blind people. Our lobbying efforts also deliver appropriate funding for service delivery. We took the gloves off and became a visible lobbying force. We have a professional lobbying staff based in Wellington. We know how to get what we want and mostly, we get it. We shifted to a fact-based, moral high ground approach. We no longer accept that Government shouldn't pay for the costs of blindness. As a result of our effective lobbying, the Foundation now receives government funding that covers the total costs of the services we provide to eligible members. In fact, we lobbied on the general issue of the adequacy of government funding for disability services. There is now a Disability Insurance much like ACC – a government managed scheme which all New Zealanders pay into. This provides the funding stream for the services we deliver.

We also go after entitlements. If ACC should pay, we make sure they do. If a member is entitled to access funding for services we provide through another agency, we make sure that we receive what we're entitled to.

This shift was a change of mindset for the Foundation but it's now paying dividends. We don't have any fat, but we can deliver the services members expect and pay our staff what they're worth.

Promoting effectiveness

The Foundation is driven by the desire to be effective. Effective for members. Effective as an organisation. The Foundation ensures and can demonstrate that it is effective by closely monitoring the outcomes of service delivery. Outcome measures are clearly set and reviewed. The Foundation can demonstrate that service delivery is of high quality and that outcomes are maximised both at the individual and group level. This has resulted in more efficient resource use as the Foundation better identifies needs and understanding of how to meet them.

The Foundation also identified when another organisation could provide services more effectively. We are comfortable referring members to other providers.

We run a lean organisation that has a stream-lined infrastructure. This has meant that resources can be spent where they are most needed – at the front line. We have fewer administration staff, fewer larger offices and fewer offices overall. We ensured that infrastructure investment began to focus on paying long-term dividends so that we reduced waste. This applied to ICT but especially to buildings. Office locations are determined by population and workforce needs. There are fewer offices in the South Island. The old Christchurch site was turned into a retirement village many years ago. We maximise property returns and have not lost property investments. The Parnell site does not house staff and provides us with an excellent investment return. Adelaide Road in Wellington is a Community House which houses the Foundation and other community organisations. We have better managers and a flatter structure. The ratio of service contact staff to non contact staff is monitored and greatly in favour of service contact staff.

We have four key staff groups outside of administration:

1. Generalist member services staff known as Core Service Providers.

2. Specialist staff in Adaptive Technology, Counselling or Guide Dogs/mobility.

3. Fundraising/awareness staff, and

4. Volunteer Co-ordinators.

Members know they don't have to wait for services because there is clarity around service delivery. If the Foundation doesn't do it, we tell members who does – but we don't just put members on a waiting list.

Foundation staff are experts. The organisation has invested in them. They receive most training in-house and the stars are promoted. We recognised that they didn't need to have post graduate qualifications. We focused on getting the right people and building their skills in-house. Every single staff member knows all the basic facts of blindness, no matter where they are in the organisation. Our induction processes make sure of that. We work in a constructive, solution-oriented manner. Staff morale is excellent. Our staff do a good job, are valued and know it. Staff love their jobs, they know they're making a difference and they're paid what they're worth because the Government is funding service delivery at the right level.

We still have an unpaid workforce which is at the heart of much of community life. We treat volunteers as unpaid staff and recognise the value they add to the Foundation. All our volunteers are recruited, checked, formally signed up and trained by our volunteer co-ordinators. The co-ordinator focuses on matching members with volunteers (or other community services). They monitor outcomes through routine evaluations but otherwise, once they have made the match the relationship is then managed between the member and volunteer. We are very clear as an organisation about what volunteers do. We don't take on other organisations' responsibilities, such as driving members to eye appointments (this is the responsibility of the health service provider.)

We do tap into other organisations wherever possible such as Lions and Rotary. There are more regional volunteer co-ordinators than there used to be. They really understand their local community but they are clear about their boundaries and don't use volunteers to provide services to make other agencies lives easier (this is true for the rest of the Foundation too). Our volunteer coordinators also connect members with recreational activities.

We have focused on investing in children. Children and their families now have a choice of receiving developmental services from us or from BLENNZ. We have combined the CFSW and Developmental Instructor role – so that the family and child only need to work with one person from the Foundation. We see this as an investment – if we can help children learn the skills they need when they're young, they won't need so many of our services as adults.

We don't provide services to children with multiple disabilities though. CCS does this and we're happy that they do. We have focused solely on children with blindness as their primary disability.

Guide Dog Services is still a key service. We recognise its value in attracting the charitable dollar. It is our primary charitable funding vehicle. We have not seen much of an increase in numbers of guide dog handlers but we have worked hard to ensure that the quality of dogs coming through is excellent. We also have a very low failure rate. Thanks to GDS ability to attract funding it feeds funding through into other service delivery areas too.

The Library is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Foundation. It has been successful in obtaining full government funding. The Foundation no longer has to prop it up with charitable funding because it can access the local and national government funding it has always been entitled to.

The ethnic mix of the New Zealand population has changed. We have people from a wider range of cultures and our society has become more knowledgeable about and accepting of cultural differences. This is reflected in the Foundation's workforce. We have staff from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. They are well trained in cultural sensitivity so we no longer have a need for specific ethnic support staff. We do still tap into other services for translators when necessary but the cost of this is covered from the government.

Providing information and awareness and reinforcing a positive image

The Foundation understands that it needs to be the best. It as recognised as an expert in blindness. It is well respected both nationally and internationally. The value it adds to the community is well recognised. The community is glad the Foundation is here. We focused on quality control – both within the Foundation and externally. If people provide inferior quality blindness services the Foundation finds out about it and speaks out. We are clear about the standards required to be effective and we set those standards.

The Foundation is also clear about the importance of our good image. Our image in the community reflects on the organisation, its effectiveness and on blind people. We present a consistent image and everyone is seen to be doing a good job.

The first thought that comes to mind when thinking about eye conditions is the Foundation. This presence has been built through a combination of educating the public and members and our general awareness activities. We are clear about who does what, know who the experts are and do not re-create information. We are comfortable to tap into external expertise. The Foundation is also comfortable about referring to other agencies because it knows more about them and the quality of services offered.

We do provide training to other agencies such as rest homes. Any one of our Core Service Providers, Fundraiser/Awareness, Volunteer Co-ordinator or Specialist staff can deliver this. This returns a good profit which is brought back into service delivery.

One of the ways the Foundation profiles itself in the community is through its EYEBUS. This bus increases awareness of blindness and delivers eye checks in communities. New Zealanders are used to seeing the EYEBUS around. The work it does has increased awareness about prevention and that there is life “after bugger”! It has also helped the Foundation profile its expertise in the community.

We have been working towards the day when we no longer need to provide Vocational Services. Employers mostly understand what blind and vision-impaired people can do and we're glad that we're nearly out of a job in this area.

We have built the image around the name of the Foundation. We are well known to be about more than blindness and for being a blindness service provider. We have built a brand image that people immediately recognise and respond positively to.

The Foundation maintains its profile in a range of ways but is not dependent on projecting its image through physical buildings. We have carefully balanced our corporate image with community and regional needs. This is reflected in the selection of office space. Office space is still required to maintain a sense of community between volunteers, members and fundraisers but offices tend to be based on a small community house model. Shared services are common, as is the use of existing community facilities. This has had a positive spin off in the form of improving the collaborative relationship the Foundation has with other agencies.

D. How we achieve all this

The keys to our success included:

1. Focussing on professional lobbying efforts with a rights and entitlements approach.

2. Receiving government funding that pays for the real cost of delivering services to members.

3. Reducing our overhead costs, particularly in relation to management and office space.

4. Attracting the right staff and growing them into blindness experts.

5. Building our brand and focusing our fundraising efforts around Guide Dog Services.

6. Investing in people so they have life skills.

Story Three: The Experts

A. Assumptions and responses regarding 2020

Economic

1. In 2020, there is increased competition and fragmentation of national funding for services. This means the Foundation needs to be more resourceful.

2. In 2020, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is driving the requirement for businesses to be fully accessible. The Foundation needs to ensure that it is positioned to maximise business opportunities. To successfully gain contracts the Foundation has built its expertise.

Political / Legal

3. In 2020, funding streams are more diverse and include individualised funding packages. To attract this funding the Foundation is recognised as 'the expert'.

Ethical/Social

4. In 2020, the ethnic mix is more diverse so the Foundation will need to be more culturally responsive.

5. Society is more individualistic and demanding so the Foundation needs to communicate more effectively how it makes a difference.

6. In 2020, people are happy to pay. Options for charging for services are considered, but people have higher expectations of service delivery.

7. Without prevention, early intervention or access to information and medical technology member numbers would only increase. The Foundation advocates for blindness prevention to reduce the unacceptable incidence of preventable blindness.

8. There is a greater expectation that services will be responsive, localised and individualised. The Foundation must find, engage and retain staff who can rapidly adapt and accommodate choice.

Technological

9. In 2020, technology is accelerating. The Foundation keeps ahead to ensure accessibility is built-in so clients' needs are met. It also provides training to help blind people keep ahead of technology changes.

10. In 2020, society and knowledge are moving even more rapidly. To be effective in this environment, the Foundation must find, engage and hold staff that can continually learn and adapt.

B. Vision, Mission and Values

Who the Foundation provides services to in 2020

The Foundation provides services to clients with a functional need who can benefit from vision-related services. Services are also provided to deafblind people, people with complex needs and print-disabled people.

Vision

Supporting meaningful lives.

Mission

1. Widening the choices available.

2. Bridging the gaps between clients and society.

3. Advocating for the removal of barriers.

4. Reducing the incidence of preventable blindness.

Values

5. Internally and externally consistent or congruent.

6. Collaborative, consultative and inclusive.

7. Taking a team approach to providing services.

8. Creative, flexible and adaptable.

C. Strategic Options

Widening the choices available

The Foundation appreciates that people have different needs and want to make their own choices. The Foundation ensures that people know what their options are and who will best meet their needs. We have built a workforce that has specialised knowledge of blindness, deafblindness and complex needs.

While we don't provide all the services directly, we do know where services can be accessed and, if no one else provides it, we do. We ensure that other people can find out what we do and what others agencies do through our excellent website. The Foundation's website and other forms of online information help weed out some potential clients as they can access the information they need without us. Our information is available in multiple languages. Our information can also be found through other agencies and channels including public libraries and optometrists. In fact there are now information sources that we hadn't even thought of in 2008! So people can access information where and when they need it. The Foundation clearly brands information to reinforce our position as 'the expert'.

We deliver services in a range of settings. Some services are delivered one-to-one, some are delivered in residential settings, others in groups. We also deliver services in partnership with other organisations.

We are committed to getting good outcomes for the people we work for. To ensure that good outcomes are achieved we monitor services and how well they meet our clients' individual needs. This extends to services provided by other agencies. We also enter into joint contracts for service delivery – to ensure the best outcomes are achieved.

Individualised funding means that people have greater choice about what they access, whether from us or other providers. Sometimes we work with service providers from another organisation to develop a detailed support plan that details how best to deliver services to a client. But we don't then deliver the services. We monitor how well the services delivered by the other agency meet the client's needs. Our key worker monitors how well services are delivered to clients, even if we aren't the primary service provider. We receive government funding for this.

People refer themselves to us directly. Because we understand the total network of services and supports available, we are able to quickly refer clients on to other providers if we're not the most appropriate organisation for them. In some cases, this means that our primary role is referral. To do this effectively we do need to understand the individual and their unique circumstances.

The location of the initial consultation varies depending on the client's location and needs. Some initial consultations are undertaken in-home, some at our offices, others in the local church or community facility. Usually, we meet a new client in their own home and assess their needs within the context of their living situation. However, not everyone needs or wants an individual assessment. For them we make sure that tailored information is available. We deliver information in the format of their choice. For some people that's just a chat. For others it may be a customised list of services, agencies and contacts as well as more general information about their condition. Most often we do this over the phone or electronically. We also have easily accessible and readily searchable information on our website which anyone can access.

We think of the Foundation as an information broker. Having access to good quality tailored information makes a real difference to people. In the individualised funding environment this is essential. And knowing there is someone on their side can make the difference between just getting by and living a meaningful life.

The service provision workforce is made up of various groups. We have multi-skilled instructors who are experts in a range of blindness specific skills including adaptive daily living and orientation and mobility. They are trained to work with either adults or children. They also have basic skills in adaptive communications and technology. This means they can deliver most services to most of our clients. This workforce is underpinned by rehabilitation assistants who reinforce the specialist instruction provided by our expert generalists. Volunteers and peer mentors also reinforce this work. We also have staff with specialist expertise and knowledge in a range of different areas, including deafblindness, vision-impairment and complex needs, and access to information. The Foundation's training agency trains the rehabilitation assistants, volunteers and peer mentors.

The services we provide depend on individual preferences, local needs and available resources. Individual, group and residential services are all part of the mix. In some areas, low vision clinics provide many of the services. Our role includes referring people to the clinic and working with the clinic to meet more complex needs. In other areas, we provide services directly or in partnership with local agencies. Some people, with access to individual budgets, choose to buy services directly from us. Others have services purchased on their behalf by service brokers. We make sure that what we provide has funding attached in some way. The sources of funding are a more complex mix than in 2008.

The Foundation has a number of business units and/or trading arms which come under the umbrella of the Foundation. They share some resources but access different funding streams to provide some specialised services.

Bridging the gaps between clients and society

Building awareness of the different needs of our clients with other agencies and service providers is essential. If other agencies don't understand our clients' needs, they cannot provide the services our clients are entitled to receive. We need to do this because clients' needs are unique and/or complex.

Educating is a primary activity. We have government contracts to provide training in schools, tertiary institutions and residential care facilities. The more we educate, the better society accommodates the needs of our clients and includes them.

We provide training to other organisations. We understand that we can't do everything, but by training others we can help improve the quality of services available to clients. We are a sensory training school and have worked in partnership with other organisations to become a centre of excellence. We receive government funding for this training school which is bolstered by corporate sponsorship.

Another way we ensure that clients' needs are met is by encouraging the creation of contracts that require other providers to meet specific standards; standards that we have set. We reinforce this through building compliance packs, delivering training and auditing performance.

We train parents to drive the services they need. We give them advocacy training so that they feel informed, understand their entitlements and know where to go to get the services their child needs. Again, this is driven by access to individualised funding. For the Foundation to attract this funding, we need to be seen as the experts in blindness and vision loss.

Our skills enable the Foundation to provide commercial services to other businesses. We have a major income from our accessible consultancy service. The fact that legislation was enacted so businesses had to become accessible has been a real opportunity for us.

Technology has increased the ability for public libraries to provide service to print-disabled people, and the UN Convention has driven legislation and funding to encourage libraries to pick up this responsibility. The Foundation has provided education and training to the library sector and has joined with other print disability groups to advocate for equitable service. The National Library's Print Disabilities Service is coordinating library service and ensuring development of the collection - making sure audio, large print and braille collections are as wide-ranging as print collections, not just popular and genre fiction. The service's extensive collection can be accessed by any public library, and includes an electronically-stored braille collection which is embossed on demand. Material meets international accessibility standards. Foundation clients access library services through their public library.

School libraries are providing library services to mainstreamed children, sourcing materials and advice through BLENNZ's national school library service.

The Foundation still produces accessible formats. We have commercial arrangements with publishers to record popular NZ books as audio books and sell them to the public, including library services. This commercial venture subsidises the recording of less popular books and material that might not appeal to readers who can access the books in print.

Along with the international DAISY Consortium, we have worked with publishers to advocate for flexible publishing processes that mean a single book file can be converted into multiple outputs. In practise, this means that most publishers release accessible e-books for sale at the same time as the print versions. This technology is built into mainstream publishing software and is commonly used by Government departments and all kinds of organisations who produce information.

Some publishers have gone further, to produce their own large print, braille and synthetic speech audio books from the same file. The Foundation provides consultative advice on standards and certifies the accessibility of these products. With other publishers, we have commercial arrangements to produce large print and braille products, which we sell to individuals and libraries within New Zealand and around the world. We produce other kinds of information in accessible formats on contract to various information providers, including the school and tertiary sectors, for any print-disabled readers. Commercial sales and contracts subsidise production of non-commercial accessible information.

The Foundation keeps ahead of technological developments to ensure new and developing information sources have accessibility built in, and that we are using technology in the best ways to convey accessible information.

Advocating for the removal of barriers

Technology posed the risk of putting even more barriers up for our clients as it was becoming so visually focused. The Foundation put a lot of effort into educating manufacturers about the need to ensure that technologies were accessible to people with a range of disabilities. We found that by focussing on the benefits, manufacturers and our clients were both winners. We've also worked with publishers so they now see print disabled people as a market. Publishers have developed the technology so they can maximise the opportunities presented by this market. The spin off is that other information providers who don't have a profit motive, such as government departments, have been able to make information more accessible more easily.

The key to the removal of barriers was pushing for legislation that enforced set standards. This impacts on businesses, rest homes, government departments such as Inland Revenue, through to other service providers.

Training was the other key. We train people who provide related services so that they more effectively meet our clients' needs. One area where this has been successful is in counselling. We no longer deliver counselling services. We have provided training to external counsellors and they now deliver counselling effectively to our clients.

Reducing the incidence of preventable blindness

Advances in medical technology have led to a wider range of treatments for eye conditions. The Foundation advocates for increased funding within health services to reduce the incidence of preventable blindness. We also provide good information on eye conditions and treatment options. This has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of people needing to access our services.

While we have fewer blind, deafblind and vision-impaired clients, providing services to a wider range of clients has allowed us to take advantage of economies of scale and commercial opportunities. This has resulted in better services and outcomes for both clients and members. Members are blind, deafblind and vision impaired. They still govern the Foundation.

D. How we achieve all this

The keys to the Foundation's success were:

1. Building our expertise.

2. Tapping into multiple funding sources, including individualised funding, more effectively.

3. Partnering with other providers, preparing plans for service provision and auditing other providers' service performance.

4. Developing a two tier workforce of experts and assistants.

5. Lobbying for legislation which reduced barriers.

6. Selling our expertise to commercial organisations and businesses.

7. Producing information commercially for all print disabled people.

8. Not doing it all ourselves.

Story Four: For members, by members

In this story, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind has been renamed so that it is more reflective and inclusive of its membership. In 2020 it is called Vision New Zealand. Our central tenet in 2020 is 'For the Blind, by the Blind'.

A. Assumptions and responses regarding 2020

Economic

1. In 2020, income is more difficult to obtain yet necessary for service delivery. To deal with this, Vision New Zealand had to invest wisely before 2020.

2. In 2020, Vision New Zealand needs a strong volunteer workforce. There is an opportunity to tap into members' knowledge and the ageing population to obtain more skilled volunteers.

3. In 2020, individuals and families can now choose to be fund-holders who can 'walk with their funding'. Vision New Zealand needs to be the service provider of choice to compete effectively in this environment.

Political/Legal

4. Governments have defined rights for blind and vision-impaired people through legislation. Vision New Zealand needs to champion legislation that maximises rights for members.

5. In 2020, older people hold more political power (due to their numbers and active participation in the political process). This has led to more conservative policy. Vision New Zealand ensures that blind and vision-impaired people's interests are included in policy.

Ethical/Social

6. In 2020, social welfare still exists but there is a universal social benefit. Vision New Zealand ensures that the costs of blindness are added on to this benefit.

7. In 2020, Vision New Zealand is a more flexible employer because the employment environment is more competitive.

8. Vision New Zealand needs to build better relationships with other organisations so that members' needs are best met.

Technological

9. In 2020, there is more technology. It is easier to use and more cost effective. Vision New Zealand must ensure that technology is embraced for and by members.

B. Vision, Mission and Values

Who Vision New Zealand provides services to in 2020

Vision New Zealand serves anyone who has a major functional vision loss.

Our vision

To give a sense of belonging to people with a high vision-related need.

Our mission

1. For the blind, by the blind.

2. People with high vision related needs achieving.

3. Building relationships and our profile.

Values

1. Family and community.

2. Empowering.

3. Respecting.

4. Integrity.

5. Keeping it simple.

C. Strategic Options

For the Blind, by the Blind.

Our central tenet in 2020 is 'For the Blind, by the Blind'. We recognise that the people best able to teach blindness related skills and support other people with vision related needs are themselves blind or vision impaired. That is not to say that we don't employ sighted staff, but the majority of our staff are blind or vision impaired. This has all been part of 'getting the right people on the bus' which is absolutely essential.

Fundamentally, we have two tiers in our service delivery workforce. We have a strong volunteer force which is made up primarily of our members. We also have specialist staff.

Volunteers provide the local link and, most often, deliver basic Needs Assessments at a local level. They seek to meet new members' needs rapidly by providing in-home daily living and orientation and mobility instruction. Every new member has a support person or buddy connected with them. This provides an opportunity to reinforce learning and practice with someone else who knows how it is. Often the buddy helps reinforce more formalised instruction given by staff.

Vision New Zealand volunteers have been trained and sign up to a Code of Conduct that covers off basics such as confidentiality. All Vision New Zealand's members are part of our volunteer structure, unless they have opted out. This is the members' way of giving back, and also part of their contract with Vision New Zealand.

This approach requires investment in matching the right member with the right support buddy. We also invested in training members in the skills that help them deliver information effectively and assess needs. This has proved a win-win for everyone.

By providing services at a local level through the volunteer workforce we have been able to manage the costs of the organisation. Members are never out of pocket if they deliver services but the total overhead for the organisation is kept down. Obviously not everyone wants to or is able to provide support to other members and we respect this. Some members also fill roles outside of service delivery. This is equally important. We respect our membership, not least because most of us are members too.

We also put new members in touch with consumer organisations. This is another way to learn through the experiences of someone else who experiences blindness or vision loss. Members of consumer organisations have knowledge and want to share it. There's no question about people from consumer organisations being involved – especially when Vision New Zealand is making key decisions. Consumer organisations are seen as an asset, not a hindrance.

One thing that helped this relationship change was stopping the patch protection. We all have knowledge – staff, members and consumer organisations - and can all learn from one another. The other major factor was that Vision New Zealand encouraged consumer organisations to become self-sustaining. This helped improve partnership and respect. Vision New Zealand doesn't support consumer organisations through direct funding any more. We do provide them with office space and facilities in our Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch facilities, but we get government funding for this.

Consumer organisations do their own fund-raising – they better understand our shared relationship and together we manage this with a view to our shared interests. They don't want to hurt us and we don't want to hurt them. Some consumer organisations also provide services directly. If they can do it cheaper and better, that's great.

Vision New Zealand's specialist staff, most of whom are blind or have low vision, focus on what blind people say we need – literacy and independent mobility. Thanks to our volunteers who provide most of the Needs Assessments and basic services we don't need so many specialist staff. Specialist staff still provide some direct Needs Assessments but only for complex or difficult situations.

We don't deliver deafblind services any more. We supported Deafblind Services to become independent. This occurred in recognition of their different needs. We used a self-determination model to help Deafblind Services move towards independence. Of course we refer people to them and network with them routinely.

People with high vision related needs achieving

Early intervention is a key to success. To help people with a high vision-related need, Vision New Zealand ensures that people know about Vision New Zealand and seek out its services early. Vision New Zealand has built a strong profile in the community and people with vision-related needs feel that Vision New Zealand is there for them and can make a difference.

Vision New Zealand is highly responsive. We ensure that people who contact us receive prompt and effective Needs Assessment and service delivery. Our specialist staff provide an initial assessment over the phone at the point of first contact. This helps us understand whether a more formal Needs Assessment is required or if another agency is better suited to provide services. We have an excellent understanding of the other services available that could assist members. We often find that by providing good information over the phone many people's needs are met immediately.

For those that do have a greater need for our services we make an immediate link to another member of Vision New Zealand. This helps give a sense of belonging straight away. The supporting member is a volunteer who fits well with the new member. They have experienced similar issues to the new member – but are generally a few years ahead on the vision journey. They are located nearby and, most often, provide the Needs Assessment at the new member's home.

The Volunteer Co-ordinator is an essential staff member. They make the right link between the new members and volunteer. They also train all volunteers.

At the Needs Assessment visit made by the volunteer, the specialist services are explained. These include:

• independence within my own environment (ADL)
• purposeful and independent movement (Guide Dogs and O&M)
• accepting I'm OK (Counselling)
• tools for communicating (technology and Braille).

In some cases our specialist staff provide the Needs Assessment in the new member's home. We always make sure that new members get full information about where they can access services, including from other providers.

Other than this initial home visit, most of our services are provided in a group setting in the local community or at one of our three hubs. New members who want more information than we provide over the phone or internet can attend one of these sessions. The sessions are run by volunteers and specialist staff.

Our services are organised around three hubs. These are based in Auckland (Homai), Wellington and Christchurch. These campuses have a real presence in the community and help build our national and international reputation. Anyone who needs significant one-to-one instruction has the opportunity to come to one of these campuses to receive services. We run semi-residential 'intensives' at the Homai campus only. Intensives have a life-stage focus, such as our 'return to work' intensive. Personal attendance costs such as air travel are covered by government funding which we help members access. We charge a nominal fee for incidentals to attendees of an intensive.

Around these sites are a series of small community houses. These provide facilities for:

• group information and instruction sessions;
• hot desk office space for staff, and;
• drop-in centres for members.

The community houses are aligned with other like users such as Stroke or Diabetes Societies. The focus of these community houses is meeting members' needs. Vision New Zealand doesn't necessarily purchase or own these properties. Beyond this, Vision New Zealand utilises existing community facilities in smaller centres to provide group sessions for smaller communities.

We don't have office based staff outside the three main hubs. We only have contractors. They are still involved with staff meetings but we use technology much more effectively to facilitate staff and contractor contact. We use a mix of teleconferencing, video links and travel for support and training purposes. Having more staff on contract has also given us more flexibility.

Vision New Zealand is the agent for and importer of a range of equipment. We ensure members are well informed about available equipment. We source equipment from suppliers who provide the best value for money. But it is supplied through general stores with a wide community reach such as The Warehouse. Our equipment supply relationship is well developed. It is part of the corporate responsibility of the retailer. We have worked hard to ensure that this relationship delivers benefits to members, to Vision New Zealand and to the retailer.

In 2020, Vision New Zealand no longer provides the services it once did. Vocational services are not provided by us. However, we contract out our expertise to other vocational service providers. This is usually related to specialist tools for communicating. We do not run a library service. Members are able to download material from a range of other sources and find that their needs are well met thanks to advances in technology.

Building relationships and our profile

We recognise the importance of our profile in the community. Vision New Zealand has worked hard to define its profile. We focused on our community values and built our image around this and around being the recognised authority on blindness services.

This has helped build our funding base. We are no longer seen as a 'rich charity' as we off-loaded what proved to be the burden of Awhina House. We still have our service hubs at Homai, Wellington and Christchurch but they are clearly aligned with and recognised as service provision centres.

We still get government funding but it is solely for the costs of general overheads, not staff costs. This had the side-effect of stream-lining reporting requirements.

We just collect hard data. Data is kept simple and minimal. This has been helped by letting members choose more about what they access and control their own service selections. We use it more effectively for research purposes.

We have built our image around research. We don't do it all ourselves but we are now clearly seen at the centre of research. We fund some research and we tap into other funding sources. We are associated with disseminating research through our biennial blindness sector conferences. These showcase us as an organisation and help build our profile. Training is an adjunct to the conference. We are now seen as the centre of vision and have strong ties with the academic, ophthalmology and optometry communities.

We worked really hard to build great relationships with the Government, staff, members, community organisations and others that make a positive difference in people's lives. We are listened to because we are recognised for holding blindness and vision knowledge. We have been proactive in vision. We don't want anyone to lose their vision. And we are known for the excellent work we do.

Building meaningful relationships has meant that we have had to become media savvy. We know how to market our image in the community. We protect our image carefully. But we still take risks because we have the confidence to do so, and because we are a learning organisation. We have learned from whoever does it the best.

We have great relationships with other organisations. We know what they do – and what their expertise is. Everyone knows what we do and what our expertise is. This has helped us stop duplicating service delivery. We are clear about what we do and are happy to refer to others if they do it better. This includes referral to any cultural services that may be required to support our members. However, we now have staff and volunteers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and everyone better understands the cultural differences that make us who we are.

We still fundraise but it is smaller, smarter and niche-marketed. We have the skills and tools to tap into the heart of key market segments.

One relationship that is very important to us is the relationship with BLENNZ. We share campus facilities with them at Homai, Wellington and Christchurch. They have early childhood centres at each one. We are still there whenever they want us to provide specialist services in counselling, orientation and mobility or communication tools. But we let them take the lead and invite us in when they need us, or when the family needs us. We strive to provide a seamless service from the perspective of the family. We share information with BLENNZ so we never ask a family the same question unnecessarily.

We are no longer 'tied to Government' because we are financially sustainable. Government comes to us because they know we hold knowledge and are well respected throughout the whole community. They know it would cause them embarrassment if they did not listen to us respectfully. And we use our power wisely. We do not embarrass the Government unless we have exhausted all other options.

D. How we achieve all this

The keys to the success of Vision New Zealand are:

1. We sold virtually all RNZFB properties and invested the money in other ways, but we did it with care, giving due consideration to members' needs and how they could best be met in local communities.

2. We focused on our image in the community. 'Research, service provision and community-based' are now the keys to our image.

3. We reduced our reliance on government funding.

4. We focused on the skills and knowledge of members and built a new contract with them, based on mutual respect.

5. We engaged a blind or vision-impaired Chief Executive, and above all else;

6. For the Blind, by the Blind.

Story Five: Getting on with life

In this story, services are delivered to clients. The Foundation provides a range of services from core to preferred services. Clients can access core services as of right (based on our needs assessment) but preferred services are provided on a fee-for-service basis. Client choice is a feature of this story.

The average age of membership has decreased as many potential members have accessed treatments which arrested the progress of vision loss. This has been driven in part by the important stance taken on prevention. Prevention messages are a significant part of our effective campaigning effort.

A. Assumptions and responses regarding 2020

Economic

1. In 2020, users paying for services is expected. However, not all blind and partially sighted people are able to pay. To counter this, the Foundation clearly establishes individual need before delivering a range of core services as of right but charges for other 'preferred' services.

2. In 2020, there is a competitive service environment and members direct the shape of the Foundation, as they can shift to a provider of their choice.

Political/Legal

3. In 2020, political power is dominated by seniors. This gives the Foundation an opportunity to lobby more effectively for the rights of blind and partially sighted people and for preventive measures such as treatments for AMD.

4. In 2020, legislation has created a more prescriptive society. The Foundation ensures that it influences legislation to minimise unintended consequences and secures benefits for blind and partially sighted people.

Ethical/Social

5. In 2020, communities are closer, although not necessarily located side-by-side. To maximise this opportunity, the Foundation leverages the client's community to disseminate information and provide support.

6. In 2020, there is a greater divide between rich and poor. To counter this, the Foundation ensures it puts more tools in the hands of members.

7. In 2020, immigration has altered the ethnic mix. Service delivery reflects the populations served.

Technological

8. In 2020 is a wealth of technological opportunities and uses but an increased division of personal wealth, which restricts access to this opportunity. To counter this, the Foundation invests in training people in the use of technology and in putting tools in the hands of those who would not otherwise be able to access technology.

9. In 2020, technology is more personalised and directed at specific market segments. To make the most of this opportunity the Foundation drives accessibility for blind and partially sighted people.

B. Vision, Mission and Values

Who the Foundation provides services to in 2020

Anyone that can benefit from our services; anyone whose vision cannot be corrected by lenses.

Our vision

Giving blind and partially sighted people a fair go.

Our mission

1. Accessing tools for life.

2. Building confidence for living.

3. Spreading the word to change attitudes and behaviours.

Our values

1. Responsive and can do.

2. Even better next time.

3. Open and honest.

C. Strategic Options

Accessing tools for life

The first point of contact for a new member is usually over the phone. At this stage we screen a potential client to establish whether they have functional needs that we can assist with. This service is available free of charge. We also provide information at this time. We make this information available in a range of formats or let people know where they can access it so that people don't have to remember everything we have said on the phone.

There are then two options for individual needs assessment. New clients can either attend one of our group sessions at a set time for a nominal fee. They receive an individual assessment at this time. Alternatively, if they need or prefer to have a home visit at a time that suits them, this is provided for a fee. The fee covers travel costs and staff time. Sometimes we recommend the home visit option if we have concerns about a person based on the screening. But usually it's just personal choice.

Our preference is to deliver services in group settings. Many of our services are suited to this approach but more importantly, it provides an opportunity for peer support. Group tuition in a range of adaptive techniques is delivered at the neighbourhood/community level both physically and virtually. We have e-meetings and virtual or 'cam' links to foster contact without leaving the building.

Training blind and partially sighted people is still a primary focus for the Foundation of the Blind. Of particular importance is training in Braille and adaptive technology. We do much more of this through virtual classrooms. We even have a virtual teacher who provides on-line tuition. This has reduced both our carbon footprint and our travel costs.

Following assessment we recommend a range of services. Those that are assessed as core or essential are provided at one of our centres free of charge. Other services that would be desirable, but not essential, are also offered but for a fee. What is assessed as essential differs from person to person based on their life-stage and other factors.

Savings have been invested in areas like tool development. Investing in finding ways to make it easier for clients to communicate, get around or join in with other activities is important. Sometimes we just take the 'number 8 wire' approach sometimes we borrow from others. Occasionally, we do something entirely new ourselves.

We don't do everything we used to do because we've built better ways of doing things. We no longer distribute talking books and magazines. But we do still produce them because we wanted to protect New Zealand content. Public libraries are the key to distribution. We don't do things that other agencies should do, such as providing Total Mobility Vouchers on behalf of the Council. This responsibility has been clearly placed back on Council. This is true for other agencies such as District Health Boards as well. We also put the responsibility for eligibility for access to other services on other registered agencies and health professionals. However, we do still educate clients about what they're entitled to and how they can access it.

We do not provide services, other than those related to blindness, to people with complex needs. But we do provide better links with the agencies that deliver services to assist with complex needs.

We are clear about what we don't do, and we don't let other tasks slip in the 'back door'. For example, we don't provide general IT support. We do provide specialist adaptive technology support, but not general computer support.

We reduced our offices because we didn't need as many. We have around 10 offices but we don't necessarily own them. Our offices are located within a vibrant central city hub at a transport locus. They are in community houses with other community organisations. This helps people connect with us and they are happier to come to us because we have a 'community feel'. Equipment is on display in each of our offices. We also showcase it in other outlets such as diabetes centres and disability resource centres.

We also have equipment buses which provide a travelling road show and allow us to have a presence within communities where we don't have a permanent physical presence.

Mobility is very important to our clients and again, the skills are most often taught in a group setting. We are very clear about the benefits of group tuition to the individual and the organisation. Individuals get peer support from working in a group. If the client does not want to receive instruction in a group setting then they can pay for individual tuition and we'll be happy to provide it. The focus of teaching is on techniques, not routes.

There have been wonderful advances in Global Positioning Systems (GPS). We recommend them to most clients. They are much more affordable. However, we needed to be vigilant during their development to ensure that they truly meet the needs of blind and partially sighted people.

Guide Dogs are still important mobility aides for many of our members. We still recognise the huge brand value of Guide Dog Services and have carefully guarded the brand. We have kept the service as a pure guide dog breeding and training service although we have improved our connections and links with counterparts in allied fields, such as hearing dogs, to minimise waste and maximise the quality of our guide dogs. Guide Dog Services remains a significant asset for us in terms of its fundraising value.

For some clients, accessing preferred services and equipment is still difficult. To assist with this we have built the Pearson Fund. Clients can apply to the fund if they wish.

Building confidence for living

Training and skills help build confidence. But the Foundation knows that confidence is about more than training and skills. We believe that information is one of the keys to confidence. The Foundation is an information broker. We ensure that clients have information about what's possible. This information is about services we provide and what's available, regardless of who provides it.

We recognise that often it is other clients and members who are best placed to provide both information and support. After all many of them have been on the same journey. We create the space both virtually and through group sessions for peer support to occur. There is also a formalised member 'buddy' system. When a new client makes contact with the Foundation we immediately offer to put them in touch with a buddy who has similar experiences to their own.

The Foundation recognises that if blind and partially sighted people have more money in their own hands, they will have more opportunity to access life experiences. The Foundation advocates at a systemic level to put more money in the hands of blind and partially sighted people. How they spend that money is then up to them. Some of it is spent on services provided by the Foundation. We also lobby to protect the interests of blind and partially sighted people.

However, we do not undertake individual advocacy. Consumer organisations do that. But we do contract with Consumer Organisations to advocate on the individual level. We have clear contracts with Consumer Organisations and other special interest groups which clearly state what we are purchasing from them. We do not fund items that are not clearly defined.

There are services that we used to provide that we don't provide any more. This includes children's camps. BLENNZ is now responsible for children's camps and has taken on most of children's services. Although we still provide BLENNZ with specialist adaptive communications support under contract. Children coming out of the education system in 2020 are well equipped to participate in society. They come out with the right skills, attitudes and a positive outlook. We also provide services under contract for a profit to other organisations. This includes contracts for services such as web design and rest home staff training. If we engage in a contract for services, we expect to make a profit.

We no longer provide deafblind services. They are running themselves because it is a unique disability. We do provide shared services for them and other organisations, which helps us all keep our overheads down.

One of the simplest changes we made was helping people realise that the Foundation is for them. They didn't have to be blind. The Foundation is for partially sighted people too. This has meant that far more people are confident to approach us and access our services. Most of them don't mind paying the reasonable fees we charge.

Confidence is also built through better local links. In the local community we have built a network of Friends of the Foundation. They have an interest in the Foundation and show their support. They cannot vote but do receive information about the Foundation. Friends pay an annual fee with optional additional donation. They are also volunteers. The Foundation trains and equips them to deal with local issues or provide a 'pair of eyes' for our clients. Some provide lower level adaptive technology and IT support.

The other local community we've tapped into is schools. We have enlisted their support to provide better local networks. This has had a great spin-off for awareness, especially when a local child does work experience with us.

Spreading the word to change attitudes and behaviours

It's not just about what blind and partially sighted people do but what society does. We recognised the need to create change in others and are now a lobbying force to be reckoned with. We have been instrumental in getting legislation changed to the benefit of clients and members. We have worked to ensure government funding for blind and partially sighted children is adequate to meet their needs in the classroom, home and community. Not being a direct service provider of children's services has made us a more effective advocate as we were no longer seen as 'self-interested'. However, we have benefited indirectly as the children coming out of the education system are now well equipped to participate fully in the workforce and community.

We've worked hard to change people's attitudes and behaviours. Both awareness and prevention are important to us. We've worked to get the topic of eye health on the school syllabus. We support that by producing and maintaining an excellent quality school kit. All our kits provide information about the work we do and how to prevent sight loss. We are in with the health professionals and included in their education courses. A member is always available to go in to talk to a group. And we have supported them with a professional eye health, prevention and awareness kit. We now have publicity materials in every Primary Health Organisation waiting room. The information is simple, does not ask for money and is always of a high standard. Employers are now well aware of how a blind or partially sighted person can be an asset to their organisation.

This awareness work has assisted with building our professional profile, helped break down the barriers that our clients and members face and encouraged people to access our services earlier. Sometimes we charge for this work – but not if we think that the benefit is tipped more in favour of our members and clients. We've come to understand that awareness and prevention are long-term, ongoing investments worth making.

We have taken care to project an image that is both positive and honest because people see past the media beat up approach. Our media work and advertising have also helped our staff recruitment. We no longer have a recruitment problem. Our workforce is flexible and has the competence to deliver the task they're engaged for. Most of them are not graduates. We decided to focus on getting the right people and develop their skills in-house. Many of our staff are older and have life experience. A lot more of them are members or former clients. They all feel supported and part of a team. For the graduates we employ in specific areas we have set up a bond system. Once graduates have worked for us for two years we pay off part of their student loan. After three years we pay off some more. Our workforce is now far more stable and doing a better job – because we have the right people on board.

Prevention is now a significant part of our lobbying effort. We don't think it's right that New Zealanders are denied access to treatments. We embraced the medical advances and spoke out. This really helped our profile in the community too.

It was hard for the Foundation to realise that we had to take a position on ethical issues. But as our profile grew in the eye health area we were often approached for opinions about ethical issues such as stem cell research. Eventually, we found that we could not hide our 'corporate head' in the sand. If we could not be clear about what we believed in we would have lost credibility. It was a hard step to take. But it has also been liberating for the Foundation. Now members and the Board are focusing on the big issues and really looking after the interests of the blind and partially sighted of today and tomorrow.

In this story members elect the Board. Anyone who is blind or partially sighted can join as a voting member. Voting members pay a modest membership fee. Members are 16 years or older. In addition to voting, members receive information and a quarterly magazine about the Foundation and its work. Members nominate candidates for election onto the Board. But it is not necessary to be a member to be nominated to stand for the Board.

Acknowledging the special importance of children, Parents of Vision Impaired (PVI) has seats on the Board in proportion to their numbers. These seats are voted for by members of PVI only.

D. How we achieve all this

Some of the keys to our success have been:

1. Earlier intervention and people accessing services when they can make the most of them.

2. Breaking down barriers so society is more accommodating.

3. Growing our profile as a positive, honest and respected public face.

4. A steadier, more effective workforce.

5. Getting our overheads down and delivering most of our services in group settings (which also reduced our carbon footprint).

6. Membership fees and client service charges have helped produce a stable income base tied directly to the amount of service delivery.

7. Clarity about what we do and don't do. Not doing things through the 'back door' to prop up other agencies. Being comfortable to refer because we have built stronger partnerships.

8. Effective lobbying which reduced the potential membership pool as more people accessed treatments.

Pointers for the Foundation from the Strategic Leadership Institute

During the week of 12 May the Strategic Leadership Institute ran a training course for senior executives. As part of their training programme a not for profit organisation is invited to be the 'case study'. The senior executives focus their skill development on the specific organisation, in this case the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind. This was an excellent opportunity for the Foundation to learn from senior executives of other major organisations.

Some of the feedback they gave the Foundation included:

1. We have a great Foundation.

2. We need to consider the diversity of the Board and the skills sets required to lead the organisation forward.

3. We need to remove the treacle from the Foundation so that we can move faster.

4. We need to hold teams and individuals accountable.

5. We need to consider where our demographic needs us to be and consider how that is changing over time.

6. We need to change behaviours by moving hearts and hands.

7. We need to be clear about our purpose and values. We need to be able to touch and feel our values.

8. Be commercial, not corporate.

9. Work the RNZFB brand.

10. They want to see use 'thrive – not just survive'!

11. Just do it.

Appendix One: Working groups participants

The Foundation is extremely grateful to the following people for contributing their ideas to the 2020 project.

Adrienne Henderson

Chantelle Griffiths

Chris Orr

Delwyn Lopez

Dianne Armstrong

Gary Veenstra

Geraldine Glanville

Ina Smart

Jackie Lovelock

Jenny Rickit

Jonathan Godfrey

Kevin Prince

Kiran Valabh

Lucy Macintosh

Moira Clunie

Neil Jarvis

Neville Bennett

Owen Wilson

Paul Manning

Richard West

Toni Sharp

Veta Endemann

Wendy Chiang.

And with thanks to:

Ruth Bijl

Jean Boyd

Ruth van Welie.