On 1 March a workshop was held to begin considering the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind’s future. Over 80 invited participants attended the workshop. These included members, Board members, staff, Consumer Organisations, community committees and other invited stakeholders.

Presentations

Keynote presentations were made by Don McKenzie, Chairman, Sandra Budd, Chief Executive, Gerard Rahman, Chief Financial Officer, Lesley-Anne Alexander, Chief Executive, RNIB (UK), Gerard Menses, Chief Executive, Vision Australia and Dianne Sharp, Ophthalmologist.

Key themes from the presentations included:

1. The RNZFB needs to look to, and plan for, the future. Sustainability in the year 2020 was the focus.
2. The RNZFB can not continue doing what it has been doing in the same way it has been doing it into the future due to changes on the horizon. These include the aging population, ethnicity trends and general social and economic factors.
3. The RNZFB must change because it faces a situation where costs are rising faster than income is rising.
4. The RNIB and Vision Australia have both faced change head on and come out the other side as stronger organisations.
5. The RNZFB has faced change before and can face it again.
6. We need to consider the future of the next generation of the blind community.
7. Medical technology is marching ahead at a rapid pace and there is a positive future for reducing preventable blindness if advocated for by the combined sector.

Panel discussion

A panel discussion was held with questions from the floor. Questions and answers are contained in the full version of the minutes.

Group discussion

Small groups were convened and asked to respond to key questions during the course of the day. There were six sections including risks; what the Foundation should be doing; changes in New Zealand and their impact on the Foundation. Then the groups considered who the Foundation should be serving, its aims and its values. Key themes are noted below. These are in summary form only.

Group discussion key themes

Risks facing the Foundation in the year 2020:

1. Core services were not identified.

2. The skills of members were lost – members’ skills and knowledge was not recorded or passed on to staff.

3. The Foundation closed.

4. There was a lack of careful forward planning and recognition of the need to prioritize, particularly with respect to prevention and teaching/learning.

5. There was a one size fits all mentality.

6. We were continuing to do it exactly as we do now and not recognizing this.

7. Credibility was lost resulting in cuts to services and competition from new players.

8. Infrastructure issues were caused by changes in Government policies.

9. We attempted to do everything for all people which resulted in bankruptcy.

What the Foundation should be doing in the year 2020:

1. We would be collaborating and learning from other organizations (both NZ and international).

2. We would have a culture of excellence so that everyone wants to work for the Foundation.

3. We would be blind services experts and refer to other providers to get members other needs met.

4. We would have built a good cultural and financial environment. We’d lobby collaboratively.

5. We’d have put good environmental policies in place in 2008 and so reduced our carbon footprint in 2020.

6. We’d have honed the services provided. We’d have picked what we do and we’d work passionately at it.

7. We’d generate new income from commercial intellectual property and sell our services to people other than our members.

8. We’d be realistic about what we are good at. We’d have developed a corporate mentality and ensure staff wanted to work here.

9. We’d have flipped the pyramid – the organization feeds up, not down.

New Zealand society in the year 2020:

1. We will live in a different world.

2. Changes in the environment will affect how we can deliver services. We will need to have a multi-skilled worker – one person who can provide a wide range of services because we won’t be able to afford to send lots of people to one person.

3. There will be a rich/poor divide and more emphasis on technology, with a potential technology divide between the haves/have-nots.

4. There will be an increase in the number of people who are blind and have low vision, unless we do something about the health system.

5. There will be more disparity – global connectedness on the one hand and local identity on the other.

6. The changes in the population structure will result in a reduced tax base as well as ethnic and cultural change.

7. Everything will be faster. This will increase expectations and service consumers will expect everything to happen faster.

8. There will be a huge social gap between the haves/have-nots.

9. Lower socio-economic groups will use the Foundation.

10. People will be more selfish and want to know, “what’s in it for me?”. This will reduce the number of volunteers.

11. The aging of the population will result in a larger skilled volunteer base being available.

Who the Foundation will serve in the year 2020:

1. The Foundation will serve blind, deafblind, vision impaired people and those with multiple disability (if blindness/vision impairment is their primary disability).

2. Expand who we provide service to – give them to anyone who needs them but with some qualification – some will pay, some will not pay. Prioritize services to those who require a lifetime of service; add services for people who could benefit such as the print disabled.

3. The priority has to be those who are totally blind, but still give some service to those with moderate needs and if they have a slight need they can pay.

4. All stakeholders. We can’t lose track of funders, donors and supporters.

5. We should have a more functional, less clinical definition of who can access services and get in earlier to help with managing sight loss.

6. Provide service to those who self identify as needing services OR provide to total blind only and only give others reduced services.

7. More for Māori and Pacific peoples. Provide for people who want to learn independent skills whether 0 or 100 years old. Tighten the criteria and not make members pay.

8. Provide full access to all who need it. Give them the skills and support so you can move on – not carry you through life.

9. Broader disability sector or just blind but not low vision. And recognize aging and cultural change.

The aims of the Foundation in the year 2020:

1. We provide a promising future. Encouraging people to reach their potential. We provide access to technology support, training and education.

2. We provide specific services – only services we are qualified to provide and refer to others. We have a niche business arm and provide commercial services. We also have a lobby arm.

3. The Foundations doesn’t need to be there because there was a blindness cure and those who were blind were fully integrated into society.

4. We support independence and the right to choose independence and different ideas. Supported to move to others by referral. Lobbying for more appropriate health care so that people don’t go blind in the first place.

5. Equip to fit society. Connect with other providers. Proud professionals. Passing on skills. Advocacy to government and local bodies.

6. Focused on specialized blindness services not provided by others.

7. Don’t be an easy touch.

8. Continue to focus on participation and independence. Supporting and advocating for prevention – whether done by us or others.

9. The aims change and the focus is on responding and supporting rather than providing.

Key values of the Foundation:

1. Integrity, inclusiveness and key relationships.

2. Visionary, innovative, responsive, inclusive.

3. Empowering, people-centered, trusted, innovative.

4. Responsive, member-focused, collaborative.

5. Listen and communicate being in the real world. Accommodating.

6. Proactive and transparent.

7. Accountable with integrity. Member centred.

8. Responsible, proactive, sensitive.

9. Empathetic – fulfilment, professional.

10. Vibrant, open and adaptive.

11. Courageous, teamwork.

12. Collaborative, flexible.

13. Excellence.

14. Fully-funded.

Conclusion

The workshop concluded with a second panel discussion and a closing address from Don McKenzie and Sandra Budd. They thanked participants and outlined the next steps including that five working groups would be established to develop future scenarios and that two further workshops would be held.

The workshop closed with a Karakia/prayer.