Services Update
Page 18
Daily living skills for children
Children's services are a priority for the Foundation in the coming year. Along with our existing Children's Services, our next step to assist the needs of children and their families is to provide a Techniques of Daily Living (TDL) skills service. TDL skills will make sure that blind and vision impaired children can carry out such tasks as dressing, toileting, eating and grooming as independently as possible. These skills support them to keep pace with their sighted peers.
More books on the way
With new funding in the 2003/2004 budget, the Foundation's library will be able increase its collection of both braille and talking book titles.
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind has begun to exchange talking books with us while the United Kingdom's National Library for the Blind has also offered us an exchange programme of braille books. When copyright issues are resolved, we will be purchasing another 40 or so titles from the Royal National Institute of the Blind, UK.
Save Our Sight
The Save Our Sight campaign was launched on 31 July. This year's main focus was to promote blindness prevention as a public health issue. Campaign posters distributed in all the main centres during the first week of August and advertising in North & South magazine ensured a stronger public profile than last year. We hope the increased awareness of blindness as a public health issue will result in new funding coming into the organisation for the Blindness Awareness and Prevention division.
Hui prove valuable for whānau
A hui held in June provided Northland members with a opportunity to ask questions about vision impairment and gain a better understanding of issues faced by our vision impaired whānau. This initiative was well received and similar hui may be held in other areas of the country. Meanwhile, Pacific Services has formed a support group that meets every month in Auckland. Various topics are discussed and all Pacific members are welcome to join. For more information please phone manager, Veta Endemann on 09 355 6991.