Feature
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An exciting, evolving future
Gazing into the future is quite a challenge, since no one has a crystal ball that really works.
The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind believes that its membership is going to grow from approximately 11,600 at present. Sight loss is linked to ageing. And with the Baby Boomer generation now entering its 60s, there will be more members wanting more services in the future.
The main challenges, then, are prioritising services, and finding the funding to pay for them. This year, the cost of providing services will be approximately $22 million, with only one-third coming from Government sources.
"We've devoted significant resources to planning so that we get the future right – providing the right services in the right way – in a sustainable manner," says Board Chairman Don McKenzie. "Despite the never-ending stream of media stories about blindness 'cures', you can be sure that blindness, deafblindness and vision-impairment will be with us for a long time yet, and that the number of New Zealanders seeking support from the Foundation will increase."
During the past year, a huge effort went into consulting with members, consumer organisations and other stakeholders, as the Foundation's Board and senior management developed the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan. The draft plan remains a work in progress, as new CEO Sandra Budd adds her input. In the meantime, Foundation management is using 10 "strategic drivers" to plan future service delivery.
Those 10 drivers are:
1. Life skills development
2. Adapting to sight loss
3. Widening the help available
4. Strategic alliances
5. Keeping abreast of technological developments
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6. Effective lobbying
7. Being a good employer
8. Being a standard setter
9. Having effective infrastructure
10. Reflecting the profile of the community
When finalized, the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan will put more "flesh" on these 10 drivers.
In the meantime, it's important to provide an update on the wide range of services provided by the Foundation, and to look at some of the new services – or new ways of service delivery – that are already in the Foundation's crystal ball.
Perhaps surprisingly, a large percentage of members only tap into one or two Foundation services in a given year.
"It's important that members are up-to-date about the services we offer, and that they continue to tell us which services are most important to them," says CEO Sandra Budd.
An overview of Foundation's main services includes:
- Everyday life - daily living, counselling, equipment, financial assistance, volunteer assistance.
- Finding your way around - Orientation & Mobility (O&M) and Guide Dogs.
- Participating in the community - employment assistance, peer support, recreation, volunteering.
- Reading and writing in audio, braille and other formats - library, Telephone Information Service, accessible formats (braille, audio, electronic text, and large print), adaptive communications and technology.
- Services for: Māori, Pacific peoples, deafblind members, children, students.
New horizons
Outlook readers will know that there have been two hugely important pilot programmes completed in the past year that are already shaping our future. Of course we are talking about the "Digital Talking Books" and "Seeing the Possibilities" pilots.
The Foundation Board recently approved in principle the decision
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to retire our analogue (tape) talking book machines – most of which are over 20 years old - and replace them in the next few years with digital talking book machines. It will most likely be out with the postman and in with the internet; and the machines will be easy and simple to operate.
The 40 members who participated in the digital talking book pilot – all but one over age 60 – were delighted with the improved sound quality and the ability to get a new book at the push of a button. In future, members will also love having access to thousands of more books, possibly from right round the world. And since these new digital talking books will be in DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) format, members will be able to scan chapters or headlines, or search for words, or do just about anything that sighted readers do (and take for granted).
Seeing the Possibilities
The "Seeing the Possibilities" pilot, conducted in Dunedin, Christchurch and South Auckland, proved that delivering services to new members can be done more effectively as well as quickly and efficiently by bringing them to our centres, rather than having Foundation staff always going to their homes. Existing Foundation members shared with new members how they overcame the challenges of their sight loss, and the "peer support" was hugely beneficial to everyone involved. Foundation staff were able to do some initial assessments of new member needs and teach different ways to manage everyday tasks.
"And that is so much better than there being weeks or months between assessment and delivering services," says Adrienne Henderson, Divisional Manager Quality Assurance, who managed the pilot. "We're now developing the best model for delivering services to new and existing members. Depending on the city, it's likely to include a combination of centre-based service delivery and one-on-one assistance. Getting the balance right will be the key." (See story on page 25 for more information about a new initiative for faster service delivery).
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Technology goes mobile
The same "combination approach" to service delivery is also being used to great success by the Adaptive Technology team. Not only are they delivering intensive Adaptive Technology courses from the Auckland and Wellington classrooms. Mobile Adaptive Technology Training Units are also taking AT services to places like community centres and member homes.
"We're also making every effort to deliver what members want. Some members only want to learn how to send emails to their grandkids. Others wanted to get better at using Microsoft Word, so we are offering short courses on those," says Neil Jarvis, Adaptive Technology Manager, who is blind himself.
The Foundation is supported by the skills and expertise of its approximately 320 staff and a dedicated force of 2,200 registered volunteers. At special times like an annual appeal, volunteer numbers can swell to over 12,000.
Employment Services
"We've had significant success over the last two years with placing members in employment and helping members stay in their jobs even when they have lost some or all of their sight. We can only do so much because of limited funding, but we know that helping members get or retain jobs is enormously important, and we will continue to develop this programme," says Thomas Bryan, Manager of Employment Services.
'OF the Blind'
At the governance level, Don McKenzie says the RNZFB is fully committed to excellence in governance by people who know the "business we're in, sighted or blind."
"Six of our 10 board directors are blind or vision-impaired, and we're always looking at ways for the blindness community to get involved in our business planning, to vote or even run for the Foundation Board or other Boards."
Sandra Budd adds that the Foundation's future will increasingly be developed by tapping into the "desires, needs and wisdom" of individual members, consumer
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organisations, and community committees.
"Since I was appointed as CEO in July, I have been amazed at the dynamics of this organisation - the commitment of the members, volunteers and the staff – everyone wanting to work together to provide the best services they can for members."
"How will we do that into the future? Well, if we had the crystal ball on the cover of Outlook, we would know exactly. But since we don't, we'll just have to continue improving and evolving as we go. And that's what makes it so exciting."
Or to borrow a famous quote from Alan Kay: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
Foundation Facts
- Members 11,575
- Female 7,170
- Male 4,405
Age
- 80 years and over 6,035
- 65 - 79 years old 1,810
- 20 - 64 years old 2,919
- under 20 years old 811
Ethnicity
- NZ European 9,543
- Māori 731
- Pacific Island 342
- Asian 131
- Other 828
Membership by diagnosis (top 5)
- Age related macular degeneration 4,904
- Glaucoma 674
- Retinitis pigmentosa 446
- Cataract 357
- Diabetic retinopathy 332