Profiles
- Focus on Employment
- Jan Scahill
- Dr Russell Smith
- Wellingtonian recipient of 2005 Chairman's Award
- Two decades helping blind children
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Focus on Employment
Thirty years ago, when Ivan Pivac completed his training in acupuncture, he didn't know he was joining a centuries-old tradition. In Japan, almost a third of the 90,000 licenced practitioners are blind. Ivan is still the only registered blind acupuncturist in New Zealand. He has treated a staggering 14,000 people from his home clinic in Auckland over the years. At the age of 57, he still works long weeks and loves it.
He attributes his success at acupuncture to it being a tactile art.
"It puts me on a par with sighted people. My early confidence came from knowing I had a good sense of touch. You're not just putting needles into people."
Ivan lost his sight at age 12, when his retinas detached. He learned acupuncture through listening to recorded books and taking braille notes and still uses braille to take down personal information from his clients.
Alongside acupuncture, he has been importing, developing and internationally marketing communication aids and special needs products since the late 1980s.
Employment consultants:Auckland - Emma Carreon ph 09 355 6909; Hamilton - Bob Wicks ph 07 838 7516; Wellington - Shirley Hampton ph 04 380 2149; Christchurch - Stephanie Lange ph 03 375 4319.
Jan Scahill
Jan Scahill has had her fair share of ups and downs this year. In the midst of coping with cancer she was given an international award for her work on behalf of deafblind people. The Richard Kinney award was announced just before the World Federation of Deafblind Conference in Finland in June, at which Jan was elected to its council as the Pacific region representative. Jan received the award for being outstanding in
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overcoming the challenges of deafblindness and for her dedicated work in developing opportunities for other deafblind people.
Along with husband Graham, Ross Brereton and Tom Rogerson, Jan founded the New Zealand Vision and Hearing Impaired Persons Society, which is now Deafblind NZ Inc. She also produces the organisation's See Hear magazine.
Richard Kinney was a past president of the Hadley School of the Blind in Illinois, USA and author of the book 'Independent Living Without Sight and Hearing.'
"The award, which is a piece of Swedish glass, was brought to New Zealand personally by a Swedish employee of the World Federation of Deafblind," says Jan. "She's apparently coming out here on her honeymoon."
Jan was given the all clear with her health in October.
The first recipient of the award, was Yolanda De Rodriguez, of Colombia. She was severely disabled after giving birth to her first and only child when she became paraplegic and deafblind. She died several years ago.
Dr Russell Smith
When Russell Smith's Cessna airplane crashed into the sea in August this year, killing him and his wife Marian D'Eve, the blind community lost very special friends.
Russell was the founder of Pulse Data, a Kiwi company based in Christchurch that made quantum leaps in narrowing the divide between blind people and technology.
"One of Pulse Data's most brilliant inventions was the BrailleNote," says Don McKenzie, chairman of the Foundation. "Russell was a brilliant software engineer and, more than that, a great humanist."
At the beginning of this year Pulse Data merged with a Canadian company called VisuAide to become HumanWare Ltd. The company now exports 98 per cent of its products to more than 30 countries.
Russell began his career with a PhD in underwater sonar systems. That led him on to developing the SonicGuide sonar mobility aid for the blind, which in the mid-1970s was a highly innovative product.
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Pulse Data came into being in 1988.
"Russell was a unique mix of philanthropist and businessman," says Mary Schnackenberg, who was the first blind New Zealander to earn an MBA. "I relied on his early technology – it was really critical to me getting my MBA."
Russell and Marian had only been married for a year, although they had been together for over 25 years. Marian's son from her first marriage Hassan Wong, who now works for HumanWare, says, "Mum popped the question on Valentine's Day."
Marian was an early childhood education specialist who lectured for about five years at the Christchurch College of Education on children with special needs. She also wrote a handbook for teachers on creating positive learning environments. Aside from that, she was tireless in her support of Russell and his business.
"There are so many people in the company who've benefited from Mum's support," says Hassan. "She had people staying at the house, she helped them to relocate here, looked after their kids. She was forthright and frequently in there getting her hands dirty. She was that kind of person." Gilles Pepin, president of HumanWare's Canadian subsidiary is acting CEO until a new head of HumanWare is appointed. The new appointee will have big shoes to fill.
Wellingtonian recipient of 2005 Chairman's Award
"Jill Waugh is a tireless supporter for blind and vision-impaired people in the Wellington region", says Don McKenzie, Chairman of the Foundation. "She has a reputation in her community for getting things done, and RNZFB members don't hesitate to seek her advice and help with problems – knowing that Jill will point them in the right direction. "She is held in extremely high regard and we salute her pluck and practical help at the grass roots level." Blind herself and a member of the RNZFB since 1982, Jill's
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background is in nursing. Despite vision loss, Jill was determined to continue working in hospital and care settings wherever she could in order to keep doing what she was good at - caring for people.
In 1995 Jill was elected on to the then RNZFB Wellington Advisory Committee. With the RNZFB's changeover to Community Committees in 2001, Jill took on the role of Wellington Chairperson which she retains to the present.
Jill's drive and determination to ensure that members don't miss out on any opportunities led her to develop several social activities.
Thanks to Jill, Wellington RNZFB members now have two book clubs, regular coffee mornings, new members' afternoons, Monday night Body Stretching classes and regular quiz evenings.
Jill's involvement in the blind community extends to holding committee positions in several other organisations such as Retina New Zealand and Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand.
Jill's nominators - Ina Smart and June Ombler – both believe Jill deserved this award."Jill puts in many, many hours lifting members' morale, assisting with problems and generally making their lives more comfortable", says Ina. "Her organising ability is outstanding and she is a person who gives of herself without stinting. We would like to think that her great leadership talents are appreciated, and this is a fitting way to recognise them!" says June.
Two decades helping blind children
"The greatest gift I receive in my job is the gift of trust," says Gary Veenstra, RNZFB Child & Family Social Worker in Wellington. "When a child, a teenager or a family finally reveals the issues that are troubling them, we are then able to move forward – that's incredibly rewarding." Gary has been working with children, teenage members and their families for more than 20 years and takes special pride in teaching skills that give them confidence. "The major challenge is to find the right resources and provide a service that supports young people to move forward in a positive manner, live complete and equal lives as individuals and tackle the challenges they will face as adults."