News
- TALKS Update
- Directors Elected
- 90th birthday celebrations
- Strategic Planning
- Fabulous Funky Eye Friday!
- TEA Brochures
- AT in Parliament
- DTB pilot project
- Tauranga Holiday Home
- Language Line
- Westpac ATMs
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TALKS Update
We're delighted to report that Auckland, South Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin RNZFB offices now have mobile phones with TALKS Standard software on display. These phones allow a hands-on experience for members interested in purchasing them. The three phone models available through the Vodafone deal are the Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680 and Nokia N70. All information that comes with the phones and TALKS (i.e. the user guides) is available in accessible formats. Please call 0800 24 33 33 to speak with Hilary Bush if you have any questions about purchasing a phone or if you want to come and have a look at the phones in action.
Directors Elected
August to November is a busy time for the Foundation with many departments working on the governance elections. The Foundation has nine Board of Directors and each year the terms for three of them come up for renewal. Nearly 10,000 governing members were sent a letter calling for nominations in August. A voting pack in their preferred format was sent out in September asking members to nominate their choice for the three available seats. Announced at the AGM on November 4, was the election of Don McKenzie, Geoff Gibbs and Jillian Mills.
90th birthday celebrations
Virginia Oppenheim marked a very special occasion recently - her 90th birthday. And after years of helping blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders meet the costs of tertiary education through the Oppenheim Trust, it was time a party was held for her.
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Hosted by Foundation CEO Paula Daye, the early evening party was held in mid-October at Virginia's home in Waikanae. Around 30 people attended to celebrate and reminisce with the nonagenarian. The Oppenheim Trust was set up by the late US law professor Dr Leonard Oppenheim and his wife Virginia in 1989 to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary. Every year the Oppenheim Tertiary Education Trust gives grants to Foundation members to help them start or continue tertiary education.
Strategic Planning
As the final year of the Foundation's current Strategic Plan draws to a close the Foundation is preparing a new Strategic Plan for the next three years (2007-2010). Meetings were held around the country in September and October to gather feedback from members and other interested parties. Copies of the draft Strategic Plan were sent out for comment in mid November. If you have not yet received a copy, and would like one, please call 0800 24 33 33.
Feedback on the draft needs to be with Ruth Bijl by 19 January 2007. The final Strategic Plan 2007-2010 will be approved by the Board in late February and sent out to members in March 2007.
Fabulous Funky Eye Friday!
School children from around the country sent in hundreds of wild and wacky eye frames as part of the annual Funky Eye Friday competition. Each year Funky Eye Friday gets pupils to have fun creating eye-wear out of anything they can get their hands on. In the process they learn about eye safety and eye care. This year everything from jelly beans and feathers to pipe cleaners, Lego and rice were used! The joint winners for 2006 were Granger Hayle, 6, Cambridge; Michaela Hoebers, 10, Taumarunui and Dylan Conley, 10, Invercargill. All three received a prize pack from Dirty Dog Eyewear, the sponsors of the competition.
TEA Brochures
The Technology, Employment and Awareness division has
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recently produced the following publications:
Road Sense (sharing the road with blind and vision-impaired pedestrians); Adaptive Technology Services; Employment Services; White Cane FAQ; White Cane poster; Braille Awareness and DIY Braille. Also available are the following plain English eye condition booklets: Age-related Macular Degeneration; Glaucoma; Retinitis Pigmentosa; Diabetic Retinopathy; Cataracts. If you would like copies of any of these resources please call Alena Reznichenko on 0800 24 33 33.
These resources will be available on the website, at your local RNZFB office and in accessible formats in the near future.
AT in Parliament
In early September, following on from the great success of the recent Dunedin International Science Fair, the Adaptive Technology team took their display further north. Again in partnership with Vodafone NZ, Neil Jarvis and the Wellington-based Adaptive Technology team, set up a display in the Beehive to showcase the range of adaptive technology available to members. Working directly with the Hon Ruth Dyson, Minister for Disability Issues and her staff to arrange the event, the display provided an excellent opportunity to highlight the innovative relationship that exists between the Foundation and Vodafone and to inform politicians and government advisors about adaptive technology. Thanks to Wellington RNZFB staff who helped with setting up the display and with 'manning the stand'.
DTB pilot project
It's full steam ahead with the Digital Talking Book Pilot Project. Mary Schnackenberg, Divisional Manager Adaptive Support, said that as of mid-October 12 members had trialed the player with pleasing results. "The pilot is going well. There have been a few
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hiccups but that's what performing a pilot is about, ironing out these issues. But the overwhelming response from members has been extremely positive. We literally had to pry the player from the hands of a couple of members when their trial period finished!" By early 2007 the Library expects 40 members will have participated in the trial. "The trial to date has demonstrated that the principle of the player and internet delivery works. Our next consideration is the scalability of the project moving forward. Early next year we expect to deliver to the Board a cost comparison between staying with postal delivery of physical objects or moving to an internet delivery system. It's an exciting time for our Library and members."
Tauranga Holiday Home
The summer holidays are nearly here. How about taking some time out at the Foundation holiday home in Tauranga? The bach is a two bedroom place that sleeps six with a two minute walk to the beach in Matua, Tauranga. It is available to members for $50 per night. Please contact Karen McIntosh on 0800 24 33 33 to find out more.
Language Line
Language Line is a service offered by the Office of Ethnic Affairs. Clients of the participating agencies can access a free telephone interpretation service in 38 different languages. Over 50,000 successful interpreting sessions have taken place since Language Line first began in April 2003. Agencies registered include the Human Rights Commission, Auckland City Council and the Ministry of Social Development. For further information visit www.ethnicaffairs.govt.nz
Westpac ATMs
Following consultation with the Association of Blind Citizens NZ, Westpac piloted its first Talking ATM in February of this year. It now has 56 machines located around the country. Westpac is the first of NZ's trading banks to introduce Talking ATMs. Westpac's policy is to replace its old machines with Talking ATMs over the next five years. To use a Talking ATM all you need are standard headphones which plug into the jack on the ATM. Users can take a "tour" of the features; the keypad as opposed to the keys either side of the screen are used to navigate through the options. The ABC NZ is making progress with other major banks in this area. The NZ Association of Credit Unions was the first of NZ's banks to install Talking ATMs. This occurred early in 2005 - now, approximately 18 of their 30 ATMs are accessible to blind and vision-impaired customers.