News
- Library buys new digital content
- Blind Sports Awards
- Southern Cross Games 2006
- Workshops about proposed changes to braille
- Pulse Data is now HumanWare
- New RNZFB website launched this month!
- Guide Dog Appeal donations continuing to pour in
- Glaucoma NZ's public meetings
- Goalball champs
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Library buys new digital content
The Foundation's Library was represented at a recent conference in London of libraries for the blind around the world. The highlight was an agreement to jointly purchase new talking books in the DAISY format for New Zealanders. This is the first time since talking books were launched in the 1930s that libraries have joined together to obtain better prices.
Work continues on the design of the digital talking book player. The results of this work will become clear in about a year.
Blind Sports Awards
Congratulations to the 2005 Blind Sports Award winners:
Totally Blind Sportsperson of the Year: David Monk, Lawn Bowls.
Partially Blind (B2) Sportsperson of the Year: Ron Syme, Lawn Bowls.
Partially Sighted (B3) Sportsperson of the Year: Tim Prendergast, Athletics.
Team of the year: Trans Tasman Team, Lawn Bowls.
Volunteer of the year: Donna McCaskill, Hockey.
Coach of the Year: Karen Brown, Lawn Bowls.
Administrator of the Year: Joy Thompson, Indoor Bowls.
Spirit of Sport Award: Carl Halliburton, Sailing.
Southern Cross Games 2006
Blind, deafblind and vision-impaired youth from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands will be descending on Auckland in 2006 for the Southern Cross Games. This is a great opportunity for Foundation members aged from 9-18 years old who are full time students to participate in an international competition. A wide level of skills will be catered for in track and field, swimming and goalball events – it's about participation!
For more information contact your local Recreation Advisor or call 0800 24 33 33.
Workshops about proposed changes to braille
Braille users, teachers and enthusiasts are invited to attend one of the Unified English Braille Code (UEB) one-day consultation workshops on braille. The workshops are being held around the country in June and July and run from 10.30am - 4.30pm.
June
10 Dunedin, RNZFB
11 Dunedin, RNZFB
17 Christchurch, RNZFB
18 Christchurch, RNZFB
24 Wellington, RNZFB
25 Wellington, RNZFB
July
1 Auckland, RNZFB
2 Auckland, RNZFB
29 Hamilton, RNZFB
30 Hamilton, RNZFB
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Please contact Maria Stevens, ph: 0800 24 33 33 or email: mstevens to RSVP by Wednesday 8 June or to discuss travel arrangements.
Pulse Data is now HumanWare
Recently Pulse Data changed its name to HumanWare. As the new name suggests, HumanWare is about humanised solutions and putting the power in the hand of customers. Contact details are:
ph: 03 384 4555
fax: 03 384 4933
email: nz.info@humanware.com
New RNZFB website launched this month!
After a lot of work to ensure accessibility and functionality, the Foundation's new website is ready to be launched at the end of June. The new website has quite a different look and feel in comparison to the current site and will match the Foundation's brand and the organisation's focus for the future.
Check out www.rnzfb.org.nz from the end of June. We love feedback so email any thoughts to comms.
Guide Dog Appeal donations continuing to pour in
"It was a very successful appeal," says Peter Taylor, RNZFB National Appeals Manager, "and we should definitely meet our $800,000 target and hopefully a bit more!"
At publication, so far over $720,000 had been counted – with buckets to come!
"We couldn't have done it without the numbers on the street so a huge thanks to every single volunteer for getting out there and collecting," says Peter.
A final figure will be announced in the next edition of Outlook.
Glaucoma NZ's public meetings
Glaucoma NZ is a charitable trust dedicated to preventing blindness from glaucoma. Anyone with glaucoma or who has an interest in glaucoma is invited to attend their public meetings being held around the country. As part of the meetings an ophthalmologist will be giving an informative talk on glaucoma. For dates, venues and more information contact Gael Wright ph: 09 373 8779 or visit www.glaucoma.org.nz
Goalball champs
The Australian National Goalball Championships are on from 9-13 June and five of our talented members will be heading across the ditch to compete.
In the training squad are Charles Tauhore, Gary Williamson, Dennis Wells, Darryl Sherwood and Paul Barclay.
Our New Zealand men's team will be up against four Australian teams and one Malaysian team and Manager Chris Orr says our team is looking forward to the challenge. Good luck!