Research and development
Access to quality research is vital for the RNZFB as it seeks to improve its services and influence social policy.
Current research
Cost of Blindness
We are pleased to make public the ground-breaking independent
research on The Cost of Blindness in New Zealand that
we commissioned from Gravitas Research and Strategy Ltd and Market
Economics Ltd, and the additional analysis by Dr Jonathan Godfrey and
Deborah Brunning from Massey University. The research identifies the
quantitative and qualitative costs of blindness to the individual and
the costs of blindness to society.
Read the full Cost of
Blindness Report and Supplementary Analysis.
Employer attitudes
A 2002 study of 18- to 65-year-old members of the Foundation found their unemployment rate was between 14% and 24%. Between 9% and 28% of participants were considered to be under-employed.
The New Zealand Human Rights Act 1993 prohibits employment discrimination against those who are disabled.
A study is currently under way investigating employer attitudes to employing blind and vision-impaired people. The research will focus on understanding what these attitudes are and why they influence employers to discriminate against or overlook blind people as potential employees.
The main objectives of the research are:
- To study and measure employer attitude differences towards hiring people with disabilities.
- To explore the origins of attitudes and perceptions towards people with disabilities (particularly the blind), e.g. are they based on myths or lack of knowledge?
- To determine what the discrimination attitudes are and ways these attitudes develop in the wider employer sector.
The research is due to be completed by the end of 2005.
Sleep disorders
The Foundation is working with the University of Auckland on a survey to investigate sleep patterns in the blind community. This research will be invaluable because there has been a lack of current data in this area.
Correct timing of sleep-wake cycles in humans relies on the daily adjustment (entrainment) of a clock in the brain through light perceived through the eyes. The brain’s clock runs on a 24-hour cycle controlled by morning and evening light.
Many blind people suffer from sleep timing disorders (circadian-related sleep disorders) due to the lack of light signals to the eyes. Sleep-wake cycles drift, which can cause social disruption and depression.
Melatonin is sometimes used to self-medicate, but taken at inappropriate times and in inappropriate doses may result in little or no help, and may even lead to the aggravation of sleep disorders.
The research aims to investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders in the New Zealand blind community and the use of melatonin to treat these disorders.
The pilot survey was conducted in January 2005 and the results will be published soon.
There are four phases to the research:
- The development of a survey specific to New Zealand.
- A pilot study conducted in the greater Auckland area.
- A nationwide survey of all blind people on the RNZFB register with no conscious light perception (approximately 287), an equivalent sample of blind people with conscious light perception (287), and an equivalent number of sighted people (287).
- Data analysis, written results and presentation.
Potential health outcomes of this study may include programmes to educate practitioners, pharmacists and patients on the appropriate and effective use of melatonin.
Social isolation
The RNZFB has commissioned a literature review to determine which commonly understood definitions of "social isolation" are relevant to the stated experiences of blind, deafblind, and vision-impaired people. To be completed by the end of 2005, the review will include an annotated list of research which might be consulted by the RNZFB. Its Strategic Plan contains an objective about reducing social isolation amongs its membership.
Recently released research
Randomised controlled trial of falls prevention in people 75 years and older with severe visual impairment. (The Visually Impaired Persons' (VIP) falls prevention trial; researchers: Campbell, A. J., Robertson, M. C., La Grow, S. J., Kerse, N. M., Sanderson, G. F., Jacobs, R. J., Sharp, D. M., Hale, L. A.)
Read the abstract of this paper at the site of the British Medical Journal.
Quarterly electronic newsletters
The Research and Policy Newsletters contain information on policy developments likely to have an impact on RNZFB members. They also list submissions made by the RNZFB and outline research of importance to the RNZFB's work.
Follow this link to read or download recent Research and Policy Newsletters.
You can subscribe to policy analysis updates by email, and the quarterly newsletter is sent to that list. For more information email: submissions. The newsletters are also available on the Telephone Information Service, option 311.