• Barriers to Employment Identified by Blind and Vision-Impaired Persons in New Zealand
• Submissions made by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
• Comment
• Websites of Interest
• The Disability Strategy – Progress Report
• Unified Braille Code adopted in New Zealand
• Biomarker Found for Age-related Macular Degeneration
• RNZFB Cost of Blindness Research

Barriers to Employment Identified by Blind and Vision-Impaired Persons in New Zealand

Steven J. La Grow
School of Health Sciences
Massey University, Palmerston North

Paula Daye
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind

The following abstract is reproduced from: http://www.msd.govt.nz/publications/journal/26-november-2005/26-pages173-185.html

Abstract

The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) has identified the low rate of employment among its members as a priority to be addressed in its latest strategic plan. The identification of the barriers to employment their members face, and the exploration of solutions for overcoming them, are necessary first steps for addressing this issue. This paper reports on a study of 95 members of RNZFB who were asked to identify barriers to employment, solutions for overcoming them and the types of training or educational programmes undertaken that proved most helpful in acquiring or retaining employment. The barriers identified clustered around two themes: (a) direct and indirect consequences of having a vision impairment, and (b) the attitudes and behaviours of potential employers. Solutions offered clustered around three themes: (a) the provision of disability-specific training and adaptive technology, (b) altering attitudes among potential employers, and (c) the provision of better vocational services. Vocational training was identified as being the most beneficial type of programme attended, followed by disability-specific training for adaptation. The implications of these findings in relation to existing policy for disability are discussed.

Submissions made by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind

Summary of submissions

Comment

1. Inquiry into the 2005 General Election – written and oral

The written submission provided an overview of the problems encountered by blind, deaf-blind and vision-impaired voters and made five recommendations.  The recommendations asked for: improvements to be made to voting methods including phone, internet and Braille; readily accessible electoral information, and; continuation in the improvement of physically accessible polling booths and venues.

The oral submission reinforced specific member statistics including the demographic profile and low internet use by Foundation members.  Mary Schnackenberg, who was born blind, spoke eloquently regarding the desire of blind and vision-impaired people to have the same rights as other New Zealanders regarding making a secret vote.

The committee asked how many members were Braille users; appeared concerned regarding the cost of the ‘ATM’ voting machine concept; were surprised by the low level of internet access, and; seemed supportive of the concept of secret voting and telephone voting, subject to security safeguards.

This submission can be accessed on: http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/newsandevents/submissions/generalelectionsubmission

2. Draft Flat Bush Community Plan

Flat Bush is a ‘greenfields’ development plan in the Botany district in Manukau City which is poised to become New Zealand “largest new town”.  The submission addressed areas of concern to blind, deafblind and vision-impaired members including: public transport; pedestrian safety; accessibility of public building and facilities; planting design, scheme and maintenance; increasing public awareness of the rights of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired individuals; accessibility of information, and; employment of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired individuals within the Flat Bush community.

The Foundation has indicated that it wishes to speak to this submission.  Oral submissions are likely to be heard in June 2006.

The written submission can be accessed on: http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/newsandevents/submissions/flatbush

3. NorthShoreCityCouncil draft City Plan 2006 – 2016

The draft City Plan is a ten-year plan regarding North Shore City Council’s services and facilities.  The submission addressed specific concerns for blind, deafblind and vision-impaired people and made recommendations on issues including: accessible design and audit of public buildings and facilities; public transport planning; pedestrian safety; accessible information; employment of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired individuals, and; public awareness of the rights of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired individuals.

The Foundation has indicated that it wishes to speak to this submission.  Oral submissions are likely to be heard in June 2006.

The written submission can be accessed on: http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/newsandevents/submissions/NorthShoreCityCouncil

4. Inquiry into Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

The Foundation prepared a brief submission on the likely effects of increasing rates of Type 2 Diabetes and predicted a three-fold increase in diabetic retinopathy related blindness by 2021.

The Foundation expressed concern about the potential effects of obesity and type 2 Diabetes and recommended that efforts go into a range of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies.  The Foundation also asked the Committee to note the funding pressures felt by the Foundation (just one-third of our $21 million annual operating budget is from government sources) and that, given these funding pressures, the Foundation would not be able to cope with the down-stream effects of type 2 Diabetes in terms of rehabilitation and adaptive services to members.

The Foundation has indicated that it does not wish to speak to this submission. 

The written submission can be accessed on: http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/newsandevents/submissions/obesityanddiabetes 

5. Proposed New Board of Trustees for BLENNZ

The Foundation broadly supported the proposed new Board of Trustees and affirmed the Foundation’s one place as of right on the proposed governing Board.  The Foundation stated that we would like to see a range of parent perspectives represented at governance level as well as a balance of desirable skills, ethnic, gender and geographic inputs. 

The written submission can be accessed on: http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/newsandevents/submissions/BLENNZBoard

Forthcoming submissions:

Land Transport Rule Operator Licensing – submission period closes 14 June 2006. You can access the website on http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/consultation/operator-licensing/index.html or contact Helena Sharples on 04 931 8839.

“The Commissioning Rule, Contracts and the Copyright Act 1994” – submission period closes 31 May 2006.

Websites of Interest

Official consultation processes

Two websites are worth viewing if you are interested in finding out about official consultations:

The Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives provides information on Parliament’s Programme and Select Committee activity.  Submissions called for can be accessed on: http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Programme/Committees/Submissions/

The Government website http://www.govt.nz/news/?ntype=CurrentConsulting also provides information on consultation issues and documents.

The Disability Strategy – Progress Report

Progress July 2004 to June 2005

The fifth progress report on implementation of the NZ Disability Strategy covers activity by government agencies that submitted work plans for the period July 2004 to June 2005.

Each of the 15 strategy objectives is presented in the report with measurable indicators, latest trends and data, a description of activity, and gaps and opportunities for further work. This information is complemented by excerpts from stories of disabled people and families and case studies of good practice.

Under the NZ Public Health and Disability Act 2000, the Minister for Disability Issues is required to report to Parliament by the end of each calendar year on progress in implementing the NZ Disability Strategy.

You can access this report on http://www.odi.govt.nz/nzds/progress-reports/july04-june05.html

Other information relating to New Zealand politics including speeches and announcements can be found on http://www.beehive.govt.nz

Unified Braille Code adopted in New Zealand

New Zealand adopts Unified English Braille Code. Braille News. JVIB p.56 January 2006.

On November 29, 2005, the Braille Authority of New Zealand (BANZ) became the second Braille authority member of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) to adopt Unified English Braille Code (UEBC—also known as UEB) as its national standard for Braille. BANZ was established in 1989 under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, and includes members representative of the wider Braille-using and teaching community in New Zealand. The decision was passed unanimously by the eight voting members of BANZ at its annual general meeting. The motion indicated that, by the end of 2006, "an implementation plan, including funding, transition, training, and timetable for the production, teaching, and learning of Braille would be developed with all stakeholders involved with Braille." After the decision was made, Maria Stevens, chair of BANZ, said she expected that it could "take up to five years" to implement UEB in New Zealand.

The UEBC Project to develop a single Braille code for literary and technical use throughout the English-speaking world has been pursued by ICEB since the council's formation in 1993, and most of the code's technical elements were agreed upon as far back as 1995. The ICEB is made up of the Braille authorities of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The UEBC was accepted in March 2004 by the ICEB General Assembly with the understanding that the autonomy of ICEB members would be respected and that member countries would be allowed time to consider and possibly adopt the code after consultation with their Braille readers and other stakeholders.
In May 2005, Australia became the first ICEB member nation to officially adopt UEB as its national standard for Braille.* For more information on this topic, see the February 2004 JVIB Perspectives column, "Should a unified Braille code be adopted for use across English-speaking countries?" available:
< www.afb.org/jvib/jvib980202.asp>; and the September 2005 Comment, "Unified English Braille: Australians Blazing the Trail," by William Jolley; available: <www.afb.org/jvib/jvib990902.asp>

For more information, contact:
Braille Authority of New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
National Office
Awhina House
Private Bag 99941, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand;
web site: < www.rnzfb.org.nz/ourservices/readingandwriting/braille/banz>

*This is incorrect. Evidently Canada adopted it in April 2004 and Nigeria in February 2005.

Biomarker Found for Age-related Macular Degeneration

Evaluation of plasma homocysteine and risk of age-related macular degeneration. Johanna M. Seddon, Gary Gensler, Michael L. Klein and Roy C. Milton. American Journal of Ophthalmology 141 (1) 201-203 January 2006.

High levels of amino acid may be linked to increased AMD risk

People who have elevated homocysteine in their blood, an amino acid that is a known biomarker for cardiovascular disease, may also be at an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. This research was conducted at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Devers Eye Institute in Portland, Ore.

In this largest study of the relationship of this amino acid and AMD, researchers measured the fasting plasma homocysteine levels of 934 individuals who were participating in an ancillary study of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Five hundred and forty seven people with AMD and 387 control subjects were tested.

"We found that elevated homocysteine in the blood may be another biomarker for increased risk of AMD," said lead author Johanna M. Seddon, MD, director of epidemiology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Seddon is also an associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. "Homocysteine can be reduced by dietary intake of vitamins B6, B12, and folate, so the relationship between this amino acid and AMD deserves further study."

Researchers found that median values were higher among people with advanced stages of AMD compared to people without AMD, controlling for age and other factors. Levels considered high in the clinical setting (above 12 mmol/l) were also associated with a higher risk of AMD. Seddon's finding adds to the growing body of evidence that there may be overlapping disease mechanisms between AMD and cardiovascular diseases.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness among persons aged 60 and older. With the elderly population steadily growing, the burden related to this loss of visual function will increase. Limited treatment options exist and prevention remains the best approach for addressing this public health concern.

Seddon and colleagues first proposed this potential relationship between homocysteine and AMD in the mid-1990s and published this hypothesis in a review article in 1999. She and her team previously established that smoking and nutrition are modifiable factors associated with the development and progression of AMD. They are now also searching for the genes involved in the etiology of this increasing cause of blindness.

RNZFB Cost of Blindness Research

Everyone involved in the blindness community knows that being blind or vision-impaired is expensive for individuals, families and society – in actual costs, time costs and opportunity costs.

But determining the cost of blindness is like asking how long a piece of string is. No-one anywhere in the world has come up with the perfect, undisputed research on the cost of blindness. It is just too complex.

Against that backdrop, we are delighted to make public the most comprehensive research ever done in New Zealand on the Cost of Blindness. This research was conducted by Gravitas Research and Strategy Ltd and Market Economics Ltd. Further analysis was done by Dr Jonathan Godfrey, Lecturer in Statistics, Massey University, and graduate student Deborah Brunning. Both reports are available on our website and in accessible formats through our library.

As I mentioned above, no research on the cost of blindness is perfect. Budget constraints meant our research included interviews with 200 of our approximately 11,500 members. Because of this relatively small sampling, care must be taken in "over-interpreting" the results, or extrapolating them onto other groups. Total figures in the "Gravitas" report cannot be used to derive a meaningful average cost per individual blind person - the range of actual incurred costs is simply too wide. Finally, the Gravitas research focuses on actual costs of blindness, not opportunity costs.

The RNZFB and the Association of Blind Citizens (NZ) Inc will use this ground-breaking research to inform Government and other stakeholders. It is our fervent hope that others build on this research over time, so that the world can improve its understanding of the myriad and enormous costs of the unique disability that is blindness.

The ground-breaking Cost of Blindness research is now available. You can access the full report plus additional analysis on our website.