Research and Policy Newsletter no.9, September 2005
- About this newsletter
- Falls research
- Websites of interest
- Key Statistics Conference
- "Dear Minister" - briefing paper
- Other RNZFB submissions
- Research into "social isolation"
- New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations
- Research centre for the community and voluntary sector
- Professor Marilyn Taylor to speak
- 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
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About this newsletter
This newsletter is compiled by Greg Morgan, Manager Research and Development. The next newsletter will be released in December.
The newsletter is emailed to Policy Analysis and Information e-mail list subscribers. It is also available on the Telephone Information Service option 311 and on the Foundation website.
If you would like more information on the topics covered below or would like to read any of the Foundation's submissions in full, please contact Greg Morgan: Auckland 355-6961; toll free 0800-243-333; e-mail gmorgan; or fax (09) 366-0099. You may write to Greg in print or braille or on cassette at RNZFB, Private Bag 99941, Newmarket, Auckland.
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Falls research
Foundation members chose to participate in this research.
Reference: 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.
Randomised controlled trial of falls prevention in people 75 years and older with severe visual impairment: the Visually Impaired Persons' (VIP) falls prevention trial. British Medical Journal published online, 23 September 2005 (in print press).
The following abstract is reproduced from: the British Medical Journal's website.
© 2005 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. The abstract is used here in accordance with the stated terms and conditions in respect of "fair dealing" and should not be further reproduced without consulting the site. The article in full is available on the BMJ site in PDF form.
[Abstract begins]
Objectives. To assess the efficacy and cost effectiveness of a home safety programme and a home exercise programme to reduce falls and injuries in older people with low vision.
Design. Randomised controlled trial.
Setting. Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand.
Participants. 391 women and men aged 75 with visual acuity of 6/24 or worse who were living in the community; 92% (361 of 391) completed one year of follow-up.
Interventions. Participants received a home safety assessment and modification programme delivered by an occupational therapist (n=100), an exercise programme prescribed at home by a physiotherapist plus vitamin D supplementation (n=97), both interventions (n=98), or social visits (n=96).
Main outcome measures. Numbers of falls and injuries resulting from falls, costs of implementing the home safety programme.
Results. Fewer falls occurred in the group randomised to the home safety programme but not in the exercise programme (incidence rate ratios 0.59 (95% confidence interval 0.42 to 0.83) and 1.15 (0.82 to 1.61), respectively). However, within the exercise programme, stricter adherence was associated with fewer falls (P=0.001). A conservative analysis showed neither intervention was effective in reducing injuries from falls. Delivering the home safety programme cost $NZ650 (£234, 344 euros, $US432) (at 2004 prices) per fall prevented.
Conclusion. The home safety programme reduced falls and was more cost effective than an exercise programme in this group of elderly people with poor
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vision. The Otago exercise programme with vitamin D supplementation was not effective in reducing falls or injuries in this group, possibly due to low levels of adherence. [Abstract ends]
This study shows that community based programmes for falls prevention should be aimed at particular population groups, older people with vision impairment can benefit from a programme of home safety modification (even falls outside the home can be reduced by modifications within it), and a home exercise programme was not effective in reducing falls in this sample.
Websites of interest
Charities Commission:
The new Charities Commission website provides an outline of what the Commission will do and how charities will interact with it.
SPEaR:
The Social Policy Evaluation and Research Committee is a coordination hub for government agencies and the social research and evaluation sector to improve capability, capacity and outcomes. SPEaR was set up to oversee the Government's purchase of social policy research to ensure the spending is aligned with the Government's social policy priorities.
States Services Commission:
State Services Commission website
Documents relating to Crown entities, their statements of intent for 2006-2007, and planning and managing for results.
Statistics about New Zealanders with disabilities:
The site includes snapshot reports about people with psychiatric or psychological, intellectual, physical or sensory disabilities. Details include their age, sex, and ethnicity, use of and unmet need for services and support.
The next official disability survey will be conducted in conjunction with the 2006 Census. For more information about the next census, see: the Census website.
What Everyone Keeps Asking about disability information:
The site is maintained by ENABLE NZ and is designed to be of interest to "people with disabilities, their families, whānau and caregivers, health professionals and disability information providers." Pages include a selection of links compiled under the title "Global Perspective of Disability" and useful resources under "Advocacy, Law and Standards."
United Nations Global Programme on Disability:
UN Global Programme on Disability website
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A portal to a wide selection of documents and sites on disability theory, programmes in action, standards and legal frameworks, etc.
The World Summit on the Information Society:
World Summit on the Information Society website
WSIS is a United Nations initiative in response to the digital revolution and the recognition that there is a vast gulf between the technologically rich and the digital have-nots. The digital divide persists notwithstanding the potential for technology to deliver more information to more people. More information on the reasons for the Summit is at: "Why a Summit on the Information Society". Phase one of the Summit took place in Switzerland in 2003, and phase two will take place in Tunis in November 2005. The declaration of principles includes "the idea of universal, accessible, equitable and affordable ICT infrastructure and services". ICT means information, communications and technology. The principles acknowledge that "resources must be channelled to marginalized and vulnerable groups, to ensure adoption and empower them." To see more about the principles, visit: "Key points of WSIS Declaration of Principles".
Key Statistics Conference
October 2005. See the Key Statistics Conference website. Greg will attend this conference, which is an opportunity to discuss "needs and ideas on the official statistics system with the people who count." Speakers at plenary sessions will include Dr Allan Bollard (Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand), Linda Clark (broadcaster), Diana Crossan (Retirement Commissioner), and Joe Bennett (newspaper columnist). Linda Clark will talk about statistics and the media, and Diana Crossan about the use of statistics in policy development.
"Dear Minister" - briefing paper
In response to a request from one of the Ministries, the Foundation submitted a two page statement of key points to be included among the officials' briefing papers to the incoming Minister. A similar statement was then sent to other key Ministries. The Foundation drew connections within the aims of the New Zealand Disability Strategy and signalled these areas of activity over the next three years:
- Assisting Government and other agencies to build a society that is both accessible and inclusive for Foundation members: a society that is equitable for blind New Zealanders. Removing physical and information barriers.
- Releasing the Cost of Blindness research before the end of 2005.
- Increasing Government funding for programmes in recognition that Foundation services are essential to the well-being and social participation of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders.
- Breaking societal barriers to the labour force participation of New Zealanders who have a vision impairment.
- Responding in a dynamic and sustainable manner to NZ's ageing population.
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- Assisting older vision-impaired people to live in their own homes. Lowering the waiting lists for services so that older blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders have the skills to live independently and safely.
- Reducing the social isolation experienced by blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders.
- Working with the Blind & Low Vision Education Network NZ on programmes to equip young members with core life skills.
- Continuing to attract the essential support of volunteers (both Foundation members and from the wider community).
- Securing funds to increase members' access to published information via a digital library service.
And the Foundation was asked to comment on its perception of significant issues for the Government to consider. It said:
- An ageing population means many thousands more people with the age-related vision loss that is the biggest cause of blindness in NZ. Rehabilitation for independent living will be essential to reduce the call on residential care and preventable hospital treatments (e.g. from falls).
- Being blind, deafblind or vision impaired in a visual world is a severe disability and entails unique costs. Assisting individuals to meet those costs (e.g. through a Single Core Benefit) is an investment in equity and should not be confused with income support policies.
- Much of society remains inaccessible through physical, cost, or information barriers. Key examples: public transport, education (e.g. difficulty affording adaptive technology), TV that is not audio described.
- Early intervention: more regular and comprehensive vision screening for vulnerable groups including children and diabetics.
- Lifelong learning and participation in society and the economy. Blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders need better access to equity-focused foundation and transition programmes (in early childhood, into school, to secondary study, into tertiary study, training or work, in career development and retraining, into retirement).
- Funding for adaptive technology and accessible formats for tertiary students is fragmented; there is clear evidence students are going without instructional materials. Education should be whole-person in approach, and yet frequently seems discriminatory in terms of the Human Rights Act.
- Amendment to the Copyright Act (building on the existing legislation) is required to assist the timely availability of digital talking books.
- NGO-Government partnerships to mitigate impairment and advance the New Zealand Disability Strategy vision of a society that does not disable citizens who have an impairment. (NGO stands for "Non-Government Organisations.)
Other RNZFB submissions
In recent months the Foundation wrote a small number of submissions to district health boards and councils on their strategic or annual plans, made a written and spoken submission on the Auckland Land Transport Strategy (Chris Orr, Blindness Awareness Team Leader spoke on the Foundation's behalf), and commented on the draft strategic framework for the public library
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sector. Despite the breadth of the strategic vision for public libraries, the draft framework does not adequately reflect the opportunities libraries have (and are in many cases pursuing) to make their services accessible to and inclusive of people who cannot read standard print.
Lakes District Health Board has written to the Foundation to acknowledge that "as a direct result of your contribution Lakes District Health Board has amended the following sections of the District Strategic Plan: Emergency Management Planning; Disability; Access and Capacity issues." Some Foundation members in Rotorua contributed to the Foundation's submission.
Recommendations and wording suggested by the Foundation were also accepted into the Ministry of Health document, Guiding Principles for Emergency Management Planning in the Health and Disability Sector. The Foundation's submission on the review of the medical workforce (Health Workforce Advisory Committee) expressed the view that health sector planning should demonstrate better understanding of the unique needs of people with sensory disability. The experiences of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired consumers could be embedded into all partnership agreements for developing and contracting health and rehabilitation services at the local level. Improved access to appropriate vision services across the country would help district health boards to deliver effectively on their administrative responsibility for primary health care and population health goals.
Individual Foundation members, Community Committees, and one consumer organisation assisted with these submissions.
Research into "social isolation"
RNZFB Strategic Plan 2004-2007:
Objective 1.7: We will reduce the isolation experienced by our members.
Key activities include:
- Research the key contributing factors to blind and vision-impaired people experiencing isolation and initiate measures to reduce these.
RNZFB Annual Business Plan 2005-2006:
Objective 1.7: We will reduce the isolation experienced by our members. Key activities:
1.7.1 Work with other organisations and monitor research findings to increase the Foundation's understanding of social isolation and how it can be addressed.
1.7.2 Focus recreation programmes on the social and peer support needs of members of different ages and cultures.
Outcome statements: The Foundation continues to examine the reasons members feel isolated and/or socially marginalised. The Foundation fully utilises its resources to assist members to participate in their communities.
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A national and international literature search is under way. Its objectives are to summarise definitions of "social isolation" applicable to the demographic profile of the Foundation's membership, to gain an overview of New Zealand policy responses to social isolation issues that are broadly relevant to the Foundation's membership, and to produce an annotated list of research which can be applied by the Foundation in its actions under the business and strategic plan. Completion date for the literature review is early December.
New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations
The Foundation is an active member of the Federation, and this month Greg Morgan joined its Executive Committee. Visit the Federation's website. Select the COmVOiceS link to view details of the media strategy to advance the voluntary sector. COmVOiceS is not an entity but a collaborative endeavour to reflect and spearhead sector-wide responses on issues and policies that impact on the community and voluntary sector. Among the documents hosted on the site are notes from pre-election policy discussions with political parties. COmVOiceS will use these to lobby politicians in the coming months.
Research centre for the community and voluntary sector
The Federation's website also presents information from the Community Sector Taskforce. The Foundation has been represented at some of the discussions around the development of a research centre or information clearing house focused on the community and voluntary sector. The overriding aim is to resource the sector with reliable research and to ensure that such research is implemented within the sector itself.
Professor Marilyn Taylor to speak
At the Volunteering NZ AGM in Wellington on 15 November Professor Taylor from the University of the West of England will speak on the place and value of voluntary sector research and what it can achieve. Professor Taylor is the Director of Cities Research Centre at her University and has for many years been involved in research on community development, the voluntary and community sector, partnerships and neighbourhood renewal. See: the Keep in Touch website for details of the AGM.
Conference opportunity for disabled students
The national biennial DisAbility in Education Conference on 5 and 6 December is being hosted by Disability Services at The University of Auckland. The Conference presents speakers on a wide range of issues relevant to the experiences of disabled students in tertiary education, and includes a conference dinner at the Auckland Museum. For more information visit the Disability in Education conference.
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10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
See the Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect website. There will be one session on "Research & Practice Connection - Interventions, Disability."