The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (the Foundation) is a disability support service constituted under the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act 2002.  The Foundation is the primary provider of habilitation and rehabilitation services to over 11,500 blind, vision-impaired and deafblind New Zealanders.

Our vision is that blind and vision-impaired people have the same opportunities and choices as other citizens to participate fully in society. Our mission is to remove the barriers faced by blind or vision-impaired individuals and to promote their participation in all aspects of life.  Formerly, the Foundation had sole responsibility for the education of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired children under Homai College for the Blind until 2000 when this responsibility was passed to the Ministry of Education.  Since that time the Visual Resource Centres have amalgamated with the School and together are now known as the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLENNZ).

We have read with pleasure of the proposed new Board of Trustees for BLENNZ in the Discussion Paper – A Proposed New Board of Trustees for BLENNZ, and write in support of the proposed new Board structure. 

The Foundation has had a long involvement with the education of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired children in New Zealand and remains passionately committed to ensuring that the best educational opportunity is provided to blind, deafblind and vision-impaired children in New Zealand.  We consider that national management, over-sight and coordination of vision education services are necessary to maintain a sufficiently skilled teaching resource for blind and vision-impaired children. We acknowledge that this has been achieved under the BLENNZ structure. 

Central to achieving the objectives of BLENNZ is good governance. The proposed new Board of Trustees lists the stakeholders who would guide the strategic direction and oversight of the operational activities of BLENNZ within the Board.  Under the proposed Board an appropriate range of stakeholders are included and a degree of flexibility afforded to ensure a representative complement of stakeholders and skill/knowledge areas obtained. 

In creating a National governing structure, it is recognised that it is difficult to achieve a balance of desirable skills, ethnic, gender and geographic inputs.  Ideally, the Foundation would like to see a range of parent perspectives are represented at governance level. We do note that the clause regarding co-opted members does indeed reflect the comments made in support of the proposed Board structure point 5, namely that a skill mix including business acumen or financial management be obtained. 

Finally, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind as the major provider of blindness services to New Zealanders of all ages and as a contributor to the family support and extra-curricular activities of blind and low vision young people, affirms the Foundation's one place as of right on the proposed governing Board. The Foundation looks forward to continuing to work in a constructive partnership with BLENNZ in a transdisciplinary team approach as set out in the document: "Blind and Low Vision Children and Young People's Team: For Living and Learning A Resource for BLENNZ and RNZFB Staff". 

The Foundation is committed to enhancing whole person education outcomes for blind, deafblind and vision-impaired children.

Paula Daye
RNZFB CEO