Status of Blind & Vision Impaired Women in New Zealand and the Pacific

By Pam Crothall
National Executive member: NZ VIEW
(New Zealand Vision Impaired Empowering Women)
26 August 2000
 

Paper presented to the XIX World Congress of Rehabilitation International 2000: Citizenship and Diversity in the New Millennium

 
NZ VIEW is a consumer group of blind and vision impaired women, which was established in 1989.  The organisation promotes the dignity, inclusion, self worth and independence of women with vision impairments, in Aotearoa
New Zealand.  This is achieved via a National Executive Committee, which consists of elected representatives from a number of Area Groups throughout the country.
 
This paper outlines the development of NZ VIEW, since its establishment in 1989.  The paper also provides information about projects undertaken by women with vision impairments in the Pacific and advises of forthcoming events in the region.
 

Development of NZ View

NZ VIEW was established in 1989 to:

Promote in every way the interests and well-being of women who are blind and vision impaired, and in particular, advocate for their dignity, self worth and independence.

Advocate for significant improvements in self-determination and quality of life, promote peer support, advocacy, and accessibility to information.

Advocate for economic, cultural and social advancement by such means as better education and training facilities, wider opportunities and improved welfare services.

Encourage full participation and equal opportunity in the community.

NZ VIEW consists of a National Executive Committee, an Officer's Group and area groups located throughout New Zealand.

The Executive manages the day to day administration of NZ VIEW, including writing submissions to central and local Government about issues which directly affect women who are blind or vision impaired and produces the quarterly newsletter: Viewpoint.  The Area Groups meet at least four times a year to share information and/or for social gatherings.

Area Groups tend to be mainly educational and social in nature.  Activities undertaken by Area Groups range from product parties and outings, to guest speakers who run training sessions or give talks on such matters as assertiveness, self esteem building, self employment, women's health, cookery, fire safety and home security.

During the 11 years since its establishment, NZ VIEW has assisted New Zealand's only provider of blindness services: the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (RNZFB), with advice and assistance to establish an Equal Employment Opportunities policy.  This has resulted in a greater number of job opportunities within the RNZFB for people with vision impairments than previously.

NZ VIEW was instrumental in providing a model for the establishment of the Women's Branch of Blind Citizens Australia.
 

Projects

Although NZ VIEW is a small organisation with about 200 members, we endeavour to assist others in our region where possible.  We are currently involved in supplying Braille paper and Braille magazines to a school in Western Samoa.  NZ VIEW is also looking at the possibility of assisting the school with the repair or replacement of their six Braille writers.

Our Australian counterparts have recently been involved in a project to bring Braille literacy to women in Vietnam and this was a great success. The project was partly funded by the Australian government. Input from the Australian women was primarily in the form of teaching Vietnamese to use a computer and Braille embosser. Many hundreds of blind women can now read and write Braille, though some of their books were tragically lost in a recent flood.  The funding for the project is finished now but the project will go on regardless, as those who know Braille teach others.

Women members of the United Blind Society of Fiji have recently undertaken to highlight their musical skills by recording a cassette of music written and performed by them.  This will hopefully raise much needed funds for the society.
 
 

Forthcoming Events

The second World Blind Women's Forum, at which NZ VIEW will be present, is being held along with the fifth General Assembly of the World Blind Union (WBU), in Melbourne Australia, from 16 November 2000.  Plans for the Forum, fifth General Assembly and associated events are proceeding well.  It is expected that around 350 participants will attend the women's forum.  The forum program has been finalized and consists of business sessions and general interest sessions.

The business sessions will comprise reports from each of the seven WBU regions and regional meetings to plan for the future.  These will also provide information about the WBU and its constitution, identify issues important to women and provide a vehicle for the inclusion of these in the General Assembly for consideration for inclusion in the plan of action.

Other sessions will cover areas such as: how to empower women; the meaning of equality; and how blind women can make choices which will change and enhance their everyday lives.  There will be presentations from blind women who live in each of the seven WBU regions.

The forum will provide blind women from around the world the unique opportunity to come together, share experiences, exchange knowledge and work together to ensure a better life for all people.

The fifth national conference of NZ VIEW will take place in New Zealand's capital city: Wellington, directly after the WBU Women's Forum and General Assembly.  One of the topics to be discussed at conference is labeling and general information about genetically modified food.  Although this is not a gender specific or blindness related subject as such, it is one which is causing much debate in New Zealand and is a development which we believe concerns the whole of society.