Parliamentary Function for the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand Inc

64 years ago, the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand was established to improve the quality of life for blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders.

Some of you might be old enough to know that Beatles Classic, which goes, “Will you still need me?  Will you still feed me?  When I’m 64”.

Today is a great time to look back over the last 64 years; to assess whether the vision that was uppermost in the minds of those who set up this Association, is still as relevant today as it was in 1945.

The intentions of this organisation are honourable. 

It is about promoting in every way, the interests and wellbeing of blind and vision impaired people.

In essence, it is summed up in one sentence, “Blind People Speaking for Ourselves”.

The Blind Association is the oldest advocacy organisation in the disability sector in Aotearoa – and its focus has been loud and proud from day one: supporting blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders to speak for themselves, to live in the way they want, to ensure no obstacles are in their way.

And it is in this global goal to be self-determining, that I suggest another Beatles lyric might actually be more relevant, “I get by with a little help from my friends”.

The Association of Blind Citizens is committed towards finding opportunities to remove barriers and to invest in the full integration into the wider community.

But there is no clash between the desire to be independent and the help of friends – human, animal and technological.

In fact one of the greatest strengths of this organisation is the investment that is made in communication, advocacy and peer support.

Whether it’s the geographical branches of the Association or the online feedback network, the emphasis of ABC is about making this world a better place for the blind and visually impaired, by sharing ways to encourage and promote full participation in the life of the community.

And I want to really mihi to the visionaries in this organisation who have done so much to create access to everyday life.

It’s initiatives like audible and tactile street crossing signals to protect pedestrian safety.

It’s about voice enabled ATMs such as those which have been installed by Credit Unions nationwide.

Or its about audio books; or  e-books which instead of being read on the screen, through the help of the Kindle 2, can now be read to you in a synthetic voice.

In this world of advanced technology, the initiatives that the Association has been able to advocate for is fascinating.

The range extends from the white mobility canes, through to computer equipment which has been adapted to include JAWS text-to-speech and scanning software.

There’s simple changes -  contrasting colours to show entry points to buildings; talking tape measures, or at the other end of the spectrum, closed circuit TV machines that magnify print to twelve times the size.

It seems a long way from the revolution of Braille popularised by the legacy of activist Helen Keller.

But of course the friends aren’t only those found at the flick of a switch or the connection of a modem.  

There’s those wonderful golden retrievers  - mobility dogs which are truly a blind person’s best friend.  I had a wonderful visit with Mobility Dogs in Auckland recently and have hardly stopped talking about the amazing support these dogs can provide – fetching phones, sensing danger and protecting their person; and that amazing love and loyalty which does so much to feed the soul.

There’s all those dedicated volunteers and community angels who act as reader/writers; who help to make the difference to the quality of life.

And of course, there’s all of our friends and whanau, who honour their responsibilities; who do so much every day to support your rightful, equitable and full participation in society.

So, here we are, 64 years on – and I come back to the question, do you still need ABC?  Does it still feed you?  Now it’s 64.

If we were in any doubt, the Great Barrier Brief developed by the Association leaves us in no doubt that there are still many and varied issues which we must address in our journey to achieve improved outcomes for blind and vision impaired people.

Many of these are to do with addressing the very nature of a disabling society.

An equitable society will be evident when public transport is accessible to all – signs are clearly readable; announcements are made by voice as well as sign; staff are trained in ways which support the independence, safety and dignity of blind travellers.

A supportive society will be evident when blind customers are able to afford to purchase mobile phones that are compatible with specialised voice software.

An inclusive society is demonstrated when audio description is available in theatre and performing arts, in television and movies.

An equitable society is one in which the education of blind children is funded and resourced appropriately to ensure specialised teaching and adaptive equipment are basic expectations of a core curriculum – not luxuries for the few.

A democratic society will ensure that all election material issued to the public is available in alternative formats as of right, and when there are mechanisms in place to enable the blind and visually impaired to cast their vote.

A safe and secure society is one in which there are consistent standards for planners, architects, developers and builders to enjoy easy access to buildings without tripping over obstructions.

These are just a few of the technological possibilities and creative options that we all need to be considering in our commitment to increase blindness awareness, to be supportive, to be helpful, to make a difference.

And I return finally, to repeat the call for a little help from my friends.

For if our shared vision is that blind and visually impaired people are able to take up their full and rightful participation in society, than right across our community, we need to be listening to their voices.

As Minister for Disability Issues I want to let you know that this Government wants to do all we can to make the changes necessary to create an accessible, equitable and inclusive society.

We can and must work together.  I, for one, am up for the challenge.