Rewinding 120 years in the countdown to Blind Week

Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Media release

12 October 2010

Rewinding 120 years in the countdown to Blind Week

The countdown to Blind Week 2010 has now begun, with just two weeks to go.

Running from Tuesday 26 October to Monday 1 November, Blind Week is a special occasion this year as the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) is celebrating 120 years of service to blind and partially sighted New Zealanders.

The RNZFB is New Zealand's main provider of essential sight-loss services, empowering its 11,500 members with the training, tools and support they need to deal with blindness and achieve their goals. Every year approximately 1,200 New Zealanders become RNZFB members after experiencing serious sight loss.

Sandra Budd, RNZFB Chief Executive, says the 120-year celebration this Blind Week isn't just a landmark for the Foundation.

"Our journey began in 1890, at a time when New Zealand was still a very young country, finding its feet. The RNZFB has come a long way since those early days, just as New Zealand has, and we've shared an inspiring story of development and change. So this year, Blind Week is very much a landmark in New Zealand's own history".

A brief timeline of the RNZFB's history:

* Rewinding to 1890, it was in this year that a blind man with famously bushy red hair and a formidable personality, John Tighe, moved to New Zealand and our story began. Tighe headed the Jubilee Institute for the Blind as the first teacher.

* In 1897, a fire destroyed the Institute's temporary wooden school in Parnell, highlighting the need for a more secure building.

* In 1909 a new, permanent building was opened, which housed a library, school, dormitories, dining hall and a kitchen. The Jubilee Building still stands in Parnell today.

* In 1926 the Jubilee Institute for the Blind became national was renamed the New Zealand Institute for the Blind (NZIB). In 1927, the iconic NZIB Military Band was formed, and went on to play at a variety of public functions, from race meets to garden parties.

* In 1965 Homai College officially opened, with honourable guests in attendance, including the Queen. And in 1973 the first Guide Dog Centre was built, which was upgraded to a state-of-the-art centre in 2008.

* In 2002, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act came into being, which enabled members to vote for their Board Directors, making the Foundation truly accountable to its people. * Now in 2010, the RNZFB works to empower and support its 11,500 members with the adaptive skills, technology and resources needed to overcome the barriers they face to participating fully in society and leading independent lives.

Please help the RNZFB provide these essential services in the future by giving generously this Blind Week.

To volunteer as a collector for the street appeal please call free on 0800 120 BLIND (0800 120 254) or visit www.blindweek.org.nz. To make an automatic $20 donation simply call 0900 4 BLIND (0900 425 463).

ENDS

Blind Week facts

* Blind Week 2010 runs from Tuesday 26 October to Monday 1 November. * This Blind Week we're celebrating 120 years of service to blind and partially sighted New Zealanders. * Our annual Blind Week appeal not only brings awareness to the blindness and sight loss cause, it also raises much needed donations to support the full range of vital services that we provide. * Just one-third of our operating budget comes from Government sources; we rely on public support for the rest.

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