Blindness No Barrier to Success

”If you’re a carpenter and you

cut your finger, you don’t stop

going to work - you just find

way of grabbing the hammer.”

(Bennet, as cited in RNZFB, 2007)

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the people with blindness or visual impaired as a sub culture within New Zealand. In this essay, we are dealing with the social attitudes in caring for blind or visual impaired people. The Annison, Jenkinson, Sparrow, Bethune, (1996), define a blindness ”as a limitation in one or more basic functions of the eye or visual system. The most commonly considered visual impairments are impairment of visual acuity(sharpness or clarity of vision), visual fields and colour vision” (p.180) Blindness may be caused by injury, infection disease, tumours or as a result of the aging process. This essay will discuss the sub culture of blind or visual impaired people through reviewing the history, lifestyle in today’s New Zealand society and special legislations provided to assist them with the social integration.

In 1839 migrants began coming in New Zealand. During period of colonisation, development and wars the people with blindness or visual impaired went unnoticed. These people were supported by their families, private charity or through independent means. In 1873 the government took a census of the deaf and blind to establish their numbers and condition, and to provide assistance. “As a result, in 1874 the Council declared it desirable that an industrial school for the death and the blind be established” (Newbold, 1995, p.18) but the plans were shelved. In 1890 ““The Jubilee Institute for the Blind” was opened for the purposes of providing education and craft instruction to the blind.” (Newbold, 1995 p.20)

In 1938, the Labour government enacted the Social Security Act, “which, among other things, introduced new categories of disability as well as unemployment and sickness benefits.” (Newbold, 1995 p.38)

After the World War II , the new technology such as cars, refrigerators, washing machines, radios and telephones positively impacted on the every day lives of blind people. “A central issue of the war had to do with the rights of human beings to fair and equal treatment” (Newbold, 1995 p.60). The people began to recognise own rights and the way that blind people to see themselves in the world. The blind people, who lived in institutes continued to be dominated by old standards by age and gender, for example, Bledisloe House contained retired men; Hutchinson, retired women. Communication among residents of opposite sex was partly restricted and alcohol was forbidden, often the food was bad. (Newbold, 1995). “The expectations was that many blind people would enter in sheltered workshops and spend a large proportion of their lives dependent on the institute“ (Newbold, 1995 p.65).

In 1970, New Zealand’s blind population was small (4000 people) and well supplied but the economy of country was affected by inflation. A census was taken in January 1980 which showed 5500 registered blind. A survey conducted by P. Beatson “found the functionally blind to be significantly underrepresented in high-prestige occupations and overrepresented in low-prestige jobs” (Newbold, 1995 p.155).

In 1990s rehabilitation services were established around New Zealand to help with the needs of the blind. In mid-1990s, New Zealand society had an atmosphere of high competition for good jobs, education but the blind people could not compete equally. By supporting the Human Rights Act 1993 strategies turned for redressing the imbalance.(Newbold, 1995 p.195)

The Human Rights Act 1993 protects the right as a person with a disability to have the same chances to develop and progress in the workplace as everyone else. Under the law, everyone must receive fair treatment regardless of gender, ethic background, religion, age, disability or sexual preference.

The diagnosis of vision impairment, like any disability, is often traumatic. Effects of visual impairment are highly individual and often dependent of factors such as social and emotional development and the age when the impairment was developed. Loss of vision can occur at any age but quite often it happens with adult people and even more in elderly. The fact is becoming blind cause changes in self-confidence and attitude towards independence (Jose, R. 1987).