Orientation and Mobility programme for blind children

The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) provides a vital and highly valued range of services. These include a special Developmental Orientation and Mobility Programme for young people – recognising that those who develop a vision disability early in their lives need to learn the essential skills of mobility and orientation so they can develop on par with their sighted peers.

A grant from the Todd Foundation will be used for the work of the Orientation and Mobility service outside the school gate – a valuable way of helping the younger generation to develop the skills and resilience they need for today’s world.

Working with around 800 young members and their families, RNZFB instructors help in developing and increasing voluntary and deliberate movements and the use of equipment for wider travel. Among other things, young people learn about the body, its boundaries and how the ‘self’ relates to other people and objects in the environment. In this way they can understand and interact within the world, while moving through it.

Activities include consistently naming body parts, movements and objects, encouraging play with toys that smell, taste, make sounds and/or have bright colours, and exploring interesting places such as gardens and parks. And of course parents and caregivers are always involved to ensure their wishes and aspirations for their children are included, and that the programme is meaningful and fun for the whole family.