Petition launched to herald plight of vision impaired

Pat Fox
Pat Fox
A nationwide petition has been launched by Parents of Vision Impaired (NZ) requesting the Government uphold the right of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired children to equitably access the education system.

It has the full support of Oamaru woman Pat Fox, whose daughter Katelyn (14) is vision impaired. Mrs Fox stood down as chairwoman of PVI last year but remains on the board.

Yesterday, Mrs Fox said she was both appalled and disgusted that any government could acknowledge inequity existed yet choose not to do anything about it.

Educational opportunity equal to those of their sighted peers was not an option, it was a basic human right, she said.

‘‘For 20 years, parents have been fighting this battle. We are repeatedly told by governments that the situation will be remedied. However, when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, they fail us every time.''

Parents throughout the country were ‘‘absolutely desperate'' and there were ‘‘really bright intelligent kids'' who were not getting support crucial to their learning. 

The petition said blind, deaf-blind and vision-impaired pupils needed resource vision teachers (RTVs) to access and participate in an education system designed for the normally sighted.

In England, Australia and the United States, RTV-to-pupil ratios ranged from 1:12 to 1:15, while international benchmarks suggested an optimum figure of 1:11. In New Zealand, the national ratio was 1:37.

The petition can be signed at Oamaru Pharmacy, Visique Oamaru Eyecare and Brian Denny Optometrist. It will be delivered to Parliament on May 14.

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