Association of Blind Citizens of NZ Inc

The Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand (ABC NZ) is New Zealand's

* Oldest advocacy organisation in the disability sector, (founded in 1945)
* Largest, generic, blindness consumer organisation.

ABC NZ's Philosophy and Role

Our philosophy: "blind people speaking for ourselves".

Our role: to advocate on behalf of our members and blind and vision impaired New Zealanders in general to:

* Government;
* providers of blindness and disability-specific services (including the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind);
* providers of services where blind people have particular requirements that should be taken into account.

ABC NZ National Office and Branches
The ABC NZ has:

* A National Office located in Wellington.
* 15 geographical branches around the country.
* Special Interest Branches may be established from time to time.

Categories of Membership

* Full membership: the status of Ordinary Membership is open to anyone eligible for full registration with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind.
* Junior membership (up to 16 years).
* Associate Membership: sighted spouse, friends, family etc who support the Association's philosophy and work may join as an Associate Member

What We Do
The Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand (ABC NZ) ensures that we, blind and vision-impaired citizens, speak for ourselves with Government, service providers, and the community in general. We do this through communication, advocacy, and peer support.
ABC NZ Advocacy

ABC NZ

* Advocates on blindness-related issues to Government, service providers, and the private sector.
* Monitors services provided to blind people.
* Is consulted regularly on how these services might be improved.

ABC NZ Communication
ABC NZ's annual conference is our supreme governing body, bringing together delegates from across New Zealand to address relevant issues for blind and vision impaired