Blind Low Vision NZ

16/10/2026

How time flies! Welcome to the third Friday of Blind Low Vision Month.
Once again, it's time for Friday Floof 💛
Guide Dog training develops concentration, judgement and the ability to respond appropriately in all kinds of situations. To achieve this, we expose our dogs to a variety of situations that exercise their cognitive skills.
[Image 1]: Golden Lab retriever, Cooper enjoys the pool at the enrichment park.
[Image 2] : Yellow Lab retriever Donna gets ready for a swim, courtesy of trainer, Denise.
[Image 3]: Cooper winds down with a well deserved bone.
[Image 4]: Doggos Dean, Gigi, Gizmo, Jolie II, Isha & Iona standing and sitting with their puppy raisers in the Waitematā train station.
[Image 5]: Yellow Lab retriever Dean, and black Lab retriever, Gareth have a tug of war with a chew rope in the enrichment park.
[Image 6] Three black Lab retrievers navigate a bridge. Brood Wren (front) background are her furry friends Willis and Lo.
[Image 7]: Dean relaxes outside a Countdown on the nearest human leg.
[Image 8]: Gareth poses for a pic at the guide dog enrichment run.
[Image 9]: Black Lab retriever, Uri practices being patient and alert in a lift.
[Image 10]: Golden Lab retriever Bingo enjoys a grassy knoll at the enrichment park.

15/10/2026

Today is White Cane Awareness Day!

The white cane is a universal symbol of blindness. It’s also an essential tool, enabling people to get around confidently and safely. White Cane Day is all about celebrating the independence the cane enables for the blind, deafblind and low vision community.

Recently, the Mayor of Wellington City Council Andrew Little, took a walk with CK, a white cane user, to see the city from a new perspective. They talked about the importance of the white cane, how it empowers CK to move with more freedom, and some of the barriers they run into while trying to get around safely.

13/10/2026

Sport is about so much more than being active.

It’s the buzz of trying something new.

The laugh you share with teammates.

The feeling of getting better at something.

It's simply having somewhere to go and people to see.

For people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision, access to the right supports, adaptations and opportunities can make it easier to take part in the sports and activities they enjoy – whether that’s cycling, bowls, football, hiking or something completely different.

Accessibility means opening up a world of possibilities. It means getting the chance to play, connect and have fun.

What activity floats your boat?

[Image description] A group of seven kids getting ready to go rafting at Kids Camp. They're all wearing big smiles, as well as safety gear like life jackets and helmets.

12/10/2026

Last week, Brie Crosweller was travelling with her disability assist dog when she was separated from her four-year-old, due to being denied access by a bus driver after her child had already boarded.

While Brie's dog was a mobility dog rather than a guide dog, this is a common experience for guide dog handlers as well.

When you deny a disability assist dog, you deny a person. Shutting someone out due to the very thing that helps them access their community independently and safely means shutting them out from living life on their own terms. In this case, it also created a potentially dangerous situation for Brie's child.

These incidents are not new. Despite repeated complaints, people continue to face discrimination when travelling with their guide dogs and other disability assist dogs.

Transport providers must do more than respond to individual complaints. They need to address why this keeps happening and take action to prevent it. People should not have to keep fighting for rights they already have.

Thank you to the one passenger who stood up for Brie and her child. If more people were willing to speak up when they see someone being discriminated against, these things would not happen as often.

Denying access to disability assist dogs and their handlers is illegal under both the Human Rights Act and the Dog Control Act. If this happens to you, lodge a formal complaint to the public transport provider, and make sure to get a case number so you can follow up. If you aren't satisfied with the result of that complaint, you can then take it to the Human Rights Commission.

Brie Crosweller said her four-year-old daughter was left on the bus alone when she and her dog Lenny were denied entry.

12/10/2026

Growing older should not mean giving up the things that matter to you.

For Lisa, her white cane is her “little magic stick”.

It helps her navigate the world around her, get where she wants to go and keep doing the things she enjoys.

“I just want to keep going.”

With the right skills, tools and support, people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision can find ways to keep moving through the world as life changes.

For Lisa, that means having the confidence to keep going – one journey at a time.

How has using a white cane changed your life?

Image description: A woman uses a white cane while walking outdoors along a suburban footpath. The cane extends towards the camera, becoming the focus of the image. Text reads: “I just want to keep going”.

09/10/2026

You don’t have to navigate change alone.

When your vision changes, it can take time to find your confidence in doing things differently.

Sometimes, what helps is having the chance to try, learn and discover what you’re capable of.

And sometimes, it’s meeting people who understand because they’ve been there too.

Connection matters. Being understood matters.

And having the opportunity to build confidence in your own abilities matters.

Because wellbeing is about more than getting through change – it’s about finding your way forward, with people around you who get it.

How do you look after your mental health?

[Image description] Two women ride a tandem bicycle together during a triathlon event.

09/10/2026

A huge thank you to Beau, Park Hyatt Auckland’s beloved resident dog and official Blind Low Vision NZ ambassadog, as he officially hangs up his harness and heads into a well-deserved retirement! 🐾

During his time at the hotel, Beau has been a warm, welcoming presence in the lobby, bringing endless joy to guests, keeping the concierge team company, and raising vital funds and awareness for Blind Low Vision NZ to train life-changing guide dogs.

Thank you, Beau, for your years of dedicated service, hard work, and unconditional love. Enjoy your retirement, you’ve certainly earned it! 🐶

[Image description] A graphic with a solid bright yellow background at the top featuring the text "Thank you Beau!" in a bold, black sans-serif font.
Below the text, a arch-shaped framed photo shows a black Labrador sitting behind a wooden concierge desk. The dog is wearing a red collar with tags and a black harness, resting its front paws on the surface of the desk. On the desk in front of the dog is a wooden sign printed with the word "CONCIERGE" in capital letters. The backdrop behind the dog consists of white acoustic wall panels covered in a pattern of black circular dots.

09/10/2026

Happy Friday. Welcome to the second Friday of Blind Low Vision Month.
It's Floof time!💛
From catching public transport to visiting the local café, everyday life can take you to all sorts of places. As they prepare to become Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs, our dogs experience lots of different places and situations. This helps them grow in confidence and prepares them to safely guide their future handler through everyday life.

[Image 1]: On the train. Front to back - Frank (black Lab retriever, right side ), Dean (yellow Lab retriever, left side), Isha (golden Lab retriever, right side), Huey (black Lab retriever, left side), Roz (black Lab retriever, right side ), Hamish (black Lab retriever, right side), Iona (golden Lab retriever, left side ) and Frances (black in colour, right side).
[Image 2] : Golden Lab retrievers Cooper, Cam and Baker are ready for their road trip in the back of the van.
[Image 3]: Frances and her puppy raiser Livia patiently make their way up the stairs of a busy Auckland Train Station.
[Image 4]: Yellow Lab retriever, Walter strikes a pose at the Pet Expo in front of a Blind Low Vision NZ banner.
[Image 5]: Yayla the yellow Lab retriever gets a swimming lesson at the MPI pool.
[Image 6] Golden Lab retriever Cindy sits in the footwell of the passenger seat of a car. This is generally where our pups travel when not in vans. When lying down, they’re protected from the air bag propelling overhead.
[Image 7]: Isha and Dean place themselves calmly on the floor of a city bus in their guide dog harnesses.
[Image 8]: Cindy gets a sensory walk at Bastion Point. Sensory walks get dogs accustomed to a variety of outdoor environments and stimuli.
[Image 9]: Cindy gets some sun at the beach.
[Image 10]: It's back to the train station as our team makes its way across Te Komititanga Square ion Auckland's C*D.

07/10/2026

Blindness, deafblindness, and low vision looks different for everyone. People may experience changes to their central or peripheral vision, light perception, contrast, colour or other aspects of how they see.

For some people, their vision may remain stable over time. For others, it may change. And what someone can see can also vary depending on their surroundings – such as lighting, glare, contrast or how busy an environment is.

There is no single way to experience blindness or low vision, and no one-size-fits-all approach to accessibility. The images in this post are indicative of and reflect just some of the ways people may experience blindness, deafblindness, and low vision.

This World Sight Day, help us challenge assumptions about how people experience blindness and low vision, and what supports someone who’s blind may or may not need.

[Image 1] A close-up outdoor photo of a child wearing a sun hat. The photo is shown clearly and in focus, with details visible throughout the image. The same photo is used throughout this carousel to demonstrate different vision conditions.
[Image 2] Parts of the photo appear warped and stretched, causing facial features and the brim of the hat to look distorted while other areas remain unchanged.
[Image 3] Most of the photo is blacked out, leaving only a small circular area in the centre visible.
[Image 4] The entire photo appears blurred and out of focus, with reduced sharpness and detail throughout the image.
[Image 5] The centre of the photo is covered by a large dark area, obscuring the main subject while details around the edges remain visible.
[Image 6] Large irregular dark patches appear across the photo, obscuring different parts of the scene and making many details difficult to see.
[Image 7] The outer edges of the photo are darkened, narrowing the visible field of view and drawing focus to the centre of the image.
[Image 8] Semi-transparent spots and shadowy shapes appear throughout the photo, interrupting details across the image.

07/10/2026

Thanks Seven Sharp for coming along to our North Island kids camp last week to see what is possible when young people who are blind, deafblind and low vision have access to all the incredible activities that a typical school camp entails.