Radio Reading Service

Print Disability

One of the hardest aspects of our work has been to get the message understood about "Print Disability".    

A Print Disabled person is anyone who can not see, hold, understand or access every day printed literature.

This definition is generic and inclusive of persons regardless of age, gender, status, culture or ethnicity.

Many new arrivals to New Zealand for whom English is not the first language struggle with basic reading. People may become 'Print Disabled' as a consequence of aging or a change in health.

The RRS is on air to turn print into sound for anyone who finds it difficult to read conventional print. We live in a country where its assumed everyone can read and is literate. Independent research confirms Literacy is a big problem and many people under achieve because they cant read.

 About one million New Zealand citizens are non readers. Some 42 percent of working age New Zealander's have inadequate reading skills to cope in the modern workplace.

The official "NZ Government Disability Survey" indicated. An estimated 42 percent of disabled adults (272,800) had sensory disabilities which could not be corrected by special equipment such as glasses in 2001. This was approximately 10 percent of the total adult population of New Zealand, and included people with hearing and/or sight disabilities. Ninety-four percent of adults with sensory disabilities were living in households (256,300), the remaining 6 percent (16,600) were living in residential facilities. Thirty-three percent of all disabled children (0 to 14 years) living in households had sensory disabilities (29,900). This was approximately 4 percent of all children living in households. An estimated 33,600 New Zealanders had both hearing and sight disabilities (full and/or partial) in 2001.

Sight limitations

An estimated 81,500 New Zealand adults were blind or had a sight limitation that could not be corrected by glasses or contact lenses in 2001. Approximately 7,800 of these adults were completely blind, the rest had some level of seeing limitation that made it difficult for them to see ordinary newspaper print, or see the face of someone across the room (with glasses or contact lenses if they usually wear them).

Eighty-five percent of adults who were blind or had a sight limitation were living in households, the remaining 15 percent were living in residential facilities.

An estimated 13,200 children were blind or had trouble with their eyesight that could not be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. Seventeen percent of these children (2,300) had been diagnosed as being blind by an eye specialist.

Seventy-one percent of adults in households with sight limitations used some type of special equipment or service for people who are blind or vision impaired (49,200). The most common types reported were glasses or contact lenses (39,900) and hand-held or desk-mounted magnifiers (18,200).

An estimated 97 percent of adults in residential facilities with sight limitations used some type of special equipment or service for people who are blind or vision impaired (11,900). The most common types reported were glasses or contact lenses (5,500) and large print reading materials (1,900).

Six percent of children with sight problems used some type of equipment for seeing other than glasses or contact lenses.

Twenty-one percent of blind and vision impaired adults in households had an unmet need for some type of equipment or service relating to their disability. The most common reasons were that it was too costly or they could not afford it, and that they had never been assessed.

Some points to think about:-

One million New Zealand citizens are non readers.

Some 42 percent of working age New Zealander's have inadequate reading skills to cope in the modern workplace.

At the Radio Reading Service we believe everyone in Aotearoa NZ has a right to conveniently access the station when needed.

Listeners come from every walk of life.

Contact us for more information:-

The Radio Reading Service says "a Print Disabled person is anyone who can not see, hold, understand or access every day printed literature".