Whew, we made it to the end of 2023! In this Focus edition, my editorial shares some whakaaro (thoughts) about exploring te ao Māori and te reo Māori as one blind Pākehā person. The National President’s column discusses the value of people to Blind Citizens NZ and dates for engaging with him directly are presented later in the edition. There’s a rundown on the 2023 AGM and Conference from the Chief Executive, including awards presented. Don’t miss an exciting announcement about the creation of the Braille Special Interest Network, coordinated by Chantelle Griffiths.

Finally, there are expressions of interest for the Blind Citizens NZ Primary World Blind Union Delegate position as well as for the Focus Editor role. My final edition will be in March 2024. I’m more than happy to talk informally to anyone considering applying for the role if that would be useful, you can email my personal address ainekc@gmail.com.

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays and all the best for 2024!