Auckland-based Rick Hoskin and Palmerston North’s Dr Jonathan Godfrey have both been named Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for their services to the blind and low vision community.
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) chair Judy Small said she was pleased to see the efforts, commitment and drive from two members of the blind community acknowledged. “Coming from slightly different backgrounds - Dr Godfrey a strong advocacy background and Mr Hoskin from a business/governance background - they have both played an important part in promoting awareness of blindness and the vast range of needs of the entire blind, low vision and deafblind community. Aside from the work they have done in the community, their abilities as role models will always be remembered, valued and appreciated by our community and those in the wider disability sector and government.”
Rick Hoskin was the chair of RNZFB for nine years (2011 to 2020) having been a RNZFB member since the age of 17. During his time as chair, he instigated and led several strategic projects focused on service delivery, accountability, member engagement and ensuring the organisation was financially stable and sustainable.
Dr Godfrey is the current president of the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand and was on the board of RNZFB between 2006 and 2011. He is a senior lecturer in statistics at Massey University, where his research is focused on the needs of blind people around the world who need additional tools to make the visual elements of statistical thinking and practice less of a barrier. Dr Godfrey has also played a leadership role for the Disabled People’s Organisation Coalition of seven disabled groups and a key role in the development of the Disability Action Plan for 2019 to 2023.
