The Foundation began in 1890 as the Jubilee Institute for the Blind with a school and residence in Parnell, Auckland.
These were phased out at the end of the twentieth century in favour of mainstreaming, members' greater integration into the community.
[3] After a rebranding consultation process, the public name of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, changed to Blind Foundation in December 2013.
[4] Blind Low Vision NZ's website lists the following services: emotional support, equipment, financial assistance, volunteer assistance, mobility, guide dogs, employment assistance, peer support, recreation, reading and writing in audio, braille and other formats, library, Telephone Information Service, accessible formats (braille, audio, electronic text and large print), adaptive communications and technology.
The majority of the organisation's funding comes from public donations.