The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).
Ok!!! You out there!!! Are you up for the adventure of a lifetime???
We have heard of two students who are busting to be 2004 Space Campers and we even have some interest from one brave visiting teacher…
Are there any more kids out there who might want to go along?
Are there any intrepid VTs who would like to accompany them?
Do you need more information before you decide? If so, contact me or any of the other VTs who have chaperoned in the past – Jeni Blake, Marion Blazé, Lea Nagel, Janie McLeod, Lynne Murdoch, or Faye Squires. We can also put you in touch with students if you’d like their version.
Also you can look at a couple of websites:
The SVRC PD program for term 1 appears below. For the complete list of activities for 2004 go to: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/PD2004.html
Term 1 Professional Development Event |
Date |
| Educational Support for VCE Students with Vision Impairments (low vision and blind students) – Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 – for subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, careers teachers, therapists, parents VTs and students | Monday 23 February |
| O&M Morning Linden Woodruff and Sharon Taylor, Guide Dogs Victoria |
Wednesday 25 February |
| Educational Support for Blind Students – for class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, therapists, parents and VTs supporting students who utilise braille | Tuesday 9 March |
| Mountbatten Workshop (For ‘Users’) 10am-12.30pm Trevor Boyd, Quantum Technology |
Tuesday 16 March |
| Educational Support for Students with Low Vision - for class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, therapists, parents and VTs supporting students who have low vision (Maximum 80) | Friday 26 March |
All activities are open to subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, careers teachers, therapists, parents VTs, students etc. Please remember to register: tel (03) 9841 0242, fax (03) 9841 0878 or email svrc@svrc.vic.edu.au
Well! The first PD day of the year went off with a BANG – fortunately not literally. We run quite a bit of professional development in at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre in a year and from my point of view, they all have their own particular flavour…
Anyway I reckon the VT day last week was a particularly good one! Garry Stinchcombe started proceedings with his perspective on being a teacher (well actually now the ‘Head of School’ at RVIB) with a vision impairment. Job interviews for Garry were generally quite eventful – he described meeting interviewers and hearing the sound of their jaws hitting the floor when they realised he was blind. On one occasion when he arrived independently at an interview in the city, the interviewer expressed concern that Garry wouldn’t be able to find the workplace… well dah!!! – he made it to the interview didn’t he???!!! An audio tape of this session is available - please email your request to deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au
Helen Caldow treated us to another piece of mainstream technology that may be useful for our students with vision impairments – the DataSPY – a data storage device hidden in a watch! See the article in Bulletin 21, 2003 if you’d like more information on this rather groovy device. Go to: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/21%2703.htm
Debbie Taylor and Caroline Quinn came out to explain the services that can be provided by WISE Employment – Lea Nagel’s summary appears below.
Denise Probert took us through an interesting approach to teaching independent living skills via a case study of two sisters (twins) in their final years of high school. It was quite amazing to hear the way Denise made the most of ordinary every-day experiences to teach various skills: communication, shopping, library research, bill payment, use of the telephone, exercising personal rights and making complaints etc etc etc!
Faye Squires and Bryony Balaton-Chrimes gave us their perspectives on camps – in particular Space Camp and SCORE Camp. Bryony highly recommends that all students develop their orientation skills through attendance at Guide Dogs camps and activities – camps and Girls/Boys/Big Nights Out. Bryony’s presentation is available on audio tape (please contact us for a copy) and her article on SCORE Camp appears below. For more information about O&M training, see below or contact Rachel Morgan on (03) 9854 4469.
The afternoon session continued to inform and delight – Kerry Fitzmaurice described various methods of testing and teaching eccentric viewing and the difference this can make to the useable vision of people with central field loss. This term, Kerry will again be conducting assessment and training which is suitable for students with binocular central vision loss. This service will be paid for by the SVRC. Please contact Annette Godfrey-Magee on 9841 0807 if you would like to recommend a student.
The loverly Trevor Boyd from Quantum Technology capped off a fine day with a general explore of the accessibility options in our laptops and some very clever short cut keys which we’ll try to put in the next issue.
Summary of presentation made by Debbie Taylor and Caroline Quinn, WISE Employment on the VT Day, 10 February 2004 by Lea Nagel, Visiting Teacher, Eastern Metropolitan Region
Speakers Debbie Taylor and Caroline Quinn are vocational consultants at WISE Employment, a job network agency which supports people with disabilities to secure employment, and arranges modifications to the workplace that will help them work effectively.
They are a not for profit community agency, funded through Centrelink, and do not charge for their service. WISE is based in West Melbourne, but there are 58 job network agencies covering Victoria’s metropolitan and regional areas.
Services are available to people with vision impairments, other disabilities or chronic illness who are prepared to work in regular employment for a minimum of eight hours per week. Eligibility is based on need for workplace modifications, rather than degree or severity of disability.
Once enrolled in the program, WISE offers support to the employment process by meeting with clients regularly and arranging training sessions if necessary or by contact with employers. The client may need:
Discretion is maintained, and meetings with clients in the workplace can be arranged during lunch hours, appearing to be an informal meeting with a friend. In this way, a client can choose not to disclose their disability to their employer.
Assistance can continue once the client is employed, and meetings can be maintained until the client is able to be independent. If circumstances change, for example a reduction in vision or a change in work responsibility, the client is welcome to re-enter the program.
To find the job network agency in your area, contact your local Centrelink and ask for the disability services for employment.
Innovative Concepts are marketing a silicon based flexible computer keyboard which they claim is nearly indestructible. It has a silent action and is spill-proof, washable and rolls up to fit in your handbag or school bag! It plugs into the computer’s USB port and comes in a range of colours.
We currently have a couple of examples on display at the Statewide Vision Resource
Centre – so pop in and take a look!
For more information contact: Innovative Concepts on 1300 307 229
Article by Bryony Balaton-Chrimes – please contact us if you would like this article in the alternative format of your choice
How would you like to spend 3 beautiful summer weeks in Canada doing everything from water skiing to building a website? Sound fun? It’s fantastic!
SCORE stands for Summer Computer Opportunities for Recreation and Education. It’s a camp run during the June school holidays by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I was lucky enough to be selected as one of two Australian participants for SCORE 2003.
One week of the camp is spent at an outdoor adventure camp in rural Ontario. If you were selected to go on SCORE during this time you would be able to water ski, play mini golf, swim and kayak. You will also bond strongly with the other 20 campers through personal development activities, talent shows, camp fires and much more!
After your week at the Lake St Joseph camp you will spend two very busy but seriously fun weeks in Toronto. During this time as a group you will build a website and do some basic computer workshopping at IBM. On the weekends you can choose to take part in activities such as sailing, shopping and visiting some of Canada’s tourist attractions. You will also get to visit Niagara Falls and the CN tower.
The application process begins around the end of March. Your visiting teachers will be able to give you all the information you need if you ask them. If you do not have a visiting teacher Guide Dogs Victoria’s Children’s Mobility Service will be able to help.
Here is a basic run down of the application process:
You will need to send to RVIB a 500 word essay on a pre-selected topic and two references: one about your computer skills and another about you and your O&M skills. After sending in all the information you must then attend a friendly interview after which two participants will be selected.
All the participants are judged fairly, if your strength does not lie in essay writing don’t worry there is always the interview. If you apply you have a chance at being selected. If you do not then you don’t. You will be judged as a new applicant if your first try is unsuccessful and you wish to try again the next year.
I encourage everyone who is eligible and interested to apply. I went in year 12 and it is possible to fit SCORE in with VCE.
So good luck to all those who have decided to apply for SCORE 2004!
News provided by Rachel Morgan, O&M Instructor, Guide Dogs Victoria
An adventurous week traversing Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) began on January 5th when nine teenagers attended Guide Dog Victoria’s annual week-long city based program. The students were given the opportunity to explore the CBD and learn the names of the major streets and their layout, major landmarks and public transport system routes. The students all did an excellent job at completing the orientation quiz in Flinders Street Station and the CBD where they used train, tram and foot travel to reach the desired objectives. Many students also grasped the concept of compass directions and found this a useful tool for orientation!
On Tuesday, the students split into small groups for their chosen activity that they had planned the previous day. Many of them learnt the importance of planning transport travel, times of travel, venue accessibility and cost prior to setting out to ensure success on the day. The students all had a great time using each other as resources rather than the instructor, and thoroughly enjoyed activities such as shopping and experiencing the Galactic Circus in the Casino.
All aspects of tram travel were explored including identifying the differences between new and old trams, super tram stops and regular tram stops. They also learned to negotiate the main thoroughfare of Swanston Street from St Kilda Domain Interchange to Melbourne University. The experience wound up with a light rail tram ride to Port Melbourne. Students then had a well-deserved break before heading back into the city for free time before dinner. Yet another challenge that lay ahead for the students was to locate the Spaghetti Tree on Bourke Street with no assistance from staff (as usual!). We were pleased to see that every group managed to find the restaurant and all students were punctual, proving once again that they are on the way to being capable and confident young travellers.
On Thursday, five solo and two groups of two students were dropped at an unknown location in the inner suburbs and given the task of making their way to “Australia on Collins” for lunch by midday. The instructors followed behind for safety, and only assisted if absolutely necessary. The students were mentally prepared following their discussions the day before and thus tested their self advocacy and orientation skills to complete this task. Once in the city, students had little difficulty locating the food court in “Australia on Collins” given their prior experience in the CBD and were very proud of their success (as was the hungry instructor following them). The students then retested their orientation skills by gong back to their starting point prior to returning to Guide Dogs Victoria.
The program concluded on Friday with a trip to Victoria Market where students purchased goodies and made a picnic lunch. All participants reported that they really enjoyed the program, the freedom and the opportunity to find things out for themselves.
April program: ‘Road crossings’: 5-8 April 2004
This program has been designed for primary or junior secondary students who are enthusiastic about developing their independent orientation skills and learning more about road safety in a fun environment.
The aim of this program is to develop an understanding of road safety including safe road crossing strategies, types of intersections and road rules. The ability to cross roads appropriately is essential for safe travel. The program activities are designed to make students more aware of environmental information in a variety of fun and stimulating activities. The program will include travel into the city and locally, road safety games and quizzes, travelling to the gym, social skills sessions relating to body language, posture and anxiety and art activities.
For an application package and for further information please do not hesitate to contact Rachel Morgan on (03) 9854 4469 or email rachel.m@guidedogs.asn.au. Completed application packages must be returned to Rachel by Monday 12 March 2004. If, on the closing date, we have more applications than places available we will conduct a ballot – those students drawn out of a hat will be offered a place on the program.
This weekend VCE program is based at the Guide Dogs Victoria campus in Kew and aims to provide an opportunity for vision impaired students in years 10, 11 and 12 to discuss issues important to their age group as well as covering Orientation and Mobility, educational and daily living skills. The opportunity for students to meet and socialise with their peers is also an important focus of the weekend.
See attached flier prepared by student Jeni’s student Christina!!!
We have moved the date to the end of May. Students with RP and their parents are invited to attend this weekend program with the option of staying at GDV on the Saturday night.
We plan to invite a number of guest speakers to discuss issues relating to RP as well as conducting Orientation & Mobility and Occupational Therapy activities. We will cover OT meal preparation, low vision simulator use for parents, cane use for parents and students, planning of travel to dinner in the city, night travel by public transport to the city and use of other low vision aids, eg torches, ID cane. All activities and meals are provided free of charge.
The Children’s Mobility Service at Guide Dogs Victoria is planning to run another four Orientation and Mobility mornings for parents, teacher’s aides and teachers in 2004, based at the Guide Dog campus in Kew. These morning programs include discussions about the issues students with low vision experience when travelling in the community as well as a practical workshop under low vision simulators. A set route in a local suburb is followed, with participants being required to answer questions along the way and experience tasks such as crossing roads and entering shops.
So far, the Children’s Mobility Service has run three morning programs with each participant reporting that they have taken away something useful from experiencing travel wearing the simulators. Some examples are:
A well-earned coffee break concludes the morning, where more discussion takes place about travelling wearing a simulator and whether these experiences matched the participants’ initial expectations.
Many participants have been surprised to discover things about the eye condition
that they were previously unaware of. By building a more thorough understanding
of the practical implications of a particular vision impairment, the parent
or teacher can assist in the skill development and building of confidence that
is required for children to progress towards independence.
For further information about any of these events contact Rachel Morgan on (03)
9854 4469.
Our website has recently been redesigned by the Information Technology students at Melbourne University. We think it is fabulous. Have a look: www.guidedogs.asn.au
The Visiting Teachers for the Hearing Impaired in Eastern Metropolitan Region invite you to “Hear This! Educational Implications and Management of the Hearing Impaired Student in the Regular Classroom”.
When: Tuesday, 16th March 2004; 9.00am-3.45pm
Where: Waratah Room - Whitehorse Civic Centre
397 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading (Mel Ref 48 G9)
Who: VTS Hearing Impaired Professional Development for Secondary,
Primary and Specialist School Teachers and Integration Aides
Key note speaker: Mr Eddie Keir, Former Head of Audiology,
Royal Children’s Hospital
Cost: $33.00
Make cheque out to: Princess Elizabeth Junior School
RSVP: by 10th March
For further details: Marjie Russell tel (03) 9761 0910
This most excellent book, which has even appeared this year on many school book lists, aims to motivate students to approach life with optimism. It offers insights into how to be happier and more successful at school and step more confidently into tertiary studies or employment. Areas covered include:
‘The complete survival guide for high school and beyond’ is available in bookshops including Mary Martin Bookshop, Como Centre, South Yarra. See attached article for more details.
Donna McNear & Pulse Data HumanWare prepared a list of sources of electronic text (e-text) for downloading which has been attached to the print copy of The Bulletin. I have not checked all sources and some may only be available for US residents.
If you’d like an etext version, please email your request to: deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au
When: Saturday 27 March 2004 commencing at 1.30pm
Where: 1st floor, Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital
Special guest speaker: Dr Mark Walland
For further information: contact the Melbourne Support Group
Co-ordinator, Maureen Boyle on (03) 9434 3198
Definition: utilities available on the internet to help you find information among the millions of documents on the web. They help you find information on specific topics.
Search Tools are categorized into three types:
Each type of searching tool accomplishes a different task and locates information in a different way.
Attached to the print copy of The Bulletin is a long list of search engines, subject directories and meta-search engines. It also includes a cute exercise designed to encourage us to search more effectively!
You can also find this document at: http://www.schoollink.org/workshops/search_tools.htm
The following articles appear in the October 2003 edition of JVIB:
The following articles appear in the January 2004 edition of JVIB:
RVIB is again conducting four residential training programs for students who are blind or vision impaired and are integrated into mainstream schools. The focus of these programs is to develop skills and knowledge in a variety of curriculum areas unique to the needs of vision impaired students. It also provides an opportunity for students to interact and network with peers in a positive, supportive environment.
Junior Program Grade 4-Year 8: Tuesday 18th to Friday 21st May
Senior Program Year 7-Year 12: Tuesday 13th to Friday 16th April
Junior Program Grade 4-Year 8: Tuesday 24th to Friday 27th August
Senior Program Year 7-Year 12: Monday 27th to Thursday 30th Sept
Cost: $100
For further details please contact: Sue Coull, Head of Specialist Education
Support Services: 9808 6422
Have you seen the December 2003 edition of SPEVI News? It makes a very interesting read and includes the following articles:
The Age ran a two page article on 6 January entitled ‘A White Minority’ featuring comments from several adults with albinism. It contains information and a historical perspective and also features some of the difficulties experienced by people with albinism.
Excerpt: One day Bianca Knowlton decided to perform an experiment. It was nothing spectacular or scientific, nothing so different to what she did every day, shopping with friends in Bournemouth, Britain’s favourite family resort by the sea. But this time one friend walked behind her to count the comments.
“I can't remember how many there were,” says Knowlton, now a confident 21-year-old sitting in the living room of her parents home in nearby Winborne. “But it was two out of three people.”
Knowlton is an albino. The comments were nothing she hadn't heard before: “Ooh, what’s that?”; “Ghost!”; “What's wrong with her?”; and, after Halle Berry’s snowy-haired character in the X-Men films, “Storm!” Once, she says, still with disbelief, a man stood still in front of her, looked her up and down, then, as she left, shouted, “What the hell was that?”
Knowlton laughs about it now and says dryly, “They don’t realise that we’re partially sighted, but we’re not deaf. It used to really upset me. Now it depends on my mood.” …(There are) dozens of albino characters in Hollywood films – all white-haired, white-skinned, ghostly and bad. “I don’t blame people if they look at me funny,” Knowlton says, “when all they see in films are evil albinos.”
The Age also ran an article on Friday 13 February entitled ‘Dining in the Dark’ about a new restaurant – Black Out – that opened that day in St Kilda Road Melbourne near RVIB. Unlike the original restaurant of its kind, opened in Zurich which is staffed by people with vision impairments, Black Out’s waiters wear infra-red glasses. Patrons choose from the menu in the illuminated foyer before being led to the blackened restaurant. There is a ban on mobile phones, smoking, torches, matches, cigarette lighters and luminous watches.
If you’d like to see the somewhat patronizing article, go to: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/12/1076548159581.html
Articles include topics such as Jot-a-Dot (low cost mechanical braille writer); the new Mountbatten which allows writing in different languages; OpenBook 7 (scanning software); PACmate with detachable braille display which also plugs into any PC via the USB port; and BookCourier which stores and reads out electronic text files.
You can read this newsletter on the web: http://www.quantech.com.au/technology_for_life/newsletters/livewire_dec2003.htm
If you paid for a SPEVI conference CD-ROM in Queensland in January 2002 – it recently arrived and it is EXCELLENT. The Queensland crew have gone to endless effort to capture the information and provide it in a way that is particularly user friendly – they have included:
as supplied by the speakers. Come and have a look at the CD or order your own copy @ $20. Contact Pat Thompson for an order form: Patricia.Thompson@qed.qld.gov.au
Source: http://www.saveyoursight.org.au/index.asp
Save Your Sight is a co-ordinated public eye health program implemented by Vision 2020 Australia in collaboration with partner organisations in the eye health field.
It aims to raise awareness of the importance of eye health among the general
public, health and community sectors and government. The ultimate goal is to
prevent avoidable vision loss and reduce the impact of vision impairment for
all Australians.
Some interesting statistics:
Getting tested can identify vision impairment and allow treatment to correct and prevent eye disease. Getting tested can improve overall health – leading to a reduction in the risk of falls, hip fractures, social isolation and premature death.
For more information, see their website: http://www.saveyoursight.org.au/index.asp
Marianna Buultjens, for many years Co-ordinator of the Scottish Sensory Centre, will be keynote speaker at this important three-day seminar. The seminar will explore a range of issues and innovations in expanding access for students who have vision impairment to society and community, media and information, and to education.
Topics to be addressed by Marianna include: the meanings and models of access and inclusion – from kindy to college; inter-relationship of health, education, and social services; services for and by parents; social development and independence for all students with vision impairment; essential knowledge, understanding and skills for VI education specialists; staff development for mainstream education staff: what and how?
When: August 26, 27 & 28 2004
Where: Renwick College, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind
Children, 361-365 North Rocks Rd, North Rocks 2151
Cost: $390
For more information: ContinuingEd@ridbc.org.au
The PocketViewer – one of which is on display at the SVRC – is
now available for sale from Pulse Data Australia for $1,285.
Contact: Ron Hathaway (02) 9686 2600 or rhath@pulsedata.com.au
Source: OnLine Magazine Issue 7, December 2003
If you would like to enhance the web browsing experiences for someone who has some visual difficulties, you might like to check out the ‘OneFormat - Free Accessibility Tool’ which is a simple to use web browsing system which you can set to your personal preferences. Go to: http://www.oneformat.com
Jeni Blake is again negotiating with Australian Presentation Systems for a bulk education price for the Mimio. The new model (not yet released) will be wireless and therefore much more user friendly in the classroom! For the purposes of funding submissions, the following prices apply:
For individual quotes contact: Peter Goldie (03) 9836 4700
If there are enough people interested in being part of a bulk order, prices may be more favourable. If you are interested in being part of this year’s bulk order, please fax your contact details to Jeni on (03) 9782 3012.
For further details about Mimio please see http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/MIMIO.htm or phone Jeni on 0428 134 660.
From Trevor Boyd, Quantum Technology
You may have noticed in Windows XP that the underlined letters in menus are missing. That was a convenient feature of older Windows versions. You could press the Alt key and the underlined letter to activate a menu item. If you've grown accustomed to that shortcut, you can restore the feature in XP by:
Melbourne University invites all year 10 students to participate in Melbourne University Master Class 2004 – for a free sample of what tertiary level study might be like. There are 19 different classes covering all areas of the curriculum. Apply online by 27 February at http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/events/mclass/
Monash University has an online magazine for students and potential students – you’ll find it at: http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/voice/
QuickLook is a pocket-sized electronic magnifier with an endless array of uses including:
Weighing just 300g, QuickLook can magnify up to 5.5 times in full colour on
the high contrast
4-inch screen. It also has an enhanced print mode. The rechargeable battery
lasts 1¼ hours.
And the cost? $1,495
For more information go to: http://www.quantech.com.au/technology_for_life/newsletters/livewirebulletin_dec_03.htm
VT Lillian Adler had an interesting time at Word of Mouth Technology recently and writes:
In my journey of trying to work out a program for one of my students who is vision impaired and hearing impaired, we were able to acquire a laptop with MAGic enlarging and voice software.
The next challenge was to find a suitable earphones for him as he wears hearing aids. We had a wonderful session at Word of Mouth Technology. My student was fitted with a loop which can either be connected to the hearing aid or worn around the neck. My student can now listen to the voice output without disturbing the class.
Word of Mouth Technology
23 Macauley Place, Bayswater 3153
Tel: 9729 9974
Source: NoticeBoard, September 2003 – Review by Gemma
I would recommend this book to all siblings, however, I think it is best suited to those aged between 10 and 14. It’s about a girl whose younger brother has autism. The story shows how she deals with living with him and the taunts she receives at school because of him. Things become harder for her when her brother starts at her school and she feels she has to protect him. I found it to be extremely moving and very echoing of my own experiences in some parts. It gauges the perspective of siblings of children with disabilities extremely well. This is a must read for all siblings, it’s very well written and very simple to understand. So go out and read it today!
Source: Circular 19/2004 (correction) significant dates for 2004
Term dates for 2004
Term 1: Wednesday 28 January to Friday 2 April
Term 2: Monday, 19 April to Friday, 25 June
Term 3: Monday, 12 July to Friday, 17 September
Term 4: Monday, 4 October to Friday, 17 December
VCE written examinations
June written examinations: Monday 7 June to Wednesday 9 June (GAT Wednesday
9 June)
November written examinations: Friday 29 October to Friday 19 November
End of year for post compulsory students
Year 11 students from Friday 26 November
Year 10 students from Friday 3 December
Orientation day (Year 6 to 7 transition)
Tuesday 7 December
Source: http://www.education.theage.com.au/subscriptionvce.asp (and click on the expo icon)
When: Friday 19 March 2-7pm; Saturday 20 March 10am-5pm; Sunday
21 March 10am-5pm
Where: Heath Centre, Caulfield Racecourse, Station Street,
Caulfield
Getting there: The venue is opposite Caulfield Station (Dandenong
and Frankston lines) and has ample free parking.
What: The Age VCE & Careers Expo, now in its twelfth year,
is Victoria’s most successful education and careers event. The 2003 Expo
attracted over 12,000 visitors.
At the Expo students, parents and teachers can access valuable VCE, VCAL, IB and career resources and information. There will also be more than 50 seminars on VCE subjects, study and career advice.
The Age VCE & Careers Expo brings together 120 organisations including resource and information providers, book and software distributors and career advisers. In addition, Australia’s top tertiary institutions will be at the Expo.
Admission is $6.00 per person or $4.00 per person for groups of 10 or more – free if you attend the Guide Dogs Victoria VCE weekend. Admission includes all seminars and a copy of The Age. A special Expo feature will appear in Education in The Age on Monday March 15th, 2004.
Enquiries: email team@resourcesforcourses.com.au or phone (03) 9596 8881.
From our northern correspondent: Marion Blazé Advisory Teacher for Vision, Darwin (formerly Education Officer for Vision Impaired, Victoria), term 1 2004 marion.blaze@nt.gov.au
As a VT working in Melbourne, I always hated those days when the rain pelted down, the skies were dark and the roads were slippery. I never had enough settings on my wipers to cope with the variations in rainfall. My car always ended up a mess as I threw my clobber onto the back seat in my haste to avoid getting wet. My feet would get colder as the day wore on because my socks or stockings had become wet. My hairdo drooped, my braille got soggy and I just couldn't seem to manage an umbrella as well as all my VT paraphernalia.
Well, Melbourne weather ain't nothing compared to the top end wet! Forget the intermittent setting on your wipers: even going flat out they don't cope with monsoonal rain.
As a 'southerner', I find it very strange to sit in my air-conditioned car looking out on a dismal wet day and trying to imagine that it's stiflingly hot out there. One's feet get very wet and squishy. At least in Melbourne, you're likely to be wearing closed shoes when it's raining. Up here it’s sandals all the time and sandals and rain are a bit of a hazard. I now know why many locals prefer bare feet.
In the first rains, we often seemed to have frog plagues. It's bad enough driving with visibility lowered by monsoonal rain, without having to swerve to avoid frogs leaping across the road.
Even technology suffers in the wet. I’ve heard many stories of computers being infested by ants (I’m yet to work out what the attraction is). Time on your computer is punctuated by calls to ‘save’ as the lights flicker in the regular thunder storms. Computer paper has to be kept in a light box to stop it from absorbing moisture.
Then there are the cyclone warnings. Luckily, none has eventuated into a cyclone, yet. There are workplace guidelines for preparations to be made before a cyclone. All desk and shelf/table tops must be cleared except for computers, which must be plastic-bagged. Just before Christmas, when most people were going on leave, we had a warning (Cyclone Debbie!) and had to stow all our desk stuff under our desks or in drawers. All notice boards had to be cleared, too. Some poor workers, who had gone on leave before the warning, returned to work to find their desks cleared by someone else.
Many roadways up here are really ‘floodways’ in the wet season. We have a four-wheel-drive, but our other car is a very small Daewoo. I regularly get startled by big four-wheel-drives plowing through a floodway and showering my car in their wake.
For out-of-town trips, one has to consult the ‘Road Conditions Report’ line on a 1800 number. This provides reports on roads which are closed and those which require a four-wheel drive and/or snorkel. Unfortunately, for this to be useful, some geographic knowledge is required as the recording quickly rattles off town and road names.
Umbrellas aren’t much use here. The rains are so heavy, you get just as much bouncing up at you as falls from the skies. Raincoats don’t work either. No matter how light-weight they are, if they keep the rain out, they’ll keep your perspiration in, and you end up wet, and smelly. Spectacles are also a bit of a hazard. They fog up immediately after leaving an air-conditioned car or building because of the amazing humidity. It also took me a while to realize that it was the outside of my windscreen which was fogging up between showers.
Many ‘Top Enders’ prefer the wet, and I can sort of understand why. The vegetation is lush, creatures are more abundant and life is certainly made more interesting by the dramatic changes from the conditions of the dry. But as an AT, it is definitely less convenient than the predictable weather of the dry. As the locals say ‘welcome to the tropics’.
Who needs a k-zillion ‘Styles’ in their list of Styles? Well not me! The list is so long that one is almost at risk of developing RSI moving from one Style to the next!!! So I’ve made it my mission this term (yes, I expect it to take that long) to work out how to just show (in the pull down menu) the few that I need…
When I pull down the Styles window in a new document, this is what I want to see: Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Hyperlink, Normal, Normal (Web), Title and nothing else…
To my formatting displeasure, what I normally get is a list longer than my
arm and countless times more useless!
I have tried to solve the problem – but only time will tell if I have
succeeded…
Go to:
If you know the secret to Styles in Word, please call or email!
The 12 February edition of Education Times (page 32) is carrying advertisements for the following positions:
Closing date for these positions is Thursday 26 February 2004.
Brailling student Kyle from Wangaratta has written a autobiography – ‘My Life and Dreams’ – which is both amusing and insightful. Below is the final chapter entitled ‘Dreams for the future’:
At the moment I’m thinking about radio announcing with the Wangaratta Public Radio. I’d like to have a segment where I could choose the music I like, such as country and western, sentimental and very occasionally, more modern music. I know a fair bit about the background of a lot of these artists and their music, so I think I could make it interesting for the listeners.
I love cars and one day I would really enjoy driving one. Perhaps this could be achieved on a driving track, with a very brave navigator, or perhaps in the future they might have a navigational system that talks.
Sometime in the future, I would like to go to a motor show, but you are not allowed to touch the cars, so there doesn’t seem to be much point in going, as I see with touch. Perhaps I could write to the person in charge and ask if there could be something worked out.
I want to get married and have children, and own a house, but first I must get a job. I’d like a job where I would be happy to go to every morning, and have good mates to work with.
I wonder if some of my dreams will work out.
As most of you will know, the SVRC got its own ‘domain name’ about a year ago and so our email addresses all changed. So for a very long time, both our old ‘solind’ address and the new ‘svrc.vic.edu.au’ both operated … but (as they say) all good things must come to an end… and the ‘solind’ address no longer works… The good thing for me is that now I get to my desk in the morning and there are 12 emails instead of the usual 52. (Was I really dealing with an extra 40 bits of junk mail each day?) The bad thing is that some of you have not changed the address in your address books…
So here are our contact details:
Post to: PO Box 201, Nunawading 3131
Visit us: 370-380 Springvale Rd Donvale
Email: svrc@svrc.vic.edu.au
Website: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au
Technology website: http://www.visiontech.vic.edu.au
Name |
Phone |
Email |
| Annette Godfrey-Magee Education Officer |
Educational Vision Assessment Clinic 9841 0807 0419 157 748 |
|
| Cathy Murray Braille Transcriber |
9841 0242 |
|
| Deb Lewis Co-ordinator |
9841 0242 0412 324 541 |
|
| Dianne Skillern Administration/Large Print Production |
9841 0242 |
|
| Lyn Robinson Vision Resource Teacher |
9841 0242 |
|
| Maria Elford Senior Braille Transcriber |
9841 0242 |
|
| Nola Houghton Braille Transcriber |
9841 0242 |
|
| Phillip McKenna Teacher |
9841 0242 |
|
| Gloria Ng Teacher |
9841 0242 |
|
| Sue Sharp Braille Transcriber |
9841 0242 |
|
| Toni Chilton Braille Transcriber |
9841 0242 |
|
| Educational Psychologist Vacant Position |
- |
- |
Thanks to Annette Godfrey-Magee, Denise Probert, Faye Squires, Jeni Blake and Trevor Boyd for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to my fabulous proof-readers Dianne Skillern and Lea Nagel.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).