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This BUMPER issue was edited by Deb Lewis, Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre.
The SVRC PD program for term 2 appears below. For the complete list of activities for 2006 and where available downloadable programs, go to: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/pd2006.htm
All activities offered by the SVRC are open to class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, careers teachers, therapists, parents VTs, students etc. Please register: tel (03) 9841 0242, fax (03) 9841 0878 or email svrc@svrc.vic.edu.au
Note: Assistive technology workshops will also be offered throughout the year!
By Marion Blazé
This very busy day at the SVRC was attended by 8 teachers, 16 integration aides, 1 nanny, 10 VTs and the entire SVRC staff (35 visitors in total). Judging by the overall mood of the participants and comments on the ‘Participant evaluations’, it was a very successful event. Annette and Lea (Nagel) lead the group in some very insightful simulations and had them doing ‘normal’ classroom activities with a few additional challenges. We saw film of a brilliant blind adult reading braille, and a just-as-brilliant young primary school student demonstrating the technology he uses. Geoff regaled us with his wisdom and a few terrific cartoons on his PowerPoint and then Trevor Boyd wowed us with technology possibilities. It’s very gratifying when the evaluations say this was the best PD activity people have ever attended! (Or maybe our participants should get out more?!)
Thank you to all the presenters, the technological troubleshooters (Deb and Lea) and all our long-suffering production team who kept the food, drinks and air-conditioning going.
The SPEVI website team comprising Tom McMahon, Mike Corrigan, Pat Thomson, Brian Conway, Leanne Smith, Tricia d’Apice and Sandie Mackevicius are pleased to announce the launch of Stage 1 of the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (SPEVI) website.
You can find it at: http://www.e-bility.com/spevi.
They hope that you will find it easy to navigate, informative and reflective of your interests.
SPEVI members are now invited to sign up for the list serve: your membership will be verified by the moderator and then you will be accepted. Go to “Join SPEVI” page, and follow instructions. It may take a few days at present to have your request accepted. Members are entitled to one email address, and may nominate either work or home.
The website team look forward to your comments, feedback and suggestions about
the website – contact:
Tricia d’Apice triciadapice@gmail.com
or
Sandie Mackevicius sandie.mackevicius@visionaustralia.org
SPEVI acts as the professional body in matters pertaining to the education of people with vision impairments within the South Pacific region.
The web site provides information about SPEVI and membership services and is also being developed as a resource for anyone interested in vision impairment or who has a friend or relative with vision impairment. You’ll find a growing collection of links to information and support in areas such as: recreation, Australian and international blindness organisations, equipment and software developers, career information and vocational education resources.
Stage 2 will include more exciting things and we welcome link suggestions and resources. Please let us know if you have any favourite vision related web sites for the links directory which is being compiled.
When collecting links for yourself, you might also like to check out these on e-Bility which is the host site for organisations such as ARATA, Round Table and SPEVI. E-Bility’s pages also include a number of cross links to the new SPEVI site. You might like to check out:
http://www.e-bility.com/links/vip.php
http://www.e-bility.com/links/etexts.php
http://www.e-bility.com/links/games.php
The March 2006 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) is now available. Articles include:
What: Round Table on Information Access for People with Print
Disabilities Inc. Conference
When: 20-23 May 2006
Where: Pacific International 570 Queen Street Brisbane
Theme: Realizing the Vision for Accessible Information: The
Way Forward
Keynote Speaker: George Kerscher, Senior Officer of Accessible
Information, RFB&D and Secretary-General, DAISY Consortium
The aim of Round Table is to facilitate and influence the production and use of quality alternative formats for people with print disabilities. Technological change has created opportunities for continuing innovation and inclusive practice. The Round Table Conference will highlight these opportunities, celebrate achievements and seek to maintain momentum to realise an inclusive information environment.
This conference is for producers and users of alternative information. There will be workshops for participants to share strategies, exchange ideas, encourage peer support networks and showcase best practice through paper presentations, panel discussions, workshops, question times and plenary sessions.
The Conference will be inclusive and provide benefits to all sectors, including
librarians, educators, service providers, community groups and agencies.
The conference will include:
For more information contact Tammy Axelsen, Round Table Administration Assistant
Tel : (03) 6265 1519
Email: RoundtableAdmn@bigpond.com
Round Table Website: http://e-bility.com/roundtable
A full conference programme and registration pack is now available on the Round Table Web site.
The Renwick Centre offers a continuing professional education program of activities in the areas of area of vision and hearing impairment and sensory and multiple disability. For example:
Communication Strategies for Students with Sensory and Multiple Disabilities
When: Monday 3 - Tuesday 4 July 2006 (2 day seminar)
A two day workshop to provide participants with the knowledge and skills that
will enable them to define communication in most comprehensive terms and understand
its basic and essential components.
Where: Renwick Centre, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children,
361-365 North Rocks Road, North Rocks NSW
For the full year calendar of events go to: http://www.ridbc.org.au/renwick/courses/continuinged_calendar.asp
For more information: tel/TTY (02) 9872 0207 or fax: (02) 9873 1614 email: Sharon.Lachmund@ridbc.org.au or Tina.Tasioulas@ridbc.org.au
‘Practical Professional Development’ is offering a day with David Hornsby and Debbie Sukarna.
When: Saturday 8th April 2006
Cost: $140
Presenters:
David Hornsby is working as a curriculum consultant in schools and at La Trobe
University. He was with the Ministry of Education for 28 years and taught every
year level. David has completed many lecture tours of the US and the UK. He
has also worked with teachers in Indonesia, New Zealand and Singapore. He has
written or co-authored many popular teacher reference books.
Debbie Sukarna is currently Head of Buckley House (Ivanhoe Grammar). She has been a leading educator for 26 years and has presented professional development programs for State, Catholic and Independent schools. She has worked in the United States and was principal of a bilingual Balinese community school. She has co-authored a number of books on literacy education.
Future workshops include:
20 May - Developing an effective reading program
5 Aug - Text response
19 Aug - Developing an effective spelling program
2 Sept - Analysis and assessment of spelling
For more information contact Paula Welham tel/fax 9499 2065
May 8 – 14: The theme for Education Week this year is ‘Bringing Learning to Life’ and one of the suggested activities for schools is a science day.
So here at the SVRC we are planning a science activity full of life for our VI students. The Roaming Reptiles are coming!!! Participants in this special event will be able to handle live turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles. Then it will be onto the bus with the Guide Dogs Children’s Services personnel to have an orientation and mobility session at Melbourne Zoo.
Numbers will be strictly limited for both the morning with the reptiles and the O & M session, so get your names in fast.
The activity will be on Friday, May 12. The reptiles will be here from 10.00 to 11.00am and then students will head off with the Guide Dogs people at 11.30. (BYO lunch). Pick up will be either from the Zoo at 3.30 or from the SVRC at 4.30. If accompanying adults wish to join in the Zoo activity, they will require their own transport.
The cost is free and more information will definitely follow.
Here is part of a comprehensive article from year 10 student Andrew who attended
Driving Camp late last year. The article appeared in the school newsletter.
Yeh, I thought it was pretty funny myself when I got my first note about the
driving camp for the sight-impaired.
Last time I went which was 2 years ago, the cars were governed (which means they could only do 30km/h) but this time they weren’t and they could get up to speeds of 220km/h even though it said 240km/h. We weren’t allowed to go over 70km/h but I am sure everyone was happy with that.
One instructor spoke to the whole group and said that anyone caught going too fast deliberately would be kicked out of the car. If you didn’t read a road sign you would have to get out of the car and hug it. This is a bit unfortunate when you can’t see the road signs…
The driving instructor took us for a spin first just so we could get the feel of our surroundings. We each had half hour turns just driving around and attempting some challenges that the instructor had set for us eg hill starts, 3 point turns, angle parking, u-turns, left and right hand turns and reversing. Driving is a serious business but we couldn’t get our heads around the serious part instead we got our heads around the fun and enjoyment parts. When I was angle parking I went over the curb and I put my foot down on the accelerator by accident and we shot forward. We stopped suddenly because the instructor pressed the “kill switch”. One of my friends who was driving the white car needed to feel for all the controls around the car. He managed to put his windscreen wipers on, open the boot, the petrol tank and put the radio on, all while he was driving along…
Our driving instructor Bernadette, told us that we were the “best group” she had ever had…
I can guarantee that if you asked anyone that went to this driving camp to give it a score out of ten, they’d give it 10 or even higher. We all had an AWESOME TIME and can’t wait till next year.
Below: Yep! That’s one of the students driving that car!
Still spaces for Space Camp 2006 wannabees!!! Contact Jeni Blake 0428 134660 or Deb Lewis 9841 0242 if you are thinking about coming!!!
When: 1-6 August 2006
Where: Colorado Springs, Colorado
The United States Association of Blind Athletes host the 2006 National Sports Festival and Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Athletes 8-years-old to masters will have the opportunity to learn and refine their skills in various sports clinics taught by USABA national coaches. Following the Sports Festival, athletes will also have the opportunity to participate in the Rocky Mountain State Games. The Rocky Mountain State Games offer 29 different sports with over 6,000 participants from all over the state of Colorado. For more information contact Angie Murphy – media@usaba.org
Blind Sports Victoria and Vision Australia Ltd invite you to a Come N Try Day!!!
Where: Day Centre, 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong 3144
When: Friday 28th April 10 am to 1 pm
If you, a friend, a member of your family or a student has a vision impairment and you would like to discover more or try a variety of sporting activities, then this day is highly recommended!
Contact Hazel Hockley on 0412 224242 or nuttyhazel@optusnet.com.au
Review by Lyn Robinson
This is a simple game using the numbers 1 to 9, two die and a wooden box. The numbers are brailled on wooden tiles which are attached to the box using a metal rod. The wooden tiles lie in a horizontal row from 1 to 9 across the top of the box. To begin a player rolls the die if a 3 and a 2 are rolled they can turn down the 3 and the 2 on the wooden tiles or a 5. The same player then rolls again. The game continues until no tiles can be flipped down. The score of the remaining tiles is totalled and the next player begins. The player with the lowest score wins.
Shut the Box can be purchased via the internet – use the search facility on these sites to locate
RNIB: http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk
Cabin Fever Games: http://www.cabinfever.org
Or search Ebay!!!: http://www.ebay.com.au
Eastern Region VTs Helen Caldow and Lea Nagel have been at it again – with some handy cheat sheets and suggestions for students with vision impairments including:
And stay posted for Lea’s next offering – the braille music cheat sheet!!!
Source: Australian BrailleNote Update March 2006
As you know, the BrailleNote family can play MP3 files through the media player. I came across this message on a discussion list and thought I would pass it on for your interest. I've visited the site mentioned, downloaded a few files to the BN and it is very KeyWeb and BN friendly and there are some fun or interesting files to listen to.
In the words of Jeff Chapman: “another fantastically interesting site which is very groovy, which … has just heaps and heaps of audio podcasts on it, which is just another fancy term for audio downloads you can do manually, without needing a special podcast program like juice receiver, you can just click on the mp3 links on this site and they’ll download just fine to your ’puter like any normal audio files, covering a whole range of issues and ‘blind life’ experiences, from people’s weddings, to vip music talent, to tech reviews of gadgets and software coming out your ears, to what walks home sound like in other countries, to parades, ... a simply amazing audio coverage of vips and their worlds.”
Go to: http://www.blindcooltech.com
Source: Article by Peter Verhoeven via the Ozbrl listserv
Researchers from the Universitat Autunoma de Barcelona and the Organizacion Nacional de Ciegos Espaoles ONCE have developed a braille keyboard for PCs that has some unique features. The keyboard provides more applications for blind people and is particularly useful for scientific texts and musical scores.
The new keyboard, which connects to the PC through the USB port, will make using a computer much easier for blind people who are accustomed to using braille typewriters, since this is the first braille keyboard to combine the function and movement keys of a conventional keyboard with eight braille keys that allow the user to write in any language. Users can also select between a cumulative and a corrective writing mode. In the cumulative mode, the dots of a braille symbol are indicated by pressing the keys one after another; in the corrective mode, this is done by pressing the necessary keys simultaneously.
The keyboard also provides the possibility to update its features as upgrades to the firmware (internal programmes that control the features) are developed in the future.
This new computer keyboard gives blind people enormous possibilities for working with mathematical formulae and scorewriter programmes. Until now, assistance was required from a sighted person for this kind of task.
The project, which began in March 2004 at the proposal of ONCE, was coordinated by the UAB Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems researcher Jordi Roig, who has been visually impaired for three years and is a member of ONCE. Teachers from the UAB School of Engineering and the UAB School of Computer Science in Sabadell participated in the research. The group is currently working on other projects that will enable blind people to work autonomously with technological applications. These projects include developing an automatic conversion tool for websites that are not currently accessible to blind people and creating a touchable screen that raises the information so that it can be felt.
Source: Technologynewsdaily.com http://magnifiers.org/news.php?action=fullnews&id=151
Source: S089-2006 – Program for Students with Disabilities 2007 Handbook, including the Language Support Program from John Allman, Acting Deputy Secretary, Office of School Education
The Department is committed to delivering an inclusive education system which ensures that all students have access to a quality education to meet their diverse needs.
Two vital components of this commitment are the following programs: the Program for Students with Disabilities and the Language Support Program. Both provide a range of supports and initiatives to assist government school students with additional learning needs, including those students with disabilities.
The Program for Students with Disabilities 2007 Handbook provides essential information on the program for teachers, school leaders and parents, including:
In addition, the 2007 Handbook has been revised to clarify the application process and the timelines for the submission of applications.
An electronic version of the Handbook will be available on the Student Wellbeing Website: http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/wellbeing/disabil/index.htm
A hard copy of the Handbook will then be distributed to every school in the week beginning 17 April 2006.
For further information please contact your Regional Officer:
Barwon South Western taylor.andrew.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 5272 8300
Grampians carrington.laura.l@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 5337 8444
Loddon Mallee tingay.elaine.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 5440 3111
Hume fletcher.wendy.a@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 5761 2100
Gippsland stuart.nicola.s@edumail.vic.gov.au
/ fearnley.ann.a@edumail.vic.gov.au
/ coffey.sue.s@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03)5127 0400
Eastern Metropolitan mckeown.marilyn.a@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 9881 0200
Western Metropolitan maguire.judy.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
/ baker.judith.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 9291 6500
Southern Metropolitan flight.joanne.e@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 9794 3555
Northern Metropolitan jones.alison.g@edumail.vic.gov.au
(03) 9488 9488
International Guide Dog Day will be celebrated on Wednesday 26 April 2006. International Guide Dog Day not only recognises the importance of Guide Dogs, but also helps promote greater awareness about vision impairment and Guide Dog access in the community.
Guide Dogs Victoria will also be holding its famous Open Day on Sunday, 30 April at the Kew campus from 11am - 4pm. Offering a day of family fun, you can see how Guide Dogs are bred and trained as well as enjoy live entertainment, gorgeous puppies and working dog demonstrations, food stalls, doggie products and more!
For more information go to: http://www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au
Information provided by Nigel Moyle of Albinism Fellowship of Australia
When: August 25, 26 & 27
Where: Sydney
Venue: The “Y” Hotel (Hyde Park)
If you have Albinism, or are a parent of a child with Albinism and are interested in maybe learning more about Albinism or even sharing your experiences and getting to meet other people with Albinism then you are welcome to attend this Conference. An agenda is yet to be finalised but we will be having presentations on school bullying, vision impaired learning, genetics to name but a few, and of course there will be lots of people time so we can all interact and share ideas & experiences in a family environment. Anyone interested in attending or obtaining more information should contact Nigel on (03) 54 822 503 (between 5pm & 9 pm please). If anyone has any suggestions for topics that they want addressed or discussed please let him know. For a more detailed program check out our website http://www.albinismaustralia.org – it’s updated weekly.
The Cataract Support Group offers support to families who have a child with cataracts. The Cataract Support Group offers:
If you are interested in being part of this support group, please contact: Debbie Deshayes 9572 4727 or engzea@goconnect.net
Where: Vision Australia, 201 High Street, Prahran.
For all current and prospective blind or vision impaired tertiary students:
Wed 19 Apr 1:30 – 4pm On line Research skills and writing for Academic
Purposes
Wed 17 May 1:30 – 4pm Exam Preparation
Wed 21 Jun 1:30 – 4pm Note Taking and Referencing Tips
Wed 19 Jul 1:30 – 4pm Course and Career Identification
Wed 16 Aug 1:30 – 4pm VTAC and direct course application processes
Wed 20 Sep 1:30 – 4pm Exam preparation and study strategies
Wed 18 Oct 1:30 – 4pm Methods for reading using alternative formats
Wed 20 Dec 1:30 – 4pm Where to from here? Transitioning beyond school
and tertiary studies toward employment.
For further information contact: Renee Williamson, Tertiary Education Consultant
Tel (03) 9520 5555 or email renee.williamson@rvib.org.au
Can you spare a couple of hours a week on a voluntary basis at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre in Donvale? Do you love reading? Would you like to join a friendly and committed team? Would you like to contribute to the growing collection of audio resources for students with vision impairments? Then YOU are the person we are looking for!!!
We have a selection of interesting novels and text books that are required by students with vision impairments for their studies this year in audio format.
Please call Lyn Robinson on 9841 0242 and we hope to see you soon!
Eastern region VT Tracey Lancaster will be out of action for 6 weeks this term creating an immediate vacancy for someone with special education qualifications and experience in the field of vision impairment. Please contact Lea Nagel immediately on 0403 237306 if you can help out!
Deborah Nicholson is an integration aide who has braille skills and 10 years experience supporting brailling students. Deborah who lives in the Knoxfield area is available for work – either casual, part time or full time. Please phone her on (03) 9753 3121.
Thanks to Allan Bates, Maria Elford, Marion Blazé, Melissa Howe, Mike Steer, Ramona Mandy, Rachel Morgan and Tina Tasioulas for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to my fabulous proof-readers, stuffers and mailers.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).