The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (SVRC) and Lea Nagel, Visiting Teacher, Eastern Metropolitan Region.

Inside This Issue

- Professional Development 2002 - JAWS for Beginners, Low Vision Day
- Camps and Activities - Braille Games Day, SCORE Camp - Canada, Southern Cross Games, New Vision Camp, RVIB Bike Ed for Kids, Space Camp 2002
- Increasing Students' Braille-Reading Skills
- Low Vision and VCE Approved Graphics Calculators
- The Eyes of Tomorrow - Poem
- Blind Students want Faster Access to Books

SVRC Professional Development 2002

JAWS for Beginners Morning - Wednesday 17th April

See flier in Bulletin 4 or call Deb Lewis for details.
Who: VTs, students, integration staff and parents supporting students with low vision
Where: Statewide Vision Resource Centre 360 Springvale Rd Donvale
When: Wednesday 17th April from 9.30am to 1.00pm
Cost: Free
RSVP: tel (03) 9841 0242 or fax (03) 9841 0878
BYO: laptop with JAWS (if available)

Low Vision Day (Not Quite a Report)

Low Vision Day last week was well attended by an enthusiastic group of parents, classroom teachers and aides supporting primary, secondary and special school students. The level of involvement and questions asked showed that they came with a good prior knowledge base (well done, VT's), and were keen to know more. Here is some feedback from the day:
- It gave me a HUGE insight into what it would be like to be visually impaired. (Simulation)
- It really opened my eyes (ironically) to what it is like to have low vision.
- I finally understand! (Size, contrast & distance)
- Fantastic, many hints that will be of great use in the classroom (Strategies)
- Excellent strategies that can be applied to ALL students in the classroom (Individual, Social and Family Perspectives)
- Privilege to share their stories. Brilliant. (A Student Perspective)

Braille Games Day - Wednesday 8th May (Note change of date)

Who: Brailling students from Grade 3 to Year 8
Where: Statewide Vision Resource Centre 360 Springvale Rd Donvale
When: Wednesday 8th May 2002 - 10.30am to 2.30pm
Cost: Free
BYO: Lunch
RSVP: tel (03) 9841 0242 or fax (03) 9841 0878
Further details: Contact Lyn Robinson (03) 9841 0242 or Odette Budge (03) 9399 1704

SCORE Camp - Canada

Applications are now open for the SCORE Camp 2002 in Toronto, Canada from 30 June to 20 July 2002 (plus travelling time). Candidates must have the following qualities:
· be vision impaired or blind
· 16-18 years of age by the time of the camp
· currently in years 10, 11 or 12
· oriented towards undertaking tertiary education
· display enthusiasm to participate in all sanctioned activities
· fluent in English or French with strong communication skills
· able to type at least 30wpm minimum
· braille users must be proficient in Grade II (contracted) braille
· basic computer skills are essential, including the ability to use appropriate access devices
· strong orientation and mobility skills and daily living skills

SCORE applicants must have current passport by time of departure, and be prepared to travel to Toronto and back unaccompanied. Applicants must also have a desire to learn about computers, networks, Internet, computer based communication, HTML programming etc and be willing to work in a team environment.
Applicants for SCORE Camp 2002 are required to write a 500 word essay on the topic 'My view of the future of adaptive technologies for people with vision impairments' and submit their essays to Christine Harding, General Manager, RVIB Client Services by Friday 26 April. In addition, a teacher's letter of recommendation endorsing the student's typing speed, knowledge of word processing software, knowledge of computer operating systems (DOS, Windows, Unix or Linux) and current computer access device must accompany the essay.
An RVIB regional staff member or DEET Visiting Teacher must also endorse that the applicant's O&M and ADL skills are sufficient to participate in the SCORE program.

In summary, applications must be received by Christine Harding at 557 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3181 by Friday April 26 and must include:
· applicant's essay
· teachers endorsement as requested above
· endorsement by RVIB or DEET staff member as requested above

Short-listed applicants will be notified to present for an interview at RVIB's Education Center on Thursday May 2 from 3.30pm.
The successful applicant will be notified by Friday May 3th. RVIB reserves the right to make no award if no suitable applications are received by the due date.
Any queries, contact Christine Harding on 9522 5222.

Southern Cross Games - For Students with Vision Impairments

The following information was supplied by Uli Pfisterer, RVIB:
When: Monday 2 December to Friday 6 December 2002 (Teams arrive from interstate and overseas on the Saturday or Sunday prior to the official Opening Ceremony on the Monday)
Where: events will be staged around Melbourne eg Nunawading Basketball Stadium

Teams of no more than 12 competitors are able to participate. Events are held in two categories according to degree of vision impairment:
Category A Totally Blind - totally blind, light perception-functionally blind
Category B Vision Impaired - measurable acuity 1/60 or more, to a maximum of 6/36 or field of vision restricted to 20 degrees or less

Students with visual acuity of 6/18 - 6/24 or better than 20 degrees are considered to be able to participate in mainstream competitions at their schools. If you have any difficulties with this, please let me know. At this stage, due to an unanticipated high number of participants, I have also to restrict the number of students per team to 12.
For further information, contact Ulrich Pfisterer at RVIB on 9808 6422 or email pfistul@burwood.rvib.org.au/.

Hooked on Outdoor Sports!

Georgia (grade 1) and James (grade 6) have finally got into outdoor sports! James has tried lots of Saturday morning sports, but found that ball sports have not suited him. Now he's really enjoying track and field athletics, with encouragement from his dedicated mum. It won't be long before their brother Harry joins them, but for now, he's still at preschool.

New Vision Camp

Where: Camp Howqua via Mansfield.
Transport is provided from Nunawading
When: April 2-5, 2002
Cost: $45
This Vicyouth camp run by the Seventh-Day Adventist Youth Department promises to be an 'awesome adventure'. Activities to choose from include Horse Riding, Water Skiing, Go Carting and Archery. Contact Deb for a copy of the camp brochure, or if you would like the permission forms e-mailed to you. For more information on the camp, contact Neil Thompson on 9259 2158.

RVIB Bike Ed for Kids

Just a reminder:
When: Thursday 4th and Friday 5th April
This two-day program aims to increase the confidence, safety and skills of children with low vision who are riding their bicycles in the community.
See Bulletin 4 for more information.

Space Camp 2002 Is up and running!

Invitation for Expressions of Interest

When: Around 22nd September 2002
Where: US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.
Who: Students with Vision Impairments on DEET Visiting Teacher Service

Participants will fly to America, live in astronaut modules, take part in simulated space missions, experience lunar gravity and LOTS more! Other activities to be arranged may include visiting the Texas School for the Blind, reputedly the top school for the blind in the world.

For further information and photos from previous Space Camps, please visit our website: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/SpaceCamp2001.html or the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired website: http://www.tsbvi.edu/space/

To express your interest in this opportunity of a lifetime, please call: Deb Lewis (SVRC) 9841 0242

Increasing Students' Braille-Reading Skills

Suggestions from 'Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy' by Diane Wormsley & Frances Mary D'Andrea, AFB, New York, 1997.

Read aloud to a student as he or she follows along. Make sure to pace the reading so the student does not get too far behind and give up. Stop periodically and let the student supply the next word in a sentence. A student can also read along with an audiotape. Use as slow a tape speed as possible without distorting the voice. Then have the student go back and read the passage again without listening to the audiotape.
Suggest that students practice reading familiar stories to their younger brothers and sisters in print with braille overlays… Reading to others will increase their self-esteem, and give them valuable practice with easy-to-read materials to increase their fluency.
Use repeated readings. Choose a short passage and time the student while he or she reads it aloud. Then have the student read it over and time him or her again. Chart the number of words read per minute each time the passage is reread. This strategy is effective for increasing speed and fluency, and students are motivated by seeing their speed increase.
Start with short pieces. Use short, motivating texts such as jokes and riddles that are fun to share with friends and family members and can promote positive attitudes toward Braille. Students can also write their own.
Use poems. In addition to being short, poems that rhyme can help a student practice words with the same endings. The predictable rhythm and rhyme scheme help the student identify unfamiliar words.
Use song lyrics. Students are usually familiar with the lyrics of popular songs, so even new words can be introduced in a comfortable manner. Lyrics are often printed in pamphlets [or can be found on the internet].
Use predicable texts with a lot of repetition. High-interest, low-vocabulary books may work well with some teenagers.
Have the student devise new endings to familiar stories. Have a student follow along while the story is read aloud; stop before a story ends and ask the student what he or she thinks will happen next. Then read the ending together to see if the student's prediction was correct. This activity builds comprehension. The new endings of stories can be written down and shared with others. The teacher can also start reading a story or book aloud, get to a climactic part, and then encourage the student to finish the story on his or her own.

Low Vision and VCE Approved Graphics Calculators

We have had enquiries from VCE students about difficulty seeing the detailed display on graphics calculators. One student, Glen has had success sending the graphic display from his calculator to his computer monitor.
Jack Cooper from Calculator King has given us information on enlarging the screen display from your graphics calculator, by sending the display via cables and a conversion unit to your TV screen or computer monitor. Of the VCAA approved graphics calculators, Jack said only three would be compatible with a monitor or TV screen.
For the Casio CFX-9850GB PLUS, you need to buy a VI 9850 GB Plus Television unit converter (around $600)
For the Texas Instruments TI-83 (approx. $160) or the TI-83 PLUS, you will need a TI Presenter unit (around $600)
Jack can be contacted at The Calculator King, 33 Park Street, Melbourne. Telephone: 9696 3366.

A Poem by Danielle Bero, Year 10 Student Gladstone Park SC, 2001

The following poem was written with one our VT students in mind.

The Eyes of Tomorrow

I saw her walk by,
Yet she couldn't see me,
As I looked someone whispered,
'Maybe she sees what others don't see'

And as I stared that day
At this vacant eyed girl
I began to wonder
What she saw in this world

Did she see the clear
Of a perfect summer day
Or the winter rain
That washes it away?

Does she know the beauty
Of a candle burning bright
Or the diamond-like stars
That scatter the night

To think of these things
Made me pity this girl
Knowing all the beauty
She missed in this world

But, then suddenly
A thought occurred to me
I realised
It was not just splendour I could see

I saw the planes crash,
The buildings go down,
The panic stricken lives
Of that once calm town

I saw the pain and fear
The blood in their eyes
And politicians' lips
Voicing hatred and lies

And the more I looked,
The more I saw,
Things were becoming
Worse than before

She continued to walk
With a stick in her hand
Watching her closely
I began to understand

Her eyes were 'trust'
Nothing more
It was with 'this'
That she saw

She saw no evil,
Nor any good
Perhaps she wished
'If only I could'

But I know deep down,
In the back of my mind,
If she saw what we did,
She'd still wish she were blind

Blind Students want Faster Access to Books

Federal law is sought to speed up the process of adapting textbooks for visually impaired people
By Andrew Mollison, Washington Bureau, Thursday, February 7, 2002
WASHINGTON -- Blind students from across the country lobbied members of Congress this week to support a new plan to give the next generation of blind students faster access to usable versions of textbooks.
"I use Braille and recorded books and readers," said Angela Wolf, a senior at the University of Texas, who is president of the National Association of Blind Students.
But she recalled having to wait two to four weeks for taped or digitally recorded versions and months for Braille versions of textbooks that sighted students could use in print versions on the first day of school.
"And sometimes there simply isn't an accessible version," Wolf said. "It's not always easy to find and schedule time with people to be readers (of the print version). That can be a real pain."
The students were seeking a federal law that would require all publishers of new K-12 textbooks to send an electronic file of each textbook in a uniform national format to a newly created nonprofit center. The center would assist state and local educators in helping students and their parents obtain those files, which can be used instantly for large-print, audible or Braille-machine versions. The usual six-month delay in obtaining regular Braille versions of textbooks could be cut in half.
The plan would cost the federal government $6 million a year. It was crafted during two years of negotiations by about 20 groups, including the schools division of the American Association of Publishers, state education and rehabilitation departments, the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind.
"It would be more cost-efficient for the publishers, students would have more access, schools would have fewer headaches finding accessible material and society would have more educated workers," Wolf said.
The proposal would apply only to elementary and secondary textbooks, because only those publishers agreed to the plan.
But its advocates anticipate that if the system is created and works smoothly, it would attract support from all other U.S. publishers, including those who supply college textbooks.
Federal laws already require colleges and schools to supply students with accessible textbooks and other instructional materials. And just over half the states require publishers to provide electronic copies of print editions of K-12 textbooks.
"However, there is no consistent file format used among the states, and creating one to meet each state's standards takes time and can cost a publisher thousands of dollars," said Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind. "The delay and uncertainty can be totally frustrating for the student."
At the publishers' association, Steve Driesler, executive director of the schools division, said, "The financial advantage for our publishers would come from dealing with one standard, as opposed to dealing with 26 state formatting rules, and from the nonprofit center's use of the files in a way that would protect our intellectual property rights."

Student and Staff News

- Sarah, a student from Belmore School last year has appeared in an advertisement in the Herald Sun, Wednesday, March 20.

- Cassie, Denise's student has rung 3AW twice and won two prizes this year.
- Michelle Wilson, Nathaniel and Emma-Mae's integration aide at Rutherglen PS has been nominated for Citizen of the Year in her district for her contribution as an SES worker. She has also been selected for Youth Leadership Training which will take place after the Easter holidays.

If you have something you would like included in The Bulletin, contact:

Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).

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