The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared 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 2004 go to: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/PD2004.html
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
Professional Development Event
– Term 2 |
Date |
| Educational Support for Vision Impaired Students with Additional Impairments – for class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, therapists, parents and VTs | Monday 10 May |
| BrailleNote and ScannaR Demonstration 10am-12 noon | Thursday 20 May |
| Mountbatten Workshop (for Beginners) 10am-12.30pm | Wednesday 26 May |
| Visiting Teacher Day | Friday 4 June |
When: Monday 10th May 2004
Where: SVRC, 370-380 Springvale Rd Donvale
Topics: paediatric ophthalomolgy, classroom strategies, behaviour
managements, tactual books and activities, and transition to secondary settings.
A few places are still available: please contact us.
Registration essential – look forward to seeing you there!
Source: RT Newsletter March 2004
The 2004 National Conference for the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities will be held at the Carlton Crest Hotel, 169-179 Thomas Street, Sydney from Saturday 15 May through Tuesday 18 May.
The theme of the Round Table Conference is “Information Access: Global Trends and Local Innovations”. The conference will explore the current global trends in information access for people with a print disability, and showcase examples of how Australian organisations, education institutions and companies are using innovative approaches to make information available in a range of accessible formats.
The Conference will be of interest to:
To obtain a conference program and registration form, or if you have any queries
about the conference, please contact:
Bruce Maguire, Convenor, 2004 Round Table Conference Planning Committee
Telephone: (02) 9868 2784
Email: bruceonline@ozemail.com.au
Where: Communication Resource Centre – SCOPE
Address: 830 Whitehorse Rd Box Hill 3128
Phone: 9843 2000
Email: crc@scopevic.org.au
Web: http://www.scopevic.org.au
This project has been funded by the Department of Education & Training for teachers, school staff and families who support students with complex communication needs, in particular, students who have communication devices in Victoria. The project aims to:
The training content will focus on strategies to support students to maximise the use of their communication aids in everyday environments and to enhance students’ participation in the curriculum. Workshops will be offered to schools across Victoria in 2004. These workshops will be free. The workshops will be in addition to the services provided by ComTEC. ComTEC will continue to deliver specialised training and support regarding specific devices to individual students, parents and support staff.
The following articles appear in the March edition of JVIB:
Source: OnLine Newsletter, October/November 2003
Tom Macmahon writes: ‘mobile phones, for blind users and those with very little functional vision, have generally been no more than precisely just that: tools for making and receiving calls. The host of other features enjoyed by (or “seducing”) the majority of mobile users, have been totally inaccessible.’
To research the options available, see the following:
Source: BrailleNote Update Autumn 2004
Below are some tips which should extend the life and maximise the performance of your BrailleNote:
Source: OnLine Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 6
A simple-to-use web browsing system which you can set to your personal preferences is ‘OneFormat – Free Accessibility Tool’. Go to: http://www.oneformat.com
Another quick way to enlarge font size comes to you from Denise Probert, Northern Metropolitan Region Visiting Teacher:
If you’ve gone too far – reverse this by holding down Control and Shift and tapping < in stages.
The November exam timetable is now available on the web. Go to: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/exams/timetable.htm
Source: Link Magazine, April 2004
A 34 year old Sydney man, James Pittar, has become the first blind person to swim Cook Strait between New Zealand’s north and south islands. He crossed from south to north ‘in just eight hours 40 minutes, the last 90 minutes in “atrocious” conditions...
He was directed during his swim using whistles and a horn: one long blast to turn left and two short ones to turn right… Mr Pittar has made several other crossings, including the English Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar. He has represented Australia and was the first blind person to swim form San Francisco to Alcatraz and back. His next conquest will be somewhere off Brazil in July.’
Source: Blind Citizens News, March 2004
A collection of twenty four narratives from people who have overcome adversity
is now available for your reading pleasure. Their recreational pursuits include
golfing, sky diving, bowling, world travels and bedroom suite building etc.
For your copy, priced at $15.00, call (08) 8294 1123.
Source: American Printing House for the Blind website
The Callahan Museum has assembled a collection of research materials on the educational history of blind people. It includes materials on schools for the blind in the USA and abroad, information on the history of tactile printing, mechanical writers, noted blind individuals, organizations for blind people, etc.
For those of us who won't be visiting Louisville Kentucky any time soon, it is possible to view the amazing range of braille writers in their collection for example, the Minerva (see below) which was developed around 1900 in Germany. Go to: http://www.aph.org/braillewriters/index.html
The Minerva (below) is a very small conventional braillewriter, a ‘pocket
braillewriter’. It has cylindrical, ivory keys which angle away from the
rectangular space key. The body is glossy black enamel. It uses five-inch-wide
paper that feeds between rubber rollers and is stored inside the stationary
hollow drum. “Minerva” is inscribed in gold letters on the top of
the machine.
Size: 6 x 5 x 2½ inches
Weight: about 4 pounds
Source: National Centre for Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org/ and Program for Students with Disabilities, Eastern Metropolitan Region March Newsletter
Dyspraxia is a term that refers to a specific disorder in the area of motor skill development. People with dyspraxia have difficulty planning and completing intended fine motor tasks. It is estimated that dyspraxia affects at least 2% of the general population to some degree and about 70% of those affected are male.
Dyspraxia can affect different areas of functioning, varying from simple motor tasks such as waving goodbye to more complex tasks like brushing teeth. Dyspraxia is a lifelong disorder that affects a person’s development in the area of motor development. Though many challenges can persist throughout a person’s life, the types of difficulties experienced can change.
There is no cure for dyspraxia, however early intervention can help a person learn to deal with his or her difficulties. Depending on the severity of the disability, work with occupational, speech and physical therapists can greatly improve a person’s ability to function and succeed independently.
A subset of this dyspraxic group are those students with verbal dyspraxia.
Verbal dyspraxia is a motor speech disorder. It is also referred to as apraxia, verbal apraxia, and developmental verbal dyspraxia. The person with verbal dyspraxia has difficulty programming his/her speech muscles for movement. A child with verbal dyspraxia has difficulty producing sounds, syllables and words because they cannot consistently find the correct placement for the structures of speech (eg lips, tongue, jaw). This affects their ability to say certain sounds/sound combinations and sequence the sounds into words and sentences. This difficulty is neurologically based (meaning within the brain). Unlike dysarthria, there is nothing wrong with the muscles themselves.
When persons with verbal dyspraxia attempt to speak, their speech is often not understandable (unintelligible) or they have difficulty producing the intended word.
This disorder does not respond easily to treatment, and requires an intensive schedule of intervention. Therapy may be somewhat lengthy in duration (ie several years). Other means of communication (eg sign language, gestures, computerized speech, picture boards) may become necessary to assist in or supplement communication. The primary goal should be to provide children with verbal dyspraxia a means to communicate. Many children who use alternative methods of communication begin to speak in conjunction with their use.
Students with Dyspraxia are not eligible for the Program for Students with Disabilities. Students with verbal dyspraxia may be eligible if the severity of the condition meets requirements. The condition is considered under the Severe Language Disorder category and components b, c and d of the eligibility criterion must be met. Extensive details of the student’s difficulties with verbal expression must be provided.
Source: Circular 085/2004 Program for Students with Disabilities: Year 6-7 Review 2005
The Program for Students with Disabilities Review 2005 booklet is now available at http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/wellbeing/disabil/index.htm. The booklet outlines the 2005 review process and contains the Educational Needs Questionnaire to be completed by schools. Schools should download this booklet for each student identified for review. For further information, contact the disability/student wellbeing officer in your region:
Summary of article from January 2004 edition of The Braille Monitor
Mike Bullis writes that, in the early days for him, ‘job hunting was a lottery with very long odds.’ Acknowledging that 70% of blind people are unemployed, Bullis insists that the process outlined below will achieve 0% unemployment. His advice today is as follows:
For the entire article, see http://www.nfb.org/bralmons.htm
Article by David Gauci, Vision Australia Foundation, Recreation Support Worker, Eastern Region (and former DE&T VT student)
Recreation plays a big role in all our lives, regardless of age or ability. From a young age we are all involved in recreation in some form, whether it be playing a sport, reading a book or going for a walk. Within the younger population, there is a trend towards reduced levels of fitness, particularly among blind and vision impaired children.
Whilst a vision impairment may create barriers to participation in a number of recreation activities, vision loss is not a reason to avoid becoming involved. In this day and age people with a vision impairment are able to do almost anything they desire. It is true that on occasions small adjustments may be required, however today anything is possible.
Involvement in recreation activities is important for many reasons. The benefits of recreation can be divided into three categories: physical benefits, social benefits and psychological benefits.
Often the value of participation in recreation activities is intangible. Regardless of age or ability regular involvement in recreation activities should be part of all our lives, with the benefits not only lasting a lifetime but adding up to a better quality of life involving:
To ensure children with vision impairments experience the benefits of recreation outlined above, integration into mainstream activities can be very important. However, integration may not always be the answer. The ease of which integration can take place is dependent upon the complexity of the activity and the child’s abilities. For example, it may be easy to integrate a partially sighted child into a gymnastics class, as minimal adjustments are required, whereas integrating into a football game requires many alterations and adjustments.
Whilst integrating a child into mainstream activities has its advantages, there are also pitfalls to be aware of. For any of us, the ability to compete on an equal level is important when starting a new activity. If a child with a vision impairment is unable to compete equally with sighted friends, they are likely to become disinterested in the activity and give it away. When considering integration, it is important to consider the child’s ability to compete equally, as you would consider your own ability to compete when considering taking up a new activity.
It’s important to remember that not all recreation is sport, there are many other activities a child may wish to become involved in. These include, music, dance classes, art, etc. In such instances integration may be relatively simple.
When looking to integrate a child into a new activity for the first time, it is important to focus on the individual’s abilities and not their limitations. All activity leaders need to respect the needs of the individual to ensure integration is successful.
When integrating, five areas to consider:
Simply before a child undertakes any new activity contact the program leader to ascertain level of support available, advocate for any needs and ensure the facilities are accessible. If required, ensure education and training is provided to the program leader and participants to allow for equal participation.
Whilst involvement in recreation should be encouraged, the following are constraints that people with vision impairments face:
Recreation should be fun and enjoyed by all, it is an important part of all our lives and we need to maximise the opportunities presented.
Gymnastics – Gymnastics is an activity in which children with a vision impairment may be most easily and totally included. It is possible for children to work alone, in pairs or in small groups. It should be noted that a vision problem may affect depth perception, spatial awareness and body awareness. Therefore, more explanation of what is required may be needed. The use of manual demonstrations and clear verbal instructions may help.
Basketball, Hockey, Netball, Soccer and Rugby – Such games can be difficult to adapt due to the number of participants involved, the speed and amount of possible contact. However, given the right planning, inclusion can occur. This may include arranging appropriate groups, considering size of group and ability. Reducing the size of the playing area and making the boundaries clear. Adapting equipment by changing the size and/or colour of the ball. Introducing an alternative game such as Goalball may also be a possibility.
Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball and Badminton – Such games can be difficult to adapt, however some possible adaptations may include using coloured table tennis balls or large shuttlecocks, lowering the height of the net or using another barrier such as a bench. Increasing the size of the ball or using a softer, slower alternative and placing barriers around the table.
Cricket, Rounders, Softball, and Baseball – As with the above activities, similar adaptations should be made. Other adaptations may also include using a sighted peer or volunteer to direct and instruct, finding appropriate fielding positions and using a batting stand.
Athletics and Swimming – Other activities such as swimming and athletics are good for children with a vision loss, as they require little alteration to occur for participation.
It is important to remember that in a modern society, vision impairment is not a barrier to participation in recreation activities. In the end, it all comes down to the attitude of the participant, teachers, family and support staff. Involvement in recreation should be encouraged and promoted by all.
David can be contacted at VAF on (03) 9864 9274.
Visiting Teacher Faye Squires spent her recent school holidays in (of all places) Kiribati, having established a connection with a local teacher at the recent SPEVI Conference in Queensland. Don’t know where Kiribati is? Read on!
Source: Shepparton News, March 2004
'A group of vision impaired Pacific island children is set to benefit from fundraising by the Freemasons Victoria Task Force – Gouburn Valley district.
Helped by a $771 donation, Goulburn Valley-based teacher Faye Squires will buy two new Jot a Dot brailling machines to take on a trip to Kiribati, an island due north of New Zealand near the equator, during Easter.
The self-energising device will help vision- impaired children at a Kiribati school to read and write and is much smaller and more compact than other brailling machines.
“I am extremely grateful to the Freemasons, who have indeed been a valuable source of assistance towards improved communications access for the vision-impaired children of Kiribati,” Mrs Squires said.'
Thanks to Mike Steer and Gloria Ng 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).
…ps
Overheard at a recent ABA Meeting (and not necessarily in Victoria)…
“Do you know Dot?
Is it true she’s having contractions?