This issue was edited by Deb Lewis, Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre.
Vale Ryan Styles It is with great sadness that we extend our deep and sincere sympathy to Helen, Glenn, Joel and Aaron Styles on the recent death of their son and brother, Ryan. Ryan was 18 and his short life was full of adventure, marshal arts and lots of mischief. Ryan was loyal and protective of those he loved. He was involved in his local church in both worship and in their youth group. Ryan and his brothers have been well known to the Visiting Teacher Service in the Eastern Metropolitan Region since their arrival from WA around nine years ago and his young death will be felt by all. Rest in Peace Ryan. |
The SVRC PD program for the rest of 2006 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
Review by Marion Blazé, Education Officer, Statewide Vision Resource Centre
Did you know that only 10% of students with vision impairments worldwide have any access to education? Or that the PacMate is the blind person’s equivalent of a PDA? Or even that people with vision impairments can apply for up to $10,000 for technology necessary to gain them a job? All this and more was shared at our most recent Termly get-together.
Our day began very sadly with Geoff Bowen sharing the news of the death of one of the students under our support and also the passing of the mother of one of our students. Geoff then outlined his new model for working, which will hopefully spread his help more widely and equitably.
Jill Keeffe gave us a world-wide perspective on the implications of vision impairment and why she has talked the World Health Organisation into making the emphasis of World Sight Day this year – Low Vision. (It’s on October 2nd – watch this space for more information.)
After a sumptuous morning tea, raising funds for Cancer, Trevor Boyd and Brett Scarr showed us some stunning new products from Quantum Technology.
Marie Hadden from Sensewide told us about support available to young people with vision impairment seeking employment. Services are also available to kids still at school seeking part-time work, provided it is for at least 8 hours per week. The most startling news from Marie was that VI people can apply for up to $10,000 for technology or adaptations to allow them to get a job, provided that the job is all lined up. If you missed Marie’s talk and want to hear this information, come along to our Support Group meeting, at which Marie will speak again about this service (on June 3, contact Annette or Marion).
Lisa Zarb told us about her very successful Braille club and showed us the very appealing and motivational materials she had produced for this (thanks, Lisa!).
Graeme Sheil from European Eyewear spoke about all optometrists in Australia now having a provider number to prescribe low vision aids. They are also being trained to dispense these aids. Graeme then showed off some of his newer products which hopefully will be on display at our Expo (Nov. 24).
We also took a closer look at the new Unified English Braille code and the changes which have been made to braille in Australia, and to the success of our ‘Skill Power’ program last year.
It was decided at this meeting that more time was needed at such events for VTs to discuss issues amongst themselves, so our Term 3 day will include a time-slot for just this.
For further information on any of these topics, call Marion Blazé on 9841 0807.
When: Friday 21st July 2006
Time: 9am - 4pm
Cost: $80.00
Where: Burwood Education Centre, 333 Burwood Highway, Burwood
Topics include:
For more informaiton phone: (03) 9808 6422
This month’s articles and features include:
When: Saturday June 3rd
Where: Statewide Vision Resource Centre, 370-380 Springvale
Road Donvale (in the grounds of Heatherwood School)
Time: 2:00 till stumps.
Speaker: Maree Hadden from Sensewide Services will be speaking
on support for vision-impaired people seeking employment. New equipment grants
will be discussed and how Sensewide can support your children getting part-time
jobs and work experience. Past students who are now in the work force will also
be discussing their education and work history. This is a must attend afternoon.
For more information: call Annette Godfrey-Magee or Marion
Blazé on (03) 9841 0807.
John and Judy Bowen: (03) 9842 5103
Leigh Heaven: (03) 9857 0152 or (03) 9878 4477
Baby Sitters and afternoon tea provided.
Review by Marion Blazé, Education Officer, Statewide Vision Resource Centre
Learning really did ‘come alive’ for the fifteen children who got close up and personal with some very interesting creatures at the SVRC. Eight of these children then went on to the Zoo with the Guide Dogs Victoria’s Children’s Mobility Services.
We met the stumpy tail lizards, Sleepy and Snoozey, bearded dragons, Spike and Prickles, pythons, Cuddles, Kath and Kim, turtles, Raphael and Donatello and two crocodiles Snappy and Getya.
Tracey Sandstrom from Roaming Reptiles was a dynamo – bringing out animals, teaching the children how to handle them, organizing photos, mopping up ‘accidents’ and even encouraging the more reluctant children to touch and handle the reptiles.
John Gaeth or ‘Micro Marvellous’ brought a colour CCTV so that our children with low vision could get an even closer look. He said (surprisingly!) it was the first time his equipment had been used to view a stumpy tailed lizard or python.
Jarryd became chief crocodile handler, even helping Tracey to put them back in their boxes. Getya, the 6 year old (about five foot long!) saltwater crocodile went to sleep across Alex’s lap. When Dean of Guide Dogs arrived, he was shocked when it eventually moved – he thought it was plastic.
The most thrilling part of the morning was hearing the excited chatter of the children as they participated in so many new experiences.
When asked which was her favourite animal: “I can’t decide because
they were all so magnificent.”
“Mum, can I take the crocodile home?”
“This lizard has Braille on it.”
There’s some happy snaps from the day here.
When: Sunday 4th June
Time: Arrive 1.45pm for 2pm tee off
Where: Spring Park Golf Course, Cnr Centre Dandenong and Lower
Dandenong Rd, Dingley
Cost of nine holes: $13
Bring own clubs if possible otherwise VBGA will supply set for use
For further information see the attached flier.
To register contact John Capes: tel (03) 9869 2222 (BH) or (03) 9532 5179.
Source: DE&T email S137-2006
Victoria’s Department of Education and Training has developed a Disability Action Plan 2005-2008. The Plan is part of a wider Victorian Government commitment pursuant to the State Disability Plan 2002-2012 that aims to create public services accessible to all Victorians, eliminate discrimination and provide people with a disability equal opportunities for inclusion and participation.
The department’s Disability Action Plan 2005-2008 can be accessed at here.
If you would like a copy of the Plan in alternative format or further information please contact the Manager Diversity palamara.adriana.a@edumail.vic.gov.au
Source: AllHeadline News, DC, Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Louis Braille, the inventor of the most widely used reading and writing method for the blind, will be featured on a commemorative US silver dollar. Under a House bill passed Tuesday, the U.S. Mint will issue 400,000 silver dollars commemorating Braille in 2009, the bicentennial of his birth. Funds raised from a $10 surcharge will go to the National Federation of the Blind to promote Braille literacy. The front of the coin would depict Braille, and the reverse would include the word ‘Braille’ written in Braille code.
Braille, born outside Paris on Jan. 4, 1809, lost his sight in a childhood accident. He later built on a nighttime code used by the French Army to create the pattern of raised dots that is named after him.
Source: Winter 2005/2006 issue of Blindosity
When we least expect it, there comes a defining moment in every blind person’s life. We’ve all been through it, and if it were up to this reporter, there would be a support group to help us cope. It starts when a person you’ve known for years says an innocent hello. You look at them for a moment, search your memory banks for their voice and finally, through an intricate process of elimination, come up with ... nothing. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, the pure terror of listening to a voice and not having the foggiest idea who you’re speaking to.
A person with vision impairment has two viable options. Which one he or she chooses depends on the length of the conversation. For short term colloquy, the most feasible option is something I call ‘Operation Nod and Smile.’ This is a very simple bluff, in which you can safeguard yourself from saying anything incriminating by, well, nodding and smiling at whatever your adversary says. You may wish to let slip the occasional ‘Uh-huh’ if you’re feeling bold.
If you’re interested in a long term conversation, you can’t beat the ‘Making Excuses’ tactic. As quickly as humanly possible without being rude, make an innocent excuse to slip away. This works nine times out of ten. You may think to ask the sighted person to identify themselves. This is what most VI instructors recommend. But this opens a completely different can of worms. You don’t wish to actually admit to the person that you have no idea who they are. It could destroy the potential for a lengthy friendship.
A last bit of practical advice. Never, and I repeat, never attempt to guess your companion’s name. You run the risk of getting it wrong and creating some embarrassing situations. Imagine the conversation.
Adversary: Hi.
You: Oh, hi, Bill.
Adversary: No, I’m Bob.
(Suddenly, you realize Bob is the boy in your English class you’ve had
a crush on for the past two weeks.)
I sincerely hope that the blind community can benefit from this little gem of wisdom and never find themselves in situations as truly excruciating as the ones I’ve outlined. Never again will a blind man be first to greet his lifelong friend with the words ‘You sound familiar. Do I know you?’
The BBC has produced a guide for persons with disabilities to get the most out of built-in accessibility features in their computers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/
Parents and teachers who work with PAC Mate users can benefit from the new PMViewer program. This utility allows the sighted party to use a PC keyboard and mouse to navigate the PAC Mate menus and dialogues, open and read documents that a student has created on the PM, as well as make corrections or insert comments in a document directly from the PC. The student can continue to use the PAC Mate while connected to PMViewer. This allows the teacher or parent to observe and provide feedback as the student is working. Corrections or changes that the student makes in a document using the PAC Mate keyboard are displayed on the PC.
An excellent New South Wales site, V for Vision – Resources for Teachers, offers the following:
Go to: http://www.vforvision.com/
Freedom Scientific and Quantum Technology are again offering support to eight lucky students who will make the move into tertiary study in 2007!!!
A total of eight scholarships for a free copy of JAWS Professional screen reading
program are again up for grabs.
Applications for this year’s scholarship are now open, so it’s time
to get behind this worthy initiative.
If you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen who is blind or vision impaired
and are planning on entering tertiary studies in 2007 you are eligible to apply.
To enter please, write in 500 words or less why you need a Freedom Scholarship and how it will assist you in your tertiary studies. Applications must be made in writing by email to info@quantumtechnology.com.au or via mail to Quantum Technology PO Box 390, Rydalmere NSW 2116 Australia.
Applications must be received by Friday 29 September 2006, and winners will be notified by e-mail and announced in LiveWire. Good Luck!
For further enquiries please call or e-mail your local Quantum Technology office – in Victoria that would be the Southern Office (03) 9545 4100 or vic@quantumtechnology.com.au
Where: Lakeview Room, Cardinia Cultural Centre, Lakeside Boulevard
– Pakenham
When: Wednesday 14th June 10am - 5pm
This adaptive technology expo is free for anyone to attend and it is designed for:
On the day you will find:
This EXPO is brought to you by the National Network of Regional Disability
Liaison Officers and Disability Co-ordination Officers
For more information and to register your intention to attend please contact:
Sally Bailey, Disability Co-ordination Officer, Outer South East Melbourne tel:
(03) 9784 0400
SENDAI (Kyodo) A researcher at Tohoku University has created a glovelike device that recognizes braille using fingertip sensors. The device, developed by Mami Tanaka, an assistant professor at the Tohoku University graduate school, uses a special sensor that reads braille and transmits the information to a computer that deciphers the dots as characters.
Many elderly people have trouble learning braille because of the small size
prescribed for each character – a space measuring 6.5 mm by 3.5 mm.
The fingertip device recognizes the dots’ positions, then sends the data
to a computer by changing output voltage. The information is then deciphered
by the computer, which collates the data with preregistered characters.
Article by Dr Mike Steer, Dr Gillian Gale, Renwick Centre, Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children, and The University of Newcastle
Assessment is a highly important component of a student’s education. It occurs regularly and often forms the basis for long-term educational decisions. It is, therefore, important for teachers, parents, students, family members, and caregivers of children with vision impairments to become aware of the assessment process and the several types of accommodation that are used. Many of us in the field have for years generally associated the term ‘accommodation’ with the mechanism through which the focussing apparatus of the eye adjusts to objects at different distances. However, in the context of educational assessments the term has quite another meaning. Educational accommodations, as Elliott, Thurlow, Ysseldyke, & Erickson (1997), have pointed out, are alterations in the way that an assessment or a test is administered, and are provided because of a particular student need. These alterations are obviously enough, not made in order to give a student an advantage, but to level the playing field. When students with vision impairments use assessment accommodations, it is so that they can show what they know without being impeded by their disabilities. For example, Bruce is a high-schooler with Lebers Amaurosis who is working towards the same instructional goals or standards as other students in his classroom. To participate in the assessment, he needs either (a) a Braillenote or perhaps a Notetaker to write his responses and (b) extended time to complete the test. By his teacher providing these response and timing accommodations, Bruce (and other students with significant disabilities) who would previously have been excluded from classroom assessments are afforded the means to participate.
Educational accommodations. Accommodation policies between schools vary tremendously. It is not uncommon in the American and British literature, for example, to learn that an accommodation permitted in one school system is prohibited in another. Part of the reason for this variability is possibly due to the lack of a good research base for identifying appropriate accommodations. Current literature indicates that there is no set of universally approved educational assessment accommodations. However, most authors agree that accommodations can be organised into a number of categories. It is the purpose of this article to focus and elaborate upon these.
Decisions. Decisions about assessment accommodations should at best be based on an estimate by a Vision Support Teacher, as part of an Individualised Educational program (IEP) team, of what a particular student needs in order to be provided with an equal opportunity to show what s/he knows without the impediment of a vision impairment. It is important that accommodations do not compromise what the test or assessment is purporting to measure. This underscores the importance of making sure that the educational decision-makers know the purpose of an assessment and the skills or constructs it is trying to measure. These factors, together with the student's needs, determine the appropriateness of specific assessment accommodations.
As Elliott et al. (1997), have pointed out, the IEP team will also have to make decisions about the kinds of accommodation a student needs. For example, should a student be permitted to use a talking calculator during an assessment? Should the student memorise the formulae, or should these formulae actually be provided? If a test attempts to measure the use of formulae to solve problems, then the IEP team might decide that allowing a student to use a talking calculator is appropriate, should one be needed. If this same test is also an attempt at measuring a student's ability to apply formulae in order to derive answers, the IEP team might decide that supplying the formulae would also be appropriate. If however, the test is an attempt at measuring a student's ability to recall formulae and apply them to calculate correct answers through a step-by-step process, then the team might decide that neither of these support mechanisms would be appropriate. Edgemon, Jablonski and Lloyd. (2006), have provided a useful summary of research related to the use and usefulness of five major categories of accommodation.
Categories of accommodation. Although assessing and testing students with vision impairment requires consideration of many types of accommodation, these generally fall into the following five broad categories: Accommodations that are (1) presentation-related, (2) time-related, (3) setting-related, (4) response-related, and (5) aids-related (Jablonski, Edgemon, Wiley & Lloyd, 2005). Because of the complex nature of accommodation provision, some of the examples in the following sections overlap and can apply to more than one category. Each of these five broad categories of educational accommodation is presented and discussed:
Presentation-related accommodations. These allow students to access test directions or content in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print. Alternate modes of access include visual, tactile, auditory, and a combination of visual and auditory. (University of Kansas, 2005). Sometimes this type of accommodation can also refer to test instructions, and sometimes they are used for all or parts of a test. The following are examples of some of the sorts of accommodations in this category:
2. Time-related accommodations. This type of accommodation extends the time allowed for tests that are time-limited, or permit those giving the tests to break its administration into several sections (Edgemon et al., 2006). The following are examples of some of the sorts of accommodations in this category:
3. Setting-related accommodations. These sorts of accommodation permit smaller or individual test administration, and other types of environmental modifications; for example, special lighting, or the presence during the assessment of a familiar teacher (Edgemon et al. 2006). The following are examples of some of the sorts of accommodations in this category:
4. Response-related accommodations. These sorts of accommodations impact upon the way the student records answers (Edgemon et al. 2006). For example, a student might dictate an answer to a scribe/notetaker, use a word processor fitted with Jaws for Windows, use a Perkins or Mountbatten Brailler, or record answers in large print in a specially prepared test booklet. The following are examples of some of the sorts of accommodations in this category:
5. Aids-related accommodations. These sorts of accommodations involve the use of devices during the assessment and consequently, some of the examples in the category overlap or are duplicated by examples in the other categories. The following are some of the sorts of accommodations in this category:
When to use educational accommodations. Accommodations should be provided for the assessment, as Elliot et al. (1997) have pointed out, when they are routinely provided during classroom instruction. In other words, when classroom accommodations are made so that learning is not impeded by a student's disability, those accommodations should generally be provided during the assessment. Perhaps the most controversial accommodation decisions involve reading tests to students and recording student responses. When a reading test is measuring reading decoding, providing a reader compromises what the test is measuring. However, if the purpose of the test is to measure ability to gain understanding or to interpret written language, the use of a reader would be appropriate. Similarly, if a student with a vision impairment is unable to record complete thoughts in writing due to the disability, but is able to verbally express thoughts well, then a tape recorder could be used and later transcribed for scoring purposes, or a scribe/notetaker might be provided at the time of the test. Not all parts of a test, even within a single content area, necessarily measure the same skill, so that it becomes important to know (a) the purpose of the test and its parts, (b) what is to be measured, and (c) what accommodation would be appropriate. No accommodation should be provided to the student for the first time on the day of the test or to provide an unfair advantage.
Special provisions. A major concern for Visiting Teachers supporting senior students has to do with where and how to make the application to Government for special provisions. These result from Education Department policies that allow eligible students to demonstrate their knowledge and capability in a variety of different ways. As examples of this type of State Government requirement, Nagel, writing in the June 2003 issue of SVRC Bulletin, has reviewed modifications to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (VCAA) special provisions that affect administration of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). These can be found at www.svrc.vic.edu.au/11'03.html, while the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia (SSABSA)’ special provisions can be found at http://www.ssabsa.sa.edu.au/ssabsa.htm
Fundamental principles. There are, according to current literature on the topic, several common principles that underlie accommodation policies that intend to maximise the participation of students with vision impairments (Elliott et al. 1997). These are as follows:
Base decisions on the student's needs.
Decisions about instructional accommodations must be made with the student's
needs in mind. The key question to ask is, "How are these accommodations
directly linked to the student's learning needs?"
Use a simple form indicating factors to consider when making accommodation decisions, and document the need for accommodations. The form will help IEP decision-makers consider the most relevant variables (e.g., the ways in which the student's disability is likely to interfere with performance) rather than irrelevant considerations (e.g., which program the student is in, how well the student is likely to perform). The form used to make decisions should be attached to the student's IEP to provide official documentation
Arrange that the people who know the student make the decisions about accommodations. Typically these will be teachers, parents, or guardians, or IEP team members. In addition to being part of the decision process, parents must be made aware of the need for assessment accommodations and any impact of their use in their child's testing program.
Ensure congruence between what happens during classroom instruction, classroom testing, and school system or state assessments. The first time a student receives an accommodation should not be on the day of a test or assessment. There should be a natural flow between what occurs in instruction and what is occurring during assessment. In some cases accommodations provided during instruction may not be appropriate for a classroom test or for a state assessment situation. For example, providing guided practice and prompts to assist a student in deriving an answer may be appropriate for instruction but not during assessments.
Consider the type of test. Some states use norm-referenced tests (NRT) and some use criterion-referenced tests (CRT). Other states use both. Norm-referenced tests allow comparisons to norms developed under standardized procedures; criterion-referenced tests assess whether or not students can do particular tasks, but do not compare a student's performance with the performance of a standardization group. While CRTs allow greater flexibility in providing accommodations, NRTs allow their use as well. .
References
Edgemon, E.A., Jablonski, B.R. & Lloyd, J.W. (2006). Large-scale assessments:
A teacher’s guide to making decisions about accommodations. Teaching Exceptional
Children, 38(3), 6-11
Elliott, J., Thurlow, M., Ysseldyke, J., & Erickson, R. (1997). Providing assessment accommodations for students with disabilities in state and district assessments (Policy Directions No. 7). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. Retrieved 21 March, 2006, from: http://education.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/Policy7.html
Jablonski, B., Edgemon, E.A., Wiley, A.W. & Lloyd, J.W. (2005). Large-scale testing accommodations for students with disabilities. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Nagel, L. (2003). VCAA changes to special provision. SVRC Bulletin, 11. retrieved
24 March 2006 from www.svrc.vic.edu.au/11'03.html
Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia, (2006). Special provisions
in curriculum and assessment. Retrieved 24 March, 2006, from http://www.ssabsa.sa.edu.au/ssabsa.htm.
University of Kansas. (2005). Presentation assessment accommodations. Available 23 March 2006 from: cat=assessment&subsection=testaccomm/presentation
Source: http://www.det.vic.gov.au/hrweb/employcond/res/pexpTs.htm
Reimbursement for private car usage will be as per the following cents per kilometre rates, which are based on ATO rates.
Private Vehicle rates per business kilometre
Engine capacity |
Cents per kilometre |
|
| Ordinary car |
Rotary engine car |
Rates |
1600cc (1.6 litre) or less |
800cc (0.8 litre) or less |
55 cents |
1601cc-2600cc (1.601 litre-2.6 litre) |
801cc-1300cc (0.801 litre-1.3 litre) |
66 cents |
2601cc (2.601 litre) and over |
1301cc (1.301 litre) and over |
67 cents |
These rates (apparently) allow for the total running costs of the car, including decline in value, petrol, insurance and repairs, so you cannot claim any of these costs in addition to the specified rates per business kilometre.
Thanks to Annette Godfrey-Magee, Jill Keeffe, Lea Nagel, Lyn Robinson, Mike Steer, Stephen Wagner, and Rene Williamson 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).