The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).
The SVRC PD program for term 2 & 3 appears below. For the complete list of activities for 2005 including downloadable programs please go to: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/pd.htm
The following activities are coming up in the next few months:
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
The ICEVI World Conference Scholarship Committee is in the process of generating funds to help make it possible for those who cannot otherwise afford to participate in the World Conference to do so. The final amount of support that will be available in the special fund will not be known until early 2006. However, we do know at this time that at least US $100,000 will be made available. Decisions on how this support will be distributed will be made by Regional Chairs and their committees using guidelines from the Executive Committee. In addition to financial need and the ability of the applicant to raise part of the support from other sources the Committees have been asked to give priority to those applicants who have had a presentation accepted by the Program Committee. Allocation of available funds to each region will be based upon a formula as follows:
Those who feel they may be eligible to apply for such support are encouraged to contact their regional chairperson and to consider early submission of an abstract to the Program Committee. More information on the scholarship fund will be forthcoming in future issues of The Educator and The ICEVI Newsline and on the ICEVI website. Contact information of all regional chairs can be found on the inside cover of The Educator and on the ICEVI website http://www.icevi.org
If you know of possible delegates it is suggested they be informed of this notice and that they apply as soon as possible to Dr Jill Keeffe at email: jillek@unimelb.edu.au
Article by Dr Mike Steer, Renwick College, Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children & The University of Newcastle.
The Hadley School was founded in 1920 by William A Hadley, who after losing his vision and learning braille, resolved to offer free education to blind and vision impaired people no matter where they lived. Located in Winnetka, Illinois, this famous school offers more than 90 courses across the following four categories of program:
1 Adult Continuation Programs in the following areas: Academic Studies, Braille and Other Communication Skills, Technology, Independent Living and Life Adjustment, and Recreation and Leisure Time. Adult Continuing Education students who are parents of blind children are eligible for courses in the school’s Family Education Program
2 High School Programs in the following areas: Academic Studies, Braille and Other Communication Skills, Technology, Independent Living and Life Adjustment, and Recreation and Leisure Time. The Hadley High School Program features academic courses and electives for students who seek to earn a high school diploma. Students can earn high school credit, which is easily transferred in the USA to their local schools, or they can earn a diploma through Hadley.
3 Family Education Programs focus on independent living, technology, advocacy and adjustment to blindness issues. While some of the courses were written for adults who are blind or severely vision impaired, they also contain important information for the family member.
4 Professional Education Programs aimed at blind professionals and paraprofessionals. The program also features courses for professionals, volunteers and service providers who work with blind people. Courses are designed to help students sharpen existing skills or acquire new ones, course topics include independent living, low-vision and braille.
The school’s 10,000 annual enrolments are from all corners of the United States and from more than 100 countries. The May 2004 issue of SVRC Bulletin carried an announcement that the Hadley School had become partners with ICEVI and have established. The “Globe ALL” (Growth and Learning Opportunities in Blindness Education) program. The new program intends to offer educators of blind children worldwide, distance education coursework designed to enhance their abilities as teachers.
Those who successfully complete courses through the ICEVI-Hadley “Globe All” program will receive a certificate signed by the President of ICEVI and President of the Hadley School for the Blind. However, to receive a certificate, you must indicate when you register that you are signing up through ICEVI.
To see the course catalogue and register for a course go to: http://www.hadley-school.org
To enrol contact: Dr. Michael Bina at bina@hadley-school.org or the ICEVI Secretary General, Dr. M.N.G. Mani at sgicevi@vsnl.net. You will need to mention ‘ICEVI’ and ‘Globe ALL’ in your enquiry.
Print Disability is a term used to describe a person restricted in the ability to use or comprehend standard print materials because of:
Quantum Technology is offering a 3-hour seminar which may assist you to support your students who have a print disability to become more productive and yourself and your school to facilitate full participation in an inclusive environment.
Seminars will be held twice daily at: 9.30am-12.30pm and 2.00pm-5.00pm
When: Wednesday, 8th June
Where: Cliftons, 440 Collins Street Melbourne
To register visit the website: http://www.quantumtechnology.com.au/edseminar
or send an e-mail to info@quantumtechnology.com.au
including your full details and preferred session time. Registration is essential
to secure a place.
Press Release: Sydney, 15 May 2005
The Australian Braille Authority has adopted Unified English Braille as the national standard for Braille in Australia. The decision was taken by a 26-1 vote of ABA members at the ABA’s AGM held on 15 May 2005 in Sydney. The ABA now encourages its member organisations to make a smooth transition to the new code as soon as practicable over the next five years after reference and training resources become available.
Speaking after the vote was taken, the ABA’s chairperson Bill Jolley said that it was a historic day for braille readers in Australia, and the focus must now turn to ensuring a smooth implementation of the new code.
“The strength of the vote is a clear reflection of the ABA’s extensive consultation among braille readers, transcribers and teachers over recent years. Our focus now turns to implementation through the development of reference and training resources and advice to ABA members to achieve a smooth transition.”
“UEB entails minor changes for literary braille, but does remove some known problems for braille learners and does enable some rule simplifications. UEB is more intuitive than other codes for braille mathematics, and makes computer-based translation between print and braille and braille and print substantially easier and less reliant on manual intervention.”
“I expect that braille readers will quickly adapt to UEB for their every-day reading, and of course it will not be necessary for libraries to replace their existing stocks of braille books.”
Unified English Braille has been a project of the International Council on English Braille since 1993, and most of its technical elements were settled as far back as 1995. The code harmonises separate codes for literary, mathematics and computer braille. Its adoption by member countries also brings forward the prospect of unification of braille codes used throughout the English-speaking world.
For further information please contact the Chairperson, Australian Braille Authority, Bill Jolley: wjolley@bigpond.com
Confirming that Unified English Braille was accredited as an international standard for braille by the International Council on English Braille in April 2004; and
Recognising that Unified English Braille has substantial advantages over currently used braille codes; and
Acknowledging that some elements of Unified English Braille are yet to be finalised, and that reference documentation and training materials for teachers and transcribers are not currently available,
(a) that Unified English Braille is hereby adopted as the national standard for braille in Australia; and
(b) that organisations responsible for the teaching, production or promotion of braille are encouraged to implement Unified English Braille within five years:
(i) when there are reference and training resources available to enable a smooth and efficient transition; and
(ii) at a time when, and in a manner in which, the benefits of the change will be maximised for their braille readers and any adverse effects will be minimised.
The Australian Braille Authority is constituted as a sub-committee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc. Its members are organisations with an interest in the production, teaching or use of braille, and voting members are these organisations plus ABA branches in the eight Australian states and territories.
The members of the International Council on English Braille are the braille authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.
The GDV Education Kit is designed to promote awareness of Guide Dogs and the experience of living with a vision impairment.
The kit is suitable for students of all ages and consists of a number of Information Cards, Activity sheets and a vision loss simulation card. The Kit is designed to meet CSF2 Standards and includes Teacher’s Notes. Key Learning Areas and Learning Outcomes are identified.
The Information cards provide students with details about such topics as eye conditions, guide dog training and vision impairment and the brain. The cards are useful for generating discussions and relating to a number of the other learning areas.
The Education Kits are available free of charge from Guide Dogs Victoria. Please contact Dean Johnson on 9854 4506 or Rachel Morgan on 9854 4469.
Report by Marion Blazé, Education Officer, Statewide Vision Resource Centre
On Saturday, April 30, 2005, about 40 people met at the SVRC. This is a great group to tell families about. It meets about once per school term usually with a topic presented and then some social time. I’ve seen many parents and siblings of our students really relieved to meet another family with similar problems to their own or to find proof that there is a real future for adults who are vision impaired by meeting some of our very skilled and grown-up ex-students.
To make things as easy as possible for families who attend, Annette’s very generous daughter brings along some friends to ‘baby sit’. The younger attendees are usually well entertained (thank you so much, Maddy and friends!).
The speaker at this meeting was Shirley Evans-Buckland, an Occupational Therapist from Guide Dogs Victoria who spoke to the group about daily living tasks and how people with vision impairment achieve them.
The discussion ranged between topics like cooking and serving food and drinks, dining out, personal hygiene (cutting toenails!), and organising matching socks. It was great to have a few of our older (some post-school) students with vision impairments to share their wisdom (like how to tell if it’s the male or female public toilet before you enter).
Some really practical suggestions were made. Here are some examples and if you’ve got a question around this topic, ask Annette or myself and we’ll try to recall (or create!) the solution. Some of these things were obvious when they were demonstrated, but not so easy to describe in words – so please ask if you don’t get it!
Shirley also left us with handouts, which we will keep as a master at Resource. Please ask if you want copies of any or all.
The next meeting of this group will be at SVRC in Term III on Saturday, August 20 and the speaker will be from CentreLink.
Come along and bring your brailling kids to “Braille Games Day” – it’s FUN! It’s LOUD! It’s not to be missed.
Please call or email for your copy of the necessary forms and come along! See you there!!!
Source: RVIB Client News and Group Programs, May 2005
Who: Grade 4 - Year 8
When: Tuesday 23 to Friday 26 August
Cost: $100.00 and the completed documents are due at least
three weeks prior to the commencement of the program. Families experiencing
financial difficulty are invited to contact Sue Coull to discuss alternative
arrangements. This nominal fee secures your commitment to attending the program.
Contact: Sue Coull, Head of Specialist Education Support Services
on (03) 9808 6422
Who: Grade 7 – Year 12
When: Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 September
Cost: $100.00 and the completed documents are due at least
three weeks prior to the commencement of the program. Families experiencing
financial difficulty are invited to contact Sue Coull to discuss alternative
arrangements. This nominal fee secures your commitment to attending the program.
Contact: Sue Coull, Head of Specialist Education Support Services
on (03) 9808 6422
This is a two day seminar in September for people who are blind or vision impaired,
wishing to improve their safety when using public transport.
Contact: Anna Maghanoy on (03) 9761 0011 or Malcolm Fraser
on (03) 9689 0166
When: October 2005
Contact: Marg Harvey on (03) 9569 7255 or Sue Fraser on (03)
9457 6611. ]
RVIB is planning to put together a team of enthusiastic and fit bike riders to complete this great event. Details are yet to be finalised. Contact your regional orientation and mobility instructor for further information.
Peggy from Western Region is helping to organise a fundraising musical event for the Braille Music Camp, now in its 20th year.
When: Sunday 12th June from 2 to 4.30pm
Where: Ormond Hall, Moubray Street, Prahran
What: An afternoon filled with good music and fine company,
in a cabaret atmosphere. The afternoon’s entertainment will be presented
by members of the Braille Music Camp staff, students and friends.
Admission: $15 per person; $12 concession; $120 per table of
10 (pay by cash, or cheque made out to “National Braille Music Camp”.
Further enquiries: see attached flier or contact Lauren on
(03) 9344 1287
Excerpt from: OnLine Newsletter, Volume 4 Issue 2, June 2005
For students with severe physical impairments, access to ICTs may be restricted to very limited use of keyboard or mouse, or through scanning software and a switch. As with any skill in accessing the computer, students who rely on switch and scanning access need to develop appropriate skills in switch activation, timing and anticipation.
A challenge for educators of students with limited access options is the development of these skills in scanning and switch use. Supplementary programs that motivate student to develop switch skills are always in demand. In particular, applications that are age and content appropriate, motivating for the student and provide opportunities to develop switch skills on a less formal basis are applications that educators will seek out.
The following software packages allow students to develop switch and scanning skills as well as provide motivating and appropriate activities. Both applications provide games that are fully inclusive and enable students with switch access requirements to develop the necessary skills they will need to access other switch and scanning applications.
Easy Games is a series of six arcade style games that can be played using any computer access including single switch, multiple switches, keyboard or mouse. The games are versions of many of the popular arcade games of the 80s and 90s including:
The graphics and sounds are fairly basic. This is by no means a negative, as students who are learning to scan certainly do not want a lot of distracting sounds and graphics to cope with.
As these are arcade style games, timing and speed do play a part in how successful the player is. Whilst there are options in controlling the difficulty level and complexity and speed of the objects, students will need to develop their timing in order to do well at the games.
These games are a useful and motivating way of allowing students to practice and focus on switch timing, which is an important skill that needs to be developed for scanning. The games do not directly require students to use scanning skills in the traditional sense of waiting until a row or column of options is highlighted. Instead, the player concentrates on timing that is required as part of the game.
These games will certainly provide motivation to most students to encourage them to develop switch and scanning skills. The range of switch skills associated with the various games ensures students will develop scanning switch pressing and holding and anticipatory skills. It also indirectly will support the development of scanning capabilities although the only place for traditional scanning is when selecting the game from the main menu.
You are also able to save and load game settings. This enables multiple student profiles and game progress to be stored where more than one student is using the software.
Settings such as the switch access, sounds and music, high scores, and being able to close the games are options that are saved with the configuration.
These games do require mouse input to make changes to the various options and configurations, which means requiring assistance from a second person to configure the games to suit the player.
Available from Spectronics for $139.00. Go to: http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/
Switch Friendly Games is a collection of strategy games including
These games are age appropriate strategy games that will certainly provide opportunities for students to develop scanning skills whilst enabling student access to entertaining activities that may not have been accessible to them in the past.
One of the big positives for the Switch Friendly Games is you can play the same game using a mouse. This means that it is fully inclusive and students with severe physical impairments can play the same games as able-bodied students. Where there are two players in the games such as Othello, Chess, Sea Battle and 4-in-a-row, a student who is using scanning access can play against a student who is using mouse access.
Another very useful feature that you don’t always find with switch accessible software is the ability to access all menu options through a switch. This includes the first screen where you select your options and games. This means that a switch user is completely independent with the application from the moment the software is opened.
The graphics used in the games are by no means complex. The basic graphics and simple sound effects means the user is not distracted by too much visual and audio information. This allows the user to concentrate on the scanning and switching operations.
Player access can be through mouse input or via the switch input commands.
The Switch Friendly Games package is a very useful series of games that can be accessed and enjoyed by anyone, making this an inclusive suite of games. The suite provides the opportunity for students with severe physical impairments to interact on an equal footing and be independent in selecting and playing each game in the series.
This package is suitable for a wide range of age levels and cognitive abilities and is well worth considering. The selection of games will suit many students and are those that you will find are both acceptable for students to play and provide some cognitive challenges.
Switch Friendly Games is an excellent package for developing switch access techniques.
Available from Spectronics for $195.00. Go to http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/
HumanWare, the result of the merger of Pulse Data International and Visuaide now has a new website: http://www.humanware.com
About 250,000 aged, Veterans and people with disabilities throughout Australia will have access to a low cost Internet service thanks to a partnership arrangement negotiated by Technical Aid to the Disabled Australia.
Details of the partnership between TADAust and the internet services provider ISPOne were announced on Friday, 20 May in a joint statement by the ACT Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, John Hargreaves and ACT Liberal senator, Gary Humphries.
The partnership will enable the aged, veterans and people with disabilities to go online at the vastly cheaper rate of only $5.50 a month. Such internet services usually cost $30 to $40 a month.
Access to the internet will also enable them to contact banks and government services, explore education and job opportunities, communicate common concerns, join support groups or learn more about their disabilities, said John O’Neill, Executive Director of Technical Aid to the Disabled in the ACT.
The dial-up service to be provided by ISPOne includes no setup fee, unlimited downloads and flexible contract arrangements.
“It will be fully supported and available to people with a Disability Support Pension, a DVA Entitlement Pension and an Aged Pension Card, and of course to TAD clients,” O’Neill said.
Technical Aid to the Disabled is a national not-for-profit organisation that
aims to improve the quality of life, and independence of people with disabilities
and the aged, through the application of technology, and the work of volunteers.
For more information: TAD (Technical Aid to the Disabled NSW)
Jim Towers, Public Relations Officer
Tel (02) 9808 2022 or email jtowers@technicalaidnsw.org.au
Another in the series by Erin Shale, Careers Councillor, Balwyn High School
Make an appointment to speak to your careers councillor about this. If you can identify possible pathways, school can be more bearable! While your school may be a great school, it may not be the right school for every student! There are excellent alternatives available – other high schools, TAFE courses and traineeships. Make sure you are in the right place! It may even be possible to change to a new high school at mid year.
There are many useful sites. Some of these are:
First of all, consider your interests, your abilities and your values. What do you like doing? What are you good at? What things are important to you? Your answers to these questions will give you some clues. If you have a particular career in mind, ask yourself why this career interests you. If the answer is that it will give you money or status, or your parents want you to go into this career, or your friend is going into this career, you may not be on the best track as you are likely to lose interest and enjoyment in it. You need to have a commitment to the particular career for your own reasons, following some research (eg reading the Job Guide, attending Open Days, talking to people already in that career). Remember, you are probably not choosing a career for life. Twenty years from now, in 2025, when you will still be relatively young, there will be numerous jobs that haven’t been thought of today, while other jobs will have disappeared.
The best way to get information is to TALK to a wide variety of people working in various careers. Ask them questions! Here are a few to get you started:
St Michael’s Grammar School in St Kilda has a short term vacancy for an integration aide/learning assistant to work in the Support Services Faculty. The position is full time, Monday to Friday, from 15th August to 9th September and is a replacement position for an Integration Aide who will be on leave. Assistance will be provided for a year 11 student who is blind and some other students; braille skills are not necessary since the student uses mainly electronic methods. Experience with secondary students with vision impairments would assist, however is not essential.
Contact Susan Howard, Head of Support Services on phone 8530 3323 or 0419 599 532.
Pending appeal, we have a new member of the SVRC team. Michael Kelly, former VT student who has been working in an unpaid capacity at the SVRC whilst undertaking VCAL studies and then in a volunteer capacity since mid 2004. We are delighted to have him on board and look forward to more audio materials in MP3 and even possibly DAISY format for our students.
Thanks to Mike Steer, Jill Keeffe, Marion Blazé, Dean Johnson and Pat Thompson for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to my fabulous proof-readers, stuffers and posters.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).