This bumper pre-holiday issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis, Co-ordinator, SVRC.
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 deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au
The following articles appear in the April edition of JVIB:
Students with vision impairments are invited to ‘Braille Games Day’ at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre.
The general aims of the SVRC camps and activities program are to:
When: Friday 29th July 2005 from 10.00am to 2.30pm
Where: ‘Braille Games Day’ will be conducted at
the Statewide Vision Resource Centre
370-380 Springvale Rd Donvale (Melway Ref 48 F4)
Tel 9841 0242
Parking: Parents or Visiting Teachers should arrive with their students at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre by 10.00am. Unfortunately there is no parking available at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre or Heatherwood School. Please park behind the Donvale Sports Centre—the building beside (to the north). You can then walk through the double gates and the Statewide Vision Resource Centre is to the left.
Public Transport:
(i) Catch the 307 bus from Lonsdale Street in the city which will deposit you
on the corner of Mitcham and Springvale Roads. Walk in a southerly direction
on the west side of Springvale Road to the Statewide Vision Resource Centre
OR
(ii) Catch the train to Nunawading Station and then the 273 bus from the station
to the bus stop near the main gate
Cost: There is no cost for the day.
Please Bring:
• your own lunch and a drink – we will supply morning tea.
• any games that you have at home or at school that would be suitable
– we have quite a few games here at the SVRC – but the more the
merrier!
Forms or More Information: contact Marion Blazé on 9841 0242 for more information and your copy of the necessary forms.
Jeni Blake, Visiting Teacher – Southern Metropolitan Region
Expressions of interest are invited from students and teachers to attend the Great Victorian Bike Ride. This is the 8th year we have participated and secondary aged students are invited to apply. This is a supported ride and students with vision impairments are encouraged to ride their own bike, behind a lead rider when necessary. We have also had a student on a tandem on a number of years when needed. Supporting parents or relatives and families are welcome.
Most students with vision impairments are unable to get their licence, however, they can learn to be skilled riders who can ride behind friends on footpaths or on bike paths. Eighty percent of bike accidents happen because people lose concentration or lack the necessary skill, not because they crash into an object. We do not advocate these students will be able to safely ride on a road in the city but they will be able to ride assisted in a safe environment. The Great Victorian Bike Ride provides a fantastic opportunity to participate in a safe and supported activity.
The proposed itinerary by Great Victorian Bike Ride organisers:
Day 1: Saturday 26 November: 60km - Swan Hill to Murrabit
Hit the road. The ride is a leg loosener: flat warm up ride. At Murrabit, locate
luggage, set up a riverside camp, learn the ropes. Welcome to the Ride, welcome
home.
Day 2: Sunday 27 November: 50km - Murrabit to Cohuna
On the route: Short day so go exploring. Lunch at Koondrook’s great: riverside,
quirky. Or be adventurous and eat your lunch in NSW. Then flat fast roads past
irrigated pasture, sturdy stone-fruit and docile dairy cows. Tonight? Clem’s
campsite Café special: Pink Cohuna's.
Day 3: Monday 28 November: 82km - Cohuna to Echuca
Let's pedal with the flow. Goggle at the Gunbower. Rest awhile then test the
training with this long day in the saddle. Swoop between shady eucalypt groves
to the last riverside camp.
Day 4: Tuesday 29 November: Rest Day - Echuca
Sleep in. Take an easy paddle in the Murray... or on it. Kick the footy. Café
latté, explore town: aquarium, penny arcade, museum, historic port.
Day 5: Wednesday 30 November: 100km - Echuca to Heathcote
The first gentle climb into the wild blue yonder: what a view! The highest km
score on the speedo for the week. Officially, this is ‘Blue’ day
– we’re not just volunteers and cyclists; we’re bold, we’re
beautiful and we’re blue in any way that takes our fancy: blue shirts,
blue streamers, blue face-paint, eye-shadow, socks. Remember to pack something
blue.
Day 6: Thursday 1 December: 85km - Heathcote to Newstead
Challenge day. Screaming downhill, leg searing up. Admire the granite bluffs.
Sip a drop of the grape. Then Castlemaine; heart of gold. Newstead: bakery,
two pubs and a school.
Day 7: Friday 2 December: 71km - Newstead to Woodend
Best bit of the road so far? Pick a favourite stretch. Hilly but scenic? Historic
Hepburn? Flat and fast. Grind from Glenlyon. Forest near Mt Franklin.
Day 8: Saturday 3 December: 74km - Woodend to Whittlesea
Climb every mountain … or circumnavigate? Explore a side route. Hang out
at the Rock, stretch it out, savour the scene. Pass wineries then open rolling
fields – yeeha! Yee haa!
Day 9: Sunday 4 December: 50km - Whittlesea to Heidelberg
Pack and load for the last time, it’s a little sad. City fringe; the land
of cranks. A final surprise; unexpected back roads, the last few hills. Can
a downhill to the river be uplifting? Grasp hands, hug friends, slap backs.
The Ride is over; it’s a kaleidoscope of memories … now it’s
your history.
The VicRoads Great Victorian Bike Ride® is a fantastic way to end the school year. This Ride inspires and motivates students; it is an experience they’ll talk about for years. The fun and inclusive environment of the VicRoads Great Victorian Bike Ride® helps to develop tolerance, acceptance and cooperation.
What is provided:
What is provided for school groups:
All participants (excluding children under 10) are eligible for the Free Bike if they enter and pay early. Schools closing date for this is 15 July 2005. Get your entry and payment in before then to get your free bike! A cheque payable to Seaford P.S for $490 must be received by 11th July 2005 to get the free bike. If you don’t want a bike donate it to SVRC or join the team by 30th September 2005. Send your completed application to Jeni Blake c/- Seaford PS, McRae St Seaford 3198.
If you cancel in writing before 14 October 2005 your entry fee less $250 will be refunded, but the bike is yours to keep. Conditions of entry are available on the Bicycle Victoria website: http://www.bv.com.au
Transport to the start will be organised closer to the event and families usually pick up their student at the end of the ride.
If you’d like to be involved with this fantastic event (with a couple of thousand other bike riders) contact Jeni Blake – 0428 134660. Entry form attached or see the Bicycle Victoria website.
The Lion King opens at the Regent Theatre on July 28th and bookings will be available through EASE. The SVRC is a member of EASE so if you’d like to discuss a booking please contact Deb Lewis – 9841 0242 – further details as they come to hand.
The Lion King is described as a breathtaking spectacle of animals miraculously brought to life in a blaze of fabulous imagination by a cast of over 40 actors… A gorgeous, Gasp-inducing spectacle!
Information supplied by Erin Shale, Careers Counsellor – Balwyn High School
Universities and TAFE Institutes have annual Open Days when the public can visit. Open Days are a chance to see facilities, collect information, talk to staff/students about courses/careers and to get your questions answered. Attendance at Open Days is important for all courses, but particularly important for courses involving an interview/audition as part of the selection process. If the course you are interested in does involve an interview, attendance at Open Day is vital as you may well be asked what you learnt about the course at Open Day. Attendance is one way of indicating your interest in the course.
Some dates for your diary:
Article by Annette Godfrey-Magee, Statewide Education Officer, Educational Vision Assessment Clinic reprinted from SPEVI News Volume 2, Issue 4 2005
If the old adage is true that “knowledge is power” then I hope that a parent group started in 2000 is creating some very powerful families. Five years ago a small group of parents met at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre (DE&T Victoria) in suburban Donvale, to start a discussion group for parents of children who have a vision condition. Today the emphasis has changed and evolved to include any parent who is interested in meeting with other young people with significant vision impairment and their parents.
Under the leadership of parents, John and Judy Bowen along with Leigh and Greg Heaven, this group meets once a term to provide information, conversation and a laugh to over forty families. Our initial meeting boasted twelve participants while our last had approximately 50 participants. Over the past five years we have had a plethora of different speakers, ranging from extreme sports for low vision and blind kids to the latest information on retinal dysfunction. Our speakers have provided insight and knowledge about the implication of disability on siblings, employment options for vision impaired young people who do not have a tertiary education and fostering resiliency in families where the disability is progressive. We have been spellbound by the implications of the Disability and Discrimination Act and had panel discussions about the use of various technologies versus braille. Our most recent speaker, Erin Shale, delighted us with her knowledge of the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of the year 12-assessment and tertiary entry systems in Victoria.
The overwhelming value of this group is the developing of effective networks and friendships. As this group has developed and evolved families come in and out, attending meetings that suit them and avoiding those that don’t. Our last meeting was aimed for all; you're never too young to ‘know the system.’ Babysitters were organized with lots of activities and lollies but as the meeting was discussing changes to special provision and special exam conditions for students with disabilities for the Victorian Certificate of Education, older students and their families attended. The 15-year-old babysitters were forced to eat the lollies. Sad huh!
The low vision students also attend many of the sessions and this has proven to be invaluable as email addresses are exchanged and tall tales about wayward teachers and teacher’s aides are discussed. The students also exchange news about their equipment and lack of it and how they complete or get out of assignments and work. They also get outside and run amuck in the grounds of the Resource Centre. They just have fun. One of the most popular meeting days is the first one of each year as we meet at Hays Paddock in Kew. This playground is a purpose built play/oval/lake area for children who have all types of disabilities. The children can enjoy the freedom and the parents can enjoy their children.
The group continues to meet each term at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre. The meetings take place on a Saturday afternoon where both afternoon tea and supervision for younger siblings is provided. The provision of the supervised activities for all the children has been invaluable as it gives parents the opportunity to relax, listen and to catch up with others who have now become friends.
This is a wonderful group of families who are always welcoming of new members. For further detail contact Annette Godfrey-Magee or Marion Blazé on (03) 9841 0807.
Unpacking by President (x2) Gayle Skinner who writes:
Parents and educators, you may have seen information on VAPVI and/or AAPVI in recent publications. Aren’t they one and the same? Just a misprint? Confused? Then let’s clarify what’s happening in the realm of Parent support by parents!
VAPVI |
AAPVI |
| This is the acronym for Victorian Association of Parents for children with Vision Impairment |
This is the acronym for Australian Association of Parents for Vision Impairment |
| We started in 2000. | We formed a steering committee at the South Pacific Educators (SPEVI) conference in January 2005. |
| We are a parent group formed to provide support and information for families that have children who are vision impaired in Victoria. | We are in the process of forming a National parent body to support the state groups, provide personal support and have input into Government decisions concerning our VI children. |
President: Gayle Skinner |
President: Gayle Skinner (Vic) Vice President: Sarah Bethune (Vic) Secretary: Pam Hyden (Vic) |
| Committee members: Mary Hodson Carol Flinders John Bowan |
Committee members: We have reps in all States and Territories, except NSW and SA. |
| We have a database of some 120 families across Victoria and we’re growing. | We are working to fill all our rep positions. We are becoming Incorporated and applying for charity status. |
We meet on the second Monday of the month at Blackburn Neighbourhood Centre. Phone: Gayle Skinner 9431 2678 Ingrid Siles 9849 0900 |
We had our first teleconference across Australia with all our committee. We are in the process of organising our next teleconference. In the meantime email updates our committee regularly. |
| Or email us at vapvi@hotmail.com | Email us at aapvi@hotmail.com |
I hope this sheds a little light on these two vital parent support groups. We’d love to hear from other parents or meet with you. Your input can help us to continue to help you and your families.
Source: Visability, Summer 2005
“Sort it” is RNIB’s website for young people aged 11-16 years with sight problems in mainstream education. Part of the site contains information on eye conditions written specifically for young people and offering simple explanations about symptoms, causes and treatments. The site currently includes information about astigmatism, myopia, glaucoma, nystagmus, childhood cataract and albinism.
Other sections offer information on:
Go to: http://www.sortit.org.uk
As seen at the most recent Visiting Teacher Professional Development day , WordWeb is a cut-down version of ‘WordWeb Pro’ that is free for personal use. It includes a comprehensive English thesaurus and dictionary, and can be used to look up words from within most programs. Features of the free version include:
It lives on your System Tray (near the time) and is apparently compatible with voice output software. It even has unlikely words, such as Kay McQualter’s favourite, ‘defenestrate’:
Verb – throw through or out of the window
“The rebels stormed the palace and defenestrated the President”
To download your free copy, go to: http://wordweb.info/free/ and click on the ‘Get the FREE download’ as shown below.
Notes by Helen Caldow, Visiting Teacher (Vision Impaired), Eastern Metropolitan Region
To set up a large cursor scheme you need to:
Readology produce a number of ebooks for beginning readers, two of which you can download for free. “I Can” and “Clowns” have clear and colourful pictures, large print, and turning pages – all on your computer screen!!! Why? According to the website:
Kids LOVE computer time...so why not sneak in some reading???
We have a number of examples at the SVRC – come and check them out!
Go to: http://www.readology.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=24
Infoxchange Australia has developed a Digital Divide Strategy aimed at addressing the growing inequality of access to the new information technologies among low-income and disadvantaged groups. Short-term funding from the Victorian Governments Community Jobs Program has seen the establishment of a social enterprise called the GreenPC.
Green PC’s are recycled personal computers that are refurbished and repackaged into usable internet-ready computers which are then made available to low-income communities, individuals and community organisations. The only qualification for an individual or family to have access to a Green PC computer is that they be holders of current Health Care Cards or are able to verify their low income status in some other way.
To contact GreenPC, phone (03) 9418 7400 or email vic@greenpc.com.au
TTAPS is a typing tutor specifically tailored for school-aged students. Sequenced
lessons use spoken instructions (Australian voice) and animated teaching hands
on clear screen displays. Practice is provided in a wide variety of contexts,
including reinforcing games at the end of each lesson. The fifteen lessons are
suitable for ages 7 to 17.
TTAPS is available via the S4E program in either Windows or Macintosh versions
as follows:
Price (including GST) for Government Schools,
ACE Organisations & TAFEs |
Price (including GST) for Independent &
Catholic Schools, Universities, other training organisations |
|
| Single User License: | $65.18 |
$71.70 |
| Additional 5 User License: | $164.181 |
$180.602 |
| Insurance, packaging and delivery: | $10.00 |
$10.00 |
Note: Ten, twenty and unlimited site licences also available
Excerpts from an article by Tom Macmahon, Statewide Advisory Visiting Teacher – Assistive Technology, Volume 4 Issue 1, March 2005
The use of tables has become a very popular means for presenting and sometimes simply formatting information in Microsoft Word and, of course, on web pages. When used mainly for appearances sake, or when table cells are merged or tables ‘nested’, readability with screen readers is somewhat impaired – though thankfully not impossible!
Standard tables are very accessible and can be a useful way to set out simple worksheets and question and answer exercises. JAWS provides keyboard commands for navigating and moving to parts of a table, including reading by cell (left, right, up and down), moving to the beginning or end of rows and columns as well as having column and/or row headings announced. Simply pressing TAB or SHIFT+TAB when in a table moves you forward or backwards cell by cell, reading the contents of each cell or announcing if the cell is blank.
So, a very simple strategy for teachers to create a Question and Answer sheet is to create a two column table with an appropriate heading in the top cell of each (e.g. ‘Question’ and ‘Answer’), then add the questions in their column, one to each row.
Using the JAWS Verbosity dialogue (by pressing JAWS KEY plus V), provides options where (by pressing SPACEBAR to change selections), you can turn ‘tables’ on/off, choose ‘Title Reading’ (column, row or both) and set the row and/or column where the titles begin. Then, when moving through the table, either by pressing TAB or such JAWS commands as ALT+CONTROL+LEFT/RIGHT ARROWS, headings can be announced, followed by the cell content.
For more detailed explanations and lists of commands, use the JAWS Specific Help System.
The Tiresias website is UK based and is “for professionals who work in the field of visual disabilities and for all who have an interest in solving disability problems”. Current information available on-line includes:
Go to: http://www.tiresias.org
NJStar is computer software that enables the user to produce a word processed document that displays and prints Chinese characters. It also enables the user to display and print the pinyin of the Chinese characters after completion of the document. NJStar also incorporates a Chinese-English dictionary – simply clicking the icon on the top of the screen.
To download the 30-day free demo version of NJStar, go to: http://www.njstar.com.au/
Note: There is also a Japanese Word Processor with Dictionary on this site.
Source: http://www.quantech.com.au
Tatrapoint is a mechanical, six-key braille writer that is lightweight, robust and easy to use. Suitable for students and adults of any age, Tatrapoint features an adjustable keyboard - slide the width adjuster to increase or decrease the spacing between the keys. Bright contrasting colours make Tatrapoint’s key features easily identifiable, as well as make the brailler appealing to younger students. Weighing 2.75kg, Tatrapoint also comes with an optional case for transporting it, as well as documents, from class to class or from work to home.
Tatrapoint (rignt) features:
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Source: Progress Leader, 7 June 2005
Work at Camberwell and Canterbury stations should make catching a train easier for vision-impaired people. Brightly-coloured tiles with raised sections called tactiles will be installed from the entrance to the platforms and along the edge of the platforms. The State Government-funded station work, costing about $115,000 for Canterbury and $120,000 for Camberwell, is designed to increase passenger use of the rail system.
Source: Herald Sun, 11 May 2005
‘A blind Australian adventurer’s bid to conquer Mount Everest ended when he fell down a crevasse his guide forgot to tell him about. Gerrard Gosens is back home in Brisbane nursing cuts, bruises and a dislocated shoulder after falling just over three metres into the ice crevasse, more than 7,000 metres up the world’s highest peak (in April).
“My new Sherpa, Pemba, forgot about my blindness which led me to discover a small crevasse,” Mr Gosens said. “One minute I’m sucking in oxygen deprived air and the next minute I’m falling into it,” he said.’
Gosens plans to return to ‘conquer the mountain’ next year.
We are looking for the best and worst examples of braille in the community – we know about the following:
What have you found? Please bring in the object for our display (and we get to keep it) OR a photo and description of the example you have found. Here is an example: Picture (right): The tactile signage in the photograph displays the word ‘restroom’ in both bold black print and contracted braille. The sign indicates that both men and women are welcome in this restroom. The sign is located at the School of Natural Therapies in Box Hill. And yes, there are groovy prizes for the best and worst – we’ll let you know soon. The competition will be open till the end of term three and winners (best example and worst example) will be announced early in term four. |
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Need something different to read??? (subtitled: the astonishing things you can find on the web!!!)
Writers living in thirteen different countries in which English is spoken are creating definitive limericks for every word in the dictionary. As an example, there are four limericks that contain the word(s) ‘a cappella’.
Here’s my favourite:
In the shower each day I sing a cappella
'Thout accomp’niment I don’t sound all that wella
No piano or horn
My listeners, they mourn
On the bright side at least I don’t smella.
To sample this literary delight (or crime, depending on your point of view), go to: http://www.oedilf.com/db/Lim.php
RVIB Education Services includes a regionalised visiting teacher service catering to students who are blind or vision impaired and enrolled in mainstream schools throughout Victoria, and an on-site school at Burwood with both primary and special school registrations. Several temporary vacancies are currently available.
Expressions of interest for the temporary positions may be made at any time to:
Garry Stinchcombe - garry.stinchcombe@rvib.org.au
RVIB Education Services, 333 Burwood Highway, Burwood 3125
RBS.RVIB.VAF Ltd welcomes applications from candidates who are blind or vision impaired. Information is available in alternative format upon request.
One concerned teacher was worried that their student with low vision did not like to receive a large print copy of handouts because they didn’t wish to appear different.
The Solution? This resourceful teacher made all the handouts to a suitable print size for the student with low vision for all the students in the class – then no-one needed to feel different.
Denise’s prep student Jaryd drew this picture of Humpty Dumpty (below) .
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Thanks to Lyn Robinson and Ramona Mandy for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to my fabulous proof-reading (Lea/Maria) and stuffing/mailing team (Maria/Toni).
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).