The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Statewide Vision Resource Centre).

Inside This Issue

- ZoomText Report
- Reading Competition
- Work Experience Report
- Braille Graphics Website
- Ten Pin Bowling League
- Guide Dogs Victoria Activities
- Bullying Resources
- Radio on the Internet
- Tips: Housework and Other Activities
- ZoomText News
- Screen Reader and Screen Magnifier
- GTCalc - Graphing Talking Calculator
- Fostering Emergent Literacy
- Braille Maths Lessons by Correspondence

SVRC Professional Development 2002

Term 3 PD Events

For information about Mountbatten day on 25 July or JAWS for Beginners morning on 29 July, please consult edition 8 of The Bulletin, or call the SVRC on 9841 0242. Please note, everyone is welcome to our activities, so don't be shy!

The Visiting Teacher Day on the 12th August will include the following:

VCE Resources - let's share!The Southern Cross Games with Uli PfistererTowards success at university with Nola Birch, Disability Liaison Officer, Melbourne

ReadPlease - Recommendation from a Student

I received the following email from a student recently:

Here's something interesting for you. I found this software called ReadPlease, which reads anything that has text. You copy your text and paste it into ReadPlease and press play and it will read it out to you.

I get a lot of long emails and find it hard to read them off the computer screen. So it helps a lot. You can download ReadPlease from www.readplease.com

Just thought someone might be interested.

Peggy

ZoomText Morning: Report

Quantum Technology's Trevor Boyd was at the Resource Centre spreading his charm, Mars Bars and most importantly his wisdom on Tuesday 25th June. He took the riveted group, of Visiting Teachers, students with and without vision impairments, and SVRC staff through the intricacies of ZoomText in a practical and easy-to-follow manner. The program offers enlarged print and voice output and is surprisingly clever with 2x to 16x enlargement, eight different zoom windows for full and partial screen enlargement, "DocReader" for automatic reading of complete documents. It even has special features which allow you to have a small area enlarged on the screen (eg the time) while you work.

Below is an image of Trevor with the ZoomText demo disk and Visiting Teacher Lee Clarke using the program on her laptop.

Thanks to Trevor for an excellent session.

Reading Competition

From the ABA Minutes, 25th March 2002:

The reading competition will be held on 12th October 2002. At the same time there will be a display of braille equipment through time. Both will be held at Vision Australia Foundation at Kooyong.

There will be three categories for the reading competition:

Beginners (with less than 3 years braille)Juniors (under 16)Adults

Work Experience at the Vision Australia Foundation

Hello, My name is Cam and I am currently doing Year 10 work experience with Leanne Nagel a Visiting Teacher for the blind and vision impaired.

For two days last week I was allowed to go to Vision Australia in Kooyong.

I was watching all the different services they provide for people with vision impairments, particularly the technology section.

They had all sorts of gadgets to help people with all sorts of eye problems to use computers, as well as to do everyday stuff such as watching TV and talking on the phone. There was a shop that sold all sorts of things that were easier to use for a vision impaired person than normal, such as large print clocks and magnifiers for TV's. They also showed me all the programs for computers to help blind or vision-impaired people read or listen to what's on the screen, such as Jaws, ZoomText and others.

I was shown the RPH station where it is broadcast and where Newsline is made each morning.

I saw the library with all the braille, large print and talking books, as well as the place where the talking books are recorded and the area where the books are distributed and stored. The thing that stored all the talking books is amazing. It's like a huge wall that moves up and down which has a lot of tubs in it. It remembers where the books are in the wall of tubs and moves the wall up and down to show the person where to retrieve the book from.

On the second day we had a man who came over from America who was telling us about these mini brailing computers, unfortunately I can't remember what they're called (BrailleNote). He showed us all the functions of the computer and explained how it could be hooked up to a GPS and could be used by a blind person for navigation. It could plan a route from one place to another and would point out landmarks along the way.

I enjoyed my time at Vision Australia and going on visits to students with Leanne was fun too.

Editor's note:

Cam also spent a few days at the SVRC and showed his superior skills with his month-old laptop which was purchased through DE&T funding. He whipped up the above article, snapped out some text for translation into braille for another student, and completed Lessons 1-3 of the SVRC Correspondence Braille Course, amongst other useful and helpful tasks. It was great to have him here!

Braille Graphics Website

This website, "On Editing Graphics for the Blind". By Marco Schuffelen, Netherlands Library for Audio Books and Braille, The Hague, Holland is worth a look. As Fred Otto, APH Educational Research, noted on the AERNET discussion group, "There are some specific rules and details one could argue about, but the philosophy is solid and, if you really took the information to heart, you could use it to become a good tactile designer."

You can find the information at http://www.stanford.edu/~sipma/grbl0.html.

Blind Ten Pin Bowling League

The Hyland family have started a new blind ten pin bowling league - and everyone is welcome. They are run from the Mooroolbark Bowl and meet at 10.30 most Saturday mornings. They will also offer some coaching. The league season is already underway, but there are vacancies from time to time. People are also welcome to bowl socially at a discount rate. If you are interested, contact Jenny or Pamela Hyland on 9733 4453.

The Latest from Guide Dogs Victoria

O&M in North East Victoria

Guide Dogs Victoria has a Children's Mobility Service providing a specialist Orientation and Mobility Service to children throughout Victoria. On Thursday September 12 and Friday September 13 we will be running two Orientation and Mobility day programs in North East Victoria. One day will be based in Wangaratta and the other in Wodonga. The day will focus on learning more about the scope and benefits of Orientation and Mobility training for children. Participants will be involved in fun, practical and theoretical sessions introducing basic mobility concepts. Participants are welcome to attend both days.

September 12
Belvoir School
4 Bowman Crt
Wodonga
Ph. 02 6059 1911

September 13
Oven's Secondary School
Greta Rd
Wangaratta
Ph. 5723 1333

Times: 9am to 3pm each day
Travel: Please arrange your own travel to and from venue
Who can attend: Students with vision impairments and parents
Cost: All Guide Dogs Victoria services are free of charge to the participant.
For further details, please contact Dean Johnson (GDV) on (03) 9854 4506 ASAP.

Boy's Night Out June 20 2002

Last Thursday the three Orientation and Mobility Instructors from the Children's Mobility Service at GDV and six teenage boys from around Melbourne gathered at Flinders Street Station at 5.30 to explore parts of the Melbourne CBD. The objective of the night out was to talk about O and M issues as they relate to travel around the CBD after hours and to experience travelling around parts of the city after hours. We discussed a number of issues including personal safety and confidence, route travel in the city at night and accessing facilities after hours. We caught the tram in Swanston St and had dinner in Lygon St. Following dinner we took the boys home.

The Boy's Night follows the Girl's Night Out we had in May.

Both Nights Out have been very enjoyable and useful and we look forward to running more such programs in the future.

Big Night Out

When: Thursday 8 August
Meeting point and time: Flinders St station under the clocks at 5.30 sharp
Where: Melbourne CBD
Staff: O and M Instructors from Guide Dogs Victoria

This event like the Girl's and Boy's is aimed at young men and women with vision impairments who are wanting to be more independent and extend and expand their travel skills. The program will be in the Melbourne CBD and will include discussions about after hours travel issues including public transport use. We plan to have students complete some O and M challenges in the city and have dinner afterwards. Participants have to make their own way to the city but at the conclusion of the night out we will take all students home. Participants will also require their travel pass if they have one and $20 to cover the cost of their dinner.

Please contact Dean Johnson on 9854 4506 or dean.j@guidedogs.asn.au if you would like to come or require further information.

GDV Primary Camp

The next camp for primary school age children will at the Guide Dogs Victoria centre in Kew from September 23 to September 26. The theme for this camp is Measurement and we have a number of exciting and interesting activities planned.

Places for all our camps and programs fill quite quickly so contact Dean Johnson on 9854 4506 or dean.j@guidedogs.asn.au if you require further information about the program and how to apply.

GDV Secondary Camp

Next week, July 1-5, we will be in Bright in North Eastern Victoria with 13 secondary school students having a great time exploring the region and all it has to offer. Bushwalking and fishing are just 2 of the activities we have planned. There should be plenty to report upon our return.

Bullying Resources

From the eduweb website:

"Bullying behaviour in schools is not something new. It is an area of concern for students, teachers, parents and the wider community.

In Victoria, all schools need to provide a safe and supportive school environment where students and teachers can learn and work free from fear and abuse. The Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools has been developed to help you to create this environment.

The most effective way of addressing bullying is by focussing on a primary prevention approach. Research both here and overseas shows that a preventative approach in schools is more effective, especially in achieving long-term goals.

It's much more than just identifying who is bullying in the school. It means creating a positive whole school ethos. And this can be best done through a primary prevention approach. We need to find ways to stop bullying behaviour happening in the first place.

More information can be found on the website at: http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/bullying/geninfo/index.htm

Radio on the Internet

From the June 2002 edition of Parent News:

The following information is taken from VIP-l, an information list for blind and vision-impaired individuals.
VirtualTuner.com has released its "Blind Tuner" for users that wish to listen to Internet radio that have disabilities with sight. The tuner, located at http://www.virtualtuner.com/old (soon to be http://www.blindtuner.com) has over 10000+ radio stations broadcasting from over 100 countries in over 75 languages. Many blind Internet users find the Internet very hard to surf due to the fact that many websites are not set up for the blind user. The blind user uses page reading software to surf, that is, a program that reads the contents aloud. "We are committed to the blind user" says, Daniel Laizure, CTO and Founder of VirtualTuner.com.

VirtualTuner.com LLC has been online since 1995 providing a directory of over 10000+ radio stations broadcasting over the Internet.

Tips: Housework and Other Activities

The following is an excerpt from an article from the Better Health Channel which appeared in the June 2002 edition of BCA Parent News:

Banking, money and paying bills

Talk over your banking requirements with your bank manager to decide on the best and easiest way to manage your account. Other suggestions include:
· Most banks have templates that fit their cheques.
· Electronic banking (EFTPOS), using a pin number, is easier than filling out deposit and withdrawal slips or handling cash.
· Most bills can now be paid by telephone.
· Distinguish between different coins by checking for size and edge milling.
· Distinguish between different notes by checking for length, since notes lengthen as they increase in monetary value.
· Keep different denominations of money in different places inside your wallet or purse.
· Change smaller coins into larger coins or notes at the bank.

Housework - Suggestions include:

· Dusting and cleaning - spray cleansers directly onto the cloth. Wrap the cloth around the nozzle to avoid inadvertently spraying the cleanser into your face or anywhere else. Dust in the same pattern every time: for example, always start off in the top right-hand corner.
· Making the beds - you can align sheets with the mattress by fixing safety pins at various corresponding points, such as in the middle and end corners of the mattress and sheets.
· Vacuuming - run the vacuum cleaner using the same pattern every time: for example, in strips.
· Dish washing - wash one item at a time, rather than filling the sink with every item. Run fingertips over plates and dishes to check for cleanliness.

Kitchen - Suggestions include:

· Common settings on equipment, such as the oven temperature control, can be marked with either brightly coloured or tactile tags.
· Recipes are available on audio-cassette or in large print formats.
· Convert measurements to cups and spoons, choosing dark-coloured measuring equipment to provide contrast.
· Use talking scales, balance scales or electronic scales.
· Brightly coloured or tactile tags help to indicate the top or bottom of equipment such as knives.
· Pre-prepared sauces and other items simplify cooking.
· Prepare recipes on a large tray to simplify tidying up afterwards.

Laundry - Suggestions include:

· Have separate baskets for lights and darks.
· Pin sock pairs together before you put them through the wash.
· Common settings on the washing machine, clothes dryer and iron can be marked with tactile or brightly coloured tags.
· Keep the clothesline above head height and pad its four corners.
· When hanging clothes, keep stationary and turn the clothesline instead.
· Use indoor clothes horses.

Personal hygiene - Suggestions include:

· Mark your toothbrush with a tactile tag so you can distinguish it from others.
· When applying paste to the toothbrush, use the index finger of your other hand as a guide, or apply the paste to your fingertip first.
· Use personal hygiene products in pump-packs that squeeze out pre-measured amounts.
· Put shampoo and conditioner in different coloured or different shaped bottles.
· Differentiate between personal hygiene products by marking them clearly with coloured or tactile tags, or rubber bands.

Writing letters - Suggestions include:

· Use medium or large felt-tipped pens.
· Black ink on white paper gives a good contrast, but other colour combinations may be preferable.
· Use 'running writing' and keep the pen on the paper until the full word has been written.
· Mark spaces between words with the index finger of your other hand.
· Typing may be easier, especially if you can already touch-type.
· Mark home keys on the keyboard or typewriter with tactile spots.
· Organisations such as Vision Australia Foundation offer typing courses in large print and audio-cassette formats.
· When typing from another document, use a document holder with a line-marker.
· Install voice-recognition software on your computer.

ZoomText Upgrade

The following information was emailed by Ai Squared on 7th June 2002:

Ai Squared is pleased to announce the release of ZoomText Xtra 7.11. This release provides improved performance, addressing nearly 20 significant bugs discovered in ZoomText 7.10. Our thanks go out to those of you who reported these problems. Your assistance and patience is appreciated.

Enhancements and Fixes in ZoomText 7.11

The 7.11 release of ZoomText includes the following fixes:
nVidia driver fixes in Windows XP
Broadened support for Java applications
Improved support for Office XP applications
Improved support for Windows XP applications
For a complete description of all enhancements and fixes in version 7.11, please refer to the 7.11 release notes available on our website.

Updates Now Available for 7.10 Users

Version 7.11 is free to all registered users of ZoomText Xtra 7.10. If you purchased a ZoomText Subscription Plan*, you will automatically receive a 7.11 update CD in the mail. If you are not enrolled in the subscription plan, you can download the update for free from our website: www.aisquared.com, or purchase an update CD from Ai Squared for $10 (includes shipping).

* Notice to ZoomText Subscription Plan members. The 7.11 update is a free maintenance release that does not reduce the number of 'paid upgrades' provided with your subscription.

New Trial Version Available

The ZoomText 30-day trial has also been updated to version 7.11. The trial is available now on our web site (a free download) and CD's will be available within a few weeks.

Cheapish Screen Magnifier With or Without Voice

The following information was found on the Premier Programming Solutions website which can be viewed at: http://www.premier-programming.com/.

Screen Magnifier (With Optional Voice)

Enlarge your screen from 2x to 16x. Now nothing is too small. The advanced color smoothing will give you clear images even at the largest magnification level. This screen magnifier works with almost any video card, and still gives you very smooth movement. The easy to use interface will allow you to be up and running in just a few minutes. It even has reverse imaging. It has what you need in a screen magnifier without the high-price.

Special Features

Magnifies whatever appears on the screen
From 2 to 16 times magnification
Font smoothing
Color inversion e.g. white print on black
Pause key to temporarily suspend magnifier
Easy to use Interface

System Requirements

Windows 98, ME 2000. or XP
16 or 32 bit colors
64 MB of Ram
CD-ROM
Mouse
Keyboard
Price
US$149.95 for Just the Screen Magnifier
US$179.95 for the Screen Magnifier with Voice
US$249.95 Includes Scan and Read and Text-To-Audio Save $39.95
No Maintenance agreement required - all upgrades are one flat price from any version. Typically only US$29.95

Screen Reader

The Screen Reader is easy to use and has all the features of the others without the price. The new screen reader is very powerful yet still has a simple interface. This makes it easy to learn and use. It was designed with inside knowledge of the windows operating system and its speech interface.

About the screen reader

Speak what you type
Read out your documents
Tell you where you are in the system
Read your e-mails and Web pages
Access some CD-ROM reference works
Speak contextual help information
No extra speech synthesizer is required

Preferences

There are speed, pitch and volume options
Male and female voice options
A Novice verbose mode for beginners
On-screen navigational musical tones

For the Expert

Format and attribute information
The ability to use tables effectively
A sophisticated Web Wizard option
On-screen markers for easy navigation
Visual Basic scripting for complex situations

System Requirements

64 Mb Of Ram
Sound Card
16 or 32 Bit Video Card
CD-ROM Drive
Keyboard
Windows98, ME, 2000 or NT with Service Pack 6, XP Home and Professional
Price
$149.95 for Just the Screen Reader
$249.95 Includes Text Cloner Pro and Text-To-Audio Save $49.95
No Maintenance agreement required - all upgrades are one flat price from any version. Typically only $29.95

GTCalc - Talking Graphing Calculator

GTCalc is a Graphing Talking calculator program with special features to assist users who are blind or have a vision impairment. For further information, see the GTCalc page or contact:

Horizon Educational Software
PO Box 494
Ringwood Vic 3134
www.horizonsoftware.com.au
email: tcalc@horizonsoftware.com.au
Phone (03) 9876 7869
Fax (03) 9876 7839

Fostering Emergent Literacy for the Braille Reader

Source: Wormsley, D. P, & D'Andrea, M. (1997). Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy. AFB Press: New York.

Activities for Developing Dexterity

• Bread - have the child help knead the dough
• Cookies - have the child use a cookie cutter to cut out the shapes of cookies and use a pincer grasp to grip and press small candies into the dough
• Marshmallow taffy - have the child squeeze a large marshmallow between the thumbs and index fingers of both hands, pull it apart, and then stick it back together a number of times until the texture of the marshmallow becomes like that of taffy. This can be difficult for preschoolers unless they can rotate their fingers and thumbs, but they usually obtain the desired results with some help (or they can eat the marshmallow and start again)
• Potato chip crust - have the child crush potato chips with both hands into a bowl to be used as a topping for a casserole

• Lacing shoes
• Tying knots
• Buttoning
• Zipping
• Snapping

We have nearly completed the (nearly) all new Braille Maths Lessons by Correspondence which introduces most of the signs and symbols you will need for transcribing primary Maths. Please call if you would like to begin the course (and you are supporting students on DE&T Visiting Teacher Service).
 
 

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

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

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