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Participants hunt through the tactual materials.
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Examples of tactual activities produced at the workshop.
The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis, Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre, who is back on deck after almost 4 weeks of flu!!!
The following activities are coming up between now and the end of the year:
For the complete list of activities for 2005 including downloadable programs go to: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/pd.htm
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
We have an exciting event planned (for national lit&num week) - A
CHANCE FOR PRIMARY KIDS TO TRY A NEW READING MEDIUM!!!
We'll have braille, e-text, myReader, large print, DAISY, magnifiers galore
so that the kids can explore the lot!!!
Ramona Mandy will also be on hand to demonstrate adult braille reading skills!!!
And we even got some $$$ from Eastern Region - so we spent it on puppets and
other props from 'Wombat Stew' which Ramona will read.
It should be an absolute HOOT - so come and bring those kids!!!
When: Friday 2nd September
Time: 10am to 2pm
Where: SVRC
RSVP: yes please
More details or necessary forms: contact
us ASAP
To be conducted by GDV in conjunction with the SVRC
Put this date in your diaries for your senior students Friday 18 November
Report by Lyn Robinson and Toni Chilton
A fantastic time was had by all when we took the Tactual Graphics Roadshow (Workshop) to Benalla. The car was packed to the rafters with loads of materials and ideas for producing tactual books and kits.
The aim of the workshop was to learn a bit more about what makes a good tactual graphic, the skills blind children need to make sense of tactual representations, and the various methods of production. It was also a chance for the staff from the local schools, who support some six blind students in the area, to meet with the resource staff and exchange ideas and information.
We started with a little about the reasons for including tactual graphics in books and the prerequisites needed by students for making meaningful interpretations of tactual materials. Then the fun began as everyone rummaged through the buckets of materials we had brought for the workshop. Fur, feathers, leather, beads, and corrugated card flew and soon a wonderful array of tactual activities were being produced beautifully pitched at the appropriate developmental level for each of the students who range from Prep to Year 5.
One of the best things to come out of the day was the exchange of ideas between the participants. Some of these include:
Note: A tactual graphics workshop will be held at the Statewide Vision Resource Center in term four. We will let you know the details soon.
Participants hunt through the tactual materials. |
Examples of tactual activities produced at the workshop. |
August 9, 2005
Article by Marion Blazé, Education Officer, Statewide Vision Resource Centre
After coffee and croissants, and lots of ‘networking’ (including hearing about the travels of some of our more adventurous VTs), we were entertained by Michael Kelly and Richard Rowe who demonstrated the process of converting analogue talking books to digital, and how they are recording digital books. Michael is an ex-VT student who started working at SVRC in a voluntary capacity and is now on the payroll two days a week. Richard is the volunteer ‘with the voice’ who works alongside Michael one day a week. Michael is also a wizz at our audio visual technology and was on hand all day keeping all those cables and the datashow behaving (thanks, Michael!!).
We were then enthralled by Andrew Furlong from NILS who demonstrated DAISY books. This is really exciting technology and a summary of his paper is included with this edition of The Bulletin.
Karen Booth from Kesco toys showed us some of her wares and then Lyn gave us a guided tour through a vision simulation PowerPoint presentation from Arizona and our very own toolkit. It was a great opportunity for VTs to ask and get help with all those questions Lyn is usually inundated with after distributing this magnificent tool.
After a sumptuous lunch we heard from Associate Professor Jill Keeffe about current research and projects of the Centre for Eye Research, Australia. If you get a chance, take a look at http://www.lowvisiononline.org. This website provides vision simulations and assessment and training ideas.
Many thanks to the folks who ‘chipped in’ at the last minute. This was not really the program we had planned, but due to winter illnesses, we had to be adaptable. Thanks also to the resource crew who kept the day (and the food!) going smoothly despite decreased numbers.
Report by Marion Blazé
A group of about thirty met at the Resource Centre on the afternoon of Saturday, August 20th. We first heard from Bob Hodder who is chairman of selectors of the Blind Cricket Association. He was introduced by Lindsay Heaven, a student of ours at Balwyn High School, who is also a blind cricket star. Bob explained the many benefits of involvement in blind cricket and explained the structure of local, state and national games.
Then Suellen Blake from Centrelink very generously (‘cause she wasn't well!) spoke at length about allowances and pensions available to families and individuals with vision impairments. There were lots of questions about this complicated matter. I’d encourage all of you to ask one question of all the families you deal with: have they enquired of Centrelink about Carer's Allowance?
Suellen encouraged everyone at the meeting to ring a Centrelink office and ask this question. The answer may be surprising (and very beneficial). She also told us that when a child turns 16 and gains the ‘Blind pension’ the Carer’s allowance my cease, but can be reapplied for. There was also a Mobility Allowance, Youth Allowance, Education Supplement, Rent Assistance, Companion Card.
Eligibility depends on impairment and age for all of these so ask about them!
It was great to have so many ‘littlies’ at the meeting, ably baby-sat by Annette’s daughter Madeleine and friends. And it was especially great to have Glenn Bowen (ex-VT student) and baby son Riley there for the meeting. Lucky Annette scored Riley for the entire afternoon!!
Many of the children supported by Orientation and Mobility specialists have physical, cognitive and communication difficulties in addition to their vision impairment. Some are in special schools while others are integrated into mainstream schools.
Guide Dogs Victoria would like to offer parents and friends of these children an opportunity to meet with their Orientation and Mobility Instructors to:
This forum will happen at Guide Dogs Victoria, Chandler Highway, Kew on Tuesday
September 6, 2005 from 9.30am - 4.00pm.
Contact for more information:
Lil Deverell - 9854 4542 lil.d@guidedogs.asn.au
Darlene McIntosh - 9854 4520 darlene.m@guidedogs.asn.au
ACROD are planning a one-day workshop on Overseas Aid and Development in Canberra on 10th November. Details are still rather sketchy, but there will be presentations from some members who are already involved in overseas partnerships and lots of opportunities to share ideas and experiences – so whether you are actively involved already or interested in future work in this area, please note the date and aim to come along. Expressions of interest are invited from anyone who would like to come along, either to present or participate.
Full details of the workshop will be sent via this network and posted on the ACROD website when the program is fully planned.
Useful resources: for those exploring opportunities for overseas work, the Australian Development Gateway website is a good starting point for further research http://www.developmentgateway.com.au
For further details contact: Margaret Gadd
ACROD Project Officer, Asia Pacific Partnerships Program
Manager Quality UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide
Ph (08) 8440 2255
Email mgadd@ucwpa.org.au
Article by Dr Mike Steer, Renwick College
Promoting enhanced social competence in students with vision impairments is an obvious goal for both specialist and generalist educators. Visual information, as Palmer (1999) has pointed out, plays a critically important role in acquiring and refining the skills essential for this purpose. For example, students who are blind or vision impaired “often have limited understanding as well as difficulties interpreting body language and monitoring their own behaviour in social situations” (p. 208). Some or all students with vision impairments need to develop social skills so that they become able to understand, interpret and take appropriate actions in a variety of social situations. It is, as Palmer (1999) has asserted, “not sufficient for students with vision impairments to simply live in a sighted world, attend their local school and interact with their peers. They must engage in appropriate social exchange to ensure adequate social development. They must be trained to interpret emotions” (p. 208). Peer acceptance must be promoted.
The social autopsy is an innovative strategy through which a teacher might assist students with vision impairments to improve social skills by jointly analysing the social errors that a child makes, and by designing alternative strategies. It has been described and discussed by Lavoie (1994) at http://ww.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/ social_skills/lavoie_quest.html. It comes to us from the broad field of Learning Disabilities. The term autopsy is an unfortunate one in some ways, since it is generally associated with post mortems. However, its other meaning is “critical assessment or examination after the fact”, and it is in this sense that the term is employed here.
To ensure the success of a social autopsy procedure, the process should be taught to all adults who have regular contact with the student, for example, bus drivers, administrators, grandparents, and cafeteria workers. In this way, the student will take part in dozens of autopsies daily, and in a variety of settings. Such an intense exposure to the process will foster growth and will promote the generalisation of target skills.
Social autopsies, as Lavoie has pointed out, are best used to analyse successful social interactions as they happen. When, for example, the student has been particularly well behaved in a particular social setting, assist him or her to examine and identify the behaviours that most contributed to the situations, so that s/he is more likely to repeat the positive behaviors in other settings. Lavoie proposes that the success of the approach relates to the fact that it provides the student with the three things most needed for development and learning to occur:
1. practice, or drill
2. immediate feedback
3. positive reinforcement.
The autopsy process is, as Lavoie has pointed out, particularly effective in enabling the student to understand the cause/effect relationship between his/her social behavior and the reactions of others in the environment.
During autopsies, the student might have difficulty analysing and identifying his own feelings and emotions. An example, provided by Lavoie refers to a situation in which the student report that s/he is “mad” at a friend when, in fact, the autopsy reveals that s/he is actually jealous.
Some students with social competence problems also have non-language-related deficiencies that can be effectively targeted and dealt-with via the social autopsy approach. Among these are:
KINESICS (an inability to read the body language of self or others). Problems might include the failure to respond to the facial expressions of others; an inability to “read” feelings and the attitude of others, and an incorrect use of gestures.
PROXEMICS (an inability to understand the ways that physical space communicates with others). Problems include standing too close in social situations; staring with fixed gaze; unwittingly avoiding eye contact and touching inappropriately.
VOCALICS (an inability to understand that the volume pitches of voice gives messages to others). Problems include misinterpretation; sarcasm; talking in monotone; talking too fast or too slowly; talking too loudly or too softly.
The social autopsy process is a relatively simple one and teacher-student interaction takes the following general format:
The teacher and the student together identify behaviours that encourage social competence
They then identify behaviours that discourage social competence
The teacher then asks: What do you do when you run into a (selected) problem?
Social autopsy involves:
- identifying the social error
- discovering the cause of error
- determining the damage, and
- preventing re-occurrence
The teacher then asks: What do you do when you feel frustrated or angry?
The following is a short list of strategies for frustration and anger management:
- Identifying causes of frustration / anger
- Recognising the physical signs of frustration
- Strategies: Take personal time-out, relax
- Create a personal plan
References
Lavoie, R. (1994). Last one picked: First one picked on. Available 15 July 2005 from: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:6mjR7QxKHvgJ:www.ldonline.org/
Palmer, C. (1998). Social skills. In P. Kelley & G. Gale. Towards excellence: Effective education for students with vision impairments (p. 208-217). North Rocks, NSW: North Rocks Press.
Source: LiveWire, August 2005
DAISY is a new standard for the provision of electronic books which looks set to take off in Australia and around the world. DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information System and permits everyone, especially people who are blind, vision impaired or have another print disability to experience a better way to read.
The major issue with typical audio talking books is they do not allow the reader to move through the book easily. People can listen to the book from beginning to end, but not much more.
DAISY books allow users to navigate through the book using the table of contents or inserting bookmarks, DAISY books even remember where you read up to and re-opens the book at that place next time.
There are now a number of products available which play DAISY books, including:
FS Reader for PAC Mate or Desktop
With FS Reader you can read DAISY formatted talking books on your PAC Mate and/or
PC Desktop. Bringing a host of powerful navigation options for reading. For
the Desktop version you will require a copy of JAWS. See the next page for more
info on the PAC Mate.
Plextalk
Plextalk is designed solely as a DAISY player and can play DAISY format CDs
or MP3 files. Plextalk features a voice guide for navigating through the DAISY
books, and has just a few easily identifiable buttons. The player weighs just
over a kilo and uses either mains power or up to 5 hours use with its rechargeable
batteries.
Mobile DAISY
People who use Mobile Speak screen reading software for their mobile phone now
have the option to purchase Mobile DAISY, which enables you to play DAISY books.
Horizon Educational Software no longer have a website or phone access, however GTCalc is still available for sale at an individual license price of $195.00.
For orders, questions or to secure a demo copy of GTCalc contact details are
as follows:
Anita Ross at aross@melbpc.org.au or
Bernice Fox at foxplace@sme.com.au
Fax 9876 7869
Mail to Horizon Educational Software at PO Box 494, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia,
3134
Source: Circular 247/2005, Department of Education & Training
The Education Foundation is now accepting applications for Opportunity Scholarships
2005. The Education Foundation announce that grants from $500 to $1000 are now
available to talented, financially disadvantaged students in the second round
of the 2005 Opportunity Scholarships program. Applications close on Monday 14
September, 2005. For further information, see the circular:
https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/Schools/Circulars/2005/circular_247-2005_the_education_foundation_opportunity_scholarships_2005-eml.doc
Each year, Freedom Scientific and Quantum Technology support a scholarship program across Australia which aims to help young vision impaired Australians go on to tertiary education.
Applications for this year’s scholarship are now open. If you are a student
who is planning on full-time tertiary studies in 2006 and an Australian or New
Zealand citizen who is blind or vision impaired you are eligible to apply.
Applications must be made in writing and in 500 words or less, say why you need
a Freedom Scholarship and how it will assist you in your tertiary studies.
Send your applications by email to info@quantumtechnology.com.au or via mail to Quantum Technology PO Box 390, Rydalmere NSW 2116 Australia.
As with last year’s program a total of eight scholarships are up for grabs – and winners receive a copy of JAWS Professional.
Applications must be received by close of business Friday 30th Sept 2005, and winners will be announced in the next edition of Livewire. Good Luck!
Brooke Fox, a young performer from the USA who has albinism, has recently produced her second CD. Here is what her webpage has to say:
Brooke Fox lit up the downtown singer/songwriter scene after relocating to New York from Nashville in 2000. With a ‘strong yet vulnerable’ set of songs drawing mentions to The Sundays, Patty Griffin and Ricky Lee Jones, Fox’s effortless vocals and direct lyrics draw a decidedly optimistic reality of relationships and human response.
This, her second self-released record, ‘Breathe the Same Air’ is an overdue offering of new music that finds her a few relationships wiser, a few years stronger and newly married, which is a theme that threads sweetly through the collection of songs.
‘Breathe The Same Air’ is now on sale for US$10 this month at http://www.cdbaby.com/brookefox2. You can preview the songs and read listener reviews there before you buy.
For more info and pics of Brooke including her childhood, performing etc go to her website: http://www.brookefox.com
The Taxation Office offers the following to taxpayers with print disabilities free of charge:
For more information contact the National Information Library Service on freecall 1800 644 885 or on (02) 9334 3524.
The BJVI ( a peer-reviewed academic and professional Journal published by SAGE Publication Ltd) welcomes papers reporting research in all areas of visual impairment and disability, including education, employment, health, medicine, psychology, rehabilitation, technology, training, and welfare.
Scientifically-based reports are a principal part of the Journal’s content, and are typically between 3,000 and 4,500 words in length.
There is also a section, entitled ‘Voices of Experience’, which has been introduced to encourage visually impaired people themselves and their carers and families to reflect upon their own experiences and share their understanding of what it is to live with a sight loss or reduction that impinges on their lives. These articles can be between 800 to 1,500 words in length.
There is the opportunity, too, for researchers embarking upon projects to explain what it is they are proposing to do, in terms of aim, methodology, and scope. These reports are usually between 1,000 to 2,000 words.
Further details, and the Publisher’s Guidelines for authors can be obtained from the editor, Emeritus Professor Michael Tobin by e-mail (m.j.tobin@btinternet.com) or at his home address,
Letter from: Miss. Sashika Withana
The Sri Lanka Federation for the Visually Handicapped, founded in 1974, is a non profit making organization dedicated to meeting the needs and aspirations and improving the quality of life of the visually handicapped community in Sri Lanka. The membership consists of over 4000 visually handicapped persons. Over the past 28 years the SLFVH has grown in stature and scope, and today it encompasses a multitude of functions for the welfare of the visually handicapped. The SLFVH strives to ensure equal opportunities for the visually handicapped so that their talents and potential could be harnessed and utilized for their rehabilitation as well as for national development.
One project that the organization is currently developing is a braille library and an audio library for the visually handicapped society of Sri Lanka. Unfortunately funds for this are very limited and thus we would like to earnestly appeal to your prestigious company to make a donation of books on CD’s or books in braille of any possible number, so that you will be able to help in this worthy cause and help in the rehabilitation and education of these individuals.
Academic titles are the most needed, as these will be the most beneficial for visually handicapped students. However, non academic titles are also appreciated.
Further information about the SLFVH could be obtained by our website http://www.slfvh.org
If requiring further information, please contact:
Miss. Sashika Withana, Authorized Officer, SLFVH
Email: sashikaw@gmail.com
Fund Raising Office Address: 141/4, Vajira Road, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka.
The Australian Braille Authority (ABA) has adopted the formatting and layout manuals produced by the RNIB as the standard in Australia for music.
Details of the relevant manuals are as follows:
Both manuals are produced and published by the Royal National Institute of
the Blind (RNIB) and cost around A$70 each. At this stage, the RVIB does not
have stocks of the manuals, so if you want to get them, you should purchase
them direct from RNIB. The address to contact is:
Maxine Lewis, Export Controller
Royal National Institute of the Blind
Bakewell Road
Orton Southgate
Peterborough PE2 6WS
Cambridgeshire
United Kingdom
The September study group will be on the topic of exam preparation and study strategies.
When: Wednesday 21 September
Time: 1.30 – 4.00pm
Where: 201 High St Prahran in the Board Room
For more details and to register contact: Renee Williamson,
Tertiary Education Consultant
Phone: (03) 9520 5555
Email: renee.williamson@rvib.org.au
Jeni will again be setting off on the GVBR this year with any interested starters. Unfortunately if you have not registered already, you have missed the closing date for a free bike. No problems – you can still join the ride – the closing date for registration is 30th September.
If you’d like more information about the ride, see issue 10 of The Bulletin or go to the Bicycle Victoria website: http://www.bv.com.au.
If you’d like to be one of the riders this year, you’ll need to
contact Jeni 0428 134 660 and to send your cheque for $490 made payable to “Seaford
Primary School”. Post your completed application to Jeni Blake
c/- Seaford PS
McRae St
Seaford 3198
I did the GVBR a couple of years ago and it was some of the best fun I’ve had in my life – I can highly recommend it for everyone!
Below is a pic of the group that rode together in 2004.
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The ATO rates for private car usage are currently:
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 |
52 cents |
1601cc-2600cc (1.601 litre-2.6 litre) |
801cc-1300cc (0.801 litre-1.3 litre) |
62 cents |
2601cc (2.601 litre) and over |
1301cc (1.301 litre) and over |
63 cents |
These rates apparently allow for the total running costs of the car, including decline in value, petrol, insurance and repairs, so apparently you cannot claim any of these costs in addition to the specified rates per business kilometre.
We are still 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.
Groovy prizes – best example will win a BRAND NEW HP deskjet 3650 colour inkjet printer and worst example will win a copy of Brooke Fox’s first CD – “Nightlight” (see above for further information).
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.
Lillian sent us a couple of entries including a 'restroom' and a 'toilet' sign which she saw at the Wharf Shed Cafe in Geelong during the holidays. They'll be part of the SVRC display!
Keep those entries coming in – there is still time to win!
Thanks to Maria Elford, Karen Goodall, Jill Keeffe, Lyn Robinson, Mike Steer for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to the fabulous team of proof-readers, stuffers and mailers.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).