The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).
The SVRC PD program for term 4 appears below. For the complete list of activities for 2004 go to: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/PD2004.html
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
SVRC Event – Term 4 - please
contact us if you need fliers |
Date |
| Test-drive PAC mate – braille
accessible note taker Freedom Scientific and Quantum Technology 10.00am – 12.00noon |
Wednesday 10 November |
| myReader – the next generation
in magnification technology Helen Kilpatrick, Pulse Data Australia 1.30 – 3.00pm |
Wednesday 10 November |
| Mountbatten Workshop (for Beginners) - 10.00am to 12.30pm Trevor Boyd, Quantum Technology |
Monday 15 November |
SVRC Educational EXPO 2004 – for subject teachers,
integration teachers and aides, careers teachers, therapists, parents,
students (low vision and braille readers) and visiting teachers |
Friday 26 November |
You’ll notice a couple of new PD events for term 4 in the list above – PAC mate and myReader – scheduled for the morning and afternoon of the 10th November.
Representatives from USA company Freedom Scientific and Quantum Technology will be at the SVRC on Wednesday 10 November to present a hands-on test-drive of the relatively new PAC mate! PAC mate is note taker which incorporates Microsoft Pocket PC and JAWS screen reading software with an optional 20- or 40-cell portable braille display (which can also be used with a laptop/desktop computer). To register phone (02) 8844 9888 or email bdavies@quantech.com.au
There are two more opportunities to test drive PAC mate in Melbourne:
When: Tuesday 9 November 4.00-7.00 pm
Where: Vision Australia Foundation, 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong
Or
When: Wednesday 10 November 1.00-4.00 pm
Where: Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, 201 High Street, Prahran
Registration is free, however numbers are limited. To register contact Quantum
Technology.
Tel (02) 8844 9888 or email bdavies@quantech.com.au
Helen Kilpatrick from Pulse Data Australia will demonstrate the latest in magnification technology – myReader. Suitable for readers with very low vision, myReader takes the text on a page and rearranges it into, for example, a continuous line that scrolls across the screen. Other formats are also available. Marion Blazé and Annette Godfrey-Magee attended a recent launch of myReader – see below for Marion’s report.
Literacy Software such as WYNN, by Freedom Scientific’s Learning Systems Group may be a suitable solution for students with learning difficulties. Developed with the help of special educators and individuals with learning difficulties, WYNN uses a bi-modal approach – simultaneous highlighting of the text as it is spoken – increasing reading rate and transforming printed, electronic and Internet documents into understandable information.
Quantum Technology will be holding a series of free seminars in Hindmarsh SA, Alice Springs, Brisbane and Rydalmere NSW in December showcasing how WYNN and Test Talker Literacy Software can assist students, teachers and support staff. In Victoria, the seminar will be held at Melbourne University on Monday 6th December as follows:
Learning with Literacy Software Presentation with Q & A time: 10.00am-12.30pm
Computer Tutorial: 1.15pm - 4.00pm
Registration is free, however numbers are limited. To register contact Quantum
Technology.
Tel (02) 8844 9888 or email bdavies@quantech.com.au
Report by Marion Blazé, Education Officer, Statewide Vision Resource Centre
On Friday, October 8, Annette Godfrey-Magee, Jeni Blake and I went to the Hilton on the Park for the launch of a new Pulse Data product, reported to be the new generation of CCTV. ‘myReader’ does everything a CCTV could do, but more.
CCTV technology has changed little over the last 20 years. The problem with this form of enlargement has always been that it lowers reading speed and increases reading fatigue. Using the ‘X-Y’ table underneath the camera, the reader had to track along a line of print and then track all the way back to the beginning of the line to begin the next line. This operation slowed down reading, caused fatigue, and for some, even caused motion sickness!
myReader actually captures a page of text, reformats it to the print size desired and ‘plays it back’ on screen. The reader can choose to have the print scroll across one line at a time, one word at a time or to see one whole screen. In this last mode, myReader will adjust the text so that you don’t have to track it horizontally. No matter what the print size, it ‘wraps’ the text to the screen, just like when you change the font size in a word-processing package.
This product is also much more portable than the ‘old’ CCTVs. With its small LCD screen, it folds to a small suitcase size and weighs only 10kg.
myReader will become available at the end of October and will sell for about $7500.
Pulse Data are hoping to show it off on Wednesday 10 November at our EXPO on 26 November, so come along and have a look.
The following articles appear in the recent editions of JVIB:
The SPEVI Conference planning committee is keen to hear from anyone who is willing to help out with a particular job or keen to offer some time. We are looking for volunteers for all those little things:
Please email a conference planner eg deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au or reeseju@rvib.org.au and thanks in advance!!!
CCAFL – Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (Nationally set and assessed LOTE)
CofD - Consideration of Disadvantage
ENTER – Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
ESL – English as a Second Language
GAT – General Achievement Test
HECS – Higher Education Contribution Scheme
IB – International Baccalaureate
LOTE – Languages Other Than English
MCAS – Multiple Choice Answer Sheet
OZJAC – Australian Jobs And Courses database
PRES - Post Results Enquiry Service
SEAS – Special Entry Access Scheme
SAC - School-Assessed Coursework
SAT - School-Assessed Task
SVRC - Statewide Vision Resource Centre
TAFE – Technical And Further Education
VASS - Victorian Assessment Software System
VCAA - Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority
VCAL - Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning
VCE – Victorian Certificate of Education
VCESG – VCE Support Group
VET - Vocational Education and Training
VTAC – Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre
Report by Marion Blazé on the Vision Loss Parent Support Group meeting – October 23, 2004
On Saturday, October 23, the SVRC hosted a meeting of the Support Group for parents of students with vision loss. The guest speaker was the energetic and inspiring careers teacher from Balwyn High School, Erin Shale. Erin is also author of several books around the topic of senior secondary and post-school options (eg ‘The Complete Survival Guide for High School and Beyond’ published by Harper Collins).
Erin is obviously passionate about encouraging young people to approach life with optimism, to discover their individual talents and nurture them to their full potential. She guided her audience through the many options open, which can lead to work and/or tertiary studies. She certainly opened our eyes to the possibilities of looking at TAFE certificates which can lead to further studies, right up to degrees, VCAL and VET options, and even ‘Foundation’ courses, which are offered by many unis as a ‘general’ first year for students who don’t do so well at VCE, but still want to go on to study at Uni. She told us of students who had left school after year 10, gone to a TAFE and ended up with degrees or diplomas. She also emphasized the importance of making contact with your intended tertiary institution and actually going there to look around, look at the contents of courses to make sure they are what you want and making yourself known to the Disability Liaison person. The importance or Erin’s information for parents and students was made evident by the number of people crowding to speak to her after her talk.
Erin left copies of the VTAC and TAFE course guides as resources for VTs and parents.
About 50 people attended the afternoon with the children being ably entertained by Annette’s daughter and a band of her friends (thanks, Maddy and friends!).
The New Vision Camp, formerly held during the term one holiday break, is now held during the summer holidays. Run by Vicyouth Summer Camps, an arm of the Seventh-day Adventist church, the camp dates for 2005 are 23-26th January.
New Vision Camp is open to all visually impaired young people aged 10 to 18 years. There is a one-to-one trained carer for each camper to ensure they have a fun and safe camp.
The costs for the camp are $90 and the bus cost from 141 Central Rd Nunawading to Camp Howqua is $45. Places are allocated on a ‘first in’ basis and applications close on 10th December.
Information provided by Margaret Verick, ACROD
The Federal Magistrates Court recently considered a human rights issue in relation to higher education in its decision Hinchliffe v University of Sydney.
Hinchliffe had a vision disability that required special assistance in the provision of course materials. Her argument was that the University of Sydney discriminated against her by failing to provide her, in a timely way, with course material in the form of natural voice audio tapes or, alternatively, in written form in 24 point Arial font on light green paper, together with enlarged diagrams. The University of Sydney denied the claim. The Court ultimately concluded that Hinchliffe failed to establish a case of indirect disability discrimination.
The case makes for extremely interesting reading and sets a clear precedent for other institutions to follow. A copy of the case can be obtained via http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/disp.pl/au/cases/cth/FMCA/2004/85.html?query=university+and+2004.
In an Australian first, Victorians with a vision impairment will have greater access to the law than ever before, with all published Victorian legislation now being available on specially designed CD-ROM. Acts can be ordered at a cost of $11.00, including GST, plus postage, and be delivered within two working days. Phone orders to Information Victoria on 1300 366 356.
The American Printing House for the Blind has just launched a new website with a great deal of useful information on cortical vision impairment (CVI). You’ll find it at: http://www.aph.org/cvi/index.html.
The inaugural National Parents’ Forum, hosted by the Australian Blindness
Forum was held on the 9-10 October 2004.
Excerpt from article by Pam Barras from VizNet Bulletin, October 2004
Parents and representatives from blindness agencies in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, ACT, New South Wales, Tasmania and New Zealand met in Canberra to discuss the Development of a National Unified Lifeskills Model (NULM) for children and young people who are blind or vision impaired.
This is the first time that such a meeting of parents has been held in Australia. A variety of agencies were represented at the Conference. The facilitators for this Conference were Errol Ingram and Tony Wright, from Royal Guide Dogs, Tasmania. The special guest speaker was Paula Daye, the CEO of the New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, the monopoly service provider for all of New Zealand.
The parent representative from New Zealand is on the Board of the Vision Education Agency, which is overseeing the development of a new service delivery model for education for students who are blind or vision impaired in New Zealand. The process in New Zealand has been a collaborative one with parents, educators, the blindness service provider and the National consumer group for adults who are blind or vision impaired being key stakeholders in the whole process.
Errol Ingram, who is coordinating the MULM Project, will write a paper that will be circulated to all those who attended the Conference for feedback, before the final report is written.
It is hoped that Errol will present the paper at the National ACROD Conference being held in Sydney in November, and at the SPEVI (South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment) Conference in Melbourne in January 2005.
The Fall 2004 edition of EnVision included several articles of interest:
To read these articles, go to: http://www.lighthouse.org/envision/fall2004/envision_fall_2004.txt (text version) or http://www.lighthouse.org/envision/fall2004/envision_fall_2004.pdf (pdf)
To subscribe to EnVision, send an email to: subscribe_envision@webletter.lighthouse.org
Article by Angela Winfield from the Fall 2004 edition of EnVision
For a high school student with progressive vision loss, preparing to attend college is a daunting challenge. However, my own experience shows that academic and social success are both possible. It just takes a great deal of extra planning, patience and persistence.
During high school and the first half of my college career, I experienced staggered occurrences of vision loss which left me with no vision in one eye and minimally useful vision in the other. What made these losses manageable was the advance planning that my parents and I did to learn practical skills and functional coping methods in addition to laying out my future career plans and goals.
I began learning braille although I could still manage with large print, magnifiers and other reading aids. Some people told me it was not necessary to learn since few titles were available in Braille and everything I would need for college would be available on tape. I was also told that braille is much more difficult to learn as a teenager and, for that reason I would never be fluent in it. Although there is some truth to these statements, I found that learning braille, even if I was not fluent, was invaluable for tasks such as labeling, preparing notes for oral presentations and reading small bits of information like elevator panels, restaurant menus and room numbers.
At the same time, I began to familiarize myself with the various organizations that offer audio texts, how to obtain titles and learn basic navigational skills for using them. When training with adaptive software, I worked with both a screen magnification program and a screen reader.
Mobility-wise, after years of obstinate refusal, I decided to get formal cane training and started to open myself up to the idea of carrying a cane for identification purposes in certain situations. Although it may not have been the safest option, I at first used a cane only when I was traveling alone in places where nobody knew me. When the time came when I absolutely had to use a cane consistently, I was more comfortable and confident.
I also did a lot of advance planning to answer the big question that every high school student has to tackle: “What do I want to do with my life?” As unfair as it is having a visual impairment - especially a progressive disorder, it forced me to think and plan ahead. It was imperative to lay out a firm and clear plan with one central goal and several options following a similar path. This entailed an enormous amount of early research and decision making but it helped in two important ways. First, it let me know exactly what the needed steps were to accomplish my goal - I was able to think about obstacles and challenges I would encounter and plan for accommodations. Second, it kept me focused.
Social issues, on the other hand, can sometimes be even more difficult, especially in high school. I was never bullied, but I was ostracized and felt isolated because my peers did not know how to interact with me and also because I was too shy to initiate interaction with them. I was politely ignored and ended up befriending my teachers and guidance counselors.
Things changed when I went to college. I got over being self-conscious about my visual impairment and became more comfortable with myself, my abilities and my needs. Once I did this, not only did I feel better about myself, but other people felt more comfortable with me. I felt better too about how to make people who were uncomfortable around me relax. I also found that I could use my blindness to make friends. Many people approach me offering help. Though sometimes frustrating and annoying, it can also be a way to meet interesting people. Depending on the situation, I will accept help, even if I do not need it. On a college campus, when people offer help, they do it because they may not know how to approach you and are trying to break the ice. Accepting help has led to good conversations and new friends ... and it has also led to being asked out on dates!
All books are bound with cardboard covers and a multi-ring binder.
Please send your request by mail including payment in US dollars, either by cheque or by money order – credit cards, fax, or telephone orders are not accepted. Purchase orders from organizations are accepted. Overseas shipping is by International Free Mail for the Blind but shipments to Australia may take more than 2 months to arrive. Send cheque or purchase order to:
The Princeton Braillists
76 Leabrook Lane, Princeton
NJ 08540-3659, USA
Email: jamesaamick@aol.com
Brooke Fox is a singer/songwriter and also a young woman with albinism. Her CD, ‘Nightlight’ features eleven rather beautiful songs, most of which she has written or co-written. Her website describes her style as:
Confessional lyrics, soulful melodies, and Fox’s steady acoustic guitar create captivating music, ranging from jazzy folk to feisty acoustic-rock. Richard Cuccaro of Acoustic Live hailed her “Crystal clear voice, poetic grace and a maturity that runs deep in talent”.
Brooke, who clearly has a very well developed sense of humour, has a page on her website called ‘Albinism 101’. She writes about herself:
Here's a personal account of my experiences with legal blindness and the social aspects of albinism. Hopefully this will give you a sense of the positive and negative life moments that make me who I am now.
I have to say, I love my paleness! It's decidedly different. The real downside of albinism: Legal Blindness. Basically, the loss of pigment in my eyes kept my retinas from fully forming at birth which in turn led to extreme nearsightedness and sensitivity to light. As a result, I can't see things far away, and in super-bright light, but get something close enough to me and I'm good to go. Thank God for the subway and city busses in NYC! Trust me, you would NOT want me behind the wheel! Besides the loss of not being able to drive a car, there are more subtle things that many people may not think about as daily hurdles for me. But, I have a few little tricks I've fine tuned over the years. For instance, when trying to ‘read people’ I rely a lot on verbal cues. Also, I memorize information as much as I can, addresses, streets, menus. I guess a lot. Sometimes, I guess wrong…
Like many kids, when I was in grade school, I was targeted, called “Four Eyes”, “Grandma” and I definitely took my fair share of dodge balls straight in the gut. These days, people have more subtle ways of showing their curiosity. They stop me all the time and ask, “What’s your heritage?” or “Are you Scandinavian?” Sometimes, “Are you albino?” Inquiring minds want to know! :-) I have gotten stopped everywhere: the subway, street corners. The next question they ask me is usually “How come you don’t have red eyes?” Complete strangers are suddenly probing into my family history, but, I figure how can I expect them to be experts on genetic disorders? My experiences on the stage come in handy in those situations. Suddenly I am in the spotlight in a way.
As a child, music became a life support for me early on. I started performing young (age 5), and I gained confidence in it as something I could do well. Songwriting gave me another way to develop my own voice and deal with life through journaling, which I think is an invaluable thing. Eventually, I came to a fork in the road: Opera Performance or Songwriting. I chose to study Songwriting at Berklee College of Music. It’s the only place to get an actual degree in the craft of songwriting and it happened to be in Boston. So, I moved cross-country at 17. In the ‘big city’ I got around by crossing busy streets using sound cues… I realized, I am my own transportation. I walked everywhere in Nashville. A stranger stopped me at the grocery one day proclaiming, “I know you! You’re that girl that walks everywhere!” … In addition to touring regionally with my band, I also play at Albinism and Blindness conferences around the country, connecting with all kinds of amazing people who happen to have a disability. Albinism continues to shape my world and surprise even me every day.
I love her CD which I purchased online for US$12 (discount for multiple copies) from CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/brookefox
If you’d like to check out her beautiful voice, you can listen to a selection of MP3 files at: http://www.brookefox.com/NEWSONGS or see the whole website at: http://www.brookefox.com
Source: Program for Students with Disabilities, Eastern Metropolitan Region Term 4 2004 Newsletter
ASD continues as a category of eligibility with an increasing “profile”. Dr Sian Hughes of Eastern Health CAMHS presented a useful table (below) delineating the different types of autism within the spectrum, at the EMR Disability Conference.
An extract from Dr Hughes’ presentation indicates…. “In 1970 1 in 2500 people were thought to be autistic - that is classical autism. Recent studies in Sydney are putting it at 1 in 200 and then if we look at all the variants of autism (Asperger’s, PDD NOS) it could be as high as 1 in a 100. …. really this increase is simply because we are recognising the condition in children who were previously seen as a bit odd, nerdy or maybe just shy. Schools are being informed and parents are seeing newspaper articles and TV programs about autism and seeking the diagnosis.”
A copy of Dr Hughes’ paper and conference handout can be found at: http://www.emr.vic.edu.au/disabwel/disabil4.htm
Disorder |
Onset/Course |
Intelligence |
Areas Affected |
Severity |
| Classical autism | Prior to 3 years | Child has intellectual disability | Language problems Social behaviour abnormal Obsessions and Routines Sensory sensitivity |
Severe in all areas |
| High functioning autism | Onset may be before or after 3 years | Child does not have intellectual disability but may have low Verbal IQ | Language problems Social behaviour abnormal Obsessions and Routines Sensory sensitivity |
Not as severe as classical autism or Asperger’s but some social and language areas affected |
| Asperger’s Syndrome | Onset may be before or after 3 years | Child has normal to above average IQ | Talks well but problems with communication Social behaviour abnormal Obsessions and Routines May have: Sensory sensitivity |
Severe in social area and in obsessions |
| Atypical Autism or PDD NOS | Onset may be before or after 3 years | IQ in normal range | Language problems Social behaviour abnormal but may NOT show: Obsessions and Routines Sensory sensitivity |
Not as severe as classical autism or Asperger’s but some social and language areas affected |
The wonderful and talented Lea Nagel would like to share something that she developed to make travel claims less of a nuisance. She has made up two forms:
Please email if you would like a copy of these very useful files!
The AEU is touting the new travel rates as an “exciting win”. I can’t exactly share their excitement when the travel rate has only increased between 4.6 and 8.8 cents per km since the 1992 allowance – and we all know what has happened to petrol prices in the same time, never mind the cost of servicing, tyres etc. Still … small mercies …
The new rates are as follows:
Reimbursement for private car usage will be as per the following cents per kilometre rates, which are based on ATO rates.
Private Vehicle rates per business kilometre (effective 1 November 2004)
Engine Capacity |
Cents per kilometre |
|
Ordinary car |
Rotary engine car |
Rates |
1600cc (1.6 litre) or less |
800cc (0.8 litre) or less |
51 cents |
1601cc-2600cc (1.601 litre-2.6 litre) |
801cc-1300cc (0.801 litre-1.3 litre) |
61 cents |
2601cc (2.601 litre) and over |
1301cc (1.301 litre) and over |
62 cents |
These rates allow for the total running costs of the car, including decline in value, petrol, insurance and repairs, so you cannot claim any of these costs in addition to the specified rates per business kilometre.
Source: http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/hrweb/employcond/res/pexpTS.htm
Visiting Teacher Denise Probert recently mounted an expedition to Windmill, a shop specialising in educational toys for children. A number of games that would be suitable for children with low vision may interest both Visiting Teachers and parents (Christmas is almost upon us!!!) alike!
Most of these games require students to look carefully and therefore may be useful in encouraging visual perception skills:
Source: Circular 284/2004 Scholarships available for students
The Department of Education and Training administers 28 different scholarships conferred through bequests and donations which equates to approximately 175 scholarship awards. Some scholarships have more than one award. The student scholarships online application process is once again open to students from Years 4-12 to apply for scholarships.
Many of these scholarships have financial need as an eligibility criterion. This criterion will be met by the parent/guardian being an eligible recipient of the Education Maintenance Allowance or the students themselves receiving the Youth Allowance.
Closing date: Friday 24 December 2004
Scholarships will be awarded by: 30 June 2005
Yup! Dianne is still on leave – we think she’s aiming for the longest period off work in the history of the SVRC!
A fun story written by VT Lea Nagel with her student Joh
To add fun to a touch typing session, we co-wrote this story. Joh typed a sentence then Lea typed the next. We started with No Plot and No Ideas. Look where we ended up!!
Once there was a frog. He had the
biggest pimple on his right foot that a frog had EVER had. So he went to see
his friend goat.
“Excellent!!” The Goat gloated.
“But why,” asked frog, “are you so pleased that I have a huge
zit right here?”
“Because when frogs have big pimples it means you will get a lot more,
and then I can eat them.”
“How gross! You are surely kidding me!” exclaimed the frog.
“No! they are quite tasty, I like the yellow ones best.”
“I am feeling extremely uncomfortable about all of this now.” Frog
whined. “I think I can hear my mother calling me.”
“Oh no, that’s just your pimple, they talk didn’t you know?”
asked goat “Now don’t worry, I don’t take long to eat them.”
“Pardon, pimple?” frog looked quizzically at his right foot. “What’s
that you are saying? You need what? You need me to go to the chemist and buy
some lovely Clearasil? Sure! Let’s go!” the frog eagerly garbled.
“Oh great I can come too, and you don’t need to buy anything. I
will eat it at a low low price!”
“Oh, fine then. Go ahead. Here’s my pimple. Do whatever you want.”
The frog despondently muttered.
“Ok lets have a look at it” goat drooled with a hungry look in his
eye. “Ewwww, I don’t want to eat that its purple I’m allergic
to purple!”
Thanks to Lyn Robinson, Ramona Mandy, Robert Aaltonen and Marion Blazé for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin.
Thanks also to my fabulous proof-reader Lea Nagel and to the ever-lovely and totally uncomplaining mail-out crew.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).