The definitely final issue of The Bulletin for 2004 was prepared by Deb Lewis with assistance as usual from the wonderful staff of the Statewide Vision Resource Centre.
The staff of the Statewide Vision Resource Centre wish you all a wonderful and joyous Christmas season and a restful and safe holiday.
Thanks to everyone for your support this year and to those of you who really helped out when the staff numbers were slim – in particular:
Actually it is probably ill advised to single people out coz everyone gives in their own individual and special ways – so thanks to everyone who isn’t named above!!!
And while I’m in a thanking mood – the staff of the SVRC are probably the BEST bunch of bods on the planet – nothing is too much trouble – the effort and ideas flow like a river. I think we achieve much more with DE&T’s money than should reasonably be expected of us and have the highest standards for everything we do! So thanks to the wonderful staff of the SVRC!!!
With quite a large amount of blood, sweat and even a few tears, the Vision Technology website is again up to date (well as up to date as things can be in this constantly changing and updating world of assistive technology)… You’ll find it at: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au
The necessary paperwork for the annual Equipment Grants for DE&T schools will be received in schools some time between now and the end of the year.
The closing date for these grants is 25th February 2005.
It is definitely time to start encouraging you all to consider putting yourself forward for SPEVI executive positions. The members in WA (where conference 2007 will be held) feel that, being a small service covering a large area, they may be unable to both organize the conference and hold the executive positions. Members of the current executive are therefore seeking interest in executive positions from members in other parts of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Members will soon receive information about membership and the AGM, as well as nomination forms for executive and representative positions. A description of the positions can be found with the nomination forms.
Ideally the nominations for positions should be in prior to the AGM. Please consider taking on one of these very rewarding roles.
When: 9-14 January 2005 (yes, only weeks away now!!!)
Where: Rydges, Melbourne
To register: (it is probably not too late) phone (03) 6224
3773 or email info@cdesign.com.au
For more information: http://www.cdesign.com.au/spevi2005
And I hope to see you there!
The Victorian subcommittee of the Australian Braille Authority (ABA) is holding a workshop on Unified English Braille (UEB) to provide an opportunity for all braille readers, educators, producers and other stakeholders in Victoria to gain exposure to the code before a decision is made on its adoption in Australia.
Date: Saturday 12 February 2005
Time: 2-5pm
Venue: to be announced shortly on the ozbrl email listserve
Guest speakers:
Bill Jolley, Chair of the ABA, will give a background to the UEB
Ramona Mandy, Vice-Chair of the ABA, will lead the workshop participants through
a UEB sampler, illustrating key differences between the Australian Braille Code
and UEB
The UEB sampler will be distributed at the meeting. More information about the UEB can be obtained at http://www.iceb.org/ubc.html and print and braille files for the following documents are available from Leona Holloway:
Clients of the National Information and Library Service are also able to request braille copies of the above files or material of their choice to be transcribed using the Unified English Braille Code.
All expressions of interest in attending the workshop, receiving more information about the workshop, or the queries about the availability of UEBC sample materials, should be directed to:
Leona Holloway
ABA Secretary
(03) 9864 9701
leona.holloway@nils.org.au
Article entitled ‘Blind Faith’ from The Age by Carolyn Webb published 3rd December 2004
Tony Sarre was told his blindness would stop him making films - but he has proved his former lecturer wrong. Tony Sarre is a filmmaker. He is also blind. When he first studied film five years ago, a lecturer told him he could not make films without sight.
Life looked much grimmer 20 years ago when, at age 16, Sarre was told that retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, would send him blind in a year.
In year 10, with his vision down to just 3 per cent and little help from the teachers at his Perth high school, his grades fell. In despair he dropped out.
A WA Association for the Blind worker, Ron Anderson, changed his life by encouraging Sarre to do his best. Mr Anderson trained him to reach the top four in Australia in tandem cycling. Sarre also became a black belt in tae kwon do. At 19, Sarre set off alone on a three-year around-Australia hitch-hiking adventure. He mustered cattle in the Kimberley and climbed Uluru.
In a Melbourne hostel, he met an Englishwoman, Sue, who is now his wife.
In 1999, accompanying his wife while she filmed a skit for her film course, Sarre found himself taking over the shoot. He discovered he had a talent for nutting out camera angles and narrative in his head, and for conveying that to the crew. Sarre transferred from Asian studies to a screen production course and found his niche.
His two films in The Other Film Festival are Blackdance and Miles to Go. The former is a 14-minute ‘mockumentary’ of a pop star. The latter is a three-minute documentary on Perth man David Hymes, a lawyer and Celtic musician.
Sarre has shot two commercials for the WA Association for the Blind, which were shown on Channel Ten in Perth.
In 2000, Sarre went to East Timor and filmed locals telling their harrowing true stories of persecution by the Indonesians. But the documentary was never completed, because when he returned to Australia, Sarre’s sight deteriorated again, from 3 to just 1 per cent.
His fear of blindness led to him developing severe depression. With his wife’s support, the fog lifted early this year. He has learned to walk with a cane and watches films with his eyes just a few centimetres from the screen.
His goal is to make a feature film. He is developing film workshops and a community television magazine for disabled people.
He says The Other Film Festival will encourage disabled people to tell their own stories, and not rely on the often-pitying or overly triumphant views of able-bodied filmmakers.
Lots of chrissy products like chocolatey nuts, mince pies etc come in packages of six – that form a BRAILLE CELL. It may not be much use as a teaching tool – but it could be used as a fun activity or perhaps a way of discussing a new letter or contraction with a braille learner.
The shiny silver model shown in the picture below is from a mince pie package and has an attached door that can be opened and shut. The marker indicating dot 1 – the letter a – is a plastic milk lid but you could also use a cotton reel, magnetic button, film canister or any number of found objects in a school or home setting! Have FUN!!!
The inimitable Bry who many of you would know from camps and her participation in our professional development program etc needs a job. She has applied for over 100 positions with no success but would be an asset to any workplace. She’s sociable, organised, smart, dedicated, full of good ideas and an all round nice person! If you can help her out, please contact Deb Lewis at the SVRC and THANKS!
Frances Gentle has received the Westfield North Rocks Local Hero Award for her work supporting children with vision impairments in developing countries, particularly East Timor. A copy of an article from Hills News on 13th November 2004 is included with the print edition of The Bulletin. Congratulations to Frances!!!
You can hear her speak at the SPEVI Conference this January in Melbourne. Go to: http://www.cdesign.com.au/spevi2005/
For those of us who were here in the closing stages of the SVRC EXPO last week, there were a small group of young adults with vision impairments and a guide dog or so waiting patiently for the means to travel home...
Having called the taxi at 4pm and again several times in the ensuing hour, it became evident that it would be a rather long and possible fruitless wait…
Enter Kay McQualter, Visiting Teacher for the hills and all round nice person. She ferried the folk and their trusty four-legged companions all over Melbourne – to Malvern, to Glen Waverley and surrounds… It took her two trips – having to return to the SVRC to collect round #2… And some time into the evening she returned to the hills from whence she came…
And being the kind of person she is … the next time she came in to the SVRC, she never mentioned a word… It took one of the above-mentioned young persons and recipient of Kay’s good grace to ring in to tell us!!!
As part of Lillian’s (no gifts please) 50th birthday celebration, she has launched fundraising effort to purchase a piece of adaptive technology (approx $12,000) for her student Alex. Alex, who has a hearing impairment and deteriorating vision has mastering braille this year and needs a device with a refreshable braille display.
If you’d like to make a tax deductible donation and, at the same time assist Alex to better access his world, please make your cheque payable to “Heatherwood School” and post to the SVRC – PO Box 201 Nunawading 3131 with a note including your address so we can post back your receipt. Cash and credit card donations are also accepted – please call 9841 0242 or drop in for details. (Donations to date: $480)
Readers everywhere will continue to receive The Bulletin in 2005 in the format you were receiving it in 2004 unless you let me know otherwise! Visiting Teachers can receive a print copy – for most others, an emailed version is the option.
For Visiting Teachers – can you please return your details indicated below so that we know where to find you in 2005 – and thanks!
Name
Region
Office postal address (for receiving The Bulletin, other mail etc)
Office phone number
Office fax number
Another work number (if relevant)
Mobile number
Home phone (optional)
Home fax (optional)
Email
Alternate email (and the times we might choose to use it)
Time fraction
Days worked (if part time)
Time fraction with kids with vision impairments
Any other info you think we need to know… (incredibly optional –
add pages if there is not enough space)
Please fax back to the SVRC – 9841 0878 – no cover sheet required!
Thanks to Pat Thomson, Leona Holloway, Lyn Robinson, Annette Godfrey-Magee, Mike Steer (a regular correspondent from NSW), Toni Chilton and Ramona Mandy for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin.
Thanks to the fantastic and long-suffering ‘folding and stuffing’ crew and thanks also to my fabulous proof-reader (omegosh) Dianne – YES SHE’S BACK!!!…
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).