This issue was edited by Deb Lewis, Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre.
To see the annual program and to download programs for professional development activities, go to: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/pd2008.htm
We have had a wonderful time this week at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre running classes on Monday to Wednesday for a group of kinder kids who will be attending prep next year; and conducting PD for a group of their support staff and family members on Thursday and Friday. The focus of the week was BRAILLE – getting little fingers “looking” … and support staff started …
The students were delightful and loved the reading / building / skittles / colouring / stories / singing / playground / walking / finger games / pasting … etc activities.
Two older braille readers – Pari who is still at school and Bernadette who has completed her degree in Psychology were invited along to model braille reading. Year 9 student Cassie came along to demonstrate her technology … and her skills – thanks to all three young people!
Apparently the group that made the trek to Charlton in Central Victoria this year had (again) a wonderful time – all of them experiencing success with gear changes, parking and driving generally.
In a Driving Camp ‘first’, intrepid Visiting Teacher Kim Foley actually drove the car under blindfold!!! And I am surprised that we didn’t hear the sound effects from down here in Melbourne (Our rather boisterous Kim is not well known for her quietness…) The group also took the opportunity to cool off in the local pool…
Many thanks (again) to our wonderful instructors, Brian and Bernadette and our dedicated VTs, Helen, Kim, Rita and Lee.
Driving Camp 2008 is booked for Thursday-Friday 4th and 5th of December and the Charlton Driver Education Centre can take up to 12 participants, though 9 (three per car) is probably optimal.
Helen Caldow will again co-ordinate the group of participants who attend Department of Education and Early Childhood Development – but for the first time, the camp will be open to students from Catholic and Independent schools – providing these students are organised, travel and are staffed through their own school systems. For example, each car and instructor can be booked for around $66 per hour – which makes groups of 2-4 quite feasible. Helen has kindly offered to assist with planning including risk assessment, transport etc but will need to begin planning in term 1 of 2008. Please contact Helen to express your interest via email – caldow.helen.f@edumail.vic.gov.au.
“Kickstart” will run from 21-25 Jan 2008 and will be held between two Victorian Vision Australia sites (Prahran and Kooyong). This course has been developed for current and prospective tertiary students who are blind or have low vision.
Cost for the course: $30.00
To register please contact: Renee Williamson, Tertiary Education Consultant
Phone: 9520 5555 or 1300 55 99 87
Email: Renee.Williamson@visionaustralia.org
Registrations close 17 January 2008 and places are limited. It is recommended
that you register promptly.
This article is based on a presentation given at the 1999 Texas AER conference. The presentation focused on the essential elements of successful programming for preparing children and youth with visual disabilities for life and adult responsibilities. There are numerous skills that all young people must master, in order to leave school prepared to contribute to their communities and participate fully in life activities. A youngster with a visual disability who masters the skills outlined here will be ready to meet those demands.
An understanding of work based on real life experiences begins with chores
and expectations for performance at home. By participating in home-based activities
(picking up toys, clothes, and materials; washing and drying dishes, setting
the table, serving food; taking out the trash; mowing the yard; and so forth),
children with visual disabilities learn that they are contributing members of
a household. They learn that their families expect them to perform household
tasks that benefit the entire family.
Once children are old enough to attend community and school activities, they
will benefit from being given responsibilities in those settings. For example,
at a church or synagogue function, children can help set up and then put away
furniture or materials used in services or activities, hand out printed materials
to attendees, or help entertain younger children. Likewise, participation in
scouting activities or community group meetings with set responsibilities can
help establish the need for individual work that benefits the group. Volunteer
experiences with relatives or neighbors and in nearby neighborhood recreation
or senior centers can also help children learn the importance of helping others
while developing strong work habits and skills.
Following productive efforts without pay at home, school, and in the community,
it is important for children with visual disabilities to work for pay. Ideas
for paid work experiences that young people can do include entry-level jobs
in restaurants, grocery stores, retail establishments, hospitals and nursing
homes, recreation centers, lawn maintenance, car detailing, baby-sitting or
pet sitting, and so forth.
Social skills are critical for both life satisfaction and success in the work
place. This includes those skills necessary to develop and maintain interpersonal
relationships, an understanding of reciprocity, and mastery of effective communication
skills, including the nuances of nonverbal communication.
Most children learn socially appropriate behaviors through their observations
of those around them: family members, neighbors, classmates, and so forth. This
task is more difficult for children with visual disabilities because they either
can't see what's happening in the environment or their observations are limited
or skewed by their inability to see clearly. This is especially true about nonverbal
cues such as winking, nodding, smiling, frowning, shrugging one's shoulders,
and the like. Children with severe visual disabilities must be taught these
nonverbal skills and positively reinforced to use them.
Caring adults and older children can help in social skill development by giving
youngsters without good eyesight verbal feedback about what works and what doesn't
work for them in everyday social interactions. They also need to know from those
who can see well, what is going on around them ...what their peers are doing
when out of their viewing/hearing range, what they are wearing, and with whom
they are interacting.
This verbal feedback and information sharing will facilitate the children's
understanding about social options available to them. Children must learn that
social competence is based on an appreciation of others and that reciprocity
(giving and taking from others) is the hallmark of successful social relationships.
By expecting children with disabilities to both give and take in social interactions,
we set the stage for them to be integrated into the larger community more readily.
Throughout life, individuals handle problems and problem situations routinely.
Successful people learn the coping and strategizing mechanisms categorized as
problem solving skills during childhood. The risk for young children with disabilities
is that others will do their problem solving for them. These parents, teachers,
peers, and people are well intentioned but unaware of the damage they do in
the development of this skill area. These folks don't realize how these skills
are learned best: by having the opportunity to figure out what to do when confronted
with difficult situations or specific problems.
Children with visual disabilities need to learn to identify and analyze problems.
Children can identify problems by coming to recognize that when they feel out-of-sorts,
angry, frustrated, or confused, they likely are confronted by a problem. The
key is to define what it is that is bothersome to them. The next step in problem
solving is to analyze the problem by answering the following questions:
• How do I contribute to this problem?
• How do others contribute to this problem?
• How does the environment contribute to this problem?
• What has kept me from resolving this problem to date?
Children who are too young to answer these questions independently may need
the caring adults in their lives to help them process this information in a
meaningful way. The adults will want to model the process for them of addressing
the four areas listed above as an appropriate strategy for analyzing problem
situations. Once the problem has been defined, children can be encouraged to
consider possible solutions or goals (what it would be like without the problem).
At this juncture, adults and friends can help the person doing the problem solving
generate a list of action possibilities things to do to resolve the problem
and achieve the solution. All ideas generated by the individual with the problem,
and those helping or brainstorming solutions with the person, need to be written
down. The person doing the problem solving can then reflect on which solution
will work best. It is critical that the problem solver processes his or her
choices to determine what to do independently.
Unless the situation is life threatening, children should be allowed to choose
a course of action and act upon it. If their plans prove effective and they
are making good progress toward resolving a problem, they need to receive positive
reinforcement from family, friends, and service providers. If their plans prove
ineffective or are never implemented, they need to be confronted (using an empathetic
approach) by those who care about them and encouraged to reconsider their plans.
Self-advocacy involves being able to describe one's disability in functional
terms. It also involves being able to discuss any needs for accommodations or
modifications in an assertive manner. Throughout their lives, people with disabilities
are asked about their differences sometimes in rather rude or inconsiderate
ways. Even if other people (prospective employers, teachers, friends, and others)
do not ask about their disabilities, they will be curious about how people with
such disabling conditions can work, play, study, and live normal lives. Children
who are prepared to handle these inquiries from others and who feel comfortable
with the task, are more likely to put others at ease and present themselves
well.
As early as appropriate, children need to learn that their vision differs from
the vision of other people, but that it doesn't define who they are -- it's
just an attribute. They need to respond to questions, but shouldn't feel obligated
to provide all the details of their medical histories. A youngster who is unable
to see due to Retinoblastoma or Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) doesn't need
to provide information about the medical condition. He does need to be able
to explain his or her functional limitations and may want to add some information
about how he or she does things differently. For example, the child might say
to a prospective teacher, "I am unable to see to read print, but I love
to read and I read both Braille and audio books." By focusing on the functional
limitation and providing insights into how a specific task is performed, the
child helps the teacher understand that the disability is not overwhelming.
Blind and visually impaired children must learn compensatory skills. These
include skills such as reading and writing with Braille or with print using
optical devices, orientation and mobility skills, technology skills, activities
of daily living, career education content, and the like, in order to fully participate
in life activities.
Braille and print are the primary mediums for children engaged in literacy activities
that involve reading and writing. For children without functional vision or
those with severely impaired vision, Braille is the medium of choice. In order
to be competitive in adult environments, children need to learn to read at speeds
commensurate with those of their fully sighted peers. Reading speeds of less
than 150 words a minute will inhibit the ability of a person to enter the labor
force successfully. Both children with low vision and blind children need to
use this benchmark to determine if the medium they are using is appropriate
for them to be competitive when they leave school and attempt to secure work.
Likewise, orientation and mobility (O&M) skills are critical to successful
inclusion in the larger society. Without the ability to drive to and from work,
shopping centers, doctor's offices, and so forth, people with visual disabilities
must rely on alternative forms of transportation. Students who learn early in
their lives how to get around on foot, by bus, or using other modalities (trains,
subways, taxis, para transit, hired drivers, family, and friends) are more likely
to be successful on their own following childhood.
In addition to instruction in alternative literacy media and O&M, students
with visual disabilities need instruction in technology skills both generic
computer skills and disability-specific skills, including the use of screen
enlargement programs, speech and Braille output devices, Braille embossers,
reading machines, talking calculators, electronic note takers, and so forth.
Finally children must learn to manage their home and personal needs through
instruction in activities of daily living. (Career education content competencies
are discussed in the following sections.)
Structured instruction in career education can provide students with essential
knowledge of the array of career options available to them. Many youngsters
with visual disabilities have difficulty accessing information about the broad
range of job choices available to them. This occurs because they cannot casually
and serendipitously observe adults performing different jobs.
Compounding this problem is the fact that sighted people who do share information
with youngsters about jobs, have a tendency to "filter" information.
They share information only about what they think the youngster can do without
regard for what the youngster might want to do or be interested in learning
more about.
Without good vision it is difficult not only to determine what job choices are
available in the community, it is also very difficult to learn about the nuances
of jobs: what people wear to work, what kinds of tools they use to perform their
jobs, where they work, and how they behave on the job. Sources of general information
about jobs and the labor market have traditionally only been available in print.
This makes it even harder for young people with significant visual to get this
information.
Students need to be taught how to use research techniques that they can apply
to this problem: how to use the Internet, how to use recorded materials from
the regional libraries for the blind and physically handicapped, and how to
perform information interviews. There are a number of materials written in accessible
formats that can be introduced to students such as Career Perspectives (Attmore,
1990), Jobs To Be Proud Of (Kendrick, 1993), and The Transition Tote (Wolffe
& Johnson, 1997), that provide good information about job and career research
techniques. In addition, resources like O*Net and The Occupational Outlook Handbook
(DOL, 2000), that are available on the Department of Labor website at www.dol.gov,
are accessible on-line.
An important resource for information is people with visual disabilities who
are currently employed in jobs like those in which students are interested.
These individuals can be accessed through the American Foundation for the Blind's
Careers & Technology Information Bank. You can connect with them either
on-line at www.afb.org, or via telephone at (800) 232-5463, or by contacting
local chapter members of consumer organizations such as the American Council
of the Blind or the National Federation of the Blind. By using techniques like
informational interviewing and job shadowing, students with visual disabilities
can learn firsthand about jobs being performed that they might be interested
in pursuing.
In addition to knowing about job choices, students need to gain an understanding
of employers' concerns with regard to hiring people with visual disabilities.
There are four major areas of concern voiced by many employers: safety, access
to print, transportation, and the ability of workers with disabilities to meet
quality and quantity quotas.
Young people with disabilities need to be prepared to address these concerns.
They will need to explain to employers how they have performed previous jobs
or work-related tasks safely, using adaptive techniques or modified equipment.
They will want to explain how they access and generate printed information and
be prepared to demonstrate any assistive technology that they use to do so.
They will have to explain to prospective employers how they will get to and
from work consistently and on time without driving. And, for employer's concerns
to be allayed, they will have to be prepared to demonstrate their ability to
perform tasks well and in a timely fashion.
Finally, students need to understand how employers' expectations change over
time. That is, they may need to be taught that an employer initially expects
to see evidence of good work habits and rudimentary work skills. He or she expects
to teach a new hire many of the nuances of the job. New employees are typically
oriented to the work site, introduced to their fellow workers and taught how
they will be expected to perform their jobs. After the first few months, the
employer expects to see improvement. He or she assumes that a new employee will
need less and less help on a daily basis. Employees who have been with a firm
for six months to a year are expected to be performing at or near peak performance.
Once employees have achieved peak work performance, employers begin to look
for a willingness to teach these learned skills to others. They also hope to
see a willingness to learn new job tasks and assume greater responsibility,
and an interest in career advancement.
An introduction to career counseling content in self-awareness, vocational
selection, job seeking, job maintenance, and job search skills can be helpful
to a student. It can facilitate a student's understanding of how to make good
decisions about employment potential, how to prepare and look for work, and
how to maintain a job once secured.
Self-awareness is indicated by a thorough knowledge of values, interests, ability
and liabilities, as well as the knowledge of how one appears to others and relates
to others. Individuals who are self-aware demonstrate the ability to set goals.
This includes daily detail goals, achievement goals, and personality goals;
as well as the ability to plan, organize, and discipline themselves in order
to achieve their goals.
Vocational selection has to do with knowledge of jobs available in the job seeker's
home community that appeal to the job seeker. This selection is based on his
or her values, abilities, and interests, as well as those that meet his or her
fiscal and personal needs. Student need to have knowledge of how a job seeker's
qualifications match a job description and an understanding of how a selected
type of work relates to short-term and long-term goals. Finally, the student
needs to have the ability to identify places that hire people doing a job like
the one he or she has chosen and alternative job choices related to and hopefully
leading toward career goals a job seeker has already set.
Job seeking skills are indicated by a job seeker's ability to produce well-written
applications, a resume or qualifications brief. He needs to be able to set and
keep appointments (includes arranging transportation to the interview); and
interview successfully.
Job maintenance skills are indicated by a job seeker's knowledge of how to keep
a job, including an understanding of employer and co-worker expectations and
how their expectations change over time. Job maintenance skills also include
the ability to discipline oneself and the ability to distinguish between work
habits and work skills. The student needs to be able to evaluate personal issues
that may result in job maintenance problems. He or she also needs an understanding
of job benefits and payroll deductions.
Finally, job search skills are indicated by a job seeker's knowledge of where
jobs are advertised and the ability to find job leads or get assistance in finding
job leads. He or she should be able to identify appropriate job openings; demonstrate
job seeking skills; and to organize job search time. Additionally students need
to be able to follow up on job interviews, and keep a record of all job contacts.
It is important for students to find jobs and solicit only the amount of help
truly needed by external sources. In order to do this, students and their teachers
must understand that a person's level of ability drives the amount of assistance
that will be required from others in a job search. The three levels of intervention:
informational, instructional, and advocacy.
Informational people are good readers and observers. They can be given involved
verbal directions and be expected to follow through. These individuals cope
fairly well with the traditional content approach to teaching. A teacher can
lecture or lead discussions in topical areas and informational students can
apply what they have heard and seen. These students learn by trying out new
concepts in the environment and modifying them to suit their needs.
Instructional level people are average performers. They can read and learn through
observation, but demonstration is helpful. They can follow directions, but prefer
to be shown and told how to perform. These students respond best to process
teaching; i.e., by doing things with the instructor. The facilitator shows students
how to perform instead of assuming they will be able to apply what's been talked
about or read outside of the classroom. Once a skill has been mastered, however,
the student continues to refine and apply what's been learned in the community.
With training and practice, it is anticipated that the majority of these students
will live independently and work competitively.
Advocacy level people function well below average in most areas of academics
and daily living skills. These students require intensive instruction, frequently
one-to-one. Combinations of teaching methods will be necessary to get concepts
across to such students. Instructions may need to be spoken, signed, written,
pictorial, combined, or conveyed through other innovative approaches. Demonstration
and co-active instruction may prove effective. Process learning is a must. Many
clients at this level will be able to live and work in the community with supports
like attendant care, communication specialists, job coaches, supervised living
arrangements, special transit.
The overriding impact of ability with regard to placement is that students who
are functioning at the informational or instructional level can anticipate that
they will be able to ultimately find and maintain their own jobs in the future.
Those who are functioning at the advocacy level will require external placement
support.
In closing, it is the opportunities to gain work experience that seem to have
the greatest impact on future success in the transition process. This includes
experiences through summer work programs, weekend school-to-work programs, internships
and practical, on-the-job training experiences, and employment activities in
one's home and community. For this reason, it is critical that families and
service providers provide as many work opportunities as possible to young people
with visual disabilities.
Teachers, counselors, and parents must constantly ask themselves if they would
be willing to hire the young people with whom they work. If not, they must consider
how to help remediate or correct the behaviors or skills that they perceive
to be deficient. If they consider the children with whom they work to be job
ready, they need to help determine what jobs they could be doing and move them
into positions of responsibility. It is not enough to believe in the process.
Service providers and parents must believe in the product! The way to manifest
this belief in the product - the competent, job ready student - is to hire blind
and visually impaired youngsters. Employers must have evidence that young people
with disabilities can work and there is no better evidence than a work history!
Note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2000 issue of See/Hear, the TSBVI newsletter.
Source: ITs Vision Time, Issue 1, 2008
For those students who require a easy-to-use magnifier and a means to enlarge the screen, there is a free downloadable program called Lens Magnifying Glass (LMG). The LMG allows you to use different “skins”, which gives you the option of getting different shapes and sizes for the viewing area. There are interactive buttons right on the interface, so there’s no searching for a Tools button to change settings or zoom levels either. You can also minimize the application to the taskbar and then easily pull it up whenever you need it.
It downloads and installs quickly and works in Windows 98/Me/NT4/2000/XP. Download here: http://www.abf-soft.com/lens-magnifying-glass.shtml
Nothing to do over the holidays? Download audio files from LibriVox! There are hundreds of public domain titles to choose from – listen to them on your iPod or via your car stereo!!!
Go to: http://librivox.org/
(and thanks to Di and Alan for this information)
Absolutely no problem – the Duxbury website has the solution! Here’s how (thanks to Lisa Zarb):
Have some fun brailling over the holidays by turning your qwerty keyboard into a six key entry keyboard using the fds space bar jkl keys.
First go to File – New to open a new file then you can use the Layout menu to change to Gr 1 and Gr 2 braille and the View menu lets you change to 6 key entry. You can work in print or braille (make changes in the View menu) but you cannot emboss from the demo version. When trying to save it will not save to the Duxbury file but will allow you save to elsewhere on your computer when you go to close the file.
Loreto Vietnam – Australia Program (LVAP) based in Ho Chi Minh city promotes the education for the disadvantaged children and for children with disabilities by training teachers in Special Education and developing English books in braille.
The main activities include teaching English to vision-impaired students, providing workshops for teachers at LVAP Special Schools and supporting rural projects that assist the school. The objective of the assignment is to assist in developing education to children with disabilities and to train teachers in Special Education. You will also teach English to vision impaired students and develop Braille storybooks for the vision-impaired children’s library.
This is a 12 month assignment and to be considered for this role you will have:
All AVI volunteer positions respond to the needs expressed by local communities
and volunteers work in partnership with local people. Successful applicants
receive airfares, accommodation and living allowances, training, visas and medical
insurance.
To apply visit http://www.australianvolunteers.com/work
or contact Erika Drury: edrury@australianvolunteers.com.
Thanks to the staff of the Statewide Vision Resource Centre for a wonderful year and thanks once again to my fabulous proof-readers, stuffers and mailers.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).