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bca@bca.org.auBlind Citizens Australia
Parent News
September 2000
Edited by Helen Freris
Editorial
Hello again, and welcome to the September issue of Parent News. The slightly warmer weather reminds us that the year is moving quickly along, and the final school term is almost upon us.
Before I let you know what's in the newsletter for this month, I will introduce myself. My name is Helen Freris, and I am currently working as the Acting Victorian Information and Advocacy Officer here at Blind Citizens Australia. I am covering Maryanne Diamond's position, as she temporarily takes on the position of Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia. I'm sure you will all join me in wishing her well!
This issue of Parent News contains lots of information about what is happening in the area of blindness and vision-impairment in Victoria. At this time of year, with schools planning for next year and holidays coming up, there is quite a lot of interesting material for young vision-impaired students and their families. As well as a list of important dates, this newsletter contains articles about leisure and recreation activities, a technology exhibition to take place in Melbourne, the Draft Disability Standards on Education, and other articles which I hope will inform you as well as encourage discussion and contributions to this newsletter from readers.
I will be appreciative of any feedback readers of this newsletter would like to send me. I am also always looking for people to make suggestions about how this newsletter can be improved, or who are willing to write an article or send some information, which can be shared. In this way, Parent News can be a really useful way of exchanging information and ideas among young people, families and service providers.
All the best for the holidays and the last school term of the year!
Helen Freris
Acting Parent News Editor
Important Dates and Events
Here are some dates to put on your calendar. Please ask your Visiting Teacher for more details, or contact me at the BCA office.
Mountbatten Users' Discussion Group -Monday 23 October
Exhibition of Adaptive Equipment and Services at Melbourne Town Hall - VISTA 21C -19-23 November
(See article later in this newsletter.)
SVRC Mini Expo-Monday 4 December
Special Provision - Vision Impaired Students
Support Skills Try Day
Friday 3rd November 2000
Students who are seeking enrolment in the Support Skills Program for 2001 should first attend the Try Day. Vision impaired students should be in Grades Two to Year Nine. Students, their families and teachers are encouraged to attend Burwood for this half day. While students are experiencing the program first hand, their families and teachers meet with the staff involved in the program. Registration of interest for this day closes on Friday 13th October
Sea Change - Audio description of Series 3 will be simulcast on Radio 3RPH Melbourne, 3MPH Mildura and 2APH Albury/Wodonga. Tune in each Sunday evening at 7.30 p.m.
Freeplay Group have announced the arrival of a new Global Shortwave Radio which incorporates the latest in self-powered radio design incorporating a solar panel and playing for up to an hour under spring power alone, after winding for only a few seconds. They have also produced a self-powered combined radio with magnetic, detachable white LED torch. For further information contact John Devitt & Associates Pty. Lt. P.O. Box 550, Balgowlah, NSW 2093 or e-mail jdevitt@devitt.bu.aust.com.
RNIB have produced new large print bilingual dictionaries. These are ideal for learners of English, French, German or Spanish. For additional information contact Visequip on 03 9520 5555.
Recreation Programs at RVIB
Chris Headland, Recreation Officer at RVIB has sent the following information about activities for young people:
Water Sports Camp
Date: Monday 15 - Friday 19 January 2001
Where: Based at the RVIB Burwood Residential Centre,
333 Burwood Highway, BURWOOD
Cost: Approximately $150.00 (All meals, accommodation and recreation activities included)
Activities may include - swimming, water-skiing, surfing (surf sense), sailing or canoeing
Students must be...
- Secondary School Age (years 7-10)
- Independent in dressing, bathing and mobility
- Able to cope with a full day of strenuous activity
- Confident in water
The program coordinator reserves the right to determine the suitability of the program for the student.
Register by Friday 8 December 2000 - only 8 places available!
Contact: Ms Chris Headland
RVIB Recreation Officer
Tel (03) 9522 5222 or
1800 33 55 88
There will also be an emphasis on Horse Riding from beginners to experienced over the next 12 months. Contact details above to register interest.
December - Monday 11 2000 - Public transport training for students within the City Of Melbourne
- Orientation within the City of Melbourne
- Use of trams and trains
- Orientation around Flinders St and Spencers St Stations
- Investigating the underground stations within the City of Melbourne
Cost: Approx $6.00 for purchase of lunch
Register by: Friday 1 December 2000
Contact: Glen Keane (Orientation and Mobility Instructor) at The RVIB Heidelberg Office on (03) 9457 6611
What do you do when...?
This article is the start of an occasional series of features, which will be appearing in Parent News. This series hopes to answer questions that arise when someone has a vision-impairment, and families need to negotiate the maze of different services available. Often, these problems can happen unexpectedly, and at the most inconvenient times!
As always, I welcome feedback on this section, along with ideas of future questions or problems to include. If you would like to write about the solution to a problem or question you have encountered in relation to vision-impairment, please also get in touch with me so I can include your item in future issues of this newsletter.
This term, we are going to look at:
What do you do when:
You have lost your M40 taxi card, or Blind Persons' Travel Pass.
Imagine the scenario. You're in a hurry to go somewhere, and you need either your M40 taxi card or your Blind Persons' Travel pass, but you can't remember where you put it. You've looked everywhere, at home, at school, in your locker, and at the bottom of your schoolbag. But it can't be found anywhere! You might just have to make do without your taxi card or travel pass for this trip, but there are things you can do to arrange for new ones to be sent to you!
Taxi Cards:
M40 taxi cards are available through the Victorian Taxi Directorate, as part of their multi-purpose taxi program. If you lose your M40 card, the best thing to do is to contact the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program on (03) 9320-4365 to report the missing card. They will usually suggest that you wait a couple of days in case the missing card is returned to you or them, and they don't need to go through the process of issuing a new one. You may also like to track down the lost card through the taxi company if you are sure you lost it in a taxi.
However, if your card can't be recovered, the telephonist at the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program will ask for some identifying information about you so the process of issuing a new card can begin. This can all be done over the telephone. The telephonist will ask for your name, address and date of birth, which will be already stored on their database and can be matched with your card number. A new card will be issued to you about two weeks later.
Blind Persons' Travel Pass:
Blind Persons' Travel Passes are issued by a body who used to be called the Central Pass Office of the Public Transport Corporation. With privatisation, a private company called National Express have been contracted to perform this function. Their telephone number is 9619-1159.
The process of replacing a lost Blind Persons' Travel Pass requires some organisation on your part. You need to provide National Express with a new passport-sized photograph, a cheque for $11 made out to National Express Group Australia Pty Ltd, and a signed Statutory Declaration. The Statutory Declaration must state the name of the pass-holder, a statement that the pass has been lost and that the holder wishes to receive a replacement. This document can be signed by anyone authorised to sign Statutory Declarations, and is not limited to a pass-holder's eye specialist. All this material, together with a stamped, self-addressed envelope must be sent to the following address:
National Express Group Australia PTY LTD
Central Pass Office
Level 14, 589 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000.
Sometimes it's safer to find a secure place for your taxi card and travel pass, because the process of replacing them can be complicated and time-consuming!
World Blind Union 5th General Assembly
In the last issue of this newsletter readers received detailed information about the World Blind Union General Assembly in Melbourne this November. Please contact me at Blind Citizens Australia if you require more information about this event in general.
In this issue, I would like to remind readers about Vista 21C, an exhibition of assistive technology, which will take place in conjunction with the General Assembly.
The information from the World Blind Union Office promoting this event states:
With nearly 1000 blind people and their associates from 160 countries gathered in Melbourne near to the start of the new millennium we will have a unique opportunity to look to the future. And what better way to do so than through an international exhibition of the technology and services that will be available to blind and vision impaired people in to the 21st century.
Technology exhibitions have been a feature of past General Assemblies. With new developments being unveiled almost on a daily basis, and a growing range of equipment and services available to blind people in many countries, we expect that Vista 21C will be a highlight and will set the scene for equipment and service availability well in to the new century.
The principle venue for Vista 21C will be the Swanston Hall, which is immediately below the Melbourne Town Hall at street level.
Assembly attendees will have direct access to the exhibition area by lift or stairs. As the Swanston Hall has direct public access we will be able to promote the exhibition directly to the public and facilitate their access without interference to the General Assembly.
Vista 21C will run from Sunday morning, 19 November to Thursday evening 23 November. A late closing day is planned to ensure that local people have the greatest possible opportunity to attend.
This promises to be a great exhibition, and I would encourage families, teachers and others interested to attend.
Education Standards under the Disability Discrimination Act
Many of you will be aware of the Disability Discrimination Act (1992), and the development of standards under this Act in order to specify provision for people with disabilities in certain areas of jurisdiction. Education is an area which arouses a great deal of interest, especially regarding the rights and responsibilities of education providers such as schools to ensure that their services and procedures are accessible to students with disabilities.
Recently, the following information was received by Blind Citizens Australia. I am including it because it gives an overview of the Disability Standards for education, which have just been drafted, and the process of consultation, which is currently underway.
Greetings to all from Sandi Seymour and Graham Smith, Consumer Representatives of the DDA Standards Project on Education.
If you are a student with a disability or the parent of a student with a disability, this package is particularly aimed to help and encourage you to respond to the consultation phase of development of the Draft Education Standards.
The goal of these Draft Education Standards is to eliminate as far as possible discrimination against students with a disability. We ask you to read this documentation and tell us if you believe that in its current form the Standards have the potential to do this. The Draft Standards are important because they are Draft Commonwealth Law and will over-ride State Law if enacted.
In writing this position paper, we have sought to provide you with some common sense understanding of how this legal document will affect many students with disabilities. We expect that you will also have many ideas that you will wish to share with us in the consultations and/or in writing.
We, your representatives, know that currently people are constantly overwhelmed with information, but ask you to take time to read and reflect on this position paper and the Draft Standards. Why?
This is a great opportunity to tell those in power what you think of this Draft of the Standards and how it will affect the education of students with disability. It is also an opportunity to influence and strengthen the proposed Standards, given that the more people involved, the more the sector will be listened to.
Use our ideas when you agree with them. Add your own. Tell us of relevant experiences, both positive and negative. Your response is important. We look forward to meeting with you in the consultations, analysing your written response, and working collaboratively with you.
We wish to acknowledge the voluntary support and contribution of our Reference Group (Jenny Shaw, Paul Cain and Darrell Wills) who with us have spent days and days analysing and developing the position paper and the Standards. Joan Hume and Belinda Epstein-Frisch, the previous community representatives deserve thanks for their major contribution to the Draft Standards. Thank you for your commitment to students with disabilities, and your dedication to ending the habit of discrimination in education.
Background
The DDA Standards Project - through its two Consumer Representatives is seeking comment on the Draft Disability Standards for Education. On March 30, 2000 the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) agreed to a public release and consultation on this Draft. Shortly after this announcement, the DDA Standards Project facilitated the assembly of an Education Reference Group to develop a critical analysis of the Draft Disability Standards and prepare a position paper.
The package of information you will receive should include:
The Draft Disability Standards for Education & Guidance Notes are quite complex in the way they apply and the specific language within them can have quite a profound effect on the implementation of such Standards. It is for this reason that a position paper has been prepared. The specific objectives for the DDA Standards Project in writing this position paper are to:
But wait, there's more.... Much more written information and reports are available on the DDA Standards Project website www.ozemail.com.au/~ddasp
All of the information issued in the information package will also be on the website together with a range of other relevant papers and reports.
Of particular significance are two discussion papers that were prepared to further inform people with disabilities and their advocates about alternatives to DDA Standards in Education. The first paper by Robin Banks and Rosemary Kayess examines alternative compliance mechanisms and looks at advantages and disadvantages of each
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ddasp/DDAStandards2doc2.htm
The second paper by Dr Robert Jackson and his team provides more information about possible models drawn mainly from the United States and Canada.
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ddasp/DDAStandards2doc3.htm
Our reference group has also prepared a Background Paper, which is available on this website, if you wish to consider the depth of our thinking.
All reports/papers are available via the DDA Standards Project in either hard copy, electronic or an alternative format. Requests by e-mail are preferred ddasp@ozemail.com.au or to BCA on 1800 033660 or TTY 03 95211200
Who is the target audience for this information and consultation?
Consumer Representatives of the DDA Standards Project
the Consumer representatives are:
Sandi Seymour, Ph 08 8276 8589, Email: sandiseymour@yahoo.com
Graham Smith, Ph 03 9807 4702, Email: grasm@connexus.net.au
Sandi is a single Mother of 3 boys, 1 who has a disability. Sandi has advocated for her son against Education Departments in 2 States and has worked with other parents and parent groups for years to try and improve education services for students with disabilities. She is currently completing her 3rd year of her Social Work degree. Graham Smith worked for a number of years as a teacher and more recently has been very involved in the reforms in the Education system in Victoria for students with a disability. Graham is very involved in advocacy for people with a disability in Victoria and is the current Chairperson of the Disability Resources Centre. He is an advocate for a number of students with disabilities in schools and higher education and has a personal experience of disability.
DDA Standards Project
In broad terms, the DDA Standards Project is funded by the Federal Attorney General's Department to coordinate disability sector input into the DDA Standards development. The DDA Standards Project, is a project of the National Caucus of Disability Consumer Organisations. The 11 organisations form the steering committee which overseas the work of the National Coordinator and the Consumer Representatives on each of the DDA Standards. For further information, please contact the Project on ph: 08 82422700 fax: 08 82422711.
This information is from the consumer representatives on the development taskforce on education standards, and their report can be found on the Disability Standards website under education, along with a copy of the draft standards, and a wealth of other documents. The website address is:
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ddasp
Print copies of the draft standards can also be obtained by calling the BCA Office and requesting a copy to be sent to you. Braille copies can be obtained from:
Jolley William & Associates
Telephone: (03) 9807 5137, or 0427 456 454.
Maryanne Diamond and I attended the information and consultation session on the DDA Education Standards held in Melbourne on 28th August, and Blind citizens Australia will be submitting a formal submission. Submissions are encouraged from any interested individuals and organisations, whether they be parents, students, advocates and other disability service providers. Submissions are due by the 24th November 2000, and can take the form of letters or more formal reports.
The Standards are worth reading for the insight they give into future education provision. You might also like to consider them in conjunction with BCA's Education Policy.
Both the Draft Disability Standards for Education and BCA's Education Policy are available from the BCA Office. Please get in touch and request copies of these documents.
Blind Citizens Australia, Victorian Youth Branch
Young Blind Citizens, is BCA's newest Branch, and was formed by a group of young people in Victoria. The Branch was formed in order to encourage young people between the ages of 16 and 30 to become involved in blindness and self-advocacy issues, and to give young people a chance to address issues relevant to them. It will also encourage and promote wider involvement in BCA by younger members. Branch president, Sean Tyrell has been working on two major initiatives on behalf of Young Blind Citizens, in which he encourages interest from young people with a vision-impairment. Sean has provided the following information for this newsletter:
What is Young Blind Citizens?
Young Blind Citizens is the youth wing of Blind Citizens Australia. BCA members aged between sixteen and thirty are eligible to join Young Blind Citizens.
Young Blind Citizens has a vital role to play as the youth voice of BCA representing the needs and ideas of young people to the organisation.
What sorts of things do people do at Young Blind Citizens?
Young Blind Citizens meets about once a month, and we offer a mix of political, discussion, cultural, sporting and social activities to our members.
Every second month we meet for a discussion session. We find out about issues that affect us as young blind and vision-impaired people, and we get the chance to put our point of view across. For instance, at our most recent meeting we talked about what it is like to travel overseas as a totally blind person, and we found out whether or not the government is planning to make blind people work for the pension.
Every other month we do something social. In the past we have gone out together for dinner, and in the future we're planning to have a night playing theatre sports and get together to watch some films.
We're also organising a night in conjunction with the General Assembly of the World Blind Union. The World Blind Union is like a United Nations made up of blind people, and every four years it has a General Assembly to discuss the issues that affect blind people all over the world.
On November 20 we will be hosting a welcome for the delegates to the conference, and its a good opportunity for us to meet young blind and vision-impaired people from as many as thirty countries. Anyone who wants to come is very welcome, and you can get more information from the BCA office.
Why does BCA have a youth wing?
The issues that affect young people are very different to those facing people who are a little bit older. This is especially true for blind and vision-impaired Australians, because the advent of adaptive technology, the passage of anti-discrimination legislation through Parliament, and the end of policies that put blind and vision-impaired children in special schools means that younger blind and vision-impaired people have a fundamentally different perspective to that of older people.
Integration also means that young blind and vision-impaired people do not have much contact with each other. Young Blind Citizens gives us a chance to meet and discuss the issues that we all share an interest in as blind and vision-impaired people.
For these reasons, a group of young people decided to get together and form a youth branch of BCA. Young Blind Citizens gives us a chance to talk about the issues that are important to us, and to do it in a way that keeps young people interested. We don't worry too much about procedures or formalities, and we make sure that everyone has a chance to have their say.
How can people find out more about Young Blind Citizens?
The people who are part of Young Blind Citizens communicate with each other through e-mail. You can call the BCA office on 9521 3433 and ask to have your name added to the e-mail list.
We are also in the process of getting a website up and running. It should be done in a few weeks, and it will be linked to the Blind Citizens Australia website at www.bca.org.au
You can also phone the BCA office and get the contact details of Sean, the President of the branch. He is more than happy to talk to people and let them know what is happening.
How can I become a member of Young Blind Citizens
To become part of Young Blind Citizens you need to be a member of Blind Citizens Australia, and you need to be aged between sixteen and thirty - although we don't mind if you are a little bit either side of this. Membership of Young Blind Citizens if free, and all you need to do is provide the Secretary with your name and contact details.
To become a member of BCA you need to fill in a membership application and pay a one-off fee of $10. BCA can be contacted by telephone on 9521 3433.