Here, for your information, are a couple of excerpts which may be useful to you.

National Autism Awareness Week ended on a high note this year with an inspiring panel session designed to help in the difficult task of explaining a complex, multifaceted disorder to the general community.

The Meet Autism Face to Face concept was developed, convened and chaired by Lindsay Weekes, who was diagnosed with Autism 40 years ago, as a way of allowing people with Autism Spectrum Disorder to share their experience of Autism with others.

About 50 people keen to see and hear from people with Autism attended the event on 19 May. Among them were a number of children with the disorder who, because they attend mainstream schools, have rarely if ever met others diagnosed with the same condition.

A subsequent visit to the Irabina Early Intervention Program for children with Autism in Bayswater really struck a chord with Lindsay. 'Even though the children were so young I felt I could understand them, and they understood me,' he said. Lindsay is now much sought after as a conference speaker and also consultants on and cares for children exhibiting severe autistic patterns of disability.

Lindsay Weekes' web site, which features the lives of many people with Autism, can be visited at: www.picturepage.net

www.infoxchange.net.au/respitenorth

eRespite, or an online respite care information resource, is an innovative idea for connecting people within local communities who need and provide respite care services. It works well in practice, too, if the new Respitenorth web site is anything to go by.

Aimed at users of respite care, respite service providers and funding bodies in the Northern Metropolitan Region (NMR) Respite Network, Respitenorth is an informative site and effective link to various services operating in the area. As such, it could well serve as a sole source of local information on respite care.

This interactive site uses a wide range of techniques to access or request further information. There is a spreadsheet calendar of forthcoming events, from which users can click through to further details about any given event. An online order form also allows users to supply community information for posting in the News section.

The Service Directory is accessed by geographical area within the Northern Metropolitan Region, and provides names of contact people within the listed organisations. The online Discussion Forum offers the chance to participate in discussions on a variety of topics. Some sections are aimed more at agencies and carers, such as the Respite Library and the Employment section.

While not visually sophisticated, the large text, simple but clear layout and visual icons make the site user friendly. The information is up-to-date and concise. Where information is not actually provided on the site, the user is always referred on to other relevant sites or information sources.

Respitenorth was developed by the Infoxchange, a non-profit organisation which specialises in using technology for social justice. The Respite Network has also created Infonorth, a site that links the various networks operating in the northern Melbourne region.

Rural Access has been extended across regional and rural Victoria following the successful completion of a demonstration project in the Grampians Region.

The Hon Christine Campbell MP, Minister for Community Services, announced in April funding for the roll out of the program in the remaining rural DHS regions of Barwon-South West, Gippsland, Hume and Loddon-Mallee.

The funds will be used to employ 25 full time Rural Access workers in key mainstream community organisations, such as Local Government and Community Services, across the State by September 2001.

Rural Access aims to enhance the capacity of rural and regional communities to plan and provide support for people with disabilities and their families to become participating members of those communities. It is part of the Bracks Government's broader One Community vision for an inclusive 'whole of community' approach that reflects the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities.

Rural Access workers will have a broad mandate to address issues across the full range of community infrastructure including the built environment, transport and education. Project development will focus on partnership and collaborative approaches that mobilise support from a range of services in the community including mainstream community services and disability service agencies.

For further information please contact:

Head Office: Paul Dunn (03) 9616 7714 Email: Paul.Dunn@dhs.vic.gov.au

Barwon South West: Alex Gunning (03) 5226 4850

Email: Alex.Gunning@dhs.vic.gov.au

Gippsland: Frances Ford (03) 5177 2571

Email: Frances.Ford@dhs.vic.gov.au

Grampians: Andrew Nykoluk (03) 5333 6223

Email: Andrew.Nykoluk@dhs.vic.gov.au

Hume: Rob Harris (03) 5722 0925

Email: Rob.Harris@dhs.vic.gov.au

Loddon-Mallee: Ian Swan (03) 5434 5592

Email: Ian.Swan@dhs.vic.gov.au

(Source: Disability Focus (July 2001) Department of Human Services)

(Source: The Bulletin 14 2001: SVRC)

A range of braille games for identifying letters, contractions or words is available at the following web site.

(Source: The Bulletin 14, 2001: SVRC)

Lynne Kosky, Minister for Post Compulsory Education, Training and Employment sent the following information via DEET Mail on 19th July 2001. Youth Employment Link is also being advertised on the radio: Today I am delighted to unveil an exciting education initiative that will help Victoria's young people make better-informed decisions about their careers

I use the plural "careers", rather than "career" because life for today's young people is about multiple choices. No longer do young people make a career choice for life. With that in mind the Government has developed the Youth Employment Link (YEL), a web-based referral service for young people seeking career advice and employment information. In the past, information on vocational guidance, career counselling, apprenticeships and traineeships, wages and conditions, and training courses have been spread throughout different organisations and government departments. For the first time YEL brings together all that information in a format that is fun,

(Source: The bulletin 12, 2001: SVRC)

(Editor’s Note: this site is easy to navigate using a screenreader.)

(Editor’s Note: This came to us via our information list, Vip-L.)

The Blind Online News Service International is an expansion of my old phone book monthly electronic publication which most of you knew as the Internet Phone Book Of Blind Users and Services. Those files are now being modified and managed by Scott Berry through another website and you likely will hear more about that later from him. Those files, however, still appear as text files on my website as a resource but they are slowly taking on the form of web links and text based information. BONS International is something new, something different, and something that is updated weekly. BONS International takes you one step further into getting the information you want and on demand. Plus, IT IS FREE.

BONS is a blind news service resource which is web based, quickly accessed, updated weekly, and is available to read online at my website but that's not all.

Who wants to take time logging onto a website, only to discover nothing has changed since you last logged on. The Blind Online News Service International is going to make your life much easier when it comes to obtaining and researching blind related news on the internet.

I am providing a weekly one way newsletter which will briefly describe, in one or two lines, new articles, files, software, and websites and will include direct links to all the articles. In short, you will click on the article's link and go directly to that article. No more logging on to a site and spending a half an hour hunting around only to discover nothing is new. You will read only what you determine interesting while skipping all the rest. Plus the electronic newsletter will only be sent to you once each week and it is a one way mailing list so I will be the only person posting the newsletter and information each week. You won't have to worry about your mail box filling up with unwanted junk email.

The format of the weekly newsletter will look like this.

Category. Spam Scams And viruses.

How Spammers Collect Your Email Address.

http://www.redwhiteandblue.org/news/bssv/SPAM1.HTM

Category. Science And Technology.

Why I Like Broad Band.

http://www.redwhiteandblue.org/news/bs&t/BROADBAN.HTM

Category. Products And Services.

Freedom box. Now tell your computer where to go.

http://www.redwhiteandblue.org/news/bp&s/FREEBOX.HTM

In this example, if you were to click on any of the http links in the newsletter email message, you would go directly to that link and only that article would be displayed. Even if you are still using a dial up modem, your browser will log you on and display just that article. If you are using broad band services, it will be even faster and with almost no delay. If the email weekly newsletter announces 50 new articles and links, but you only find interest in two or three, now you can read just those articles without having to ever dial up the website and sift through dozens of web links in which you have absolutely no interest.

To join the Blind Online weekly newsletter, click on the address below or send a blank email message to bons-subscribe@topica.com

That's all there is to it. If you use the email address to subscribe, you will have to reply to a topica.com message which comes back to you before you are actually subscribed to the newsletter mailing list. You literally do this by replying because it uses header information in the message to confirm you did indeed send a subscription command to the server via email.

Although many articles are currently available on my website for you to read, beginning the week of August the fifth, the BONS weekly newsletter will be released. Each week thereafter, you will receive a single email message with one or two line descriptions, plus the direct link, to articles of interest on topics such as, blind news, speech friendly websites, audio links of interest to the blind, health and medicine, inspiration, adaptive equipment for sale, adaptive product and services, science and technology, software support, blind related mailing lists, blind related businesses, spam scam and virus reports and much more. If it is blind related, the Blind Online News Service International will have it. Obtaining blind related information has never been easier.

Additionally, if you have any contribution, simply email them to me and I will add them to the list. In fact, please send your contributions because, like the phone book, it was only made possible by other blind people sharing information.

For more information, click on the link below and go directly to the Blind Online News Service International main Menu.

http://www.redwhiteandblue.org/news/BONSMENU.HTM

For the current newsletter, click on: http://www.redwhiteandblue.org/news/NLTRMENU.HTM

For further questions, email me at phil@redwhiteandblue.org

and I'll be happy to respond.

Phil Scovell Denver, Colorado USA

(Source: Vip-l, BCA Information list)

Math Flash software helps elementary students, from 6 years of age, to sharpen and improve their maths skills. This self-voicing program uses the computer’s sound card to communicate instructions, drills, and practice sessions. Math Flash allows students to modify the presentation as well as control the difficulty of the math drills and tests. Math Flash allows students to select their favourite Math Mentor character to lead the exercises. The Mentor’s voice guides the student through problems in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. The program is professionally narrated by human speech (not computer-generated speech) and responds to students with fun, supportive feedback.

(Source: The Bulletin 10, 2001: SVRC)

Helen Freris

Many of you would be familiar with the Multi-Purpose Taxi Subsidy, or M40 program, as it is commonly called. Holders of the M40 taxi card are entitled to half-price taxi fares up to a fare limit of $50. Any fares above this limit are subsidised at the maximum rate of $25, with the difference in the fare the responsibility of the passenger.

Blind Citizens Australia is concerned that since the beginning of the program, there has been no increase in this level of subsidy. This is resulting in financial hardship for people needing to travel long distances by taxi, especially in areas where public transport is not readily available.

Blind Citizens Australia is embarking on a project to lobby the Minister for Transport for an increase in the subsidy to a level of $50 as the maximum subsidy, along with a process of subsidy increase in line with future rises in taxi fares. We will be contacting disability agencies to gather support for this project, but are also relying on the efforts of our members. A pro forma letter has been prepared, which we are asking members and other interested individuals and groups to send to their local member of State Parliament. In this way, our concerns can be more widely made known to the Victorian Government. BCA has also prepared a position statement, outlining our request for a subsidy increase in more detail. I am asking anyone interested to contact me and request a copy of the pro forma letter and position statement. The letter has spaces for you to fill in your details and signature, as well as the mailing address for your local member of State Parliament. I can assist anyone who contacts me to find out the details for their local member. I will also keep track of the level of interest there is in the outcome of this project according to the number of enquiries I receive.

If you are concerned about the low level of subsidy on the M40 taxi program, I look forward to hearing from you soon. We are more likely to make changes with a large number of supporters.

Announcement of a New Community Group for Families of Vision-impaired Children

(Editor’s Note:

The following announcement was sent by Michael and Ingrid Syles, who have recently begun work to establish an information and advocacy group for families of children with vision-impairments. They are keen to hear from anyone interested in being part of such a group, and look forward to seeing as many families as possible at their first official group meeting. Attached to the article they have sent is a questionnaire which families may complete and send to Michael and Ingrid at the address given in the article.)

Have you ever felt frustrated as a parent, or lost in a mine field of bureaucracy trying to obtain the best for your vision impaired child? Or perhaps just felt like sharing your feelings with others in a similar position?

We believe that a well organized parents support group can make a difference for our children. This self-help organisation will be specific to the needs of families of children with vision impairment. The Group will be able to support families early in diagnosis, provide information, and refer them to any specialist support groups. In addition we would like this organisation to be a voice for our children’s needs throughout their educational life.

By developing a data base of parents, communication, support and a feeling of community can be established. The larger our database of parents the more credibility we will have and the more effective we will become as representatives of our children.

We would like to notify parents of a meeting for the purpose of electing a committee of our first State wide parents support group. This group will be known as the Victorian Association for Parents of Children with a Vision Impairment (VAPVI).

Please come and support the group by attending this meeting, voicing your opinions on how we can be proactive as a group and perhaps nominate for a committee position. We will be discussing the structure of the group, details of our objectives, and our National links. This will be followed by election of committee positions.

As important, could you please answer the questions attached which will become part of our data base, and mail them to us so that we can keep you informed. All individual’s details will be treated with confidentiality. Only committee members will have access to the database.

United together we can make a difference.

Michael & Ingrid Siles

PO BOX 638

Box Hill 3128

By Barbara Kolucki ( bakoluck@aol.com)

Disability World, v.6, Jan-Feb 2001

Perhaps it will never be part of our humanity in this world to value each and every human being, regardless of gender, age, color, nationality, disability or religion. Perhaps there is too much "human" and competitive about us that we will always view some qualities as "better than" or "less than". However, today, when competition in just about every arena is greater than it ever was, when more and more wars and conflicts tear families and countries apart, when globalization makes this world seem smaller - and seemingly more alike - perhaps we need to take stock at what exactly we are teaching our children about similarity and diversity. What perhaps, needs to be re-evaluated and/or changed, especially in our curricula and media for children and in our parenting education programs and materials?

Can we, for example, continue to teach about and celebrate similarities while simultaneously celebrating diversity? Imagine a home, classroom, television program where comparison doesn't matter as much because everyone's uniqueness is treasured and valued. Imagine the same about different groups of people who learn about one another's traditions, culture and abilities as enriching everyone's lives. I am exactly as I am supposed to be and the same for you. My value does not depend on looking or acting a certain way or having certain material possessions. Nor does yours.

Most of my work is outside the United States. This has been the case since 1981. Over this period of time, I cannot count the number of times I have been stopped in my tracks at the words that come out of children as young as 6 years old. A girl in Bangladesh is devastated because she has not been born a boy. A child in Mozambique whose leg was blown off by a landmine does not want to live unless he can "walk again like other kids". A girl in the Maldives will look into the mirror and cry, drink gallons of white milk and put cream on her face everyday so that her dark skin would turn "fair and lovely". And millions upon millions will want to wear Nikes, act like "Ninja Turtles", have a Playstation, get "the bad guy", look and dance like a singer on MTV - and yes, they are often under the age of 6 years!

Studying Child Development in undergraduate and graduate school, I certainly know of the child's basic, developmental need to grow beyond the "self" and begin to understand, identify and appreciate similarities between individuals and among groups of people. This is a fundamental skill necessary for a child to grow and develop in a healthy way both emotionally and socially. These goals must continue to be taught and nurtured always.

The fields of Conflict Resolution and Peace Education often stress teaching children and adults that "the other" is like us. This, too, is important – not as much in the similarities regarding dress, food, games, etc. (though these are often the easiest for young children to comprehend) - but more importantly with regard to individuals and families who love each other, have similar emotions, try not to hurt oneself or hurt others. Reports from Peace Education camps in several countries recount anecdotes pointing out it is these similarities that children feel most strongly after they spend time with "the other" in play and cooperative activities. This, too, should never stop - and perhaps some of these children will remember how they laughed and cried about the same things when they become parents and teach mutual respect to their own children.

Yet, one potential problem in teaching children to "celebrate similarities" is that it is often in relation to some "norm" or "yardstick" - she walks like us, he looks like me, she plays the same game that I do. And for most of the world, this yardstick is frequently the USA (or other Northern or Western countries), often white, male and able-bodied. In parts of the developing world where perhaps the North/West does not have this same influence, the yardstick of male, power and wealth most often apply. Success, beauty, ability and more often now, even "culture", all mean more or less the same thing. What happens is that children often learn that similar equals good. Dissimilar, then, equals different, the "other", and not as good or "right".

Perhaps we need to take a look at giving at least as much attention to consciously celebrating diversity and putting value on it rather than explicitly or implicitly stressing similarities. Diversity is good. Diversity is needed. Diversity adds value to the world. The "other" is good. The "other" is needed.

The "other" adds values to the world. The "other" is also part of our reality. We consciously seek and define strategies to celebrate reality - acknowledging, respecting and appreciating the fact that humanity is diverse and richer because of this diversity.

The celebration of diversity is important in all aspects of life and in all parts of the world. But perhaps it is most obvious and critical when we are talking about children and adults who are disabled.

In the 1970s, pioneers in the field of disability and special education talked about celebrating difference. Wolf Wolfensberger, Burton Blatt, Ignacy Goldberg, Frances Connor and others promoted legislation for all children and encouraged a change in people's attitudes when a child with a disability was born. Pioneering parents of children with disabilities did begin to fight for their children and to celebrate their difference. In the 1980's, Emily Perl Kingsley, a good friend and colleague from the Children's Television Workshop (now "sesameworkshop"), wrote a wonderful essay called "Welcome to Holland". The story is about a mother waiting for the birth of her child and comparing it to planning to take a trip to Italy. At the last moment before landing the airplane, the announcement is made that they have arrived in Holland. "But I never wanted to come to Holland! I haven't the slightest idea of what you do here! "Slowly, as she learns about her new "child with Down Syndrome" and the joy he brings to her life, she discovers that "they've simply taken you to another place. Not what you were expecting, not what you planned - but possibly quite lovely nonetheless."

During these same decades, people with disabilities began to both celebrate their difference and fight for equal rights. In a manner similar to all civil rights' struggles, they tore down numerous barriers of discrimination in education, employment, as well as access and inclusion in buildings, media and legislation. In the 1970's in the USA, leaders such as Ed Roberts, Judy Heumann, Jason Kingsley, Adrienne Asch and Linda Bove emerged to present some of the first positive, strong, proud role models of disabled persons to little girls and boys. Similar-minded leaders pioneered in other countries at about the same time.

Time has passed. Mainstreaming and inclusion are part of the mandates of many Education Ministries around the world. Television programs, films and a few animated cartoons can be seen including children or adults with disabilities in a variety of ways. Yet when I look at most of these products that have been developed, it is still rare to see a celebration of diversity. Difference does not have to be in the face of everyone - but we should not shy away from it either. We should "add value" to diversity whenever we can.

It is obviously not true, for example, that any child from a wealthier or more educated family is any brighter or more talented than another child. Nor is it true that a child born disabled is of any less value than a non-disabled child. What is likely to be true, however, is that for a variety of reasons, non-disabled children in many parts of the world are told more often "You can do anything", "You are good enough just as you are", "I am proud of you", etc. Additionally, they see themselves reflected back in media every single day. The majority culture is celebrated. What is not as likely is for children in developing parts of the world, those from families who are poor or without "power", or disabled children anywhere - to be told and encouraged to be who they are, to be portrayed and valued just as they are, and for each one's uniqueness and diversity to be celebrated. So - they often grow up feeling inadequate and wanting to "be like someone else" who seems to have more value. Their diversity, their difference is not celebrated.

Children learn what they live. Perhaps, it is not as simple as I am laying it out to be. This valuing of difference must begin in infancy in the words and looks and touch we give to every baby regardless of ability, gender, beauty, status, personality, etc. In our early childhood curricula, parenting programs, in our books, songs and Television programs for children - we can begin to celebrate diversity in unique and creative ways. We can and must model it for our children so that they will feel it and practice it in their lives. It can and must become a conscious goal. The authentic development of each and every child and the mutual respect for all children is at stake.

In our parenting programs, we must stress that:

Each and every child is unique and that this uniqueness should be treasured. Regardless of perceived ability, one can find strengths in each and every child. While it is OK to want to be like others in some ways, never compare one's value as a human being based on any type of difference.

The most basic rules to live by include never hurting oneself and never hurting another - whether through words, looks or action.

And for children, some examples include:

A young child who is blind can be told while they are learning a new skill "you can pour your milk into a glass in a way that is wonderful and unique – by hooking your finger over the edge to feel when the glass if full". A child who is deaf is told that his diversity in speaking with his hands is fabulous, exciting and beautifully artistic.

A baby with cerebral palsy is sung to about the beauty of her arms and legs and brain and soul. A young girl with dark skin is taught from the day she is born that there are many definitions of beauty. Her beauty does not detract from another's and vice versa. A child who uses a technical device in order to communicate is celebrated as he also helps other children learn to "speak" in a different way.

A classroom of children is told daily that although they are alike in many ways, each of them brings something that others do not bring - and each is of equal importance. A television program for children portrays that each child's unique capacities are fundamental and necessary to solve given problems -- and the show includes children with a variety of disabilities and those without.

A child who is poor is told about the traditions of "wealth" in his family heritage - their honesty, creativity, closeness to and respect of the earth.

A child from a minority group reads stories about the heroines and heroes in her ancestry - whose pride in their identity did not stop them from opening their home and hearts to help those in need from other minority or majority groups. A girl is born and her birth is celebrated. On a daily basis she is told how much she is wanted, valued and loved - simply because she is.

We could practice the same with regard to human and cultural diversity on a national and global level. If we are exporting media to other countries, we can choose the "higher ground" and not present ours as best. If we are importing media from other countries, we can refuse to allow our children to be exposed to messages that denigrate or discriminate against anyone. And we can produce our own, even low cost media that celebrates the diversity and value within and outside our own boundaries.

Recently on an assignment with the UNICEF-Maldives Office, we developed a book called "Maldivian Babies". It is primarily a picture book for infants, young children and their families - with the goal of all types of babies from around the country able to see and celebrate themselves. There is a layout of healthy babies that are not only chubby but run the range in size, shape and ability. There are pages of beautiful babies that include those that are dark and light skinned, as well as babies who are premature and young children who are disabled. There are exploring babies, some who prefer to explore quietly and with the security of a nearby adult. Others explore as far away and as independent as they can be. Each and every layout includes at least an equal number of girls and boys as well as children with disabilities.

The essay I mentioned before "Welcome to Holland" ends with a lesson about celebrating difference. The mother reminds us that "if you are too busy complaining (or comparing - author's addition) about the fact that you didn't get to go to Italy, you'll never be available to enjoy the very special things about Holland".

It all begins with accepting who we are and extending this gift to every human. Our uniqueness and diversity is evident each time an infant is born. We marvel at how could it be possible that no two babies look exactly alike - yes, even twins. Somewhere down the road, societal and cultural norms together with the media, pull us to try to be more alike than different. And then we tend to view difference and diversity as having less value. There is an old tale about a man named Rabbi Zusya who said "In the coming world, they will not ask me, 'Why were you not Moses?' They will ask me, 'Why were you not Zusya?'"

Perhaps, if we help each child - girl/boy, disabled/not, poor/rich, from North/South/East/West, from any culture or religion - to celebrate who they are . . . perhaps these children will grow up just wanting to be themselves. And encouraging others to do the same.

(Reprinted with permission from the electronic periodical,

www.DisabilityWorld.org)

Helen Freris

Parent News is a quarterly newsletter produced by Blind Citizens Australia, at the end of each school term. Your comments, ideas and contributions to Parent News are always welcome. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Blind Citizens Australia with your ideas or contributions.

Access to this data base of names will be by committee members only, and no outside organisations will have access to any individual's details. Please tick if we could refer parents to you for support.

FAMILY NAME:

GIVEN NAME:

ADDRESS:

POSTCODE:

BIRTHDATE: M / F

SCHOOL NAME:

SCHOOL ADDRESS:

POSTCODE:

STUDENT SERVICES PROVIDED BY:

EYE CONDITION:

AGE WHEN DIAGNOSED:

EXTENT OF VISION / ACUITY:

OPTHAMOLOGIST:

FAMILY NAME:

GIVEN NAME:

ADDRESS:

POSTCODE:

TELEPHONE: E-MAIL:

FAMILY NAME:

GIVEN NAME:

ADDRESS:

POSTCODE:

TELEPHONE: E-MAIL:

NAME: BIRTHDATE: M / F

NAME: BIRTHDATE: M / F

NAME: BIRTHDATE: M / F

Please return to:

Michael & Ingrid Siles

PO BOX 638

Box Hill 3128

Melb, Vic.