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Parent NewsMarch 2002
Parent News
Editorial
Welcome everyone, to the first issue of Parent News for 2002. I hope you are all looking forward to an exciting and productive year of work, school and leisure, and that Parent News can continue to offer you useful ideas and information as you juggle your family activities.
As Parent news has been circulating now for the last three years, I would like to take the opportunity to ask you what you think of the newsletter. This issue features a short questionnaire which gives you the chance to talk about what you like or dislike about Parent News, what articles you would like to see in the future, and what items you are interested in contributing. I look forward to hearing from as many readers as possible via this survey. I would also welcome your contact by telephone if you would like to discuss the survey, or any other aspect of Parent News or other issues confronting your family.
Other items in this issue of Parent News are loosely based on the theme of new services and announcements. You will see information about new assistive technology and information services which you may like to explore.
Wishing you all the best for the year ahead,
Helen Freris
Newsletter Editor
BLIND CITIZENS AUSTRALIA
Parent News questionnaire
Parent News has been available now for about three years. During this time, we have enjoyed putting together a mixture of information and human interest articles which we hope have been of interest to families of children who are blind/vision-impaired. We appreciate the contributions and comments received from readers from time to time, and we would like to invite you to share some of your feedback and ideas further.
We would like Parent News to continue to meet your needs and interests. The survey below has questions which will help us get an idea of your opinion of Parent News, what types of information you find useful, and how you would like to contribute to the newsletter in the future.
In order to make the collation of the information from the survey easier, it would be appreciated if you are able to provide your responses by e-mail, or by calling BCA using the contact details listed on the front page of Parent News. If you normally receive Parent News in print, and would like an electronic copy of the questionnaire page, please call the office so one can be e-mailed to you. Thank you for your assistance with this survey.
Demographic Information
Parent News Content
Thank you for your help in completing this survey.
Victorian Public Transport directory
Blind Citizens Australia would like to let you know about a new publication for Victorians with disabilities, and those who are involved in disability service provision and advocacy.
The Victorian Public transport Directory provides contact details for Victoria’s providers of train, tram, bus and other transport services, both in Melbourne and regional areas. This information will help anyone wishing to make enquiries or bookings for transport services, and to advocate for themselves to gain more accessible service provision.
The directory is organised into sections alphabetically listing each transport provider with their contact details. It is available to you in large print, braille, audiocassette, e-mail and on our web-site at:
Please contact the office of Blind Citizens Australia to request a copy in your preferred format. You can contact us in the following ways:
By Telephone: 9521-3433 or 1800-033-660
By Fax: 9521-3732
By E-mail:
Bca@bca.org.auby mail or in person: 87 High Street, Prahran 3181
We look forward to hearing from you.
FROM THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
(Editor’s Note)
The Following is from the infoxchange Web-site:
www.infoxchange.net.au It is an announcement regarding voluntary financial contributions school fees in government schools.)
DATE: Monday, February 4, 2002
MINISTER REMINDS PARENTS TO CHECK VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS
The Minister for Education Mary Delahunty urged parents with concerns on voluntary payments to come forward to the Department of Education.
"Parents should be absolutely sure that voluntary contributions are for costs outside the core educational needs of their child," she said.
"This Government has invested $2.2 billion extra in education since coming to office, including $300 million directly into individual school budgets.
"Given the substantial extra funds, we have repeatedly made it clear that schools must not charge parents for the essential elements of education.
"School councils can invite voluntary contributions from parents, but these contributions are absolutely voluntary and that must be made explicit in the requests.
Principals and school councils are asked to ensure that no student is disadvantaged in any way if their parents have not made a voluntary contribution."
Ms Delahunty said the department had reminded schools of their regulatory requirements last week and most schools are expected to obey the rules.
"Contributions must never be charged as a condition of student access to the standard educational program or for reports," she said.
Parents may be asked for voluntary contributions for text books, individual student requisites and school uniform (where appropriate and in accordance with school council policy); school magazines; excursions and some curriculum materials (eg food for home economics).
"We encourage all schools to be sensitive to any financial difficulties encountered by families at this time of year," she said.
"Which could include different means of paying, access to second hand goods or referral to the State Schools' Relief Committee.
Ms Delahunty said some schools had already been cautioned over improper demands for voluntary contributions.
"One problem is schools repeating demands for voluntary payments when the regulations state it is not acceptable to send requests for voluntary contributions beyond the initial notice," she said.
Copies of the guidelines are available www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/scsb/ or parents with concerns can contact the Department of Education on 1800 809834 or the department's local regional office.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NEW SERVICE
(Editor’s Note: The following is an announcement of a new service received by our office via e-mail. It is another way for families to track down services which may meet their needs.)
EnableNet
www.enable.net.au/To be officially launched on Friday 15 March 2002.
EnableNet is a Disability Portal created and maintained by the Disability Information and Resource Centre (DIRC). It is the one-stop-site on the Internet for information on all aspects of disability.
As information providers, we are often told how much difficulty people have in finding the information they want on the Net. It's not that the information is not there, it's just that often it is not arranged in a way that makes it logical, let alone easy to locate. In light of this we have structured EnableNet in a clear, reasonable and consistent way to ensure that you can find the information you want with a minimum of fuss.
This is not just another website with a page of links. It is an access point to more than 2,700 websites. To make life easier the contents of all websites are summarised so that you can decide at a glance if they are relevant for you. And the sites are all indexed using the EnableNet Thesaurus which we devised so that you can browse for the specific subject area that interests you.
The main subject categories include:
Aboriginal Australians & Indigenous Issues; Access; Accommodation Options & Living Skills; Advocacy/Social Justice; Aids & Equipment; Community Services; Disabilities, Diseases & Disorders; Education; Employment; Finance & Management; Human Relations/Psychology; Information & Library Services; Politics & Legislation; Recreation, Sport & the Arts; Statistics & Surveys; Transport/Travel.
You will also find a News and Events section with media releases and details of Australian and international disability related conferences, workshops and seminars.
EnableNet is, however, about more than information. It’s about developing a sense of community. We do this by providing chat rooms, message areas and a place for fun and games. So please visit www.enable.net.au today.
If you like what you find, feel free to become a member (It IS free!) and to promote EnableNet by adding it as the disability link page of your website. You might want to circulate this around your organisation and/or publish it in your newsletter. We also welcome your feedback, so that we can continue to develop EnableNet to meet your needs, the needs of your organisation and most importantly the needs of people with a disability. It is only by spreading the word and by your involvement that EnableNet can truly become an on-line community for people with an interest in disability.
Andrew Meier, IT and Information Officer
Disability Information and Resource Centre
195 Gilles Street, ADELAIDE SA 5000
Tel.: 8223 7522, Fax: 8223 5082,
Email: andrew@dircsa.org.au
http://www.dircsa.org.au/ http://www.enable.net.au/
A NOTE FOR THE STUDENT
By Ramona Mandy
(Editor’s Note: We always appreciate hearing from blind and vision-impaired people about their experiences of education, and the supports available for anyone undertaking education today. The following article has been contributed by Ramona Mandy, a member of Blind Citizens Australia who has had extensive involvement in information and communication supports for blind Victorians.)
When I was a blind student at high school in the late 70's and early 80's, I considered myself pretty lucky compared to blind students from earlier generations. I didn't have to carry a typewriter from class to class because we had specialist teachers on site who would over-write my brailled class work for handing in to the mainstream teachers with only a day or two delay. The education department had a braille transcription service in place so I did not need to rely on friends and family to record texts on to tape. However, the delays, often up to three or four months, in getting transcribed material, meant I could not undertake class tasks at the same time as my classroom peers.
Carrying a Perkins Brailler around caused calluses on my fingers and probably some back problems in later life, but, I had a tool for literacy and therefore I could participate in mainstream schooling. I, and my blind peers, just accepted that it took much longer for us to access information, having to rely on alternative format production and the help from support teachers and volunteers.
So, I find it very interesting to observe how students with a vision impairment today go about completing their class and homework. Something that is obviously a feature for all students, sighted and blind, is their exposure to and requirement to use technology. Calculators are a commonplace item in the maths classroom. Schools have computers for students to use for research or project work. A personal computer at home is frequently used to do assignments and everyday homework.
It is no wonder then that teachers and parents are constantly looking for technology solutions for vision impaired students which will enable the student to access computer based tasks and participate in a study environment in an equitable and efficient manner. As taking notes and writing such things as essays, assignments and test answers is such a large part of school work, then support staff and parents are embracing the advent of note takers designed for vision impaired people. Pulse Data Australia has a range of note takers referred to as Personal Data Assistances (PDA) because they allow a vision impaired student to do many more things than just take notes. However, the note taking capability itself offers some innovative features.
The range of PDA units includes six types. They are all small and easy to carry. They are only the size of an average textbook. The weight varies from .7 to 1.3 KGs. Even young or slight-built children can carry them without strain.
The family of units is known as the BrailleNote family. All units have speech output and you have the option of a unit with 18 or 32 cells of refreshable braille which displays in braille what is also being spoken. Alternatively, the VoiceNote uses speech output only with no braille display, and is, therefore, a cheaper option.
All 3 versions come with either a braille style keyboard (similar to a Perkins Brailler only more ergonomic and easy to press), or a QWERTY style keyboard, (similar to a laptop but a little smaller). This caters for everyone's needs both in terms of preferred method for writing and preferred method of receiving information.
The BrailleNote PDA's are based on the Windows CE operating system, which is like a cut down version of Windows. This provides the user with the ability to read and write Microsoft Word documents. The advantages here are enormous. Students can create documents, anything from spelling lists to essays, save the file to a disk and give the work to a teacher who can then read the text on their own PC. Likewise, teachers can produce work for students which can be instantly read in the BrailleNote or VoiceNote without any necessary conversion process. The student can access that work either via the speech or braille display or both. This has the benefit of saving a lot of time in transcription work.
In addition, students can take notes in class, and if so desired, they can later print or emboss that work. The battery life in a BrailleNote is around 20-25 hours so there is no concern about accessing power or flat batteries, and no worries about running out of paper.
The other advantage to having a Windows CE operating system is that the BrailleNote can access a regular POP3 type of email account. Students can exchange files with family, friends and teachers simply by sending them as an attachment to an email.
The calculator has many scientific functions in it such as trigonometry and geometry. One less device to carry is always a bonus.
The BrailleNote also contains a book reader which allows a user to load e-books after they have been downloaded from the Internet and to read them in speech or in their preferred grade of braille. Blind students can read Harry Potter books at the same time as their sighted peers!
One comment that teachers and parents frequently make is about how the BrailleNote has helped a student's literacy, particularly when they have the unit with the braille display. Being able to "read" what is spoken and see how it is spelt, as well as seeing text layout and use of punctuation, reinforces literacy skills.
The BrailleNote can connect to a desktop or laptop computer, permitting easy file transfer. This connectivity also allows sighted people to use the monitor on a standard computer as a visual display for seeing what is being written on the BrailleNote.
I am the BrailleNote Promotions Officer for Pulse Data Australia. I'd be very happy to discuss and demonstrate the BrailleNote range with anyone. You may find it worthwhile inviting me to attend a PSG (Program Support Group) meeting so that all parties involved with decision making about appropriate equipment can be given a hands-on experience of the units. Similarly, I'd welcome any proposals for presentations to district meetings, inservice days, parents' support group meetings or just a one on one demonstration for a single family or student and teacher.
There's no doubt that the BrailleNote products give a student greater freedom and flexibility at school and at home. The opportunities presented by this technology are not limited to school students, either. Students leaving school and going into a training or employment situation will find it an invaluable tool.
I look forward to your contact. My details are as follows:
Ramona Mandy
Pulse Data Australia
BrailleNote Promotions Officer
Tel: 03 9686 2601 or Mobile: 0404 834 924.
Email:
rmandy@pulsedata.com.au.27 Palmer Street
South Melbourne Vic 3205.
A NEW PRODUCT FOR MATHS STUDENTS
(Editor’s Note: The following item came to us via our e-mail information list.)
A talking calculator that shows a students work
Premier Programming has just released a talking calculator, which is one of nine products in our accessibility suite. We realised early on that our product line was not addressing the need for assistive technology in the area of math and science, so we started by developing a talking calculator.
This calculator is just the first of three calculators we are developing. We did more to the calculators than just add voice.
The full functioning talking calculator can be used with or without a screen reader. Every button, and edit area talks. It is easy to use with large keys and contrasting colours. This calculator has more than voice added to it. It has two display areas so that when you are adding a series of numbers the total is always displayed, even as you are entering a new number. The feature that really sets it apart from other calculators is that it displays your work. It actually displays the equation so that you can easily see or hear your last process. When students are required to show there work they can cut and paste it into a document.
This is one of three different products that we will be releasing to make math accessible. We will be releasing a business calculator that will have statistical and business functions, and a scientific calculator. Both calculators will be screen reader friendly allowing users to tab from one button to another without having to memorise over 100 hot keys. Ease of use is just one feature. The other features that really set these apart from the current calculator are the ability to undo all the way back to the beginning. You will be able to edit your equation. However, the most important feature is the talking graphs. The talking graphs will be very similar to the graph interpreter that we recently unveiled in Washington DC.
The standard talking calculator is free to anyone who wants to down load it. We are hoping people like this one enough that they will come back and buy one of our professional math products. In the past we only gave products to non profit organisations this product is free for everyone.
Both the business and scientific calculators will sell for $US69.95. They both include the graph interpreter.
For more information about these products contact
Steve Timmer, Premier Programming Solutions
12800 Escanaba Dr, DeWitt, MI 48820
Email info@readingmadeeasy.com
YOUNG BLIND CITIZENS - IT Advocacy Group.
(Editor’s Note: The following item has come to us from Young Blind Citizens, a branch of Blind Citizens Australia we highlighted in a previous issue of Parent News. Here is a new project in which they are involved.)
Dear All.
Are there any web sites that you really want to use, but that you find difficult to access?
Do you want to make a start in doing something about it?
We can help!
Young Blind Citizens has put together a group of experienced computer users who will help you advocate for accessibility on the web.
If you are having accessibility problems, or if you know of a web site that is not accessible to you, or even if you just have questions about accessibility on the web and how we can help, then please email ITAG at:
Also you can visit Young Blind Citizens at:
http://www.bca.org.au/ybc Click on the ITAG link to get more detailed information about ITAG.
Purpose and Goals of ITAG
The purpose of the group is to provide an organised means of IT advocacy for the blind and vision-impaired. The main goals are as follows:
Scope of ITAG
Initially, the ITAG group will focus on the following:
Mode of Operation
The ITAG group will operate in the following manner:
Contacting Us
ITAG has a Yahoo! Groups mailing list. The mailing list serves the following functions:
You are welcome to subscribe to our mailing list by sending a blank email to:
YBC-ITAG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
ITAG Members
The following is a list of the current members of ITAG.
(Please visit the ITAG page on the Young Blind Citizens web site to see more details about the members and the types of technologies that they use).
ITAG Members are:
Mat Mirabella, (coordinator, HF and Accessibility professional).
Penny Bennett, (Statistics graduate).
Danny Keogh, (IT Graduate).
Nick Allan, (IT support at RVIB).
Mark Muscat, Maths graduate).
Natale Coutri.
Steve Pattison.
Ben Van Popple.
Actions and Plans
Currently, the Coles Online and the VTAC web sites are on our agenda.
We are also looking at the possibility of constructing a survey to be posted to relevant lists asking people about accessibility and asking them to highlight inaccessible sites for us to evaluate.
The ITAG page (on the YBC site) will be updated soon with more information, email details, and useful links.
If you wish, you can find the personal email addresses of many of the ITAG members if you visit the Young Blind Citizens web site and go to the Committee link.
Please feel free and don't hesitate to contact us at any time.
Thanks, and Kind Regards.
Mat Mirabella.
YBC Vice President.
ITAG Coordinator.
HOLIDAY FUN
(Editor’s Note: the following was received via BCA’s information e-mail list.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce
your English speaking members to a new website I have developed for blind and partially sighted people - the UK Audio Network.
The UK Audio Network (
http://www.yrguk.com/audio) is a website designed completely around streamed audio, and uses the numbers on a standard keyboard for navigation rather than a mouse.
On each page the information is "read" to the user, and navigation is similar to a telephone navigation system (press 1 for this...2 for that etc.).
The website offers links to other audio content freely available on the web, everything from news from around the world, internet radio stations, sports commentaries, even the narrated movies offered by the American organisation NTN. There is also an interactive audio quiz, and in the further development of the sports section there will be information about a wide variety of blind sports.
The site has been up and running for 2 months now, and has had rave reviews from blind and visually impaired users from around the world.
I would love to hear from any of your members about what they think of the site, and what they would like to see included as this site grows
Best Regards
Bill Teale
YRG Web Design
www.yrguk.com/audio