Parent News
March 2008
Even though it’s the start of a brand new year, it’s safe to sat that BCA is still recovering from a busy 2007 full of great advocacy outcomes and events. We had our National Convention which by all accounts, was one of our best (see page 11 for a summary of what went on), Robyn McKenzie has joined BCA as our new Executive Officer and in Victoria, two public transport forums were held. On top of that, we managed to continue our advocacy, had a successful federal electronic assisted voting trial and much more!
This year is also set to be a busy one, with the BCA National Office saying bon voyage to our current location and moving to Ross House – a more convenient CBD location. This edition, much like 2007, is packed with lots of information for you – news about the current activities of YBCV, a summary of our National Convention, a review of an accessible entertainment piece I was lucky enough to experience called ‘Dark’, fashion advice to keep you on track and lots of other tidbits to keep you entertained. Blind cricket and the Grand Prix also get a mention so if you get this magazine in hard copy look out for the brochures about how you can get involved!
Hope you enjoy this edition and remember that your comments, stories and feedback are always welcome!
Until the next edition,
Jessica Zammit
Editor
BCA National Convention Summary
Fashionable eye for the straight guy…and gal
Blind Like A Bat – Blind Cricket
Grand Prix 2008 – March 13-16, 2008
Mobile Phone Can Read Documents for Blind
What I’d like you to know about me! - Web resource for families
Touch the Invisible Sky: Exploring the Cosmos in Braille
Audio Described DVDs – films to check out
New Book: “Look Out Marcus! : growing up with low vision”
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Feb 22 – March 8 |
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is the largest festival of its kind anywhere in the world. With more than 140 events there’s something to tantalise everyone’s taste buds. Website: www.thatsmelbourne.com.au |
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Feb 25 |
SVRC are hosting an educational support for blind students seminar for teacher and care givers who support students who use Braille. Details: SVRC (03) 9841 0242 and deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au |
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Feb 27 |
Guide Dogs Victoria’s Young Adults Program will be taking a trip to the Suzuki Night Market, giving you an opportunity to increase your mobility skills in a fun, group environment. Come along and broaden your cultural experiences, taste food and listen to music from all over the world, meet new people and have a great night out. For details contact Rose Long on 9854 4415 or rose.l@guidedogsvictoria.com.au |
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March 2 |
Guide Dogs Victoria Open Day, Chandler Hwy, Kew – join Wags the Dog, Dr Harry Copper and the Guide Dogs team for a day of puppies, live entertainment, a jumping castle and lots of fun! For details contact (03) 9854 4444 or visit www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au |
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March 4 |
BCA are holding a meeting for people with are deafblind and parents of children who are deafblind to find out if people who are deafblind are ‘getting a fair go’. For more information contact Jessica Zammit on (03) 9372 6400 or jessica.zammit@bca.org.au ASAP! |
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March 5 |
Vision Australia and Moe Life Skills are holding a come and try tandem bike riding day in Moe from 2.00pm until dusk. Cost $7. Details: Di Hayward on (03) 9760 0006 or di.hayward@visionaustralia.org |
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March 7-10 |
Moomba Waterfest 2008 Details: www.thatsmelbourne.com.au |
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March 14 |
Interested in sailing? Vision Australia Boronia are organising a half day of sailing starting at 10.30am. Transport will be provided from the Boronia office. Cost $5.00 each. BYO Lunch. Details: Diana Hayward on 9760 0006 or diana.hayward@visionaustralia.org |
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March 14 |
SVRC are holding an educational support for students with low vision session for students in Prep to Year 8 which parents can participate in. Details: SVRC (03) 9841 0242 and deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au |
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March 25-28 |
The Guide Dogs Victoria Junior camp program aims to provide younger students with new experiences, opportunities to develop new mobility knowledge and to promote the development of independent travel skills. All programs have a theme and previous junior camp themes have included ‘movement’, ‘directions’, ‘using your senses’ and ‘ shopping’. This camp will be based in Kew. For details, contact Rachel Morgan on (03) 9854 4469 or rachel.m@guidedogsvictoria.com.au |
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April |
Do you want to learn to row? Join an Olympic Medallist and experience this new and exciting rowing opportunity on Melbourne's famous Yarra River. Students who are blind or vision impaired aged between 13 -18 are invited to take part but must be confident swimmers. For details contact Di Hayward at Vision Australia on 03 9761 0006. |
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April 11 |
Term 1 Ends |
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April 18 |
GDV are holding a young adults program event titled “The Amazing Race” in the Melbourne CBD. Details: Rose Long 9854 4415 or rose.l@guidedogsvictoria.com.au |
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June 30- July 4 |
GDV are planning to hold a Senior Camp Program in regional Victoria (past programs have been held in Bright and the Grampians). This camp provides an opportunity for older students to consolidate skills including mobility aid skills, public transport and independent travel skills, including self-advocacy, problem solving, map reading, personal management and money handling. To express your interest, contact Rachel Morgan (03) 9854 4469. |
In this edition, we speak with Lauren Hayes, the 2007-2008 President of YBCV about current projects, upcoming plans for the branch as well as what makes her tick…
Editor: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Lauren: I’m about to start my fourth year of a music therapy degree at the University of Melbourne. Once I have finished my degree, I am interested in possibly working in the area of palliative care or with adolescents who have mental health issues or chronic illnesses.
E: What is music therapy?
L: Music therapy involves the use of music as a therapeutic tool to assist people with physical, psychological or behavioural problems. Music therapists work in hospitals, special schools, nursing homes and settings such as prisons and drug rehabilitation clinics. People often think that it is just about listening to music, but it could also include songwriting, improvisation and lyrical analysis. For example, the therapist might look at pre-written song lyrics with a patient and talk about how they relate to their current situation. It helps people express themselves in ways that they might not otherwise be able to.
E: What made you want to be the president of YBCV?
L: In part, it was because I was nominated, but also because I really enjoy working with people and I thought it would be good to take on the challenge of a leadership role and to develop my skills in the area of teamwork and leadership. YBCV has been fairly quiet over the last couple of years and I didn’t want to see it fail, so this is my effort in trying to keep YBCV going.
E: What do you think are some of the key issues that affect young people who are blind?
L: I think education is probably one of the main ones. It is an important issue particularly for students in primary and secondary schools who are in that transition period. I have seen a lot of kids who have come through the education system and it seems that they are not necessarily getting the appropriate skills that they need to help them later in life, such as self advocacy, Braille literacy, independent living skills and mobility skills. This obviously affects people once they finish school and can lead to other problems such as difficulty in finding employment.
E: What are some of YBCV’s upcoming events?
L: Our main event is on February 17, a seminar on parenting with a vision impairment called “In the Dark about Raising Children”. The aim of the seminar is to give young blind and vision impaired people some ideas and strategies on not only raising children of their own, but on general caregiving as well. We have organised guest speakers who are blind or vision impaired to come and share their experiences about raising children, the challenges that they faced and how they overcame those challenges. The seminar will also include workshops on nappy changing, baby transport and baby first aide. (Editor’s note – for recordings of the session contact YBCV!)
E: Is there anything planned for later in the year?
L: We are looking at starting up a mentor program, where YBCV will work with young blind and vision impaired people in late primary and secondary school. We’re planning to work with students one on one so they can have a chance to talk about any issues that they are experiencing. We also want to arrange group days so that all of the mentors and mentees can get together and do activities or have a discussion forum on a particular topic.
E: What do you hope for 2008?
L: In 2008 I hope to see YBCV’s membership grow and that people will become more actively involved in group activities and discussions. I look forward to continuing work with our current committee Chris Bertouch (Vice President); Melissa Ryan (Secretary); Marina Connelly (Treasurer) and general members Amy Baillie and Debbie Yuille. Recently, the committee has been looking at starting a national youth branch of BCA, as there are several people in other states who would like to start branches of their own but don’t feel that they have the support they need from other young people to do this. It’s going to be quite a lot of work to get it established, but hopefully we can begin laying the groundwork for it this year.
To find out more about YBCV, contact Lauren on 0434 122 181 or ybcv@bca.org.au
National Policy Officer Update – Written by Leah Hobson
Many of you will know from reading BCA News that I’m new to the job of National Policy Officer at BCA. The past six months has been a huge learning curve and it’s been wonderful to get the views and opinions of members on policy matters which affect them. There have been several key issues for BCA on a policy front over the last few months:
Disability Standards on Accessible Public Transport Review
The Disability Standards on Accessible Public Transport are part of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. They outline the specific requirements for all forms of public transport (including taxis and aeroplanes) to be made accessible. These requirements are to be brought in gradually over a 25 year period from 2002.
Every five years the Standards are reviewed to make sure that the targets are being met. The first review began mid-2007 with a call for submissions. BCA attended face-to-face consultations and submitted a paper to the review. Key points from the BCA submission were:
· Public transport across Australia needs to be more consistent;
· States and Territories need to report consistently on progress, rather than being left to come up with their own reporting systems;
· The provision of Tactile Ground Surface Indicators, signage and raised numbers on taxis need to be regulated more closely; and
· Access to information and well-trained staff need to be monitored so that there is a clear sense of what is happening.
A draft report on the review has been released and time has been allocated for anyone interested to respond with comments. BCA will be putting in a submission by the deadline of March 31, 2008. For more information, please visit: http://www.ddatransportreview.com.au
Sexual Health Education Policy
At the BCA Convention held in Melbourne in October 2007, one session drew particular interest and discussion. It was the session on sex, sexuality and relationships (see the National Convention summary on page 11) and the keen interest it bought out in our members has lead us to begin developing a policy on sexual health education for children and young adults who are blind or vision impaired.
This policy will describe some of the access barriers which occur when a child or young person who is blind or vision impaired tries to learn about sex and relationships. These include a lack of accessible information, a need for blindness-specific information about navigating relationships and the need for appropriate attitudes to disability and sexuality, i.e. that people who are blind or vision impaired can have relationships too.
A policy committee has been established to assist me in my role to developing this document. The committee consists of a member of the National Policy Development Council, a professional working in the field of blindness, a parent and a young person who is blind. If you would like to make a suggestion or offer your own experiences, please feel free to contact me via email leah.hobson@bca.org.au or by calling Head Office on (03) 9372 6400.
Equal Opportunity Act (Victoria) Review
The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act covers many forms of discrimination, including disability discrimination. It allows people with disabilities to lodge a complaint with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission if they think they have been discriminated against.
After nearly thirteen years in operation, the Equal Opportunity Act is being reviewed. The review team is looking at whether the law covers everyone it should, how well the complaints process works, and whether the Commission should have a bigger role in changing attitudes across society.
As part of the review, BCA recently made a written submission. This submission, which can be found on the front page of the BCA website, argued that the Commission should make complaints processes easier for people with disabilities, and should allow organisations to lodge complaints on behalf of a group of people, such as all people who are blind or vision impaired. The submission also said that the Commission should have a greater role in educating the public and looking at systemic issues, not just individual cases.
The next step in this review will be a series of public consultations during March on the specific changes which will be made to the law.
For more information about any of these matters, please feel free to contact me via email at leah.hobson@bca.org.au or by phone on 1800 033 660.
As many of you would remember, 2007 was the first year where electronic assisted voting was provided at a Federal Election. The take up was positive – 882 people nationally, with 343 people casting their vote in Victoria. BCA will undertake further consultation with all levels of government to ensure that this is available at future elections.
The Disability Act 2006 is a new Act which only just took effect in Victoria. This Act aims to ensure that people with a disability are able to access and understand information about their rights and be able to access services in the community in the same way as people without a disability. It also allows people with a disability to make a complaint if they are unhappy with the service they are receiving.
To obtain a word version of the Act or an Easy English version, visit:
http://nps718.dhs.vic.gov.au/ds/disabilitypub.nsf/pages/AbouttheDisabilityAct2006?open
2008 was an extremely hectic year for BCA, with one our biggest events being our National Convention which was held at the Hotel Ibis, Melbourne over the weekend of October 19-21, 2007. The theme of the convention was “Forging Links beyond Tomorrow”, with the sessions focused on identifying current gaps and ways to meet need.
There were many learnings over the weekend, and as an employee I also learnt a lot about the people I support and work with. I would like to share some of these with you.
Self advocacy
BCA has always strongly promoted the importance of self advocacy and have worked towards supporting our members to advocate on their own behalf. The BCA Obstacle Notice, a national campaign aimed at making residential streets safer for people who are blind or vision impaired was officially launched at the convention, with a public launch held on International Day of People with Disabilities on December 3.
The aim of this self advocacy tool is to raise public awareness of the difficulties experienced by people who are blind or vision impaired when navigating public areas such as footpaths and driveways. It also serves to remind owners to remove obstacles which are potentially dangerous. The notice list a number of obstacles, with a tactile line provided to assist those with low vision. Obstacle notices can be requested by calling the BCA National Office on 1800 033 660.
Parenting
Many people who are blind or vision impaired are confronted by the issue of parenting – be it a one off thought or several years of deliberation and consideration about passing on genetic conditions, what it might be like to be a vision impaired parent with a vision impaired child and coping mechanisms for new parents. But there are many other elements – what if a person who is vision impaired would like to foster a child or adopt? What happens when two people who are vision impaired are in a same sex relationship? What options are really available?
Cheryl Pascual, the chair of this session explained the difficulty she had encountered in trying to find a representative from adoption and foster agencies who was willing to speak about this very issue. Perhaps not surprisingly, she hit a brick wall. Her experience was that whilst providers would not overtly discriminate against a vision impaired applicant, many noted off the record that they would be reluctant to approve an application. Some of the attendees shared their own experiences – the prejudice, the success (some had fostered and one attendee had adopted) and the decisions not to have children. The experiences showed that making the decision not to have a child can be difficult, but having no alternate options can be equally as difficult.
Non verbal communication
Non verbal communication forms the bulk of information that we interpret in order to make a judgment about the person we are speaking with, sighted or otherwise. Two of the speakers who were vision impaired noted that in some instances gesture and body language have been taught at blindness based schools. The impact is that the behaviour may not be learned correctly, causing you “to feel that you are doing something wrong or not naturally”. One example which was used was clapping – as we get older, many people clap with each hand placed sideways to the other. As a child we are taught to clap with both hands and fingers together. One speaker commented that she was told that she “clapped like a child” when that was the only way she knew how. It was noted that there must be a balance between teaching something which is contrived (which can lead to self consciousness) vs not teaching anything at all (which can be detrimental in instances such as job interviews).
Sexuality and sensuality
There is a certain taboo when sexuality is raised in context to people with disabilities. To be truthful, the programming committee, which I chaired, were a little uncertain as to how this session would be perceived and whether there would be a deafening silence in the room when the session opened to a forum. The session began with Maureen Matthews, a gifted speaker who spoke about the establishment of an Adult shop called Bliss for Women (http://www.bliss4women.com/) aimed at providing a comfortable space for women to discover their sexuality. She also relayed her experience of vision impairment.
This set the scene and what emerged were the stories of everyday people and their experiences – the lack of awareness of the physical and sexual body, limited sexual health information, trying to fit in as a person with a disability or dual disability as well diverse sexuality and simply knowing what it means to have a “hot body”. This highlighted the current gap in sex education for children and teenagers and the need to confront these issues head on.
Education
Talk regarding education often focuses toward primary and secondary education and ensuring that appropriate adjustments are provided so a student can equitably participate. Yet there has been much less focus on early education and teaching independent life skills as well as supporting older people who may want to complete a course in a non educational facility, such as a community house. The National Unified Lifeskills Model was one component of this session, with Errol Ingram outlining the model and the flaws in current provision. Errol noted that basic skills and competencies are missing, with a focus towards “cottonwooling” young people through reliance on teachers’ aides and sighted guide. He also noted the need for a residential remedial centre for young adults who are blind or vision impaired and readily accessible, centralised information for parents.
Sharing of information
Finally, one of the greatest strengths of a BCA Convention is the ability of individuals who are blind or vision impaired to share information with their peers. The social networking and peer support are two strengths which continually unveil themselves at a convention. We were also fortunate to have Jim Saunders, President of CNIB share his insights on blindness, weaving his humour and experience. It was one of the best keynote speeches I have heard in a long time. All of the above sessions can be downloaded from our website: www.bca.org.au/convention/conv2007.htm
Written by Robyn McKenzie, Executive Officer
I recently delivered a presentation at the “Building Lifeskills” summit at the Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) in NSW. The aim of the summit was to provide an opportunity for parents, service providers and other interested parties to share our ideas about effectively developing our children through to adulthood.
My name is Robyn McKenzie. I am the new Executive Officer at BCA. I have 15 years experience delivering training, education and employment services to people who are blind or vision impaired. I have been vision impaired since I was eight years old. I attended the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind for one year when my vision impairment was first diagnosed. I have juvenile macular degeneration which affects my central vision. I use an identity cane when travelling in unfamiliar or crowded environments. I use JAWS screen reading software to access a computer, a braillenote PK as my portable notetaker and I learnt Braille 11 years ago. I refer to myself as a multi-format user because I also use MAGIC text enlargement software to access a computer from time to time.
Having managed an employment service at Vision Australia for four years, I have a keen interest in preparing children for the world of work, and I think it is never too early to get started. I’d like to share with you a couple of thoughts I presented at the summit.
It is my belief that the average 22 year old who is blind or vision impaired is about 6 years behind their sighted peers in labour market experience. This is because the average 22 year old, after completing their year 12 and a tertiary qualification, has often had around six years experience in the casual workforce in jobs such as fast food chain customer service, check out work in the local supermarket or delivering newspapers. For the most part, these types of jobs are not available to a young person who is blind or vision impaired. As a result the lifeskills of time and stress management through having to juggle priorities, plan study and work loads, dealing with a range of people who you might not otherwise have contact, problem solving, initiative taking and Working within hierarchy and large systems.
Before you get depressed about the options available to your child, let me give you three positive strategies to put in place with your child now so that he or she is better prepared for the world of work.
1. Provide your child with a structure beyond their schooling experience. By joining local sporting teams, getting regularly involved in community activities such as visiting the local retirement village or local animal welfare society, mixing with other children or people outside of your child’s current family circle, your child will develop a broader experience of the world which may set in place higher expectations of what might be available to them in the future.
2. Join your child in organisations such as Junior Rotary. These types of clubs develop leadership skills in children by teaching them public speaking, event management and exposure to other children and adults. These clubs also foster in children the development of their passionate interests and hobbies.
3. Regularly introduce your child to various job roles. Visit people in their workplace and give your child a tour of each work environment. Sighted kids get the opportunity to casually reference workplaces by seeing them depicted on television or by having a quick visit to Auntie Helen’s workplace. Making a conscious effort throughout your child’s growing years to model the world of work will, again, reinforce what the world of work is. As opposed to it being a foreign concept.
Finally, I can’t say enough about role modelling. Your child needs to hear the stories of other blind people who are in work. It is important that you actively seek out opportunities for your child to meet people who are blind or vision impaired engaged in all sorts of jobs. BCA has an employment page on our website (www.bca.org.au/employment/index.htm). It may be worth taking a look at some of the employment profiles of our members. Remember, it is never too early to start getting your child ready to work.
Fashion is one of those very difficult things to get a grip on – even more so if you happen to be blind or vision impaired. So here are some hints and tricks to help you make your mark…
www.fashionableeye.com/ is a website dedicated to, surprise surprise, all things fashion. The editor of the site, Dawson Ko, is vision impaired and won the Pride of Australia medal in 2007 for his work in establishing an online vision impaired support group (http://www.theviponlinesociety.org) and was nominated for a National Disability Award in 2008. The site has been designed with all the things you should know for summer, but also purchasing fashion on a tight budget, choosing some scents to make you stand out and little odds and ends to keep you on track!
Guide Dogs Victoria, in their January newsletter ‘Young Adults Chat’, also pulled together a few tips for how to get your make up just right!
· Sort out your make up bag to get rid of items you no longer use. Your cosmetics should be labeled and easily identified.
· If you have some vision, use a magnifying mirror and good lighting.
· Ask someone to initially help you practice putting on make up and get some advice about what make up to buy. e.g. soft shades of make-up are less obvious if they are applied incorrectly.
· Wipe your hands clean after each time your fingertips are used to apply different types of make up.
· Use your fingers to apply lipstick and eye shadow as this gives a more even coverage and more control.
· Consider eyelash tinting rather than mascara.
· To apply liquid foundation, dot a little with your fingertip onto your nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. Blend well and think systematically about where you are applying it so that you don't miss a place.
· Apply face powder with a brush - Compressed, translucent powder is easiest to use. When finished, dust your face over once more without further powder.
· When putting on blusher, brush along the line of your cheekbone. Dust lightly with a clean cotton ball.
GDV Occupational therapists are available to provide assistance with applying makeup or to provide assistance with any other daily activity – contact (03) 9854 4444.
Editor’s note: In this edition, Melissa Ryan, 26, shares her experiences and talks about her involvement with BCA. This is a timely point to mention that BCA is in the midst of planning our next Victorian State Convention for October 2008 – we would love to hear your ideas for sessions! Please let us know what you think!
My name is Melissa Ryan and I live in Croydon, Victoria. I only have light perception in my left eye and I can detect hand motion only in my right eye. I wasn't born blind, however I started losing my sight from two eye conditions as I grew up. The first is keratoconus which affects the corneas and the second condition was brought on by rubella when my mum was pregnant with me, which led me to be vision impaired in later life.
I went to both Croydon North and Manchester Primary school and in 1998 I completed my VCE at Mooroolbark Heights Secondary College.
In 2003, I completed a Certificate 3 in Animal Technology at Box Hill TAFE as I love animals. This meant I was able to work with a variety of animals such as cats, dogs and wildlife such as birds and wombats etc. I never let my vision impairment affect my ability to do my study. I had a terrific note taker who would write all the notes from the blackboard really large for me but I must admit I did get a little bored just sitting there. But it was worth being bored to pass the course and to have the opportunity to work with animals.
I currently live at home with my parents and older brother Jamie and have 5 adorable pet cats and my Seeing Eye Dog named Safari.
In 2004, I had a corneal transplant on my left eye but it wasn't too successful as I soon went blind in my eye after that. I also received a long white cane in 2004 and received plenty of Orientation and Mobility with my terrific instructor Pat Peck. At first I wasn't too happy with the cane as I was so frustrated using it but I soon built up my skills and confidence.
On 28th March, 2006, I had SEDA "Seeing Eye Dogs Australia" come out to see me and to see if I was a suitable candidate to work with a Dog Guide, so I went out for a walk with them with my cane and answered many questions and then was put on the waiting list that day. I didn't have to wait too long to receive my Seeing Eye Dog, because on July 26th, 2006, I got the long awaited call to say that they have a dog for me. SEDA then brought out my dog called Safari who is a 3 year old Golden Retriever to my house on August 21st to stay with me for a week then we commenced training at my home on August 28th. I only did training for two weeks as my dog got sick with Acute Renal Failure as a result from my neighbour who poisoned his garden not knowing that I had a Dog Guide. Luckily the vets were able to reverse the damage and I was able to do one more week of training before graduating with my dog.
The transition from a white cane to a Seeing Eye Dog has been quite an experience for me. I prefer using my dog to the cane but every so often I leave Safari in the house and walk outside with the cane to keep up my cane skills.
It's amazing how Safari goes around obstacles whereas before I would not find them with just a cane and would have to negotiate my way around the obstacle. Having my Seeing Eye dog is good because he is also my friend and my eyes and when I take him off harness he loves to play just like a normal dog.
Twice a week I go to 201 High Street, Prahran, to study computers. At the moment I am doing touch typing and I am also learning Braille Music.
My hobbies include playing Swish, listening to audio books, reading lots of Braille and socialising.
In early 2005 I joined YBCV and was elected as a General Committee Member in 2006. My role is to represent YBCV by being part of the Victorian Co-coordinating Committee. I have had fun being involved in YBCV on the committee as you have the chance to have a say about the organisation and to plan certain activities etc.
On October 20-22nd, 2006, I attended the Victorian/Tasmanian Convention for the first time in Tyabb, Victoria. It was truly an amazing experience to have the chance to attend the convention with Safari. All the sessions were good but my favourite would have to be the Diversity Panel, as they discussed many interesting occupations held by vision impaired people and then Christine Simpson did a presentation on hints to cope with blindness such as using rubber bands to label your food etc. I also liked the convention dinner as I got to relax and talk to my friends.
What the convention meant to me is the chance to socialise with many interesting people who shared the same interest as me and I learnt ways to deal with blindness and what facilities are out there to help you. I look forward to attending another convention.
In 2008, I look forward to gaining more life skills so I can hopefully get some work with either animals, children or computers. I also hope to get more involved with Blind Citizens Australia!!
One of our Victorian members has expressed interest in starting up a national group specifically for parents or soon to be parents who are blind or vision impaired. Run over teleconference, the goal is to share experiences and tips on child raising and to eventually become a national branch of BCA. If you are interested in joining this group, or to help get it moving, please email me at jessica.zammit@bca.org.au and I will forward your details on!
Editor’s Note: Below is an article from The Age about blind cricket – but in case that doesn’t get you moving, enclosed with this edition of Parent News is a brochure about the game (www.vbca.org.au) – so what are you waiting for?
Source: Adapted from Buckmaster L, ‘Blind Like a Bat’, The Age, January 27, 2008 (www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/blind-like-a-bat/2008/01/27/1201368943292.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2)
At a Kooyong sportsground the umpires aren't blind but the players are.
Ian Walsh will never forget turning his head to speak to a fellow player, or the impact of the cricket ball as it landed directly in the socket of his one good eye. In an instant his sight went from poor to totally blind.
The year was 1975; the weather pleasant; the grand final was nearly over. From a distance it looked like any old cricket match, but these weren't ordinary players.
Walsh, who was born blind, could see partially out of one eye. Like every person on the field he was vision-impaired.The game, after all, was blind cricket, invented in Melbourne in 1922.
Walsh had just finished batting and stood behind the keeper as his teammate faced the bowler: the new batter sent one to the boundary line for a four.
The following split seconds would help define the rest of Ian Walsh's life. A little more than two decades later, Walsh, 59, is still playing for Victoria and still making the finals.
After 43 seasons in the Victoria Blind Cricket Association he is one of blind cricket's longest-serving ambassadors, and one of a few players who have experienced the game from a partially blind and totally blind perspective.
"I just love the game of cricket," he says. "People say to me, 'When are you gonna retire? When are you gonna retire?' I say to them, 'Look, when I retire I'll be retiring for a long time'. I still love the game, I still want to be part of it, and I can still do it."
The world's first sports ground and clubhouse for blind and vision-impaired people celebrates its 80th birthday this year. Built in Kooyong in 1928, it is still used today as the home of the VBCA.
The game was invented with a simple philosophy in mind: that sight should not be a prerequisite to play cricket. "It's the same game with just a few modifications," Walsh says.
"For instance we don't have byes, so you can have totally blind wicket-keepers. We bowl underarm, things like that. There are some noticeable differences (but) they try to make it as close as possible."
The major change concerns the ball: slightly larger than standard cricket balls, blind cricket balls are made of white plastic and have metal washers inside to create a sound for those who can't see them.
Teams comprise eight partially sighted and four totally blind players. Batsmen are permitted a caller, who stands behind the wicket-keeper and gives verbal instructions on where the ball is placed. The bowler always shouts "play" before bowling, and the ball must bounce twice before being hit. Batters cannot be caught out and must retire after scoring 40 runs; a totally blind batter must retire after 16 overs.
Alf O'Neill, 52, is president of the VBCA. He was born with congenital cataracts and was totally blind until the age of three.
"I was lucky," he says, "because I was born blind and with surgery I got the sight I have now (about 2%). I was also lucky in that when I was playing, I could probably see the ball for most of the pitch. A lot of people can't."
Earlier this month Victoria played Queensland in the biannual interstate finals and emphatically won; others might say Queensland got thumped.
"I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a more competitive final," O'Neill says. "The Queenslanders were all out for 51 and they just gave nothing to chase. We really meant business," says Walsh.
O'Neill played in the VBCA for 15 seasons before deciding to become president and "give back a little bit that cricket gave to me". His attitude is indicative of many in the association who show deep loyalty and respect for their sport.
There are other sports that have loyal followings within Melbourne's vision-impaired community.
Swish, which is similar to table tennis, is played with a board instead of a net and with balls containing bells. Goalball, the only blind sport played at the Paralympics, involves two teams of three hurling a large audible ball towards the opposing team's goal while protecting their own. Blind golf is played with the assistance of a sighted caddy; blind tenpin bowling is popular too. But none are as quintessentially Australian as a game of cricket.
At the conclusion of a Saturday match, the players in the VBCA shuffle off to the clubhouse for a beer and a chinwag. There is little sense of charity at Kooyong: the teams are focused, the competition fierce. But the trademark jostles voiced by disgruntled players have a different twist when they ask the umpire, "Want to borrow my glasses?" Or, better yet, "Are you blind too?"
With Formula One competition the best in years, the V8 Supercars back on the schedule and new off-track attractions, there’s something for everyone. Enclosed with this edition of Parent News is a brochure with information about the ING Australian Grand Prix – for those of you reading this by email or on the net, here are some tid-bits:
· General admission tickets range from $18-$98 for concession card holders.
· The Australian Grand Prix is affiliated with the companion card – which means that you can take a companion with you for free
· There will be increased transport to get to and from the Grand Prix – there will also be a wheelchair accessible bus that will travel from Southern Cross Station.
· For more information visit www.grandprix.com.au
Source: Adapted from The Baltimore AP, ‘Cell Phone Can Read Documents for Blind’ by Alex Dominguez
Chris Danielsen fidgets with the cell phone, holding it over a $20 bill. "Detecting orientation, processing U.S. currency image," the phone says in a flat monotone before Danielsen snaps a photo. A few seconds later, the phone says, "Twenty dollars." Danielsen, a spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind, is holding the next generation of computerized aids for the blind and visually impaired.
The Nokia cell phone is loaded with software that turns text on photographed documents into speech. In addition to telling whether a bill is worth $1, $5, $10 or $20, it also allows users to read anything that is photographed, whether it's a restaurant menu, a phone book or a fax. While the technology is not new, the NFB and the software's developer say the cell phone is the first to incorporate the text-to-speech ability. "We've had reading devices before," Danielsen said, noting similar software is already available in a larger handheld reader housed in a personal digital assistant. However, the $2,100 NFB device combines all of those functions in one smart phone, said James Gashel, vice president of business development for K-NFB Reading Technology Inc., which is marketing the phone as a joint venture between the federation and software developer Ray Kurzweil.
"It is the next step, but this is a huge leap," Gashel, who is blind, said in a telephone interview. "I'm talking to you on the device I also use to read things. I can put it in my pocket and at the touch of a button, in 20 seconds, be reading something I need to read in print."
Portability is only the first step. Future versions of the device will recognize faces, identify rooms and translate text from other languages for the blind and the sighted. Kurzweil said those with vision problems are not the only ones expected to benefit from the technology. Dyslexics, for example, are expected to be among the users of the current device because of its ability to highlight each word as it’s read aloud, helping them cope with their disability, which affects the ability to read.
The highlighting function can also help them improve their reading skills, he said. "What's new here is both blind people and kids can do this with a device that fits in their shirt pocket," Kurzweil said. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said the device and its PDA predecessor are a "form of hand-held vision" that will make the visual environment "much more readily available to the blind."
Source: Adapted from The Fred’s Head Companion (APH), ‘Put an End to the Squinting and Straining When Reading Small Type on the Web’, Thursday, December 27, 2007, written by Michael McCarty.
Big.com [is] a search engine developed to deliver search results to users in a large, easy to read format. Available from www.big.com/toolbar as a free, downloadable toolbar for use with Internet Explorer web browsers, Web Magnifier provides users with the ability to enlarge the text and graphics of any HTML web page for easier reading and navigation. Not just for web users with impaired vision, Web Magnifier can also be useful when reading the fine print of an online contest or a site's privacy policy - both of which are typically displayed in smaller font sizes - or to simply increase the size of a photo to reveal more detail.
Web Magnifier sits as a toolbar at the top of a user's screen and contains a Big.com search box for immediate web searches as well as 3 buttons for the various levels of magnification - normal, big and bigger. Once a page is magnified to the desired level, Web Magnifier remembers the setting and automatically adjusts the magnification on subsequent visits to the page. Additionally, the toolbar itself can be displayed in large and standard sizes.
System requirements for the Big.com Web Magnifier include Microsoft Windows 2000/XP, Internet Explorer 6.0, 1MB hard drive space and 128 MB of RAM.
Source: Adapted from www.disabilitynews.infoxchange.net.au/news/detail.chtml?filename_num=181071 (last accessed on 14/02/2008)
A revolutionary website that promises to give children with disabilities their own voice for the first time has been launched in South Australia. The 'What I'd like you to know about me!' resource - created by Life's for Living Inc allows children and their families to share their child's story in a way that has never been possible before.
These unique stories – easily created on the innovative www.aboutme.org.au website – are then provided to carers, family members or other health and education professionals to give an insight into the best way to support the child. Entries are made under page topics such as My World, Skills and Abilities, and This is What You Need to Know to Support Me. These pages then become a printable book of their own stories, revealing likes, dreams, milestones and abilities.
Life's for Living can offer email/phone support for families and training sessions can be arranged for both families and services. They are also available to talk to parent support groups, services and to conduct demonstrations of the resource. The cost of the resource (for families) is a once off fee of $50 (including GST) and is available to agencies. Want to know more? Contact Julie Brookes on 0407 728 773 or info@aboutme.org.au or visit www.aboutme.org.au.
Source: Melbourne News, December 2007
The Melbourne Transport Forum is putting the public back into public transport with the launch of a new website, pt4me2. Representing 18 of Melbourne’s municipalities, the MTF is making the most of new technologies to bring public transport supporters together and build a case for a better system. Log on to www.pt4me2.org.au to have your say on a blog or get involved in SMS campaigns.
Source: Adapted from
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/15jan_touch.htm?list123410 written by Dauna Caulter (last accessed 14/02/08)
Editor’s Note: This story is also available in audio at the above URL.
Images from NASA telescopes are jewels of the space program, marvelous to behold. But how do you behold them when you can't see? The answer lies between the covers of a new NASA-funded book written in Braille, Touch the Invisible Sky.
In an inspiring forward to the volume, blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer writes, "Sight ... is only one of the many tools with which to experience the marvels of the world." Touch the Invisible Sky uses Braille, large print, and tactile diagrams of celestial images observed by space telescopes Hubble, Chandra, and Spitzer to reveal the cosmos to the blind and seeing-impaired.
Many of the pictures in the book show the cosmos at wavelengths that no human eye can see--e.g., infra-red, ultraviolet and x-rays. "By showing these images, we remind readers that most of the universe and its beauty is hidden for all of our eyes unless we use special telescopes," says Doris Daou, a NASA astronomer who co-authored the book along with Noreen Grice and Simon Steele.
Science@NASA asked two blind readers to review the book. Until age 15, Tim Hendel could see light and dark, colors, shadows, and large objects such as the sun and moon. He could not read print but learned to read Braille.
"Even though I've lived in Huntsville, which is nicknamed the 'Rocket City,' for twelve years, I had no idea what a space telescope looked like or how a star might be depicted on a map. There's not much information on this kind of thing in Braille, so I was thrilled to read Touch the Invisible Sky. On page 4 is a depiction of all the wavelengths of the electro-magnetic spectrum, from radio to gamma-rays. It shows, in a way, that all humans are partially blind. No one can see gamma-rays! Yet the cosmos is bright and lively in these 'invisible' wavelengths”.
Speaking of things that are not readily visible, I was lucky enough to experience an interesting production in November last year. ‘Dark’, a three segment piece created by Peepshow Inc., examined what the term dark really means – all participants were blindfolded and asked to hold on to a rope (a very creatively used piece of hose!) and to make their way into a staged area. And then the tactile experience began – being able to feel a monster, to suddenly take hold of a steering wheel and feel yourself careening out of control, to feel dirt underneath your fingernails, to smell a rainforest and hear the sound of birds. Due to the blindfold, you weren’t exactly sure what you were encountering – which made it all the more interesting!! This is definitely one to book mark on its return!
For those who might not know, audio description is where the visual elements of a piece – such as in a movie, theatre or at the opera – is described audibly so that people are able to get a feel for movements, expressions and action. A lot of lobbying has taken place over the last few years for continued audio description of DVDs. One of the best things you can do to support audio description use is to go into your video store and ask what titles they have that are audio described – after that many more titles should start to appear! Here’s a list of titles released in 2007 which are audio described for you to enjoy (NB: Please note that not all of these titles will be suitable for a young audience).
20th Century Fox: 28 Weeks Later; Borat
Warner Bros: 300; A Scanner Darkly; Lady in the Water (not on cover); The Prestige
Sony: Are we Done Yet?; All the Kings Men; Catch and Release; Monster House; Perfect Stranger; Reign Over Me; Running With Scissors; Spiderman 3; Talladega Nights; The Pursuit of Happyness; Zoom
Roadshow: Arthur & the Invisibles; Hannibal Rising;
Happily Never After; Happy Feet; Kath & Kim, Season 4, Discs 1-2; Sea
Patrol, Season 1, Discs 1-4; Stormbreaker (not on cover of first release
but on subsequent releases); Thank God You're Here, Season 2, Discs 1-3; TMNT
(Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Buena Vista:
- Meet the Robinsons; Scary Movie 4; The Guardian; The Matador; Wild Hogs
If you are unhappy with the accessibility levels of a DVD, one of the best ways you can advocate for change is to contact The Australian Visual Software Distributers Association (AVSDA). AVSDA has affirmed its commitment to DVD accessibility with the release of a DVD accessibility framework document. AVSDA can be contacted at http://www.avsda.com.au/
The Guide Dogs Victoria Children’s Mobility Service has recently written and published a book titled “Look Out Marcus! : growing up with low vision”. The book contains information and activities about vision impairment and covers topics such as the roles of eye health professionals such as ophthalmologists, visiting teachers and orthoptists and information about low vision equipment. The book has been sent to all primary schools in Victoria and is available free of charge. If you would like a copy please contact Lisa Brown on (03) 9854 4467 or via email at lisa.b@guidedogsvictoria.com.au
Check out http://pressakey.net/snakes/index.php?P1SQ=1&P2SQ=1to to play the very real and very fun ‘Snakes and Ladders’ game. This is sure to keep you entertained for a few hours at least!
Source: Adapted from The Age, ‘She's got a white schtick’ by
Sonia Harford, December 31, 2007
Maysa Abouzeid’s white cane falls to the ground and she reaches around to find it. I shuffle about, move out of the way, do all the things people think they should around blind people. I suppose I'm trying to help. But it's quickly apparent Abouzeid's coping fine and she might even use me as material in her next gig.
At 19, this blind, Egyptian-Italian stand-up comedian has already crammed quite a career into her teenage years. Impatient with waiting around for gigs in Melbourne, she went straight to the comedy stages of New York, honing her seven-minute routine in the toughest of towns.
Nervous but unfazed, she left them cheering. Perhaps it's because she's really still a kid, a round-faced teenager with emerging self-belief that lends her optimism and trust before an audience of strangers. Clearly she also has the comic chops, zeroing in on some blackly comic targets such as university lecturers who give her generous extensions on her essays. "Being blind can really work for you," she says, her smile dazzling, her punchline lethal.
Once, the laughs were hard to come by. Abouzeid was an isolated, unhappy teenager from a Muslim family in Melbourne's northern suburbs. She struggled with literacy and hated school. During a traditional Arabic dance class at school, she was noticed by a director Kate Gillick.
Gillick realised Abouzeid didn't have her heart in dance and thought spoken word might suit her better. "I said tell me about your life. She started talking, I started writing and we now co-write about experiences taken from Abouzeid's life. We needed to exaggerate to make comedy. Often something that's been painful and hurtful in her life can be turned around."
Abouzeid adds that her early material was a bit downbeat. "It had an 'I'm an anti-social…' feel. At school I struggled with isolation. I was avoided and I learned to read really late. All I have is sight in the corner of one eye. Even large print is difficult for me."
At 9-months-old Abouzeid was diagnosed with retinal damage. Studying with audio books, talking computer software and a magnifying glass tends to set a girl apart at school but Abouzeid shrugs at the memory. There's still something of the teenager in her sullen acceptance of the painful years. Perhaps adolescence is never easy but for her, pimples were the least of it.
During year 8, the World Trade Centre in New York was attacked, and she remembers Afghan and Iraqi girls being insulted in the aftermath. "Other kids at school called them bloody terrorists and dirty refugees. I copped it as well. I remember one girl saying to me on the oval, 'Maysa, I want to protect you because you're blind but are you a Muslim?' "I just said, I'm not that religious, I'm more Italian really."
In time, Abouzeid found a stimulating outlet in performing with A.R.A.B. (Anti Racism Action Band ) a 120-strong ensemble supported by Victorian Arabic Social Services. With Gillick as artistic co-director, A.R.A.B. encourages disadvantaged young people to create dance, theatre, hip-hop and rap music. Abouzeid has appeared in many of the group's productions but also performs solo and writes with Gillick. Yet she's often stuck at home with the internet. "My parents are very protective," she says.
While looking up overseas comedy festivals, she hit paydirt. The annual Arab-American Comedy Festival was planning its New York event in late 2006. A performance tape was sent and Abouzeid was soon invited to go to the US, accompanied by her mother and Gillick.
By all accounts, she blitzed them. "It wasn't the biggest audience I'd faced but it was the loudest. They were cheering before I even got on stage, cheering when the MC introduced me. They really liked that I'd come so far for the festival." The only Australian on the bill at the Gotham Comedy Club, squeezed on with headlining acts and nervous as hell, she delivered her seven-minute routine to an enthusiastic, packed house.
She even attracted some press. Associated Press noted the arrival of the Australian visitor "who is legally blind and came on stage using a walking stick and wearing dark sunglasses as she recounted going through security checks and enduring a 20-hour flight to New York. 'I'm a threat to national security?' quipped the young comedian."
Her Egyptian father and Italian mother own a halal pizza shop and they've kept up a frenetic pace running restaurants for as long as she can remember. It's an oddball childhood Abouzeid works into her routines. "My parents were nocturnal, we're like bats. The sun hurts us." At least that's the line she can sell to the lecturers she's hassling for just one more extension.
With a broad grin, she explains her schtick with rapid-fire delivery: "I describe myself in my routine as a blind, Italian-Egyptian, Muslim, female comedian learning sign language who can also do salsa dancing."
The apparently busy among us might be humbled by Abouzeid's appetite for the new, from theatre studies and Italian at university, to dancing and athletics. In her spare time, she also learns belly-dancing, and trains in discus, javelin and running.
But perhaps most inspirational of all is the delicate skill of tactile signing. Abouzeid explains it, without the niceties: "I have a blind, deaf friend and I always had to yell in her ear. After a while I thought, stuff this. So I went to see a liaison officer at university about doing a sign language course."
She came across a tactile signing course, in which a deaf and blind person puts her hands over the hands of a signing "interpreter" and feels their movements. Abouzeid gently places her hands underneath mine and demonstrates a few words. It's intimate, relying on trust. Clearly Abouzeid is made of strong and compassionate stuff on and off the stage.
But she can still see the humour in the scene. "When we do this at uni it really looks funny to others. We have our elbows on the table, coffee is in the middle, and on we go, hands on hands. I say to myself, 'OK Maysa, you have to forget the embarrassment...' Also, my friend doesn't realise she has a loud voice and she jiggles about a lot when she's excited, so it can get very intense."
Abouzeid and Gillick are working to expand her stage routine to 30 minutes and to attract professional paid work. They know the industry's hard to crack, with females making up a tiny proportion of most stand-up bills. Yet Abouzeid's faced bigger hurdles.
She's also hoping to get a guide dog soon to increase her independence and, she says, as she rises to leave, cane held firmly in hand, "I'll get lots of material out of that."