Young Blind Citizens Victoria Seminar on Parenting with a Vision Impairment In the Dark while Raising Children Location: Day Centre, Vision Australia, 454 Glenferrie Rd, Kooyong Date: Sunday, 17th February 2008 Time: 10:00AM - 4:00PM Program Description: The YBCV “In the Dark While Raising Children” seminar aims to bring blind and vision impaired people together to discuss a myrid of issues surrounding parenting and child care giving. The seminar will begin with a discussion of four topical issues before moving on to listen to the stories and experiences of some blind and vision impaired parents from our local community. The seminar will end with a number of hands on workshops where you will get the opportunity to explore nappy changing and baby transportation devices amongst other things. While the main aim is to consider the prospect of being a blind parent or the partner of a blind parent we also hope that this seminar may assist in helping people feel more comfortable with young children in their families and the wider community. Time Session Speaker 10:00 President’s address Lauren Hayes 10:10 Welcome and Introduction to morning session Amy Baillie 10:20 Focus Group Discussions 11:20 Guest Speaker – communication skills and personal space Linda Blaik 11:35 Guest Speaker – Managing the balance between a blind and sighted parent Garry and Gail Stinchcomb 11:50 Guest Speaker – raising a vision impaired child Kate Stephens 12:05 Panel discussion 12:45 Lunch 1:35 Introduction to afternoon session Amy Baillie 1:45 Working with an Occupational Therapist Rachel Hanson 2:00 Group 1 – workshops Nappy changing First Aide Transport Devices Genetic Counseling Group 2 – Guest speaker - Developmental stages of blind and vision impaired babies followed by afternoon tea Rachel Hanson Jaime Humphrey and Kerry Fox  Michelle Sharples Susan Fawcett Nicola Goss 3:00 Group 2– workshops Nappy changing First Aide Transport Devices Genetic Counseling Group 1– Guest speaker - Developmental stages of blind and vision impaired babies followed by afternoon tea Rachel Hanson Jaime Humphrey and Kerry Fox  Michelle Sharples susan Fawcett Nicola Goss 4:00 Seminar conclusion 10:00 President’s address Lauren Hayes took on the Presidency of the Young Blind Citizens Victoria Branch of BCA in August 2007. Recently the committee has been working together towards a variety of programs of which the blind parenting seminar will be the first. 10:10 Welcome and Introduction Attendees and speakers will be officially welcomed to the “Being In The Dark While Raising Children” seminar. Amy Baillie will outline the program for the seminar and how different sessions will be organised throughout the day. 10:20 Discussion The discussion session aims to give attendees the opportunity to talk about four of the major issues of being a blind or vision impaired parent. See discussion topics below. Discussion Topic One Vision impairments can often be passed on to future generations, either children or grandchildren. If you had a genetic condition or are unaware of whether your condition will be passed on, how will this affect your decision to have children? Discussion Topic Two What issues do you see around blind and vision impaired peoples’ capabilities to supervise children? Do you personally have any issues with your ability to fulfil this role? Do you feel society has an issue with your ability to fulfil this role? Discussion Topic Three What issues of independence and mobility surround blind parenting? How would you plan to negotiate different environments with a cane/dog and children at various stages of their development (baby-walking toddler-older child)? What aides could you use to assist you? Discussion Topic Four Do you believe that a blind or vision impaired parent is capable of taking on all possible roles of parenting? What roles would be more difficult for you? To get you started some roles of a parent are listed below: Provider Educator Doctor Librarian Social worker Chef Attendees will be split into four separate groups for the discussion, each group being in charge of outlining the issues for their allocated topic. After approximately 20 minutes all four groups will join back together and take turns in presenting their findings to the other groups. 11:20 – Communication and Personal Space – guest speaker Linda Blaik Linda and her husband David are a Vision Impaired couple from Geelong. David’s eye condition is Albinism so there was always a chance that some vision impairment would be passed on to any children that they had. Despite this they went ahead and had three sighted children who are now grown up and having children of their own. 11:45 – Managing the balance between a blind and sighted parent - guest speakers Garry and Gail Stinchcomb Garry, who is blind, did not have an eye condition that could be passed onto his children, and his two teenagers have full vision. His wife Gail is also fully sighted. Garry and Gail will discuss how their roles as parents have been affected due to the nature of a relationship between a blind and sighted couple. 11:50 - Raising a Vision Impaired child – guest speaker Kate Stephens Kate and her husband are both vision Impaired and so is their 13 year old daughter Melanie. Kate will share her experiences of raising a child with a vision impairment, and how her own vision impairment has influenced this process. 12:05 Panel discussion In the panel discussion all seminar attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of one or all of the guest speakers. People will be asked to stand if they have a question and someone will bring them microphone when it is their turn to speak. 12:45 Lunch Lunch will be provided free of charge. Juice, soft drink, coffee and tea will also be available. 1:35 – introduction to Afternoon Session amy Baillie will outline the afternoon sessions, particularly how the split workshops will work. 1:45 Working with an Occupational Therapist Rachel Hanson, an Occupational Therapist from Guide Dogs Victoria, will speak about the role an OT could play in assisting a blind or vision impaired person to adapt to the many roles of raising children. Group 1 - 2:00 Workshops Seminar attendees will be split into groups of four to move through four separate workshop sessions. The workshops are as follows: Nappy changing Guide Dogs Victoria Occupational Therapist Rachel Hanson will work with this group to give people a few tips on what is required to change a baby’s nappy. Baby transportation In this workshop people will be given the opportunity to have a hands on look at some modes of transportation blind and vision impaired parents have used with their children. These will include pram tows, baby backpacks and baby slings. Vision Australia Orientation and Mobility specialist Michelle Will assist with this session. Genetic counselling This workshop group will have the opportunity to speak with Susan Fawsett, a qualified genetic councillor. Baby First Aide This workshop group will get to talk through some of the important baby safety and baby first aide techniques with a qualified first aide instructor (Jaime Humphrey and Kerry Fox)from First Aid Melbourne - Accidents Happen - First Aid Products, Kits & Services. 2:00 – Nicola Goss – Differences in Developmental Stages Between Blind and sighted Babies Nicola goss is a physiotherapist as Vision Australia. She will speak on the differences in developmental stages between blind and sighted babies. Nicole will speak for approximately 30 minutes and then the group will break for afternoon tea of drinks, biscuits and fruit. NOTE: After an hour the two groups will swap over and group 2 will complete the workshops while group 1 will speak with Nicola goss and partake in afternoon tea. 4:00 – seminar concludes