+++AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM and NATIONAL DISABILITY SERVICES.
++ABF UPDATE MAY 2008.
[Contents begin]
+01. ABF Policies
+02. ABF Recycled Equipment Website.
+03. ABF Members’ Forum.
+04. Australian Social Inclusion Board.
+05. Investigation into Access to Electronic Media.
+06. National Broadband Network.
+07. Student Access to Brailling Equipment and Computers.
+08. Voluntary Information Security Breach Notification Guide.
+09. Business Services Excellence Awards.
+10. Information, Publications.
+11. Continuing Professional Education Events.
+12. Web Accessibility Workshops.
+13. National Conferences.
+14. NDS Events.
+15. World Blind Union.
+16. Other International Items.
- Further Information on Issues in this Update.
- Reproducing Information from this Update.
- About Australian Blindness Forum. 
- About National Disability Services.
[Contents end]

[Update begins]
+01. ABF POLICIES.
Recently adopted ABF policies will shortly appear on the ABF website at http://www.australianblindnessforum.org.au/Policy.html.

+02. ABF RECYCLED EQUIPMENT WEBSITE.
The ABF Update for February 2008 reported that Australia’s delegates to the World Blind Union (WBU) Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly in China last August received endorsement for a surplus equipment exchange scheme to be piloted in the Pacific-Oceania Region. The website was launched in November 2007.
Kevin Murfitt, Chair of the WBU Pacific-Oceania Sub-region, reports that the project is progressing well. Donated equipment has already been sent to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Timor L’Este.
A paper written by Kevin Murfitt and Andrew Daly on the pilot project will be included in the Best Practice Examples program of the WBU General Assembly in August 2008. In the meantime, the ABF urges all blindness organisations in Australia and New Zealand to help make the pilot scheme a success by adding their lists of available equipment to those already on the Equipment Register at http://www.rsb.org.au/wbu/index.html.

+03. ABF MEMBERS’ FORUM.
Originally planned for Brisbane on 3 October, the 2008 Members’ Forum is now scheduled for Thursday 16 October in Melbourne, immediately prior to the BCA Victorian Convention in Bendigo on 17 and 18 October. The Forum will include the ABF Annual General meeting and a program based on ABF members’ presentations of papers, submissions or reports on service development, the World Blind Union and ICEVI. More detail will be provided and a call for presentations will be made soon.

+04. AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL INCLUSION BOARD.
The new Australian Social Inclusion Board of well-known Australians met for the first time on 21 May. The Board will consult widely and provide views and advice to the Australian Government, which has already begun work on a number of priorities, including work on homelessness, a disability and mental health employment strategy, closing the gap for Indigenous Australians and universal access to pre-school. For more information, check http://www.dpmc.gov.au/social_inclusion.cfm or NDS members can read the NDS News Update of 22 May at http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm.

+05. INVESTIGATION INTO ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
The announcement that the Australian Government will investigate access to electronic media by people who are Deaf or hearing impaired or blind or vision impaired is welcomed. The review is primarily concerned with captioning and audio description and will look broadly at access to television (free-to-air and subscription), cinema, DVD and downloadable media. The ABF in conjunction with NDS will make a submission to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy by the due date of 13 June 2008. Media Access Australia (MAA) encourages individuals to make submissions based on their personal experiences. MAA can help with specific information about captioning and audio description – visit http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/default.aspx. More details about the investigation are at http://www.dbcde.gov.au and the discussion paper at www.dbcde.gov.au/media_broadcasting/television/television_captioning/television_captioning_discussion_paper. 

+06. NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK.
The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has invited industry and the public to provide submissions that will assist in the assessment of proposals to build the National Broadband Network by 25 June 2008 (see http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_business/funding_programs__and__support/request_for_submissions_on_regulatory_issues).
Media Access Australia (MAA), Australian Communication Exchange (ACE) and Consumers’ Telecommunications Network (CTN) have lodged a joint submission, based on the recommendations in their joint policy document, ‘Accessible Broadband for All Australians’. Many of the issues that the blindness sector is concerned are included (go to http://www.ctn.org.au/content.cfm?Live=0&ContentType=Content&ContentID=304).

+07. STUDENT ACCESS TO BRAILLING EQUIPMENT AND COMPUTERS.
Senator Lyn Allison, Leader of the Australian Democrats recently asked the Minister for Education in Parliament why educational tools for early Braille literacy, including the Mountbatten Brailler and Jot-a-Dot, have not been made available to children who are blind or vision impaired. She also asked whether the ‘education revolution’ will be extended to children who are blind or vision impaired and whether they will receive a computer with basic assistive technology solutions.
The Minister responded that the State and Territory education authorities are responsible for primary educational needs; the National Secondary Schools Computer Fund is flexible enough to meet the needs of students with disability and there will be ongoing consultation with special education and disability stakeholders throughout the implementation of the Fund to ensure those needs in mainstream and special schools are taken into consideration.
In addition, there will be ongoing consultation with special education and disability stakeholders to ensure the needs of all children with disability, including those who are blind or vision impaired are incorporated into the work of the new Office of Early Childhood Education and Childcare (http://www.oececc.gov.au), which was launched in May this year. The Australian Government’s Universal Access to Early Childhood Education aims to increase the quality, numbers and retention of the early childhood workforce; establish more child care centres and develop a consistent framework for early learning. Universal Access to Early Education 2007-2008 Guidelines can be accessed via http://www.oececc.gov.au/education/default.htm. 

+08. VOLUNTARY INFORMATION SECURITY BREACH NOTIFICATION GUIDE.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has released a consultation paper incorporating a draft Voluntary Information Security Breach Notification Guide. When finalised, this Guide will assist agencies and organisations to prevent, respond to and manage information security breaches. The consultation paper is available at http://www.privacy.gov.au/business/consultations/index.html. Submissions on the draft can be lodged by 16 June 2008 by emailing consultation@privacy.gov.au.

+09. BUSINESS SERVICES EXCELLENCE AWARDS.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Bill Shorten, is calling for nominations for the inaugural Business Services Excellence Awards. Open to all business services, they have been developed in conjunction with NDS and winners will be announced at the NDS Employment Forum on 21 and 22 July in Brisbane. Nominations close on 20 June 2008. For more information about the awards, go to http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/disabilities/services-bis_services_excellence_awards.htm, and about the NDS Employment Forum, http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm. 

+10. INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS.
- BCA moves office: Blind Citizens Australia’s head office is now at Ross House, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000, phone 03 9654 1400 – visit http://www.bca.org.au/contacts.htm#ToC1 for more detail.
- Helping Volunteers Pay Their Petrol Bills: The Australian Government has committed an additional $15 million over three years to help community organisations and their volunteers with their work, including help to pay their fuel bills. For more information about the Volunteer Grants Program, go to http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/aboutfacs/programs/sfsc-vseg_2007.htm. 

+11. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION EVENTS.
The RIDBC Renwick Centre Professional Education (CPE) program offers the following event: Supporting Families and Children with Vision Impairment. 
- How We Get Agencies to Work Together – 4 June.
Aimed at parents and professionals alike, this workshop will use the experience of Scotland to identify the multiple agencies involved with children with visual impairment and how a single source of information could be developed in Australia (as is now the case in Scotland). Participants will be able to draw and produce a pathway analysis for their own service delivery context through an understanding of how agencies collaborate to provide single shared assessments. There will be ample opportunities for discussion with colleagues and the presenter.
For more detail, contact Dr John Ravenscroft at phone 02 9872 0248, email john.ravenscroft@ridbc.org.au or go to http://www.ridbc.org.au/renwick/courses/continuinged_calendar.asp#GeneralInterest   

+12. WEB ACCESSIBILITY WORKSHOPS.
- Web Accessibility Benefits and Issues: Canberra 30 July.
This half-day workshop is targeted at policy makers, business managers and corporate communications or web-development professionals who want an overview of why web accessibility is important. For more information, go to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=129.  

- Web Accessibility Techniques: Canberra 31 July 
This full-day workshop is targeted at web development team leaders, corporate communications professionals along with content authors, web programmers and designers and web contract managers. A basic knowledge of HTML is helpful. The workshop provides a thorough overview of accessibility issues and techniques to address them, covering the World Wide Web’s Consortium’s Content Accessibility Guidelines and their implementation. For more information, go to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=128. 

For up-to-date information on the workshops run across Australia on Web Accessibility Benefits and Issues, Web Accessibility Techniques and Writing for the Web, visit Vision Australia’s website at http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=519. 

13. NATIONAL CONFERENCES
- ARATA National Conference: Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association will hold its 2008 conference in Adelaide from 22 to 24 September. The conference will explore some of the challenges faced with getting assistive technology to the people who need it and demonstrating its value to the community at large. To read the call for papers, go to http://www.e-bility.com/arata/conf_abstracts.php. 
- Australian Federation of Disability Organisations: AFDO’s first national conference, ‘Policy About Us, For Us! A Practical Revolution in the Lives of People with Disabilities’ will be held in Melbourne on 9 and 10 October this year – more information at http://www.afdo.org.au/node/229. 

+14. NDS EVENTS.
- Every Child Matters: the inaugural national conference focusing on children and young people with disability and their families, co-hosted by NDS and Families Australia, attracted around 450 participants. Many of the presentations made to the conference on 14 and 15 May are available at http://www.nds.org.au/conferences/CYF2008/presentations.htm. 
- Employment Forum: NDS announces that ACTU President Sharan Burrow will deliver a keynote speech on Disability and the Unions to the national Employment Forum. ‘Principles, Practice and the Pitfalls in Between’ will be held in Brisbane on 21 and 22 July 2008. For more information, go to http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm. 
- Accommodation and Social Participation Conference: This event, ‘Home & Community: Overcoming Exclusion’, focusing on policy and service delivery issues affecting accommodation and social participation, will be held on 25–26 September 2008 at the Hilton Sydney. A Call for Papers closed on 28 April. For more information, contact Philippa Angley, phone 03 8341 4302, email philippa.angley@nds.org.au. 

+15. WORLD BLIND UNION (WBU).
- Universal Postal Union’s Convention: The Australian Government is currently considering its position on the entire range of issues that will be discussed at the UPU Congress in August, including the changes that aim to improve the Convention put forward by NDS in conjunction with the ABF.
- Major Credit Card Standards: WBU Secretary-General, Enrique Perez, has advised that a proposal he made on blind friendly accessible standard on major credit cards has been accepted by the International Standards Organization (ISO). This standard specifies the physical characteristics of a tactile identifier mark used by ‘visually-impaired’ card holders to easily distinguish their cards. It defines the area on the card for the TIM (Tactile Identification Mark) and the layout of Braille style embossed dots arranged in patterns to enable easy tactile recognition. 
- Pacific-Oceania Sub-region Report: The Chair, Kevin Murfitt, made his report to the Asia Pacific Board and Policy Council meeting in Bangkok on 16 and 17 May. For more information, email kevin.murfitt@visionaustralia.org. 
- International Right to Read Campaign: In conjunction with World Book Day in Amsterdam, the WBU launched the global Right to Read Campaign. The International Right to Read Alliance, a partnership between the WBU and the Libraries for the Blind Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), will work with publishers, booksellers, libraries and many others to create a world where blind people can read the same book at the same time and for the same price as everyone else. For more information about the Right to Read Campaign, go to the RNIB website at http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_r2rhome.hcsp. 
- WBU General Assembly 2008: The Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired will host the Seventh WBU General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland from 15 to 23 August. Registration for the General Assembly and Women’s Forum will now close on 31 May. If you decide to register after that date, the WBU may be unable to obtain hotel accommodation or guarantee the availability of Assembly materials. More information about the General Assembly and the Women’s Forum is available at http://www.wbu2008.ch/e/ or by emailing wbu2008@kuoni.ch.
- International Congress for Blind and Partially Sighted Children – new date: The conference, ‘Listening to Children’, will now be held from 16 to 20 June 2008 in Pontevedra, Spain. The congress aims to provide a forum for a group of teenagers who are blind or partially sighted from around the world to reflect on their current status and to make their demands and needs known to decision and policy makers. For more information, go to http://www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org/euronet/resources/infodetail.asp?id=14507 (although you’ll notice that the old March date is still shown there).

+16. OTHER INTERNATIONAL ITEMS.
- Prevention of avoidable blindness: In the 2008 Federal Budget, the Australian Government committed $45 million over two years to eliminate avoidable blindness in the Asia-Pacific region. This funding will cover a pilot eye and vision care program addressing primary and secondary eye care needs; building strong partnerships with Australian non-government organisations and international agencies; working with the Pacific Eye Institute and other training institutions in the region to train doctors and nurses and build up the eye health workforce. For more information, read the ADDC media release at http://www.addc.org.au/webdocs/news%20&%20events/addc%202008%20budget%20press%20release.doc?newsid=26213&cr=disab&cr1=. 
- UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: With the Convention now in force, the UN has published ‘Disability Treaty Closes a Gap in Protecting Human Rights’ to put it into the context of the other human rights treaties and ‘The Convention is in Force – What Next?’ identifying what is expected of ratifying countries. For more information, visit UN Enable at http://www.un.org/disabilities/. 
The Australian Government has welcomed the entry into force of the Convention and soon will begin consulting the States and Territories on the Optional Protocol to the Convention. For more information about consultation of Australia’s possible ratification of the convention, visit http://www.ag.gov.au/disabilityconvention. AFDO has been commissioned by the Australian Government to conduct a series of national consultations. For more information, go to http://www.afdo.org.au/node/228.
- Youth Ambassador to Samoa: Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children has successfully partnered with a Samoan school to obtain a Youth Ambassador position for six months from September 2008. Anyone under 30 years who is interested and is a teacher in vision impairment or an orthoptist capable of passing on knowledge to others should contact Jan North at jan.north@ridbc.org.au. 
- Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD): At the first GPDD membership meeting of world leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America and Oceania representing civil society organisations, governments and multilateral agencies, including The World Bank and UNESCO, unanimously approved a Charter and elected the first Board of Directors. GPDD aims to bring world attention to the needs and aspirations of people with disability in developing countries. For more information, visit The World Bank website at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALPROTECTION/EXTDISABILITY/0,,contentMDK:21036173~menuPK:282711~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:282699,00.html. 
- Perkins School for the Blind is seeking a Director for the Perkins International Program. This senior management position is responsible for the international education programs for children who are deafblind and blind with multiple disabilities. Anyone interested in being considered for this position should forward their resume to Charles Pimlott, Human Resources Office at charles.pimlott@perkins.org. More information about the position is at http://www.perkins.org/careers/opportunities/director-of-perkins-internatio.html. 
- SPEVI Biennial Conference: The 2009 Biennial Conference of the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment will be held from 6 to 9 January 2009 in Adelaide. The theme of Challenges and Choices will focus on vision impairment, adaptive technology, early intervention and partnerships. The Call for Papers closed on 29 February 2008. For more information, phone Jessica Bosnakis of All Occasions Management on 08 8354 2285 or email Jessica@aomevents.com.
- ICEVI and Inclusive Education Strategic Model for Timor L’Este: Frances Gentle of the RIDBC Renwick Centre advises that ICEVI Pacific has partnered with World Blind Union Asia-Pacific to implement a range of activities in the field of vision impairment in the Pacific Island countries. These activities include a planned region-wide orientation and mobility certificate course (November in Suva Fiji) and Braille-related activities. All activities involve partnerships with international and regional development partners and organisations working in education and disability service areas. Shortly, Frances Gentle will present a strategic model for inclusive education to the Minister of Education and the Bishop of Dili. For a copy of the inclusive education model or more information on ICEVI Pacific activities, please contact Frances Gentle on phone 02 9872 0808 or email frances.gentle@ridbc.org.au. 
- Disability Strategy for Australia’s Aid Program: AusAID has established a ‘Disabilities Taskforce’ aimed at developing and overseeing a disability strategy for Australia’s Aid Program. Supporting this push for mainstreaming disability in the aid program, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan has said he wants Australia to be world leader on disability in development over coming years. Members of ADDC’s Policy Advisory Committee have met with Bob McMullan and AusAID and a Key Reference Group has been established to consult on the draft disability strategy during July. For more information, visit ADDC (Australian Development and Disability Consortium) at http://www.addc.org.au/ or email pdeany@cbm.org.au. 
- ADDC will host its 2008 international conference, ‘Disability, Disadvantage and Development’ in Canberra on 29 to 30 September. The themes to be explored include social impact (education, access to services, gender); economic impacts (work opportunities); international conventions and other legal instruments and the relationship between disability, disadvantage and poverty. Visit http://www.addc.org.au for updates or email Paul Deany, ADDC Convenor at pdeany@cbmi.org.au or Neva Wendt of Australian Council for International Development at nwendt@acfid.asn.au. 
- Free Accessibility Worldwide: The AIR Foundation is a non-profit body promoting universal accessibility so that every person who is blind or has low vision in the world has access to digital information over the Internet and Worldwide Web. The organisation’s first offering is free usage of a Web 2.0 accessible screen reader, SA To Go, powered by Serotek’s award-winning System Access software, which provides immediate text to speech, magnified visual and Braille access to digital information presented through the Web or Internet. The software does not remain resident on the user’s computer when the Internet connection is interrupted or terminated. Users can obtain access to the free software by visiting http://www.AccessibilityIsaRight.org.  
- Vision 2008, the 9th international conference on low vision, will be held in Montreal, Canada from 7 to 11 July 2008 – go to http://www.vision2008.ca. 
- International Conference on Diverse Abilities & Innovative Supports, ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Community’, will be held in Hawaii on 11 to 13 August 2008. Registrations are now open – for more information, go to http://www.lifelibertyandthepursuitof.com/. 
- Braille 1809 to 2009 – the writing with 6 dots and its future: Under the sponsorship of UNESCO, World Blind Union, French National Committee for the Social Promotion of Blind and Partially Sighted People, this international conference will be held in Paris from 4 to 8 January 2009 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth. A call for papers closed on 31 January 2008. For more information, email ch.coudert@avh.asso.fr or Catherine Munoz-Smith at the WBU office at caterine.munoz-smith@wbuoffice.org.
A list of ideas for promoting the bicentenary throughout the coming months in Australia is available from the RIDBC Renwick Centre – for more information, email mike.steer@ridbc.org.au.
National Braille Press, a non-profit printing house in the US, has secured the domain name http://www.louisbraillebicentennial.com for 2008 and 2009. 
- Further information on issues in this Update: Unless otherwise stated, please contact Margaret Verick at margaret.verick@nds.org.au, phone 02 6283 3214
- Reproducing information from this Update: Anyone may reproduce any of the information contained in this Update – just acknowledge this source.

+ABOUT AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM ABN 47 125 036 857.
Australian Blindness Forum (ABF) was first formed as an unincorporated body in 1992, funded only by its members. On 23 April 2007, the ABF became an Australian public company limited by guarantee, funded by its members and governed by a board of directors. The purpose of the ABF is to operate as a peak body representing the blindness sector for the benefit of people who are blind or vision impaired. The Project Officer (Australian Blindness Forum) is located at the ABF registered office, 33 Thesiger Court, Deakin ACT 2600 – contact Margaret Verick, email margaret.verick@nds.org.au, phone 02 6283 3214. 

+ABOUT NATIONAL DISABILTY SERVICES ABN 52 008 445 485.
National Disability Services (NDS) is the national industry association for disability services, representing over 600 not-for-profit organisations. Collectively, NDS’s members operate several thousand services for Australians with all types of disability. NDS’s members range in size from small support groups to large multi-service organisations, and are located in every State and Territory across Australia.

[Update ends]