+++AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM ABN 47 125 036 85. ++ABF UPDATE – JANUARY 2008. Contents. +01. More about the ABF. +02. CSTDA. +03. Disability Employment in Public Service. +04. National Unified Lifeskills Model (NULM). +05. DVD Access. +06. Review of Accessible Public Transport Standards. +07. Information, Publications. +08. Workshops on Web Access. +09. National Conferences. +10. World Blind Union. +11. Other International Items. +12. National Disability Services (NDS). ABF Background and Contact. [Update begins] +01. MORE ABOUT THE ABF. The ABF website is now at http://www.australianblindnessforum.org.au. A number of ABF policies in the areas listed below are being developed and, when finalised, will be included on the website: - Education and Children’s Services (including NULM) - National Vision Loss Rehabilitation Strategy - Information and Library Services - National Equipment Subsidy Scheme - Braille - Employment The ABF welcomes two new members: Blind Welfare Association of SA and Macular Degeneration Foundation. +02. CSTDA. The Australian Government has asked State and Territory Governments to agree to its offer of over $315 million, to be paid fortnightly in advance, to continue services for people with disability. The offer will enable the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) to be extended to 30 June 2008 while negotiations on associated issues continue. To read Minister Jenny Macklin’s media release go to http://www.jennymacklin.fahcsia.gov.au/Internet/jennymacklin.nsf/content/cstda_9jan08.htm. +03. DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE. The employment of people with disability in the Australian Public Service (APS) continues to decline, despite a report in 2006 which committed government agencies to reversing this trend. The APS employs 155,000 people. At June 2007, employees with disability represented 3.3% of staff, down from 3.6% the preceding year. The proportion of people with disability has fallen in eight of the past 10 years. NDS members can read the NDS update of 17 January at http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm. +04. NATIONAL UNIFIED LIFESKILLS MODEL (NULM). A national parent summit is planned for April 2008. For more information, email Errol Ingram at errol@nulm.org or go to http://www.nulm.org. +05. DVD ACCESS. The DVD ‘Keys to Living Together: Then we were three’, produced by the Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, is not accessible to new parents who are blind or vision impaired, Deaf or hearing impaired. We understand from Deafness Forum Australia that steps are being taken to caption the DVD. NDS and the ABF have asked FaHCSIA to take more steps to audio describe the DVD. In the meantime, access to a PDF document by that name is via the FaHCSIA website at http://www.facsia.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/vIA/families-keys_to_living_together/$file/keys_newparents.pdf. Deafness Forum Australia, in its January 2008 One in Six newsletter, includes an update from Media Access Australia about the rates of captioning and audio describing DVDs over the last 16 months – go to http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/files/u1/One_in_Six_January_2008.pdf. Media Access Australia provides an update on the availability of audio-described DVDs online at http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/audiodescription/default.aspx. The Australian Visual Software Distributors Association (AVSDA) has released a DVD accessibility framework document, affirming its commitment to making available access features such as captioning and audio description. The objectives of the framework are to promote the availability of access features for people who are deaf or hearing impaired and people who are blind or vision impaired. AVSDA states that its members are committed to increasing the range of products available with access features. If anyone is unhappy with the accessibility levels on a DVD, and if it is distributed by an AVSDA member, a complaint can be made directly to AVSDA by email to info@avsda.com.au or via the website http://www.avsda.com.au/dvdaccess.asp where the AVSDA members are also listed. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, is still considering whether or not the inquiry into media access for people who are Deaf or hearing impaired, blind or vision impaired, announced in October 2007 (ABF Update of October 2007 item 6), will go ahead. The inquiry had planned to consider audio description services as well as captioning and was due to be completed by 30 April 2008. +06. REVIEW OF ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT STANDARDS. The Draft Report on the Review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport is now available for public comment on the review website http://www.ddatransportreview.com.au. The Allen Consulting Group is seeking comments from stakeholders on the Draft Report up to 5.00pm on Monday 31 March 2008. If you have any difficulties accessing the Draft Report, phone Sharon Kennard on 02 6204 6500. +07. INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS. - Telstra CDMA Network Closure: Telstra had intended to shut down the CDMA mobile phone network on 28 January 2008 to move to its new NextG mobile network, but that has been delayed at least until the end of April. In the meantime, CDMA customers will need to find another network in order to have an active, uninterrupted mobile phone service when the change occurs. For more information, read the media release of the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy at http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2008/005. CTN (Consumers’ Telecommunications Network) has developed a resource page to help consumers understand the consequences of the closure of the CDMA network – go to http://www.ctn.org.au/content.cfm?ContentID=257&ContentType=Content. - Focus on students with disability: A new DVD, ‘The Critical Bridges: Meeting Challenges at Points of Transition in Education by Working Together’ has been produced by the NSW Department of Education and Training, the Disability Council of NSW and the TAFE NSW Disability Unit. It aims to assist teachers, trainers and employers to better understand the needs of students with disability at three critical points of transition: pre-school to school, school to post-school and acquiring a disability in adult years. The first segment features a secondary school girl who is blind. For more information or to order a copy, phone 02 9211 2866 or email s.lee.disabilitycouncil@dadhc.nsw.gov.au. - Booklet on Macular Degeneration: The NSW Government has funded the Macular Degeneration Foundation to develop a booklet ‘Family, Friends and Carers – A Guide’ to provide valuable information about people affected by blindness and vision loss. Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Australia, and the number of Australians affected over the age of 65 is expected to double in the next 40 years. For more information, go to http://www.mdfoundation.com.au/resources/1/080107MacularDegenerationGrant.pdf. - Supporting the wellbeing of families and children: The Attorney-General has announced that 75 new services will open across Australia this year to support the wellbeing of families and children. These include 25 Family Relationship Centres, bringing that national network to 65, and 22 new early intervention services to provide individuals and families with the skills, education and counselling needed to prevent family breakdown. For more detail, read the Attorney-General’s media release at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/www/ministers/robertmc.nsf/Page/MediaReleases_2008_FirstQuarter_17January2008-Supportingthewellbeingoffamiliesandchildren. - Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has launched its new departmental website at http://www.dbcde.gov.au/home. - Flight Closed, the report on the experiences of people with disability in domestic airline travel in Australia, is now available. The report’s 112 pages cover the increasing barriers faced by people with disability who want to travel by air. There are 57 proposals that provide reasonable solutions to the physical, social and economic costs of inaccessible travel. For more information, go to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre website at http://www.piac.asn.au/news/media/20071213_fltclsdrp.html. - The Other Film Festival: entries are now being accepted for Australia’s only disability film festival, to be held in Melbourne in September 2008. Entries for the 2008 festival can be of any length or genre, but they must be made by, with or about people with disability. All of the selected films will automatically enter the running for the best film prize of $5,000, with other prizes yet to be announced. Entries cost $30 or $25 for students and need to be lodged by Monday 3 March 2008. For more information and to enter, visit http://www.otherfilmfestival.com/. - The Guide Dog Conference Centre has been opened by the Association for the Blind of WA. The conference facilities also include the Woodside Guide Dog Discovery Centre. For more information, go to http://www.guidedogswa.com.au. - Australia’s biggest youth event: National Youth Week will be held between 5 and 13 April 2008. The new website http://www.youthweek.com will have information on ways for young people to join activities, win prizes, enter competitions and have a say on issues that affect them. To read the media release of Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis, go to http://mediacentre.dewr.gov.au/mediacentre/AllReleases/2008/January/Australiasbiggestyoutheventonline.htm, and to read about the competitions, go to http://mediacentre.dewr.gov.au/mediacentre/AllReleases/2008/January/NationalYouthWeek2008Competitionsopen.htm +08. WORKSHOPS ON WEB ACCESS. - Writing for the Web: Melbourne 12 February; Canberra 26 February. Vision Australia is partnering with respected usability and accessibility expert Dey Alexander to offer unique ‘Writing for the Web’ workshops. Dey is co-convenor of the Web Accessibility Network of Australian Universities and is a regular presenter on useable and accessible web writing to the education, corporate and government sectors. Focusing on excellent content writing, these practical workshops complement the Vision Australia Web Accessibility Workshops. For Melbourne information, go to: http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=64 and for Canberra to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=108 . - Web Accessibility Benefits and Issues: Melbourne 20 February; Canberra 6 March. This afternoon workshop is targeted at web-development team leaders, corporate communications professionals and business manages, along with content authors and web programmers and designers and contract managers. For Melbourne information, go to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=53 and for Canberra to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=63. - Web Accessibility Techniques: Melbourne 21 February; Canberra 7 March. 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 Melbourne information, go to: http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=112 and for Canberra to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=117. +09. NATIONAL CONFERENCES. - 2008 National Conference of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities will be held in Melbourne on 11 to 14 April, immediately after the Fourth General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille on 6 to 10 April. More information and the call for papers (closing date for submission of abstracts was 5 October 2007) are available at http://www.e-bility.com/roundtable/. - SPEVI Biennial Conference: The 2009 Biennial Conference of the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment will be from on 6-9 January 2009 in Adelaide. The theme of Challenges and Choices will focus on vision impairment, adaptive technology, early intervention and partnerships. For more information, contact Jessica Bosnakis of All Occasions Management on phone 08 8354 2285 or email Jessica@aomevents.com. +10. WORLD BLIND UNION (WBU). - 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. 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 Children’s Congress 2008: The WBU Children’s Committee and the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE), in partnership with UNICEF, ICEVI and Save the Children, will host ‘Listening to the Children’, the first International Congress for Blind and Partially Sighted Children, from 25 to 29 March 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.worldblindunion.org/appdocumentos/ingles/Listening%20to%20the%20Children%20article.doc. +11. OTHER INTERNATIONAL ITEMS. - United Nations: The UN General Assembly has renamed the International day on 3 December to International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is just six ratifications away from coming into force. For information, go to http://www.un.org/disabilities. The ‘Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ is available online at http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=212. - 24th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities has been rescheduled to 14 and 15 April 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii – go to http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/ for more information. - Australian Disability and Development Consortium (ADDC) will host its 2008 international conference, ‘Disability, Disadvantage and Development’ in Canberra on 29-30 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. - Braille 1809-2009 – 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 4-8 January 2009 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth. A call for papers has been issued and closes 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. - Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is currently accepting applications from emerging and established women leaders with disabilities, including from the Oceania/Pacific region, to attend the fourth International Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) from 12 August to 2 September 2008 in the USA. The WILD program will include workshops, site visits and practical activities on priority issues for women with disabilities. Applications close on Friday 4 April 2008. For more information, contact Mobility International USA WILD 2008 by emailing womenleaders@miusa.org or visit http://www.miusa.org/admin/wild-2008. +12. NATIONAL DISABILITY SERVICES (NDS). - National Disability Workforce Project: NDS will conduct a two-year national project to establish a clear picture of the workforce capacity challenges the non-government disability sector faces and to trial a range of employee retention strategies with nominated pilot services in every State and Territory. For more information, members of NDS can read NDS News Update of 12 November. - Inaugural Children’s Conference: The first national conference on children and young people with disability and their families, ‘Every Child Matters’, will be co-hosted by NDS and Families Australia in Melbourne this year. It will identify issues, share solutions, celebrate successes and help services to better respond to needs across four themes: family wellbeing; one community; our voice – listen, strengthen, share; policy, practice and priorities. The conference on 14-15 May 2008 falls within National Families Week and ends on International Day of Families. The Call for Papers closed on 26 October 2007. As more details are finalised, they will be posted to http://www.nds.org.au/conferences/CYF2008/home.htm. ABF BACKGROUND AND CONTACT. The 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’s registered office, 33 Thesiger Court, Deakin ACT 2600. Contact Margaret Verick, phone 02 6283 3214, email margaret.verick@nds.org.au. [Update ends]