AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM ABN 47 125 036 857
The 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 Project Officer (Australian Blindness Forum) is located at the ABF’s registered office at 33 Thesiger Court, Deakin ACT 2600. Contact Margaret Verick, phone 02 6283 3214, email margaret.verick@nds.org.au. 

ABF UPDATE – JULY/AUGUST 2007

Contents
1. More about the ABF
2. Workshops on Web Access
3. CSTDA
4. Access Card
5. Electronically-assisted Voting
6. Telstra Disability Action Plan
7. National Unified Lifeskills Model (NULM)
8. Raising Children DVD
9. Information, Publications 
10. People
11. Conferences
12. World Blind Union
13. Other International Items
14. National Disability Services (NDS)

1. MORE ABOUT THE ABF
Changes to the board of directors: At the board meeting on 5 July, Tony Wright was appointed the ABF Chair. This followed the board receiving the resignation of Sandy Gilliland (see item 8 ‘People’), and thanking him for chairing the successful process that lead to the registration of the ABF as a public company. David Blyth has been appointed Vice Chair. The next meeting of the board of directors will be held in Adelaide on Tuesday 4 September 2007.

2. WORKSHOPS ON WEB ACCESS
- Writing for the Web: Perth 28 August
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. Further information is available at http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=685. 

- Web Accessibility Workshop: Perth 30 August
This full-day workshop is targeted at web-development team leaders, corporate communications professionals and business manages, along with content authors, web programmers and designers and contract managers. Further information is available at http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=54. 

3. CSTDA 
The Commonwealth formally withdrew its offer to the States and Territories to match new funds for accommodation and respite services. Western Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT had responded to the offer and negotiations with these jurisdictions will continue. Delivery of the Commonwealth’s $1.8 billion Disability Assistance Package will bypass State and Territory governments. The Commonwealth will continue the CSTDA with the current funding base plus indexation (amounting to an offer of $3.275 billion over five years).

The Australian Government will conduct national consultations on supported accommodation during September and October. As part of its Disability Assistance Package, the Government announced $562 million over five years for supported accommodation services, targeted to people with severe or profound disability over 40 years co-residing with a family carer for a significant period. States and Territories are expected to continue their current accommodation support for people in this target population – Commonwealth-funded services will take on new clients as people enter this age group. NDS News Update of 20 August provides more information. 

4. ACCESS CARD
During June and July, NDS and the ABF attended briefings on the exposure draft of the legislation for the access card. Minister Ellison has made a commitment that people with vision loss will be able to access the software for including individually selected information. Other information is available at:
- Office of Access Card released the Consumer and Privacy Taskforce’s report on Registration (http://www.accesscard.gov.au/media/070723_taskforce_report_on_registration.htm) 
- Australian Labor Party, and Australian Democrats, welcomed the Australian National Audit Office’s intention to conduct an audit into the proposed access card (http://www.alp.org.au/media/0707/mshs120.php). 
- The Australian Democrats started a campaign to stop the access card because of a range of concerns (http://www.democrats.org.au/campaigns/id_card). 
- The Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Australian Privacy Foundation jointly published a Briefing Note on the access card (http://www.privacy.org.au/Papers/Briefing-APF-PIAC-0708.pdf). 
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner submission includes a call for the photograph on the card surface to be optional (media release at http://www.privacy.gov.au/news/media/2007_13.html). 

5. ELECTRONICALLY ASSISTED VOTING
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has selected 29 locations across Australia where electronically assisted voting machines will be available in pre-poll voting centres during the election. The AEC will be demonstrating the electronic voting machines over the next few months to allow voters an opportunity to practice before the federal election. The electronic voting machines are only available to voters who have low vision that prevents them from voting without assistance. Some trial locations have already been identified (http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/e_voting/low_vision.htm); others will be identified after the election is called. For more information about demonstrations, contact Director Electronic Voting, phone 02 6271 4486 or 0411 245 689.

6. TELSTRA DISABILITY ACTION PLAN
The Telstra’s fourth Disability Action Plan sets new objectives to improve access to next generation technologies for people with disability. These include working with product developers to build software to convert text-based services into audio for Australians who are blind; exploring ways to improve video calling for those who are Deaf to enable them to communicate in Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) and making captions available on BigPond movie content. To read the plan, go to http://www.telstra.com.au/disability. 

7. NATIONAL UNIFIED LIFESKILLS MODEL (NULM)
Planning on the NULM is progressing and updates will be given separately as they are received. For more information, email Errol Ingram at errol@nulm.org or go to http://www.nulm.org.

8. RAISING CHILDREN DVD
The Prime Minister recently launched the Raising Children DVD to be provided free via an Australian Government New Parent Kit to every parent of a newborn for the next two years. When released, the DVD was neither audio-described nor captioned. NDS, in consultation with the Australian Blindness Forum, has written to the Prime Minister about the failure to yet again treat accessibility as an integral part of developing government information.

9. INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS
- ‘International Journal of Orientation and Mobility’ (IJOM): Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and the Renwick Centre at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children have announced a new publication, the ‘International Journal of Orientation and Mobility’ (IJOM). IJOM will present qualitative and quantitative research articles and analyses, essays, conceptual papers, comprehensive reviews, case studies, policy analyses and innovative practice reports and evaluation on a wide variety of issues and topics related to the orientation and mobility (including guide dog mobility) of people who are blind or vision impaired. Articles will be peer reviewed by members of the IJOM’s Editorial Panel as well as anonymous reviewers selected by the Coordinating Editors, Dr Desiree Gallimore of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and Dr Mike Steer of Renwick Centre. Subscription information and detailed information on manuscript submission is available by emailing dgallimore@guidedogs.com.au. 

- Print accessibility: Ninety-five per cent of printed information is unavailable to people who are blind or have low vision. Vision Australia will receive a government grant of $750,000 to support the provision of the latest digital technology that reads printed information. This will enable access to the latest news and books as well as downloadable information from the Internet through speech generated software. For more information, call Vision Australia on 1300 847 466.

- Hear A Book joins Vision Australia: For more than 35 years, Hear A Book has provided audio books for people with print disability. Through a new partnership with Vision Australia, Hear A Book will be able to offset the impact of changing technology and continue to provide access to its nearly 12,000 audio titles. In turn, Tasmanians with print disability will be able to access Vision Australia’s free public library service. For more information, contact Megan Dyer at Vision Australia, phone 02 9334 3308, email megan.dyer@visionaustralia.org. 

- Low cost Internet services: People with disability, veterans and frail aged throughout Australia can access a low cost Internet service thanks to a partnership arrangement between Technical Aid to the Disabled Australia and IPSOne, a Victorian based Internet service provider. The partnership enables dial-up Internet access at a rate of $5.50 a month with an establishment fee of $36.00. It offers unlimited downloads and flexible contract arrangements. For more information, phone 1300 735 439 and visit http://www.tadaustconnect.org.au. 

- Music for the Blind: Bill Brown of Music For The Blind (http://www.MusicForTheBlind.com) has over a dozen music courses in an all-audio format for people who are blind or vision impaired. These courses are available through the National Library Service or can be purchased by individuals and/or government institutions.

10. PEOPLE
Sandy Gilliland, Chair of the ABF until 5 July, and former National General Manager of Strategy with Vision Australia, has been appointed CEO of the Australian Communication Exchange (ACE). ACE (http://www.aceinfo.net.au/), a not-for-profit organisation, operates the National Relay Service (http://www.relayservice.com.au/). 

Gordon Brown, the new UK Prime Minister, lost the sight of his left eye after a retina detached through a rugby accident when he was 16. Later he lost some sight in his right eye. He now has all his briefings given to him in large print (as reported on the Vision Australia website http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1224). 

11. CONFERENCES
- The 2007 International DeafBlind Conference will be held from 25 to 30 September in Perth. For more information, go to http://www.dbiconference2007.asn.au/. 

- Blind Citizens Australia will hold its 2007 National Conference on 19, 20 and 21 October at the Ibis Melbourne Hotel. As more information becomes available, it will be posted to the website http://www.bca.org.au/. 

- The third Australasian Orientation and Mobility Conference will be held this year at the Association for the Blind of WA in Perth from 24 to 27 October. For more information, go to http://www.guidedogswa.com.au/body_conferences.html.

12. WORLD BLIND UNION (WBU)
Below are extracts from the WBU E-Bulletin of July 2007, provided by its First Vice President, Maryanne Diamond. 

- International Days: The following days will provide opportunities for raising awareness of vision loss:
International Literacy Day, 8 September (http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/literacy/) 
World Sight Day, focusing on Childhood Blindness, 11 October (http://www.vision2020australia.org.au/news-events-events.cfm?id=1174&t=/2007-world-sight-day/) – also see item 12 Other International Items below
International White Cane Safety Day, 15 October (http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/vision_services_whitecane.shtml) 

- Education For All Visually Impaired Children (EFAVI) campaign: EFAVI is an initiative of ICEVI (International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment), acting in partnership with the WBU, to ensure that all girls and boys with blindness and low vision enjoy the right to education. The success of the campaign will be measured against increased school enrolment rates; declined drop-out rates; improved access to support services and achievement levels on part with sighted children. For more information, visit http://www.icevi.org/efa/efa_world_conference.html. 

Note: ICEVI is offering a special discount price of $20.00 for membership subscriptions from individuals living in the Pacific region for the period July 2007 to March 2009. For more information, go to http://www.icevipacific.org.au/. 

- 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.

- United Nations Activities: The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has now been signed by 100 countries, the optional protocol signed by 55 countries, one country (Jamaica) has already ratified it and Panama, South Africa and Senegal have announced their intention to do so soon. For more information, go to http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable. 

- Vision 2020 becomes a global priority for the World Health Organisation: On 25 May 2007, the World Health Assembly, in adopting its Mid-term Strategic Plan, committed WHO and its 193 member governments to giving greater attention to blindness and vision impairment. As a result, governments worldwide are now committed to the fight and will receive greater support from WHO in doing so. For more information, go to http://www.v2020.org. 

- PowerPoint Guidelines: The WBU Low Vision Working Group has published guidelines on making PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with vision loss. For example, the section ‘Designing your presentation slides’ provides information on the ideal font type and size and quantity of text on a single slide; colour and brightness contrast; way to use figures and graphs; animation; way to orally support slides and supporting handouts. To access the guidelines, go to http://www.worldblindunion.org/appdocumentos/ingles/WBU%20PowerPoint%20Guidelines-FINAL.doc. 

- WBU Children’s Committee: The committee is advocating for a special Working Group on Children with Disabilities to be established within UNICEF. Already the committee has had input into the UNICEF General Comment and a Guidance Note to UNICEF offices on the rights of children with disabilities.

- International Children’s Congress: The WBU Children’s Committee and the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE), in partnership with UNICEF, ICEVI and Save the Children, plans to 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 will aim 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 make their demands and needs known to decision and policy makers.

- WBU Development Strategy: The WBU Development Committee, working on how best to advance the objective of improving the capacity of organisations of the blind in developing countries, has received WBU approval for its Development Strategy.

13. OTHER INTERNATIONAL ITEMS
- 2007 World Sight Day, 11 October:
Vision 2020 Australia lists the following themes for ‘Our Vision for Children’ (http://www.vision2020australia.org.au/news-events-events.cfm?id=1174&t=/2007-world-sight-day/):
- They have the best possible vision to last their lifetime (prevention)
- They can all lead active and independent lives (low vision)
- They all have access to good eye care services (ATSI)
- Their birth place does not deny them the right to sight (global)

The ABF messages for ‘Our Vision for Children’ focus on:
-  Maximum independence and integration in the Australian community
- Systematic development of essential skills throughout the growing years at home and school and in the community 
- Implementation of the National Unified Lifeskills Model (http://www.nulm.org) 

- Taking action against the cell phone industry: In August, 11 customers from across the USA filed complaints against cell phone carriers and manufacturers with the Federal Communications Commission. The complaints focus on a market failure to address accessibility. Read the press release from the American Foundation for the Blind at http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=3596. 

14. NATIONAL DISABILITY SERVICES (NDS)
- Submissions: During June and July, NDS lodged submissions on the Future Directions for Employment Services; Social Security Amendment (2007 Measures No.1) Bill 2007 (Mobility Allowance); and the Draft National Training Package. Other submissions were made on the proposed National Youth Agenda and the Labor Party’s ‘Goals for Aussie Kids’, both of which included a focus on blindness and vision impairment issues. For more information, go to http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm. 

- CEO Meeting: This year the NDS CEO Meeting will be held in Canberra on 28 and 29 November at the about-to-be completed Hotel Realm. As details of the event are finalised, they will be posted to the NDS website http://www.nds.org.au. 

- 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. 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 will occur during National Families Week and end on International Day of Families. For more information, email margaret.verick@nds.org.au.