+++AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM and NATIONAL DISABILITY SERVICES. ++ABF UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2008. [Contents begin] +01. ABF Members’ Forum and AGM. +02. ABF Recycled Equipment Website. +03. Digital Education Revolution. +04. Aids and Equipment. +05. Pension Review. +06. National Disability Council. +07. National Compact. +08. Commitment to Young Australians and Office for Youth. +09. Australian Human Rights Commission. +10. Funds to Help Volunteers. +11. Audio described DVDs. +12. Information, Publications. +13. Continuing Professional Education Events. +14. Web Accessibility Workshops. +15. National Conferences. +16. NDS Events. +17. World Blind Union. +18. World Sight Day. +19. Other International Items. - Getting More 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 MEMBERS’ FORUM AND AGM. The 2008 ABF Members’ Forum will be held on Thursday 16 October in Vision Australia’s office in Melbourne, the day before the BCA Victoria Convention starts in Bendigo on 17 and 18 October. The Forum will feature a program based on ABF members’ presentations of papers on research and service development, the World Blind Union and ICEVI. The ABF’s second annual general meeting will be held at the conclusion of the Members’ Forum, followed by the election of the ABF’s two delegates to the World Blind Union to attend WBU assemblies with BCA’s two appointed delegates during the four-year period 2008-2012. +02. ABF RECYCLED EQUIPMENT WEBSITE. 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 was 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. DIGITAL EDUCATION REVOLUTION. The Minister for Education has announced that schools that have students with disability in years 9 to 12 will have flexibility in using funding under Round Two of the National Secondary School Computer Fund to purchase ICT equipment that best supports the learning needs of students with disability, such as multimedia resources, interactive white boards, adaptive devices and interface software. For more information, go to http://www.digitaleducationrevolution.gov.au. +04. AIDS AND EQUIPMENT. At the end of August, NDS hosted a meeting on the development of a nationally consistent strategy for the provision of aids and equipment. The ABF was represented and the discussion increased the understanding of the questions that need to be asked in the development of an approach that will benefit the disability sector, but not yet the answers. The ABF Access to Equipment policy of March 2008 had already proposed the need for a national equipment scheme. +05. PENSION REVIEW. The Australian Government has announced an Inquiry into measures to strengthen the financial security of seniors, carers and people with disability as part of its wider inquiry into Australia’s Future Tax System. The ‘Pension Review Background Paper’ (107 pages) is at http://www.nds.org.au/Members/Other/PensionReview.pdf. The ABF has met with BCA to consider the issues and will provide input to an NDS submission, due 26 September. NDS issued a media release on 23 September http://www.nds.org.au) expressing concern that the Federal Opposition’s Bill just introduced into the Senate to increase the single aged pension rate by $30.00 per week excluded people with disability. +06. NATIONAL DISABILITY COUNCIL. The newly-formed National People with Disabilities and Carer Council, which met for the first time on 3 September, will have a central role in guiding the development of the National Disability Strategy. The Council’s chair is Rhonda Galbally AO and its diverse group of people includes Maryanne Diamond, Ron McCallum AO, and Ken Baker of NDS. To read the media release, go to http://www.billshorten.fahcsia.gov.au/Internet/billshorten.nsf/content/national_disab_council_03sept08.htm. +07. NATIONAL COMPACT. The first meeting of the Expert Panel advising on consultations towards the development of a National Compact between Government and Non-government Organisations was held on 16 September. Anyone interested in the way a Compact may work and its impact on their organisation is encouraged to participate in the ongoing consultations around the country – the ACOSS website has details of the dates, times and places for these consultations at http://acoss.org.au/Events.aspx?displayID=99&articleID=4696. More information is also available at http://www.socialinclusion.gov.au/A_National_Compact.htm. NDS has lodged a submission and NDS members can access it through http://www.nds.org.au. +08. COMMITMENT TO YOUNG AUSTRALIANS AND OFFICE FOR YOUTH. NDS, as an organisational member of the Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth (ARACY), has given its support to the creation of the social, cultural, political and economic environment in which the wellbeing and development of all children and young people can be assured. As tangible evidence of this commitment, NDS has joined over one hundred signatories to the statement of principles that guide the Commitment to Young Australians (go to http://www.aracy.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Statement_of_Commitment). The Australian Government has opened the Office for Youth under the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The Office will provide support and advice to other government agencies to help them better engage with young people. Building on the involvement of young people in the Youth and Australian 2020 Summits, $8 million over the next four years will help to establish the Australian Youth Forum. For more information, go to http://www.deewr.gov.au/officeforyouth. +09. AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. From 4 September, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) will be known as the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Information about the new corporate identity is available at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2008/89_08.html. A new three-year strategic plan describes the steps the AHRC will take towards achieving its vision for Australia – human rights: everyone, everywhere, everyday. To read the plan, go to http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/strategic_plan.html. Nominations for the 2008 Human Rights Medal and Awards close on Friday 3 October. Nominations are for the Human Rights Medal, Young People’s Human Rights Medal and Human Rights Awards categories of Community (Individual), Community (Organisation), Law (sponsored by the Law Council of Australia), Literature (Non-fiction), Print Media, Television and Radio. For more information, go to http://www.hreoc.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2008/99_08.html. The AHRC has established Web Watch to monitor the accessibility of Commonwealth Government websites. Websites that depart substantially from accessibility requirements, as explained in the Commission’s World Wide Web Advisory Notes, will be identified at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/webaccess/webwatch.htm. +10. FUNDS TO HELP VOLUNTEERS. Not-for-profit organisations can receive up to $2,500 to help pay for their volunteers’ petrol bills as part of the Australian Government’s $21 million Volunteer Grants Program 2008. Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 can also be used to purchase equipment, such as computers, tools, air conditioners and sporting equipment. Applications close at 5.00pm on Friday 17 October. Organisations will receive funding by the end of the year. More information, including application forms and guidelines, is available by phoning 1800 183 374 or visiting the FaHCSIA website at http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/aboutfacs/programs/sfsc-vgp_2008.htm. +11. AUDIO DESCRIBED AND CAPTIONED DVDs. After considerable concern was expressed by NDS, the Australian Blindness Forum, Deafness Forum Australia and HREOC, FaHCSIA has advised that the first three DVDs already published in its ‘Keys to Living Together’ series have been captioned and are now available for order. Audio-described versions are currently being prepared and will be available shortly. Even better, NDS has learned that the next three DVDs to focus on families with a child with disability, rural couples and men will be captioned and audio-described as they are developed. For more information about the ‘Keys to Living Together’ series, go to http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/family/keys_info.htm. +12. INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS. - Report on health and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people: A new AIHW publication, ‘Measuring progress: the health, development and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people’ for the first time has included some focus on disability, although that focus is limited; it does not refer to sensory disability. To read the report, go to http://www.aihw.gov.au/mediacentre/2008/mr20080924.cfm. - Vision Australia’s Dickinson Literary Award is open to all Australian writers who are blind or have low vision. There are seven categories, each of which has a first prize of a Vision Australia Equipment Solution’s voucher to the value of $500. Categories for fiction and non-fiction are separated into Adults 25 and Over; Young Adults 16-24; Youth Under 16 and Open for All Ages. Entries will open on 1 October 2008 and Australian citizens who are ‘legally’ blind are invited to make submissions by 31 December. More information is at http://www.visionaustralia.org/literaryaward/. - Vision Australia’s Further Education Bursaries: Applications are invited from residents of Victoria, NSW, ACT, Queensland, NT and Tasmania who are or will become a client of Vision Australia and who are applying for or are enrolled in a tertiary course graded Certificate IV or above. Applicants are required to demonstrate their need for financial assistance to purchase adaptive technology. Applications must be submitted by 10 November 2008 and recipients will be selected early in 2009 and bursaries presented at ceremonies during the first semester. For more information, contact Max Bini phone 03 9520 5555 or 1300 84 74 66, email max.bini@visionaustralia.org. - Quantum Technology Scholarships: The Gillian Gale Award for Braille Literacy, WYNN Scholarship Program 2008 and JAWS Scholarship Program 2008 are now open and applications for all close on Thursday 11 December 2008. For more information, contact Lexie Challis, phone 02 8844 9834, email lchallis@quantumtechnology.com.au. - Livewire is a free online social networking website for young people aged 10 to 18 years with a chronic illness or disability living in Australia. Members can engage in chat events, have their say in forums and check out all the latest in movies, music, games etc. The website is a closed community with chat hosts available from 12 noon to 8.00pm daily. Members are divided into age categories to different sites (10 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 18) with age-appropriate content in each. Every application is authorised with written parental consent and proof of ID. Run by the Starlight Foundation, the website is at http://www.livewire.org.au. - Eye Health in Australia: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has published ‘Eye Health in Australia: a hospital perspective’, which was commissioned by the Australian Government through the National Eye Health Initiative (http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10638). It draws on self-reported data on the prevalence of vision loss through the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey 2004-05. The survey indicates that about half of the Australian population has eyesight problems and that more than 50,000 are blind. The most common causes of low vision were under-corrected refractive error, cataract and age-related macular degeneration. +13. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION EVENTS. A range of Renwick Centre CPE events are scheduled for 1 September to 3 December including: - Supporting Children with Vision Impairment, A Pathway Analysis Approach: 11 November 2008: 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 the full schedule of education events, visit Renwick Centre website at http://www.ridbc.org.au/renwick/courses/continuinged_calendar.asp. +14. WEB ACCESSIBILITY WORKSHOPS. Writing for the Web: Canberra 14 October. Vision Australia is partnering with respected usability and accessibility expert Dey Alexander to offer a unique Writing for the Web workshop. 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. The course outline and registration details are at http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=116 Web Accessibility Benefits and Issues: Canberra 5 November. This half-day workshop run by Vision Australia is targeted at policy makers, business managers and corporate communications or web development professionals who want an overview of why web accessibility is important. No knowledge of HTML or other web technologies is needed. It provides an introduction to Web Accessibility. The focus is on how web accessibility can benefit organisations and their website users. A range of simulations are used to demonstrate how people with disabilities use the web. The workshop introduces the World Wide Web Consortium's Content Accessibility Guidelines and their implementation (go to http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=137) Web Accessibility Techniques: Canberra 6 November. This full-day workshop run by Vision Australia 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. It provides a thorough overview of accessibility issues and the techniques used to address them. It covers the World Wide Web Consortium's Content Accessibility Guidelines and their implementation. The course outline and registration details are at http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=147 To keep up-to-date with the range of workshops conducted by Vision Australia’s Accessible Information Solutions, visit http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=539. +15. NATIONAL CONFERENCES. - Pathways 9 conference will be held in Melbourne from 2 to 5 December 2008. The conference will begin with a celebration of ability in recognition of the 'International Day of People with a Disability' which occurs on the 3 December. Dr Kevin Murfitt, the current Chair of Vision Australia, will be one of the keynote speakers. Early registrations can be completed through http://www.pathways9.org until 3 October. - AFDO first national conference postponed: ‘Policy About Us, For Us! A Practical Revolution in the Lives of People with Disabilities’ which was to be held in Melbourne on 9 and 10 October this year has been postponed to May 2009 – read the AFDO release at http://www.afdo.org.au/node/229. +16. NDS EVENTS. - CEO Meeting 2008 will be held in Canberra on 1 and 2 December. The program and registration form will shortly be available on the NDS website http://www.nds.org.au. +17. WORLD BLIND UNION (WBU). - WBU President: Maryanne Diamond’s term as WBU President for the four-year period 2008-2012 will be supported financially by funds from the Australian Government and Vision Australia (Maryanne’s employer). The recent signing of the agreement between the ABF and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the office of Bill Shorten, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services provided a good photo opportunity. - WBU General Assembly 2008: A report from Australia’s delegates to the Assembly will be available shortly. - Listening to the Children Congress: Around 20 young people from 18 countries took part in the First International Congress for Blind and Partially Sighted Children in Spain on 16 and 17 June. A declaration was published at the end of the congress, which can be read in the congress report in the WBU E-Bulletin of July 2008 when it is posted to http://www.worldblindunion.org/en/home847b.html?id=43&nivel=2). - Universal Postal Union, at the completion of its Congress in Geneva on 12 August, stated that the incoming UPU Postal Operations Council – the body responsible for studying technical and operational aspects of postal services – will, at its October session at UPU headquarters in Berne, consider some 260 other proposals to amend the Letter Post and Parcel Post Regulations. The Australian Government advises that proposals relating to improvements of the Postal Concessions for the Blind Program have been referred to a committee with a view to reconsidering the option at the next UPU convention in four years. +18. WORLD SIGHT DAY 2008. The theme for Thursday 9 October is ‘Eyes on the future – vision and ageing’. In a recent media release (http://www.vision2020australia.org.au/assets/content/2288/WSD%202008%20Media%20Release.pdf), Vision 2020 Australia pointed out the direct link between ageing and vision impairment or blindness and called for Australians to protect their eyes as they get older and have regular eye tests. To raise awareness of the impacts of an ageing eye and eye health for people 40 and over, Vision 2020 Australia’s members are holding events Australia-wide on World Sight Day and/or will be issuing material to the media. For more information, go to http://www.vision2020austraila.org.au. +19. OTHER INTERNATIONAL ITEMS. - UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD): The Australian Government has nominated Professor Ron McCallum AO for election to the Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor implementation of the CRPD. For more information about the nomination, go to the Australian Human Rights Commission website at http://www.hreoc.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2008/91_08.html and about the committee to http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crpd/crpds1.htm. The International Disability Alliance Forum on the CRPD (IDA CRPD http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/forum.html) has made a contribution to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ thematic study to enhance awareness and understanding of the CRPD. The IDA CRPD is a unique platform bringing together the representative international and regional non-government organisations of people with disability (including the World Blind Union and World Federation of the DeafBlind) to promote the ratification and full implementation of the CRPD. Included in the 71-page contribution are specific references to the right to Braille as an official script. In a recent keynote address on ‘Implementing and Monitoring the CRPD in the Australian Social and Legal Context’, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten, drew attention to the anomalies and inequities that exist across Australia for people with disability and said he believed that ‘the disability sector needs to become a movement again’. To read the address, go to http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/billshorten.nsf/content/crpd_20aug08.htm. - Deafblind International Secretariat has been awarded to Senses Foundation in Western Australia for the next four years. Senses was formed in 2001 when the Royal WA Institute for the Blind amalgamated with the WA Deafblind Association and is the primary advocate and service provider for people who are deafblilnd or blind with additional disabilities in WA. For more information about Senses and the Secretariat, go to http://www.senses.asn.au and about Deafblind International, http://www.deafblind.com/. - International Conference on Disability, Disadvantage and Development in the Pacific and Asia is being held in Canberra from 29 September to 1 October, hosted by the Australian Disability and Development Consortium (ADDC), Australian National University and Australian Council for International Development. This first international conference focused on the issues people with disability face in developing countries. Representatives of disabled people’s organisations from twenty-six developing countries in the Asia and Pacific regions attended. At the conference, the Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, released the draft consultation strategy. The ADDC website is at http://www.addc.org.au/. - International Journal of Orientation & Mobility (IJOM): Edited in Australia, the first issue of this peer-reviewed journal has just been launched. The foreword is by Jordie (Retired Guide Dog) of Graeme Innes AM and the articles, research and practice reports cover a wide range of issues. For more information about the journal go to http://www.ijorientationandmobility.com or contact Dr Desiree Gallimore of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT on phone 02 9412 9300 or email dgallimore@guidedogs.com.au - Opportunity for Australian youth to be heard on world stage: Applications have opened for an Australian representative of youth to work in the Australian Mission to the United Nations in New York, along with representatives from around the world, developing new projects for young people. Young people with a sound knowledge of international issues, strong leadership skills and experience in representing youth opinion and issues are invited to apply, with the United Nations Youth Association of Australia (UNYA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade selecting the successful candidate. Expressions of interest close on 31 October and can be submitted through the UNYA website http://www.unya.asn.au/youthrep09/. - International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December this year will have the theme ‘Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Dignity and justice for all of us’. For more information about the day in Australia, go to http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/disabilities/policy-international_day_pwd.htm. - Louis Braille Bicentenary 4 January 2009 Under the sponsorship of UNESCO, World Blind Union, French National Committee for the Social Promotion of Blind and Partially Sighted People, the international conference ‘1809 to 2009 – the writing with 6 dots and its future’ will be held in Paris from 4 to 8 January 2009 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth. 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 by emailing mike.steer@ridbc.org.au. The ABF hopes that celebrations of the Louis Braille Bicentenary in Australia will help to offset the lack of awareness of the nature of Braille such as the actions of one hotel in Sydney. Brailled signs have been placed at various appropriate places in the public areas – but they’re only photocopies. National Braille Press, a non-profit printing house in the US, has secured the domain name http://www.louisbraillebicentennial.com for 2008 and 2009. A prototype of the first US coin with readable Braille characters – a silver dollar commemorating the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille – has been unveiled (information from National Federation of the Blind http://nfb.org provided by Vision Australia). - 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. For more information, go to http://www.e-bility.com/spevi/conf09.php or phone Jessica Bosnakis of All Occasions Management on 08 8354 2285 or email Jessica@aomevents.com. - Getting more 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 in this Update – just acknowledge this source. - About AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM http://www.australianblindnessforum.org.au. Australian Blindness Forum (ABF) was first formed as an unincorporated body in 1992, funded only by its members. In 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 http://www.nds.org.au. 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] 1