+++AUSTRALIAN BLINDNESS FORUM and NATIONAL DISABILITY SERVICES.
++ABF/NDS UPDATE AUGUST 2009.
[Contents begin]
+01. What the ABF is Doing.
+02. News from ABF Members.
+03. Feature Item: Last Chance for Gerrard.
+04. Funds to Support Community Volunteers.
+05. Access to Premises.
+06. Access to Aviation.
+07. Independent Voting.
+08. Community Services Workforce.
+09. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
+10. National Human Rights Consultation.
+11. Special Disability Trusts.
+12. National Compact.
+13. New Inquiry into Migration Treatment of Disability.
+14. Other Information, Publications.
+15. NDS Events.
+16. Other National Conferences.
+17. Continuing Professional Education.
+18. International: World Blind Union.
+19. International: AMD Alliance International.
+20. International: Louis Braille Bicentenary.
+21. International: Other Items.
- End Notes
[Contents end]
[Update begins]
+01. WHAT THE ABF IS DOING.
Over the last month, the ABF has:
- Participated in a meeting with the Australian Electoral Commission to find a solution for people who are blind or vision impaired to cast independent votes in federal elections
- Participated in an Access to Aviation Working Group meeting
- Held a meeting of the Access to Information Subcommittee
- Revised the ABF policy on Braille Literacy, Numeracy and Information Access 
- Invited key people to attend the ABF Workshop on Wayfinding in Adelaide on 25 September
- Welcomed Canberra Blind Society and RPH Australia as Associates of the ABF

+02. NEWS FROM ABF MEMBERS.
- ABF Members’ Forum – mark your diaries: The 2009 Forum will be held at the Brisbane Polo Club on Thursday 15 October from 9.30am to 4.00pm. This immediately precedes the BCA Convention on 16, 17 and 18 October at the Royal on the Park. More detail about the Forum program will be available soon.
- Vision Australia Further Education Bursaries are open: Each year Vision Australia awards financial bursaries to tertiary students who are blind or have low vision for the purchase of adaptive technology such as CCTVs, laptops, screen reading and magnification software. Applications close at the end of October 2009. Recipients are selected in December, equipment is purchased and delivered after proof of enrolment has been provided (around March) and the Bursaries presented at ceremonies in May 2010. Visit http://www.visionaustralia.org/bursary for the application form and more information.
- Vision Australia launches online shop: The Equipment Solutions service now gives the same amount of information online as it does at a Vision Australia centre. Find out more at http://www.visionaustralia.org/shop or phone 1300 84 74 66.

+03. FEATURE ITEM: LAST CHANCE FOR GERRARD.
Gerrard writes: ‘It is thrilling to make the semi-final of “Dancing with Stars”; reaching the final would be like summiting a mountain and, to add to the excitement, this is everyone’s last chance to vote.
You may be surprised to know that it took aver 2000 team members to ensure that Sir Edmund Hillary was able to summit Mt Everest in 1953. My passion is to reach the summit of “Dancing with the Stars” – to reach the finals! It will take many team members to get there.In any journey it is important to take a moment to reflect on where we’ve travelled from, where we are, and where we plan to go. During these moments we can look at what we have achieved and what lessons we have learnt. We can use these lessons to make adjustments to the next challenges we’ll face.
My success in “Dancing with the Stars” is not about my dancing. It’s about you and every other team member having the determination to join me on this amazing journey. Your votes are the fuel that provides me with the passion and persistence to work through some really tough obstacles.
Your support by voting has been the inspiration I have needed to learn and grow on the dance floor.
Together we can continue to meet this challenge. I cannot stress enough this week the importance of your vote! Wouldn’t it be awesome to get a blind man to the finals – another world’s first! To vote, call 1902 557 720 or SMS Gerrard to 191777.’
”Dancing with the Stars” is on Channel 7 on Sunday 30 August at 6.30pm (Eastern).

+04. FUNDS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS.
In the 2009 round, non-profit organisations that are supported by volunteers can apply for grants between $1,000 and $5,000 to purchase equipment (including computers, tools and air conditioners) and to help with the cost of fuel. The call for applications is open for six weeks from Friday 14 August to Friday 25 September 2009. For more information and an online application form, go to http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/funding/Pages/volunteer_grant09.aspx. 

+05. ACCESS TO PREMISES.
A new partnership between the Australian Human Rights Commission and Marrickville Council in Sydney is designed to improve access for people with disability to buildings in the council area. This means that developers and business people will now have information on hand that will help ensure they incorporate and provide good accessibility in their building developments from inception. The project involves the provision of a free CD, ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, to every person who makes an application to the Council for an approval to construct or renovate a commercial building. For more information about the partnership and to access ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ online, go to http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/buildings/good.htm. 

+06. ACCESS TO AVIATION.
At a recent meeting of the Access to Aviation Working Group (which includes ABF/NDS), airline operators (Qantas, Virgin Blue, Rex and Tiger) committed to developing voluntary Disability Access Facilitation Plans to improve their communication with people with disability. Regional Express (Rex) has already updated its terms and conditions for the provision of special assistance and these can be read at http://rex.com.au/FlightInfo/BI_SpecialRequirementsConditions.aspx.
The Civil Aviation Act has been amended to make it clearer to aircraft operators their obligations in the allocation of seats, particularly in exit rows, to people with disability. The Disability Discrimination Act is being amended to clarify the carriage of assistance animals in an airline’s cabin.
NDS members can read the NDS News Update of 12 August at http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm. For more information about the Access to Aviation Working Group, go to http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/aawg/. 

+07. INDEPENDENT VOTING.
The ABF, along with the Australian Human Rights Commission, Blind Citizens Australia and Vision Australia, recently met with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to explore options for people who are blind or vision impaired to cast independent and secret votes at federal elections. The options being considered are: telephone voting, possibly from an electoral divisional office; call centre facilitated voting from home; or call centre facilitated voting from an AEC office. Blind Citizens Australia and Vision Australia will convene focus groups to determine people’s preferences, possibly in mid September 2009. For more information, email Michael Simpson at michael.simpson@visionaustralia.org or phone him on 02 9334 3284.

+08. COMMUNITY SERVICES WORKFORCE.
The first nationwide survey of the community services workforce, the National Community Services Workforce Profiling Study, began on 3 August. Selected organisations will be invited to participate in what will be a survey of community services offices and outlets, and community services workers. The disability sector is one of four community services sectors being surveyed by the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University, with the assistance of The Social Research Centre.
The report of a Social Policy Research Centre study of the non-government NSW community services workforce has been released – go to http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/reports/2009/NGO_LabourDynamics.pdf. 

+09. NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME (NDIS).
The campaign for the NDIS is supported across Australia by an unprecedented, politically bi-partisan and rapidly growing coalition of people with disability, carers, disability service providers, peak disability bodies and community and welfare organisations. Find out more about the NDIS and its supporters at http://www.ndis.org.au. 
The Australian Government’s new report ‘Shut Out: The Experience of People with Disabilities and Their Families in Australia’ (http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/pubs/policy/community_consult/Pages/default.aspx) underlines the need for a national disability insurance scheme that entitles people with severe disability to support services, whatever the cause of their disability. The NDS media release of 5 August can be read at http://www.nds.org.au/national/Other/MediaReleases/MR-5aug09.pdf. 

+10. NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONSULTATION.
Copies of keynote presentations to the public hearings in Parliament House in July are now available online (both PDF and Word documents) via the National Human Rights Consultation website at http://www.humanrightsconsultation.gov.au/www/nhrcc/nhrcc.nsf/Page/CalendarofEvents_PublicHearings. A report on the consultations is due to be submitted to government on 30 September 2009.

+11. SPECIAL DISABILITY TRUSTS.
The Australian Government is proceeding with its commitment to reform the tax treatment of special disability trusts. A consultation paper (http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1567/PDF/consultation_paper.pdf) released by the Treasury proposes that the unexpended income of a special disability trust is taxed at the beneficiary’s personal income tax rate, rather than automatically at the top personal tax rate plus Medicare Levy, and the capital gains tax main residence exemption is extended to special disability trusts. Submissions on the consultation paper are due by 31 August 2009. There’s more detail for NDS members in the NDS News Update of 4 August at http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm. 

+12. NATIONAL COMPACT.
Minister Jenny Macklin and Parliamentary Secretary Ursula Stephens launched the second stage of consultations on the development of a national compact between the government and the third sector. Organisations and individuals are invited to share their ideas on developing a stronger working relationship between the two. For more information, or to register interest, go to www.socialinclusion.gov.au/forums or call 1800 607 839 (Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm AEST).

+13. NEW INQUIRY INTO MIGRATION TREATMENT OF DISABILITY.
The inquiry of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration will examine whether visa decision-makers should be able to take into account the social and economic contribution, as well as the anticipated health care costs, of potential migrants with disability. Currently potential migrants with disability are treated as costs to the Australian society and there is little scope to take into account the contributions they might make to their community and workplace. Under the terms of reference, the Committee will examine whether the balance between the economic and social benefits of the entry and stay of an individual with disability, and the costs and use of services by that individual, should be a factor in a visa decision. Submissions are invited by Thursday 28 October 2009. For more information, go to http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/mig/disability/index.htm. 

+14. OTHER INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS.
- SPEV e-News: The first online issue of SPEVI news (currently only PDF) is now available and will soon appear on the SPEVI website at http://www.e-bility.com/spevi/. It’s full of news items, links to useful resources and a round-up of ICEVI Pacific activities in Fiji. A feature item focuses on Oz-Viskids, the register for all vision impaired children in Australia being developed at RIDBC – for more information email Jill Watson at jill.watson@ridbc.org.au or phone her on 02 9872 0303. 
- RPH broadcasting in Wagga Wagga now well established: For more information, contact RPH Australia by phoning 1300 710 440 or emailing admin@rph.org.au.

+15. NDS EVENTS.
- Shining Through – Creating sustainable employment in a turbulent world: This international conference, incorporating the NDS 2009 National Employment Forum and the Workability International conference will be held in Sydney from 6 to 9 September. Register online via http://www.nds.org.au/national/default.htm.  
- CEO Meeting – Policy and Management Advice for Decision Makers: This annual event, to be held in Canberra on 30 November and 1 December, is for CEOs, senior managers and board members from NDS member organisations.

+16. OTHER NATIONAL CONFERENCES.
- Making Links 2009, to be held in Melbourne on 17 and 18 November, will provide a forum on information and communications technology (ICT) for the not-for-profit sector. This year’s theme of ‘Sustaining Communities in Tough Times’ will address the twin challenges of the global economic crisis and environmental sustainability. For more information, go to http://www.makinglinks.org.au/.
 - 2009 National Ushers and DeafBlind Camp: Able Australia Recreation Program and Victorian Usher and DeafBlind Club and the Vision and Hearing Support Club are hosting this camp on Phillip Island for people with deafblindness from 20 to 22 November. Places are limited, so people wishing to attend the camp should contact Emely McCord at Able Australia as soon as possible – voice phone 1300 225 368, TTY 03 9882 6786, email emely.mccord@ableaustralia.org.au. Volunteers are needed so people wishing to assist, please contact John Finch to request an application form by emailing jfinch2@vtown.com.au, phoning 03 9439 2570 or by posting to PO Box 1213 Camberwell VIC 3124. 
- The Eighth National DeafBlind Conference will be held in Melbourne on 28 to 30 April 2010. The call for papers closed on 7 August. For more information about the conference, go to http://www.ableaustralia.org.au/8th-national-deafblind-conference-2010.asp. 

+17. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.
There is a comprehensive 2009 program on offer from RIDBC Renwick Centre. To find out more about courses in hearing impairment, Braille, vision impairment, multiple disability and special offers, go to http://www.ridbc.org.au/renwick/courses/continuinged_calendar.asp. 

+18. INTERNATIONAL: WORLD BLIND UNION (WBU).
To find out more about the World Blind Union, visit http://www.worldblindunion.org/en/. Below are some extracts from the WBU July E-Bulletin – to read this and earlier issues, go to http://www.worldblindunion.org/en/home847b.html?id=43&nivel=2. 
- Right to Read Campaign: At the conclusion of its eighteenth session, the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights agreed to consider a proposal from the governments of Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay for a Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons at their next meeting. This is the first time that a proposal of this nature has ever been promoted by an international non-government organisation and tabled by national government delegations. The proposal aims to help secure Copyright Exceptions that would permit the cross-border exchange and sharing of current collections of hundreds and thousands of accessible books among same language groups of vision impaired readers around the world. The ABF’s Access to Information Policy Subcommittee is currently considering action needed for an Australian campaign. To keep up to date with the progress of this WBU worldwide campaign, go to http://www.worldblindunion.org/en/right-to-read.html and with the UK campaign, http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_r2rhome.hcsp. 
- Employment Summit: In June this year, a number of people met at RNIB in the UK to participate in the WBU’s Employment Summit, a first step taken on the way to improving the employment situation around the world, in response to Article 27 of the UNCRPD. Participants identified a number of themes and issues, which were grouped in five primary areas: awareness, collaboration, clarity, support, data/evidence.
- New Children’s Book: At the VI2009 Conference in Coupvray in June, the new publication ‘Listening to the Children – Testimonials from the World’s Blind and Partially Sighted Teenagers’ was launched. Available in print and accessible CD in English and Spanish, this book is a compilation of essays submitted by teens from around the world who applied to attend the Listening to the Children Conference in Spain in June 2008. To find out more, email info@wbuoffice.org. 
- Action Plan for the Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Vision Impairment: The World Health Assembly approved the Action Plan at its meeting in May. This endorsement follows several years of advocacy by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) as a key element of the Vision 2020 strategy. The action plan calls for the development of national blindness prevention plans as well.

+18. INTERNATIONAL: AMD ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL (AMDAI).
- AMD Week around the world runs from 20 to 26 September this year. For more information, or to participate, email Allie Laban-Baker at allie.labanbaker@AMDalliance.org or phone Australia’s Macular Degeneration Foundation on 1800 111 709. For more information about AMDAI, go to http://www.amdalliance.org/. 

+19. INTERNATIONAL: LOUIS BRAILLE BICENTENARY.
- Louis Braille Bicentenary Website: The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC), in creating a website to mark the bicentenary of Louis Braille’s birth, has produced and collected a range of resources about Braille facts, info, videos, trivia, games and quizzes, links to Braille events and workshops and some reading lists. The information is geared towards the general public to provide an overview of the history of Braille and an introduction to the Braille code. To find out more, go to http://www.cubicconsulting.com.au/ridbc/index.cfm?skinname=content&page=43984.
- Braille Bug: The American Federation for the Blind’s Braille Bug website http://www.afb.org/braillebug/ provides information for sighted students.

+20. INTERNATIONAL: OTHER ITEMS.
- Australia accedes to Optional Protocol of UNCRPD: A year after signing the UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), the Australian Government has announced that it will accede to the Optional Protocol, which will establish a complaints mechanism for breaches of the Convention. Accession to the Optional Protocol will strengthen the implementation of the UNCRPD in Australia and the National Disability Strategy, which will establish a framework for that implementation. To find out more about the UNCRPD, go to http://www.un.org/disabilities/. 
In the USA, Perkins School for the Blind has congratulated President Barack Obama for signing the UNCRPD on 24 July – find out more at http://www.perkins.org/whatsnew/president-obama-signs-un.html. 
- Universal Access for All: Legislation has been introduced into the US House of Representatives that would require all mobile devices and Internet-based telecommunications to be fully accessible for people with disability. A summary of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 can be read at http://www.lighthouse.org/aboutus/advocacy/advocacy-news/. 
- World Sight Day ‘Gender and Eye Health’ on 8 October this year is when Vision 2020 members work together to raise public awareness, influence governments and education target audiences about blindness prevention programs and generate support. To find out more, visit Vision 2020 at http://www.v2020.org/page.asp?section=0001000100070013 and Vision 2020 Australia at http://www.vision2020australia.org.au/news-events-world-sight-day.cfm.
- International White Cane Safety Day will be held on Thursday 15 October – for more information, go to http://www.vision2020australia.org.au/news-events-events.cfm?id=2814&t=/international-white-cane-day/. 
- DAISY 2009 Conference will be held in Leipzig, Germany from 27 to 29 September. Registration is open until 31 August at http://www.daisy2009.de. 
- The Lifelong Learning Paradigm recognises that, in a knowledge based economy, education and work are integrated throughout people’s lives. All citizens need ongoing access to learning to enable them to work. Technology is playing an increasing role in mediating this learning. However, if this technology is inappropriate and introduced with insufficient support, people with disability will face even further exclusion from the interlinked worlds of education and work. To find out more about the European Unified Approach for Accessible Lifelong Learning (EU4ALL), go to http://www.eu4all-project.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=30. 
- John Gill Technology: Following the closure of RNIB’s Scientific Research Unit, its principal researcher, Dr John Gill OBE, has established John Gill Technology (http://www.johngilltech.com) to specialise in the needs of people with disability and those who are ageing, including assistive technology and inclusive design.
- Twelfth International Conference on Mobility and Transport will be held in Hong Kong from 2 to 4 June 2010. The conference theme is ‘Sustainable Transport and Travel for All’. Deadline for submitting abstracts is 31 August 2009. For further information, visit http://www.transed2010.hk. 
- ICEVI 13th World Conference: The Call for Abstracts for this conference, to be held in Thailand in August 2010, is open and will close on 31 October 2009. The overall conference theme is ‘Achieving Education for All Children with Visual Impairment: Strategies and Challenges’. There’s more information at http://www.icevi.org/13thWC/call_for_papers.html. ICEVI’s journal, The Educator, is also available on the ICEVI website at http://www.icevi.org/pdf/educator_january_2009.pdf. 
- SPEVI Conference 2011 will be held in Sydney from 16 to 21 January 2011. The call for papers will go out later this year. In the meantime, for more information, contact Tricia d’Apice at the RIDBC Teleschool by phoning 02 9872 0332 or emailing tricia.dapice@ridbc.org.au. 
[Update ends]
- End Notes
Getting more information on issues in the ABF/NDS Update: Unless otherwise stated, please contact Margaret Verick at margaret.verick@nds.org.au, phone 02 6283 3214.
Reproducing information from the ABF/NDS 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 650 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.