Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc

Australian Braille Authority (ABA)

ABA Newsletter April 2003

IN THIS ISSUE

ABA National Executive

Contributions for our next newsletter should reach Christine Simpson (email contact details above) either as an email, or an emailed attachment in Word format, by no later thanFriday, June 6, 2003.

Chairman's Notes

William Jolley

Welcome to this edition of the ABA national newsletter. Once again, Christine Simpson has done a good job to gather an interesting assortment of news and information.

I express my sadness on hearing that Jan Rutherford died in March. In her short life Jan accumulated great achievements and made a very favourable impression on friends and colleagues. She will be sadly missed for her musical talents, personal qualities and gifts to humanity. Rest in peace.

The ABA AGM will be held in association with the national conference of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities in Melbourne on 26 April. The meeting will receive report's of the past year's activities at state and national level, and will discuss various issues relating to Braille.

The question of Braille terminology is current with BANA choosing to refer to uncontracted and contracted Braille rather than Grade I and Grade II Braille. One option is for Australia to follow suit; but our literary code is the code used in the United Kingdom, and BAUK has not expressed any intention to make the change. This matter is on the agenda for the ABA AGM.

This newsletter includes annual reports from the ABA Chairperson, and state reports for Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The reports show what has been happening over the past year, but they also confirm that there is a great deal of work still left undone.

The article by Frances Gentle about the support for Braille usage in East Timor is very interesting and inspiring. Frances has been involved in great work, and we hope that the project can attract the support it needs to bring the gift of Braille literacy to blind children and adults in East Timor.

I have written a short paper for the round Table national conference, 'Braille codes at the cross roads'. It looks at the options for UEBC and for Braille codes in Australia. It's our starting point for discussion using Ozbrl this year.

Happy Easter to you all.

Farewell Jann

Jann Marie Rutherford, professional musician, passed away peacefully with family at her home in Hamilton on Sunday 9 March, aged 38 years.

"A remarkable girl whose beautiful music will be a lasting legacy". (Family Funeral Notice - New Zealand Herald).

Jann Rutherford was a student at Homai College and a graduate of Wellington Polytechnic and the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. Jann lived and performed in Sydney, but regularly returned to New Zealand to play at jazz festivals. By day she worked part-time for the Royal Blind Society of NSW as a proofreader of braille music. Jann has won several awards and recorded three CDs, her most recent being Discovery (TP 125) - which was in the top five nominations for Australian Jazz CD of the year in 1998.

She was one of the musicians who performed at the music festival in Awhina House New Zealand in December 2000 where the Journeys CD available from the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind was recorded.

In January this year she recorded another CD in Sydney and we sincerely Hope this will be out soon.

Jann was a fine pianist and composer, at home with classical music as well as jazz. She was also a thoughtful accompanist as the youngsters at the blind music schools camps in Australia and the artists on the Journeys CD will attest.

She will be sadly missed, but her recordings will live on. (Mary Schnackenberg - New Zealand).

Jann's musical talents were in evidence from an early age. At age 25, she moved from her home country of New Zealand to study at the Sydney Conservatorium. Her talents as a pianist were widely recognised and she was warmly welcomed into the Australian Jazz scene. With awards from the National Jazz Piano Competition and as a runner up for the ABC Classic FM's Jazz recording of the year, Jann's talents and fan base continued to grow.

As her devotion to music grew, Jann's firm commitment to braille also developed.

An outstanding music braille proofreader, Jann worked for nearly 15 years at the Royal Blind Society/National Information and Library Service. A strong advocate of braille, Jann passed on her enthusiasm to newer generations of musicians through the annual Australian braille music camp.

Jann's braille strengths extended beyond music. An accomplished literary, maths, science and computer code reader, Jann proofread many thousands of pages of braille ranging from children's books to university statistics textbooks. Those of us who worked with her remember Jann's laughter as she read a good comedy.

Jann was a great person to be around. Her endless enthusiasm and vitality and her patience and dedication to her work was inspirational to many.

She will be sadly missed. (Kachina Allen - Australia).

I remember how easily Jann sat down and let the music flow from the piano, even at the age of five years. We went back a long way. Jann was the only other blind person I knew prior to starting school and when I arrived, she was the one familiar friend from home.

I remember too the code we set up as teenagers when she had gone back to attend her regular high school. So that others could not read what we had written, we would write lengthy braille letters on both sides of the page with not a single space between words. Our families and other friends were too impatient to try and interpret such a mess, So it was ours and ours alone!

Jann was known for her infectious laughter. I well remember at 3 am one morning when she had arrived home from a gig. She decided to clean out her flat. She collected up all the glass bottles in her grocery trundler on wheels, then took it crashing down four flights of steps and from inside I could hear her delighted laughter as each bottle was thrown energetically into the recycle bin.

Rest in Peace Mate. Your life was too short, but you have left an amazing legacy in your music. (Paula Waby - New Zealand).

Braille Codes at the Cross Roads

This paper reviews Braille codes used in Australia against the backdrop of international coding developments for English Braille and the prospect of decisions for fundamental code change in Australia being made as early as 2004. Braille Codes at the Cross Roads describes the available options and is published on the ABA web site.

Braille Music

Nigel Herring.

During the mid to late nineties I worked in conjunction with Optek Systems to provide a method of computerised Braille music transcription. This led to the release of the Toccata Braille music transcription program by Optek in 2000.

Toccata provides an excellent method of conversion of printed score to Braille, however, it is primarily designed for a sighted user. The highly graphical nature of Toccata's notation editor precludes it from current adaptive technologies. Although Toccata's menus can be accessed by screen readers, the on-screen Braille music can only be read using a Braille display.

In 2002 I joined with the University of Newcastle, through Renwick College, in a research project aimed at developing a Braille and speech based system of reading and writing music. I am currently working on software, (Windows based), that provides spoken feedback of Braille music characters entered in '6 key' mode on a pc's keyboard. It is intended that this will be coupled with audible playback of the entered music and on-screen notation. The initial purpose of this will be to provide a more interactive method of learning and teaching the Braille music code.

To assist with this, I am hoping to discuss this concept with individuals currently involved in teaching Braille music, those who may have an interest in learning the Braille music code and anyone else who may be able to contribute some thoughts. I can be contacted on (02) 4736 2114 or at nigel@pentronics.com.au

Nigel Herring
Pentronics
3 Longdon Close
Penrith, NSW, 2750

Change In Braile Terminology Adopted By BCA

Collette O'Neill - BCA National Policy Officer.

In December last year the United States of America and Canada adopted new braille terminology, replacing what had traditionally been known as "grade 1" and "grade 2" braille with "uncontracted" and "contracted" braille respectively.

Blind Citizens Australia considered whether to adopt the new terminology and concluded that it conveyed better information about the differences between the braille levels and that adopting it would promote the consistent use of braille terms across agencies.

Accordingly, on 3 February 2003, Blind Citizens Australia adopted the new terminology. Blind Citizens Australia will use the terms in its public materials and will also promote their use by other agencies in such documents as the Building Code of Australia, the Australian Standard on Signage (currently being developed) and the Access to Premises Standard.

Physical Specifications for Braille on Cardboard

In consultation with manufacturers of cardboard packaging, Blind Citizens Australia has developed draft physical specifications for braille on cardboard. Once the draft has been finalised it will be provided to the Australian Braille Authority for its consideration and approval, before being made public. Anyone wanting more information about the specifications are welcome to contact Collette O'Neill, BCA's National Policy Officer: Phone: 03 9521 3433 or email: bca@bca.org.au

An Interesting Read

William Jolley.

A couple of years ago, probably late one night, I came across Pamela Lorimer's Ph.D. Thesis on the Net. I downloaded the .zip file and extracted the set of .txt files that comprise the dissertation. If you'd like a copy you might find it directly on the Net with a Google search; otherwise you can email me at wjolley@bigpond.com and I will send you the .zip file or .txt files at your request.

Pamela Lorimer completed the work in 1996 and dedicated it to her late husband John. He was a Braille enthusiast who spent much of his life as a teacher and researcher of the Braille code. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Braille Authority of the United Kingdom.

Pamela Lorimer's Thesis is titled: A Critical Evaluation Of The Historical Development Of The Tactile Modes Of Reading And An Analysis And Evaluation Of Researches Carried Out In Endeavours To Make The Braille Code Easier To Read And To Write

The Thesis has two parts as described in the Abstract.

Part 1 is an evaluative history of the various embossed codes which evolved so that blind people could become literate, from 1786 when the first embossed book was produced. The early codes used in France, Britain, and America are described, reasons given for the need to review the code from time to time and the on-going need for co-operation between English speaking peoples to maintain uniformity in the use of braille. Evaluation has taken account not only of the conditions of the times during which the codes were used, but also of the findings of research carried out during the present century.

Part 2 includes evaluations of some of the major works included in the mass of research that has been carried out on braille reading. An introduction to the psychophysical aspects of the tactile system is followed by an account of the effect of elements of the braille code on accuracy, comprehension and rate of reading and attempts to increase the slow rate of braille reading. The final chapter gives information concerning on-going research, and reasons are given for the continuing value of the use of braille which is now being helped and challenged by technological invention.

ABA Annual Reports

ABA National

Overview

The Australian Braille Authority (ABA) has continued to work steadily, but limited financial and human resources have made substantial progress difficult. ABA is the only sub-committee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities, and brings together people involved or interested in Braille: transcription, teaching, reading, etc.

A new Executive Committee was elected at the AGM held in 2002:

The committee held monthly meetings by telephone, plus one in-person meeting in Sydney in February. The meetings were well attended, all members contributed, and the work of the ABA benefited from an enthusiastic and cohesive Executive Committee. Committee meetings were made possible through funds allocated by the Round Table.

Joan Ledermann Memorial

On December 3 there was a very nice function in Sydney to launch the Joan Ledermann Memorial Braille Collection. This collection of Braille books is sponsored by Royal Blind Society as a tribute to Joan Ledermann in appreciation of her tireless work for blind people through the promotion of Braille Literacy. Joan worked for more than twenty years as manager of the RBS Braille Production Unit, held certification as a Braille transcriber and proofreader with the United States Library of Congress, was the founding Convenor of the Australian Braille Authority, and served a four-year term as President of the International Council on English Braille.

The Joan Ledermann Memorial Braille collection is being compiled from the five short-listed finalists each year for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. This will form a very good collection of premium Australian literature. My special thanks to Frances Gentle for her work to organise the function to launch the Collection on behalf of ABA.

Braille Codes

The Executive Committee received enquiries about the Braille transcription of phonetics. We were unable to answer all of the questions which were raised. We did establish that the Phonetics code used with British Braille is more than thirty years old, and there are no plans to review it. Braille is a representation of living languages, and words and notations are constantly changing; so it is a problem if there is no scope for Braille codes to be modified accordingly. The Executive Committee remains undecided on how to address this matter.

I have written a background paper for my presentation to the Round Table national conference in April called 'Braille codes at the cross roads'. The purpose of the paper is to start discussion about the Braille codes to be used in Australia in future. The paper summarises much of the thinking of the ABA Executive, without taking a formal position, that it is time to start exploring options about the Braille codes we should use in the future.

The ICEB General Assembly will discuss the UEBC at its meeting in March 2004. It may be faced with four options. Following that meeting Australia and other countries will need to make national decisions with greater or lesser urgency depending on their local situations.

We think that Option 2 or 3 will probably be chosen, meaning that UEBC will not be adopted before 2008, if at all. We question whether we can and should wait this long in Australia. After the ICEB meeting next March, we will be faced with various options. Their details will depend on the ICEB decision.

The Executive Committee is keen to see an open and inclusive discussion about these options starting later this year; since we recognize that there are major disadvantages to the current system of mixed codes, some of which are unique to Australia.

Braille Formatting

The Executive has started work to revise the ABA Formatting Guidelines. This is a major body of work being led by Kathy Riessen. Braille formatting is the topic for the ABA workshop at this year's Round Table national conference. We want to get ideas from people around Australia, particularly guidance on how prescriptive or flexible the guidelines should be.

Braille and Tactile Signs

There were good changes to the Building Code of Australia which came into force on 1 January 2002, to improve access by people with disabilities to public premises. These included the requirement for Braille and tactile signage in certain instances in public buildings. The ABA does not agree with the use of Grade I Braille in signs, further isolating Australia from the rest of the English-language Braille-using community, but this is of secondary importance compared with the increased independence that accessible signage brings.

The ABA is developing a protocol for the certification of Braille signs, giving manufacturers assurance that their signs meet physical specifications for dot spacing, height and quality. Last year we reviewed the physical specifications for the dots used in Braille in different countries, in collaboration with Blind Citizens Australia, and a simple specification for Braille signs was agreed.

Braille Proficiency Test

Examinations were held early in 2002 for Braille Proficiency certification. There were fifteen candidates who sat the test, of whom eight were successful. We congratulate the successful candidates and hope that they enjoy the rewards of their hard work. I wish to thank Josie Howse, Frances Gentle, Bruce Maguire and Deborah Murphy who worked hard to set the questions, oversee the administrative arrangements, and mark the papers. The next Braille Proficiency test will be held late in 2003.

ABA Newsletter

This year we published three editions of the ABA newsletter. Each newsletter contained news and information, as well as feature articles. My sincere thanks to Christine Simpson who has compiled and edited the ABA newsletter. Unfortunately we have received very little feedback on the newsletter, and there have been very few willing contributors. We need to be sure that the ABA newsletter is being distributed widely, and that it is meeting the requirements of the Braille community of transcribers, teachers and readers throughout Australia.

The ABA newsletter carried two feature articles by Frances Gentle, about work she has been leading to bring Braille literacy to blind children and adults in East Timor. Frances, having gained the support of individuals and organizations, has been doing a terrific job. Our material support to Frances has been minor, but I hope that our encouragement and advice on Braille codes for East Timor has given Frances encouragement and helped to keep her going.

State Branches

The ABA has eight state and territory branches. Whilst some of them have continued to work steadily and effectively this year, others have struggled. We recognize that contact by the ABA national executive with state and territory branches has not been consistent, and we are committed to improving internal communication within the ABA next year.

A highlight in Victoria was the national Braille reading competition and equipment display held to celebrate the contribution made by Louis Braille, with 2002 being the 150th anniversary of his death. The day was very successful, and was enjoyed by participants all round. These days are a lot of hard work for some people and I would like to thank those who worked so hard to make the event so successful. Full details are given in the report of the Victorian State Convenor.

In New South Wales the Braille essay competition for school students was a great success. Prizes were presented on the occasion of the launch of the Joan Ledermann Memorial Braille Collection, giving prominence to the young prize winners, Braille readers of tomorrow. Again, I pay tribute and express appreciation to our colleagues in Sydney who organized the Braille essay competition this year. More details are given in the NSW report.

ABA Web Page

We haven't made much progress on the ABA web page this year. It will be accessible via a link from the Round Table website, rather than being an autonomous website. We have started the planning for the collection of links and documents to be available, and we hope to have the ABA web page visible by the end of the year.

ICEB and UEBC

It has been a quiet year for ICEB, the International Council on English Braille. Following the meeting of the ICEB Executive Committee held in Auckland during January 2002, there have been no further meetings. The ABA Executive feels that ICEB should make more use of teleconferences and email to hold short Executive meetings and keep the work of sub-committees bubbling along.

Work on development of the UEBC (Unified English Braille Code) has continued. After the January 2002 meeting of the ICEB Executive the UEBC Project Committee has been reviewing some previous decisions. Thus far, previous decisions have been retained; and the final major discussion is concerned with the permissible extensions to shortform words in Braille. There has been a small amount of work with other committees, but nothing major. The Rules Committee and the Formatting committee both made progress, and their work should be completed later this year.

Appreciation

I wish to thank members of the ABA Executive Committee for their efforts throughout the year. It has been a good group to work with: everyone is knowledgeable and committed, and all members have made significant contributions to the committee's work. I also acknowledge the contributions made by the leaders of ABA state and territory branches. Together we are a diverse family of people all working to improve the situation of Braille readers in Australia.

Conclusion

It has been another stable year for the Australian Braille Authority. Work has continued regarding codes, formatting, UEBC and other matters, and some good progress has been made. We see the need to consult widely about Braille codes to be used in the future in Australia, and this process will begin later this year. The work of state And territory branches continues, with some groups active and some very quiet; and we recognize the need for closer contact with and more support to branches.

Braille is the key to literacy for blind people, it enables us to read and to write. It is supported by computer technology, not supplanted by it. Braille is a link with living language, and therefore Braille codes must be adaptable as language changes, and as print conventions change. We have a big challenge before us, to determine the most appropriate Braille codes to be used in australia for the next several decades, since we are approaching a time when change is needed. Let us work together and hear diverse and minority opinion, as well as conventional and mainstream views; let us have the courage to propose change, where we think it is required; and let us have the wisdom to approach change carefully, so that in the future we will have no regrets.

William Jolley (Chairperson)
Australian Braille Authority

ABA NSW

During 2002, members of the NSW Subcommittee of the Australian Braille Authority have been active at national and state levels in a range of braille-related initiatives and activities. Meetings have been well attended, with some excellent presentations from national and international guest speakers. Members of the NSW Subcommittee have participated in the following national events and projects:

Louis Braille Commemorative Braille Reading Competition

The Victorian Subcommittee of ABA hosted the Louis Braille Commemorative Braille Reading Competition. This event commemorated the 150th anniversary of Louis Braille's death. The New South Wales entrants who gathered at 2RPH Radio for the Print Handicapped in Glebe on 12th October were Rebecca Wong (Junior division), Andrew Head (Junior division) and Emma Pham (adult division). Competition winners were announced on 2RPH during the afternoon of the competition, and Rebecca and Andrew were among the winners. Congratulations are extended to members of the Victorian Subcommittee for hosting such an excellent event.

Launch of the Joan Ledermann Memorial Braille Collection

The launch of the Joan Ledermann Memorial braille collection of the Miles Franklin Award short-listed books for 2002 took place in December 2002. This was a national Australian Braille Authority event, and was hosted in conjunction with Blind Citizens Australia and Royal Blind Society NSW. The night honoured Joan Ledermann, who was a long serving member of the ABA NSW Subcommittee and who had represented the Australian Braille Authority both nationally and internationally. The event took place in Sydney, with approximately 70 guests from around Australia in attendance. Prize winners of the NSW Subcommittee Braille Competition were announced during the evening.

National pilot study project

During October and November 2002, Frances Gentle and Elisabeth Wegener, on behalf of St Edmund's School and Renwick College, undertook a national pilot study project. The project involved the collection of information from people with vision impairment, their families and educators about challenges and successful strategies to prepare braille and large print users for formal and informal exams. The results were presented at the January 2003 conference of SPEVI (South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment) in Queensland.

Braille competition 2002

The NSW Subcommittee Braille Competition attracted entries from 20 students in Years two to 12 across New South Wales. The topic for the writing piece was "Your Perfect World: If you had three wishes, how would you change the world?" Many stories submitted addressed the issues of world peace and current global conflicts. Prize winners were Dara Mom, Jenny Sao, Nelson Ruffatt, Remy Sheather and Katrina Moore. Members of the Braille Competition Working Party were Gail Constable, Ruth Silverton, Diana Braun, Marie Shang, Pat Dawson, Lee Kumutat, Josie Howse and Frances Gentle. The success of this event is largely due to the efforts of the working party, and I extend my sincere appreciation to them for their support and commitment to the success of the event.

Subcommittee meetings and guest speakers

Meetings of the NSW Subcommittee take place once a term at the Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club, which provides the meeting room free of charge. Attendance at meetings has been supported by the excellent presentations given by guest speakers, and the opportunity to stay for dinner at the Leagues Club Hawk's Nest restaurant. We have been privileged to host the following guest speakers during 2002:

April 2002:
Bruce Maguire, Policy Officer, Disability Rights Unit, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Topic: Accessing information through technology and the law.
June 2002:
Leanne Duggan, Department of Community Services, and Sam Taylor, student at University NSW.
Topic: Higher education: The role of Braille in the academic lives of tertiary students who are blind.
September 2002:
Elizabeth Johnston, Manager, Younger Learners, Royal National College for the Blind, Hereford, United Kingdom.
Topic: Developing alternative study strategies for teaching mathematics.

The December 2002 meeting was replaced by the Joan Ledermann memorial event.

East Timor project

During 2002, I had the privilege to participate in the development of services for people with vision impairment in East Timor. During June/July 2002, I undertook a Needs Analysis of services in East Timor, on behalf of the International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI). This visit highlighted the difficulties facing people with disabilities in East Timor. Access to education, community and employment options are severely limited due to cultural traditions, impoverishment and centuries of oppression under Portuguese and Indonesian rule. During December 2002, a Tetun braille literacy project was undertaken in the districts of Dili and Aileu, together with the provision of computer technology for the production of braille. The success of the Tetun braille literacy project was made possible by the energy and commitment of fellow members of the team, namely Patricia Woodcroft-Lee, Nigel Herring, and Brother Ambrose Tottenham. Royal Blind Society NSW, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, ICEVI, Christian Brothers NSW and QLD, and St Edmund's and St Gabriel's schools generously provided funding for the June/July and December projects. It is hoped that the commitment of Australian Agencies and organizations for the blind to the development of services for the blind and vision impaired in East Timor will remain strong in 2003. At this stage, a return visit to East Timor is planned during July 2003. An invitation is extended to anyone interested in supporting or being part of the next Braille project, which will target mathematics and tactile graphics.

Dedication to Eva Cooper

Eva Cooper, a long standing member of the Association of Blind Citizens NSW and the Australian Braille Authority, passed away early 2002. The Association honoured Eva's years of commitment through the dedication of braille books purchased with funds collected on her behalf. The NSW Subcommittee donated $100 in recognition of her commitment to braille and her support of the ABA over many years.

Dedication to Jann Rutherford

It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Jann Rutherford in March 2003. Many people will remember Jann for her extraordinary musical ability. If anyone is interested in Jann's Discovery CD, it can be ordered from music stores. The catalog number is: Jann Rutherford "Discovery" TP125.

Jann is recently remembered for her attainment of the Australian Braille Authority Braille Proficiency Certificate examination in 2002. Of the fifteen candidates who sat the national exam, five were from New South Wales. Of these five, Jann successfully attained the Braille Proficiency Certificate. This was a commendable achievement, given the challenges of completing the exam as a touch reader.

Conclusion

I wish to acknowledge and thank Nicola Stowe for her support and exemplary work as Secretary/ Treasurer of the NSW Subcommittee. I would also like to thank all members of the NSW Subcommittee for their ongoing commitment to promoting the Australian Braille Authority and the importance of braille as the primary literacy medium for people who are blind.

One of the challenges facing the NSW Subcommittee in 2003 is the promotion of attendance of young braille users, their families and teachers. The ABA should be proactive in addressing current issues facing young blind people. We must forge links between current ABA members and young blind Australians, for example through the establishment of mentorship opportunities.

I look forward to continuing my association with the members of the NSW Subcommittee in 2003, and thank them for their support.

Frances Gentle (Convener)
ABA NSW Subcommittee.

ABA Queensland

The Queensland Branch of the ABA has retained a small but enthusiastic membership and the meetings have provided a valuable forum for discussion of national and international issues in Braille.

The legal requirement for tactile signage under the Australian Building Code has generated many queries from the public and has increased community awareness of the need for tactile maps. As a result the Tactual Mapping Group has been particularly active and continues to develop and update maps on request. Refinements in presentation have enabled the maps to be read more easily. Maps produced in the past year have included those of the Central Business Districts in the regional centres of Ipswich and Toowoomba, the Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane and the Gold Coast venue of the recent SPEVI (South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment) Conference.

The organisation of our annual Braille Reading and Writing Competition requires a significant commitment of time and Jackie Booty provided invaluable support in this regard.

In 2002 thirty-five students participated in the competition which caters for all levels of Braille literacy. Competition winners were generously rewarded with prize money donated by the Queensland Braille Writing Association, which also presented all participants with a Braille book. However, one of the most rewarding aspects of the competition day was the camaraderie between students as friendships were made and renewed.

During 2003, in conjunction with SPEVI Queensland, we hope to run a formatting workshop for both teachers and transcribers. We also hope to network further with other branches of the ABA to learn of successful strategies, meeting formats etc. We are looking forward to a productive year.

Report prepared by: Maureen Ward (Secretary) and
Leanne Smith (Convenor)
ABA Queensland Subcommittee.

ABA Victoria

Introduction

During 2003, we continued to receive and appreciate support from NILS and VAF which allowed us to have the resources to successfully operate as an ABA subcommittee.

We met four times during 2002 and we have planned to continue to hold future meetings on the third Monday of March, June, September and December and any other extra general meetings where necessary.

Unfortunately, attendance numbers have remained at an average of ten people, with most attendees being braille transcribers. Whilst the participation of transcribers is welcomed and valued, I would have hoped that the introduction of a regular guest speaker segment at meetings and changing the meeting venue to Vision Australia would have improved the number of braille users, educators and other interested people attending our meetings.

Elections

During the March 2002 meeting, elections were held for Convenor and Secretary. I was elected unopposed to the position of Convenor and Leona Holloway was elected unopposed to the position of Secretary. These positions will be held for two years.

Louis Braille Commemorative Event

One of the major focuses for the Subcommittee last year was the conduct of a commemorative event to honour the 150th anniversary of Louis Braille's death.

A subcommittee was formed, consisting of Allen Egerton, Nadine Riches, Elaine Leahy and Vyvette Baptist. These four people worked very hard throughout the year to ensure a successful function was held.

The subcommittee decided that the commemorative event would take the form of a national Reading competition, as well as a display of old and new braille Equipment runningparallel. As can be imagined, organising something of this scale involves a great deal of effort and cooperation in such things as securing sponsors and judges, arranging venues and technical assistance, advertising and arranging dissemination of information to entrants. All this work was done on a voluntary basis and the dedication of those involved is appreciated by all ABA members.

This fun and informative occasion was held on 12th October 2002. Both the competition and the display were held at Vision Australia Foundation at Kooyong and attracted a wide range of interest.

There were two categories for the reading competition: Juniors (under 16) and Adults, with entrants totaling 21 in all, across four states of Australia. The ability to open the competition to interstate readers was made possible through the assistance of the RPH radio network.

We were privileged to have author Stephen Carroll as one of the adjudicators. Stephen was reportedly "gobsmacked" by the quality of the competition. Many requests for a yearly repeat of the event have been received, however it was a special event to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Louis Braille and will not become an annual event. In addition, the effort required to plan and hold such an event means that it would be too difficult to make it an annual occurrence.

We felt the day served its purpose of remembering Louis Braille and the benefits that the braille code has given to vision impaired readers in the 150 years since its inventor's passing. It also met the aim of raising awareness in the general community of the importance of braille literacy to children and adults with a vision impairment.

Information Exchange

Those attending meetings are kept up to date with braille happenings in Australia and internationally through the dissemination of extracts from notices put out by the Australian Blindness forum, as well as posts from the ozbrl and vip-l listservs, interstate ABA subcommittee minutes and other such sources of information exchange. This serves to keep members informed of current trends, developments and upcoming conferences.

ABA Braille Proficiency Test

Four members successfully undertook last year's ABA Braille Proficiency examination and it was heartening to see that a number of other people attempted the test. We encourage them to keep up their hard work in achieving their accreditation.

Comment was made that provision of answers with the sample exam helped greatly in preparation.

Guest Speakers

In March we did not have a guest speaker but some members took up an invitation to join Young Blind Citizens Victoria in May at a presentation from Gillian Gale. Gillian talked about braille literacy in general and the research work she was recently involved with which looked at current braille literacy trends within Australia.

In addition, Gillian demonstrated the Switched On Braille program, a computer-based program aimed at teaching braille to sighted people, and produced by Quantum Technology in consultation with Gillian.

In June, Bill Jolley, newly appointed President of the ABA, was our guest speaker. He spoke about the progress being made with the Unified English Braille Code (UEBC).

At the September meeting, I swapped my Convenor's hat for a guest speaker's hat and gave a presentation on the range of personal data assistants from Pulse Data Australia, known as the BrailleNote and VoiceNote products. I discussed and demonstrated the various functions and features these products have to offer.

Tactile Signage

Over the year, we have been approached by a few different sign makers seeking feedback on the quality of their tactile signs. Members have been willing and eager to provide this feedback and sign makers have attended meetings to introduce their company and show samples of their tactile signs. The sign makers have said that the feedback has been very useful and that they intend to implement many of the suggestions arising from these sessions.

Braille Phonetics

It was brought to our attention by a couple of braille transcribers that the codes used in Australia for brailling phonetics were incomplete and needed some revamping. In addition, it was felt that a guide was needed for transcribers who are not familiar with phonetic transcription to assist in their work in this area.

Approaches were made to the ABA National Executive in order to address these issues.

As the code used in Australia is based on the British codes, a special teleconference was held with Stephen Phippen, a codes specialist at Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and secretary of the Braille Authority of the United Kingdom (BAUK). Stephen stated that the phonetics code has not been updated by BAUK recently and there are no plans for further work.

With respect to the limited resources that we are all working with, we would hope that the National Executive can give further consideration to the issue of phonetic braille transcription in Australia as there seems to be a growing need for it and it would be disappointing if the matter was not taken any further.

Conclusion

In summary, the past year has been a rewarding one for the Victorian Subcommittee of ABA, as we have learnt a great deal, built stronger working relations with the blindness sector and general community, availed ourselves of several opportunities to participate in various projects and had fun. We look forward to the challenges and chances that 2003 may present.

Ramona Mandy (Convenor)
ABA Victoria Subcommittee.

East Timor Developments In Service Provision

Frances Gentle: Frances is the Vision Services Coordinator, at St Edmund's School, Wahroonga, and Adjunct Lecturer, Renwick College, Faculty of Education, University of Newcastle, affiliated with Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, North Rocks, NSW. She can be contacted at:

St Edmund's School
PO Box 582, Wahroonga NSW 2076 Australia
Ph 61+2+9487 1044, Fax 61+2+9489 0069
Email: vision@stedmunds.nsw.edu.au
Internet: www.stedmunds.nsw.edu.au

Background:

This report details developments in the provision of services for people with vision impairment in East Timor during the period 1st and 15th December 2002. These developments had their origins in a needs analysis carried out on behalf of the International Council for the Education of People with Vision Impairment (ICEVI) in East Timor during June/July 2002. The ICEVI needs analysis reported that services for all people with disabilities in East Timor were minimal. People with vision impairment did not attend schools and, with the exception of a small few, were illiterate. Employment, community and leisure activities were severely limited, with most blind people restricted to their home environments. Basic services such as electricity, sanitation and access to clean water were severely limited in the villages outside the urban area of Dili.

Project outline

The December 2002 project addressed the following three objectives:

The key people involved in the project were as follows:

Objective 1:

Support of the development of a project partnership between national and international non-government organizations to establish services for people with vision impairment:

Christoffel Blindenmission/ Christian Blind Mission (CBM) responded to the July 2002 ICEVI Project Report with an expression of interest in establishing a project partnership with an East Timorese NGO to support the development of Fundasaun Fuan Nabilan Ba Matan Aat, a fledgling East Timorese organization for people with vision impairment. CBM is an international charitable service organization based in Germany, dedicated to helping people with vision impairment and other disabilities in Third World countries. The Southeast Asia and Pacific Regional Office (CBM-SEAPRO) currently supports more than 90 projects in ten countries in the region, through its regional office in the Philippines. Globally, CBM currently supports approximately 1000 projects in 107 countries.

A meeting was planned for 4th December 2002 to explore the feasibility of a project partnership within East Timor. Despite the cancellation of the meeting due to riots in Dili, the groundwork for the establishment of a project partnership between CBM-SEAPRO and Just World Partners/TimorAid was achieved.

Just World Partners is a network of independent non-government organizations working to develop and sustain the economy or rural communities in the South Pacific. It is a registered charity, with its head office in Scotland. TimorAid is an East Timorese non-government aid organization, funded by overseas bodies to conduct a range of projects, including literacy for women, capacity building and the Disabled Children project.

The project partnership between Fuan Nabilan Ba Mataan Aat, CBM and TimorAid will focus on the development of a five-year plan of action that, in addition to strengthening Fuan Nabilan, will lay the groundwork for services for people with vision impairment. It is hoped that Fuan Nabilan will become a project partner with CMB in its own right once it has developed sufficient management skills.

Objective 2:

Braille literacy "Train the Trainer" program in the districts of Dili and Aileu:

Between Monday 2nd and 8th December, Braille literacy training took place at Fuan Nabilan in the Dili suburb of Bairopite. Four staff members of Fuan Nabilan participated in the training program, which consisted of a mixture of theory and practical applications. The staff members had opportunities to apply their learning with Fuan Nabilan students in attendance. Assistance with the training program was provided by Sonia Ferreira of the Edmund Rice Community (language translation) and Brother Ambrose Tottenham of St Gabriel's School, Queensland. A similar training program took place between 10th and 13th December in Aileu District. Three staff members and two volunteer "Community Motivators" of the Maryknoll Sisters participated in the program, with Patricia Woodcroft-Lee providing language translation.

The introductory braille literacy training program included the following areas:

Support information was provided in the form of an introductory braille literacy training manual (Tetun and English versions produced). The manual was produced by Frances Gentle, with Tetun language translation provided by the Mary Mackillop Institute for East Timorese Studies, NSW. The manual contained information on theoretical and practical aspects of braille literacy development.

Following extensive discussion with organizations and individuals during and after the June/July 2002 East Timor project, it was determined that the most appropriate braille code for East Timor was Portuguese. The Portuguese braille code contains all the required language features of Tetun, and facilitates the use of Portuguese words, such as place names and common Portuguese names. It will accommodate Portuguese literacy acquisition if and when braille-using students are enrolled in regular schools in East Timor, where the language of lessons is currently moving to Portuguese. The use of the Portuguese braille code is also is in line with current East Timorese government policy and perspectives on language.

Objective 3:

Provision of braille production technology:

During a meeting with Just World Partners/TimorAid in July 2002, agreement was reached to release grant funds from Jersey Overseas Aid for the purchase of braille production technology for East Timor. The selection of appropriate hardware and software for the production of Tetun language materials using Portuguese braille was organised by Nigel Herring of Pentronics and Terry Kenaghan of Optek Systems, NSW. The provision of voice output software was also explored at length. Challenges included the selection of appropriate hardware and software to accommodate the languages of Tetun, Bahasa Indonesia, Portuguese and English, the selection of an embosser that would handle high humidity levels, and the selection of a computer operating system that would cope with the frequent power failures experienced in Dili.

The braille equipment was formally handed over to Mr Arsenio Bano, Secretary of State for Labour and Solidarity, at a special ceremony on December 3rd, International Day of Disabled Persons. Although officially the property of the East Timorese government, the equipment was in turn handed over to Fuan Nabilan by Mr Bano at the ceremony.

The staff of Fuan Nabilan received braille technology training from Nigel Herring between 2nd and 7th December. This included training in computing, Duxbury translation software, braille embosser technology, JAWS voice output software, book binding, and "trouble-shooting". Patricia Woodcroft-Lee and Sonia Ferreira provided language support for the training session. Nigel Herring will provide future back-up technology support by telephone. Colin Scott of Just World Partners/ TimorAid, Dili will provide basic "hands-on" support.

The future

It is hoped that the project partnership between CBM-SEAPRO and Just World Partners/TimorAid will result in the development of Fundasaun Fuan Nabilan Matan Aat as a resource centre and provider of services. The training in braille literacy and the provision of braille production technology are "first steps" in this process.

Some of the issues/areas of need to be addressed in the future include the following:

Summary

The development of services for people with vision impairment in East Timor is at an embryonic stage. The international community has an important role to play in the provision of financial, human and physical resources to address the educational, vocational and community needs of people with vision impairment. It is hoped that a project partnership between Christian Blind Mission-SEAPRO and Just World Partners/TimorAid will result in a significant contribution to the development of Fundasaun Fuan Nabilan Ba Matan Aat as a resource centre and service provider across the thirteen districts/regions of East Timor.

The introductory braille literacy "train the trainer" programs in Dili and Aileu were very successful. The production of a Tetun braille literacy manual, together with the supply of hand frames, Perkins brailler, braille paper, Tetun literacy books, audio cassette players and cassettes, and tactile graphic kits should enable the staff of Fuan Nabilan and Maryknoll Sisters to teach beginning braille with confidence. Follow-up training is required, including the introduction of the Portuguese braille mathematics code and effective teaching methods in the area of mathematics.

The introduction of braille computer/embosser technology will enable Fuan Nabilan to supply braille books and braille materials across East Timor in the future. In the short term, technical support will be achieved through telephone communication with Nigel Herring of Pentronics, and "hands-on" support by Colin Scott of Just World Partners/TimorAid, Dili.

The development of educational services for people with vision impairment in the districts outside Dili continues to be a challenge. The numbers of people who are blind or vision impaired in not known. Their distribution is scattered, often in remote villages that are many hours walking distance from central towns. Roads can be inaccessible during the wet season. The placement of trained teachers of the vision impaired as volunteers could be one way of providing children with an education. The teacher could promote capacity building and disability awareness in the districts through the provision of literacy, numeracy and mobility training programs for educators and school administrators of village schools, community leaders and families.

The work undertaken in December 2002 has addressed some of the issues identified in the July 2002 ICEVI East Timor Report. It is hoped that the impetus will be carried forward into 2003 and the years ahead through international and national cooperation and commitment to the improvement of the quality of life of people with vision impairment in East Timor.

Acknowledgements:

The braille literacy and braille technology work by Frances Gentle and Nigel Herring in East Timor during December 2002 was generously funded by the following organizations. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.

Thanks are also extended to the following people:

References

Anyone interested in joining the Email East Timor Interest Group is welcome to contact Frances via her home email address, fgentle@optushome.com.au, or by ringing St Edmund's on 02 9487 1044.

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