June 2010 New Zealand answd newsletter.doc

Australasian Network of Students With Disabilities (ANSWD)
NEWSLETTER
Contents
Page 2 – introduction
Page 3 – Letter to editor and ANSWD news
Page 4 – answd meetings, ANSWD Mentoring resource webpage, Disclaimer, swd reps news and Join the quest for a new name for Disabled People... - NZ Disability Media Collective
Page 5 United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Office for Disability Issues, Auckland University Accessible Travel survey and Making it Work
Page 7 - Adaptive Technology Solutions
Page 8General information about Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd
Page 10 - About Adaptive Technology Solutions
Page 11 Talking GPS for people who are blind or with low vision
Page 13 Calendar Dates: Adaptive Technology Solutions Events, Standards Plus events, THE 8TH WBUAP ONKYO BRAILLE ESSAY CONTEST 2010 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Page 15 - Human Rights Commission review of Human Rights of persons with disabilities in New Zealand and Cisco academy for the vision impaired now accepting students
Page 16 - Waikato Health and Disability Expo and Endnotes
Introduction
If you are not busy with assignments and exams, this is the June 2010 ANSWD Aotearoa New Zealand newsletter. To jump between pages in this newsletter use control +Page Up and Control +Page Down. To open links in this word document, right click (JAWS KEY+ {(key next to letter P) then JAWS KEY + 9) on the hyperlink which opens a menu, scroll down for "Open Hyperlinks" and press enter. For those who don't know, the Australasian Network of Students With Disabilities (ANSWD) is a student organisation, advocating, promoting, lobbying and campaigning on disability issues. We seek to achieve equality, access, and representation of students with disabilities in the tertiary education sector throughout Australia and New Zealand.
To join ANSWD, you will have to join the discussion list.

Contacts


Letter to Editor
Maureen Gray: Is there a New Zealand careers forum specific to tertiary students with disabilities?
Editor: (scratching head) There is the Association for Supported Employment in New Zealand but I think that is more for employment providers than people with disabilities searching for employment. I hope someone reading or listening to this newsletter would have an answer.

Why is the New Zealand ANSWD newsletter shorter than the Australian ANSWD newsletter?
(scratching head)

ANSWD news
ANSWD charter
ANSWD Policy statement
Submissions and Responses
NZ answd 2010 flyer
High school answd flyer
We need people to fill positions in a casual position until actual date of meetings.
The Annual General Meeting will be held in the Pathways Conference in December 2010. In the meanwhile we want ordinary members to fill positions:
Co-convener New Zealand
Access to Campus Facilities policy coordinator
Access to Employment policy coordinator
Access to Information and Adaptive technology policy coordinator
Legal and Financial issues relating to students with disabilities policy coordinator
National Disability Insurance Scheme policy coordinator
Sport and Recreation on tertiary educational institutions' policy coordinator
Student Representation policy coordinator

The charter states that regional positions are to be elected at Regional Meetings held in February after the Annual General Meeting. In the meanwhile we want ordinary or regional members to fill positions:
Regional Organisers in the Regions of
North Island
South Island

Alumni members before applying for the above should check out the charter and attempt to comply with that first.

If you believe that you are eligible to apply, send an email to
convenor@answd.org
with your name, position, tertiary educational institution and what you are currently studying. If there are more people for a particular position, an formal election would then be held.

Answd Meetings at
http://www.answd.org/about/meeting-minutes.html

Answd Mentoring resource web page
http://www.answd.org/issues/mentoring.html

Disclaimer
Information and Links to external websites and organisations placed on this ANSWD newsletter does not in any way suggest endorsement nor formal affiliation with the linked organisation or service provider. The purpose is to provide information to our members and the broader community.

Students With disabilities representative news
Tell your Student Council's student with disabilities representative to join the student officers email list at
http://answd.org/about/student-officers.html

Regardless whether they are filled or not, out of the twenty or so student councils/organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand , we understand that there are student with disabilities positions located in the following five Student Councils:
Auckland Student Movement @ AUT
Christchurch Polytechnic Students' Association
MUSA at Massey University
WelTec - Students' Association
WITSA - Waiariki Institute of Technology Student Association.

Information about future elections
Auckland Student Movement @ AUT, Nominations for next year's representatives yet to be open
http://www.ausm.org.nz/student-voice/ausm-executive/current-executive/

WelTec - Students Association - Election Info
http://www.weltec.ac.nz/SUPPORTSERVICES/StudentsAssociation/ElectionInfo/tabid/108/Default.aspx

CPSA | Christchurch Polytechnic Students' Association - Exec Portfolios
http://www.cpsa.org.nz/student-exec/student-exec/exec-portfolios.html


Vacancies
Auckland Student Movement @ AUT, Disability officer
http://www.ausm.org.nz/student-voice/ausm-executive/current-executive/office-holders/disabilities-officer/


Join the quest for a new name for Disabled People... - NZ Disability Media Collective
http://disabilitymedia.ning.com/profiles/blogs/join-the-quest-for-a-new-name?xg_source=shorten_twitter

United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Office for Disability Issues
http://www.odi.govt.nz/what-we-do/un-convention/

Auckland University Accessible Travel survey
http://www.nztri.org.nz/accessconference/

Making it Work
As part of our Journey to Work project we are launching an online forum to give people with disabilities a space to share their experiences of school, training and employment.
We created the Making It Work wiki (http://makingitwork.wikispaces.com) to encourage discussion around the barriers that the disability community faces in education and employment.
Wikis are a great way to connect people, talk online and share personal experiences. The Making It Work wiki is free to use but if you want to contribute to the discussion you’ll need sign-in online. See below for more information about wikis and signing in if you’re unsure about what to do.
If you’re more a reader than a talker, see the case studies about other people’s journeys to work as well as the full text of the recently released Journey to Work report.
We have used a wiki so that staff are able to participate in the discussion and it is more accessible than other online forums such as Facebook.
Please pass this on to anyone you think would be interested in the discussion – clients, contacts in other organisations, friends and family.
For enquires or wiki help contact Jo Boyle, Communications Advisor at CCS Disability Action on comms@ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz


More about wikis
Wikis are quite simple to use. They usually consist of a homepage and a discussion page – where anybody can add or ‘post’ a discussion question and others can post a comment or read what has been said.
On our wiki we have also added some people’s stories which you can click to from the homepage or from the left hand menu. You don’t have to be signed-in to read but you do need to sign-in if you want to leave a comment.
Joining Wikispaces
If you want to make a comment on the wiki, you will need to join first:
1) Go to the Making It Work site, http://makingitwork.wikispaces.com
2) In the top right of the screen, click on the white button that says ‘Wikispaces’
3) Go to the ‘Get started’ box on the right of the screen
4) Enter your details:
• the username you would like to appear on the screen,
• the password you would like
• your email address
5) At the bottom you will be asked if you want to ‘Make a wiki’, select ‘No’
6) This will take you to a ‘Join now’ page to confirm your details
7) The next screen welcomes you to Wikispaces and lets you know that you will need to confirm your email address. Again, where you are asked if you want to ‘Make a wiki’, select ‘No’
8) At this point you need to check your emails and reply to the confirmation email you have been sent by Wikispaces

Making comments on the ‘Making It Work’ wiki
To make a comment on the wiki you need to go back to http://makingitwork.wikispaces.com:
1) Click on ‘Sign In’ at the top right of the screen and enter your details
2) Go to the discussion page and select one of the ‘topics’
3) At the bottom of the page, type your comments into the ‘reply’ box, then click on ‘post’
Kind regards,

Alix Raine
Marketing Coordinator
CCS Disability Action
National Office
TEL 04 384 5677
DDI 04 805 0080
EML media@ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz
www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz


Adaptive Technology Solutions
At Adaptive Technology Solutions we provide assessments, training and
products for people with a range of disabilities, including sensory,
physical and learning disabilities, to make it easier for them to do things
like reading print and using their computer in order to help them achieve
their goals in work, study or leisure.

We work with the client in their location to help them identify their
specific needs & find the right solution.

We offer a one week no obligation free product trial.

If you are a student with a disability, you may be eligible for support
funding to help cover the cost of technology you need as a result of your
disability. You will need to be registered with Workbridge to access
this.

General information about Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd
Many people living with disabilities could discover a whole new world of communication…………………………the potential is enormous

At Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd we provide communication solutions for people with disabilities by providing a quality holistic service in facilitating access to and use of assistive technology.


Who could benefit from our services?
• A person with a visual impairment may need to use screen reading software to access their computer or an electronic magnifier to read print.
• Someone who has difficulty using their hands could benefit from voice dictation software as a means to access their computer.
• A person with a learning disability could benefit from learning support software to make sense of print.

Adaptive Technology Solutions offer a unique service to people with a range of health or accident related disabilities, including sensory; physical; learning or multi-disabilities.


Key Benefits of working with Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd

• We use a holistic approach to assessment and training. For people with multiple disabilities, we will assess and support all of their needs together – so you only have to deal with one organization.

• Our Managing Director speaks from experience, having lived with the effects of disability all her life. Because she uses adaptive technology on a daily basis, Genevieve relates extremely well to other people with disabilities in terms of assessing their needs, providing them with training and giving them the confidence to try something new.

• We specialize in working with people who are blind or have low vision. Because our Managing Director has spent the last seven years working for the Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind providing vocational and assistive technology assessments as well as training, she has built up a wide range of knowledge and experience in various eye conditions and their effects, as well as extensive knowledge of assistive technology solutions in this area

• At Adaptive Technology Solutions, we’re flexible. We generally find that working in the client’s environment is the most effective place for doing assessments and training, whether it is in their workplace or home. We also make ourselves available in the evenings and over weekends if these are the most convenient times.


Our Mission
To enable people with disabilities to participate fully in society through the use and integration of communication technology into their lives.

We work closely with employers and training providers to achieve the most effective outcomes for all concerned.

We sell a range of blindness, low vision and learning support products as well as provide training and support for a number of assistive technology software products including, ZoomText; WYNN; Dragon NaturallySpeaking and J-Say.

To contact us please phone: 04 528 7600 or email info@adaptivetech.co.nz. Visit our web site at www.adaptivetech.co.nz
Testimonials at
http://www.adaptivetech.co.nz/Testimonials.html



About Adaptive Technology Solutions
Ltd
Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd was born from a long held dream of Managing Director, Genevieve McLachlan, to establish her own business enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.

Genevieve comes from a professional background of almost 15 years spent integrating people with disabilities throughout New Zealand (both ACC and health related), highlighting to her the need for a new approach to helping individuals’ access assistive technology.

After almost seven years working for the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, providing vocational and assistive technology assessments and training for blind and low vision clients - and following Genevieve’s extensive research - it became apparent that there was no one agency providing a holistic approach to assessment and training for people with multiple disabilities. Most agencies provide services for one disability type, e.g. sensory or physical but not both. This means that people with multiple disabilities often have to work with more than one agency and complete more than one assessment - causing frustration and anxiety for the client, as well as additional expense for the funding agency.

At Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd we use a holistic approach to provide assessments and training for people with multiple disabilities, resulting in more effective outcomes and making the entire process easier to understand and cost effective.




Talking GPS for people who are blind or with low vision
Trekker Breeze 1.2: more information, more confidence, more travel!

Longueuil, QC, Canada, April 28, 2010 -- HumanWare announces the release of Breeze version 1.2, the latest free software upgrade for its popular all-in-one talking GPS. Breeze 1.2 provides new improvements to allow people who are blind or with low vision to discover and enjoy their surroundings with full confidence.

Receive directions to a Point of Interest

Well-received in our other HumanWare GPS products, this feature is now available on the Breeze. When walking or travelling by vehicle, you can now find and receive turn-by-turn instructions to restaurants, shops, pharmacies and many other useful points of interest (P.O.Is). With the "What's Around" feature, you can select one destination among many popular categories. Breeze will announce the 50 closest P.O.Is within 5 miles (8 kilometres) and provide directions by simply pressing the "Confirm" key.

Navigate in full comfort

The new generation Text-to-Speech is amazingly clear and louder. New voices are now available in English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, German and Spanish. English speaking users can choose from a US or UK voice.

More reliable and accurate positioning

When walking in urban areas, your position and location is more precise. The system also announces more quickly any changes in your travel direction. Whether in a car or bus, you can get enriched information such as the distance to the next instruction and the Points of Interest as you travel.

We encourage all existing Breeze users to take advantage of these free improvements. Please find a detailed description of the contents of this version in the "What's New in Breeze 1.2" document. Both the software and Release Notes can be downloaded from our website at: http://www.humanware.com/breeze_support.

New maps

Updated country maps will soon be available for download for the Breeze and Trekker Pro. The map update is planned for May 2010.

Trekker Pro upgrade

A free software upgrade to version 3.1 will be released for Trekker Pro customers in May. Trekker Pro version 3.1 contains a wide range of features, such as automatic rerouting, superior positioning algorithm, more route information and POI detection in motorized, off-line and free mode. Additional GPS receivers are also available on the GPS receiver list.

GPS solutions from HumanWare are designed to enhance outdoor orientation and travel. Easy, intuitive and affordable, Breeze offers these benefits in an all-in-one hand size device. Designed to meet the needs of users who are visually impaired, the Breeze is also a great aid for teaching mobility. Stay tuned as we continue further development and bring other popular GPS features to the Trekker Breeze in future releases.

Please contact HumanWare for more information.
New Zealand: 0508 225 5734

Calendar Dates
Events of Adaptive Technology Solutions is at
http://www.adaptivetech.co.nz/Whats-On.html

Standards Plus events
http://www.imaginebetter.co.nz/events_calandar.php

THE 8TH WBUAP ONKYO BRAILLE ESSAY CONTEST 2010 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS
(A project sponsored by the Onkyo Corporation Ltd. and The Braille Mainichi Newspaper, in collaboration with the World Blind Union-Asia Pacific Region, WBUAP)
Greetings to all of you from the staff of Onkyo Corporation, The Braille Mainichi Newspaper, and the Board/Policy Council Members of WBUAP.

We have much pleasure to announce the start of the 8th WBUAP Onkyo Braille Essay Contest for blind and vision-impaired people in the Asia Pacific Region. Please read the Terms and Conditions carefully and participate in this exciting Contest.

1. OBJECTIVES
1.1. To promote Braille literacy and to encourage the reading and writing habit among blind and vision-impaired people in the region.
1.2. To promote cultural and social interaction among blind and vision-impaired people in the region through their writings.
1.3. To encourage them to take advantage of the potential of writing as a means of earning some income.
1.4. To encourage blind and vision-impaired people to play active roles, through their writings and through the organisations they belong to, in changing what it means to be blind.
2. TOPICS:
2.1. In what practical ways can Braille be used in your daily life?
2.2. How Braille and audio devices help me to integrate into society.
2.3. How can a blind person become successful in music?
3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Participation in the Contest is open to all blind and vision-impaired people from the ages of 14 and above (except for past Otsuki winners and blind people from Japan) in the WBUAP region under the following terms and conditions:
3.1. Submit your essay in Braille, either in your native language or in English, to your National Onkyo Selection Committee (NOSC) on or before 28 June 2010. Computerised Braille can be accepted if your NOSC can verify that you are Braille literate.
3.2. The essay must be original and one contestant may only submit one entry.
3.3. The Contest is open to two age groups:
Group A: Blind and vision-impaired persons between the ages of 14 and 25 years.
Group B: Blind and vision-impaired persons from the ages of 26 years and above.
3.4. The length of the essay should be between 750 and 1,000 words when it reaches the WBUAP Onkyo Selection Committee (WOSC) even after translation.
IMPORTANT: Essays that are too short or too lengthy will not be considered.
3.5. VERY IMPORTANT: Please note that the following information must be given or your entry will be disqualified:
(a) Full name (as in birth certificate, passport or legal documents).
(b) Age (attach a statement from someone in authority to confirm the information).
(c) Female or male (email an electronic photo).
(d) Status: Occupation (student, homemaker, etc).
(e) Name, address and email of the National Affiliate you belong to or the school/college you are studying in.
(f) Telephone, fax and email of contestant.
3.6. The closing date is 28 June 2010. Your essay, if written in your native language, must be translated into English by your NOSC before it is forwarded to the WOSC on or before 30 June 2010.
3.7. As this Contest is limited to a maximum of five best entries from each country, you are strongly advised to submit your essay as early as possible. Should the WOSC receive more than five entries from each country, WOSC will randomly select the required number for consideration. If you do not know whether there is a National Onkyo Selection Committee in your country, kindly email the Secretary General of WBUAP for the information.
3.8. The decision of the Sponsors and the WOSC is final and no correspondence will be entertained.
4. PRIZES
Cash prizes will be awarded to the best seven entries received from both the age groups from all countries.
4.1. The Otsuki Prize: US $1,000.00 and a trophy. This overall prize is given to the best entry from either of the age groups.
4.2. Excellent Works: US $500.00 and a trophy. Two prizes will be given, one to each age group.
4.3. Fine Works: US $200.00. Four prizes will be given, two to each age group.
5. RESULTS AND PRIZE PRESENTATION:
5.1. The WOSC will meet at the end of July 2010. The results will be forwarded to the sponsors by mid-August.
5.2. The WOSC will announce the winners immediately on receiving the approval from the sponsors around the beginning of November 2010. The prizes will then be sent to the respective NOSCs for presentation to the winners.
5. COPYRIGHT
The Onkyo Corporation Ltd. and the Braille Mainichi Newspaper will own the copyright of all winning essays and they reserve the right to publish them in the manner they so choose.

Thank you for your participation and best of luck.
Ivan Ho Tuck Choy
Secretary General of WBUAP and Co-ordinator for the implementation of the 8th WBUAP Onkyo Braille Essay Contest 2010

C/o National Council for the Blind, Malaysia
94B Jalan Tun Sambanthan
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel. no: 603-2272 4959 (extension 322)
Fax no: 603-2272 4960
Mobile: 6013-340 8816 or 6012-218 2311
Email: ncftb@po.jaring.my


Human Rights Commission review of Human Rights of persons with disabilities in New Zealand
Draft chapter at
http://www.hrc.co.nz/hrc_new/hrc/cms/files/documents/06-May-2010_16-34-42_Rights_of_disabled_people.html
Send comments by July 9 to
http://hrcnz.wufoo.com/forms/review-of-human-rights-in-new-zealand-2010/

Cisco academy for the vision impaired now accepting students
Greetings.
Are you curious about the hardware inside of your computer? Do you want to sharpen your troubleshooting and computer maintenance skills? Perhaps you would like to build a computer or home network of your own. The Cisco academy for the vision impaired is accepting applicants for classes in the second semester of 2010. We Will be offering IT Essentials 1, Discovery 1 and Exploration 1 starting the last week of July.
ITE1 is an introduction to PC repair including: Hardware, installing and maintaining an operating system, Troubleshooting, portable devices, and customer service.
Discovery 1 is focused on home and small business networking. It is the first of four courses that prepare students to take the CCNA certification.
Exploration is a more in depth look at networking, both theoretical and practical for those students who wish to really get their hands into building and designing networks.
Each class runs for a total of six months, with online lectures. The classes are self-
paced so you can finish them in a month, or take the entire semester if desired. The cost for each course is $500, however scholarships and discounts are available to eligible students.
Students are required to have good internet access skills and be familiar with their screen reader of choice, or be willing to teach themselves the necessary skills
as we go along. Students should be familiar with reading Adobe PDF documents, as they may be encountered while doing research projects. We do not teach basic computer skills. Course content is online, so a broadband internet connection is highly recommended. You will need an internet plan with at least 1 Gigabyte of traffic per month for completing course work, and downloading recorded lectures if desired. Students should also have a working headset/microphone and be willing to install skype and Ventrilo, in order to attend lectures and communicate with instructors.
Applications will be accepted until 21 July 2010.
The Cisco Academy for the Vision impaired enables blind students to enter the world of Information technology. We provide Diagram descriptions, audio lab recordings, live online lectures by blind and vision impaired instructors, and a community of students and instructors
to network with even after you have graduated our course.
For more information on any of our courses please email caviinfo@gmail.com
You can also check out our new website: www.ciscovision.org.
If you would like more information, or to request an application, please email
caviinfo@gmail.com
Regards,
The CAVI Team



The Waikato Health and Disability Expo is on Friday 17 and 18 September 2010. Information will be available on services and support available. Entry is free. The venue is Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton
For more information:
Email: info@healthanddisability.org.nz
Website: http://www.healthanddisability.org.nz


End Notes
Financial Support links
Getting Accessible Documents
Getting a job as a student with disabilities
Guidelines and Deadlines
Newsletter archive if you missed an issue
Next newsletter in September.
Matthew Gee Kwun Chan
Editor