EAST WIND
Official Newsletter of
the World Blind Union
Message
Yoshihiko Sasagawa
Chairman, National Committee of Welfare for the Blind in
I am always grateful
to the tireless efforts and firm dedications by all the member organizations
and individuals of the World Blind Union-Asia Pacific, for the promotion and
improvements of the status of the blind and visually impaired persons
throughout the Asia Pacific Region.
The year 2007 was one
of the most important and remarkable years for us blind and visually impaired
persons. Countries are gradually signing the UN Convention adopted at the UN
General Assembly on December 12, 2006, and the world has just started moving
toward the realization of the ideal set forth in those Articles. Although only
a small number of countries have so far ratified, every country in the UN has
the obligation to pursue early ratification and putting into the vision into
reality. We may have to deal with various circumstances of each country, but
nonetheless, we must indeed keep working hard together and do our best so that
every person with disability will lead valuable, meaningful and happy life as a
human being.
Letfs keep ourselves
informed of what our colleagues are up to, and work together toward our common
goal.
I hope that East Wind will
play a part of the role for that purpose.
Details of the 9th WBU
General Assembly have been announced. Looking forward to seeing you in
******
FROM THE WORLD BLIND UNION OFFICE
Penny
Hartin
Chief
Executive Officer
World
Blind
At
the beginning of this quadrennium, the WBU Officers undertook a Strategic
Planning exercise in order to determine the key priorities on which to focus
its work during the four year term. These priorities were identified as:
1.
Establish a WBU permanent office
2.
Capacity building and organizational development
3.
Advancing governance and democracy within the
WBU
4.
Generating and managing financial resources
5.
Developing and implementing internal and
external communications
6.
Developing and implementing advocacy and
lobbying strategies
7.
Achieving a world accessible to blind people
8.
Planning of Seventh General Assembly
Specific
initiatives and performance indicators were developed in order to advance the
implementation of these strategies and a number of committees and working
groups were established to advance the work. Achievements on all initiatives
are monitored regularly and reported on at the Officers and Executive meetings
by means of an Operating Plan that was developed to support the Strategic Plan.
We are happy to share any of these documents with our members.
One
of the key priorities was the establishment of the WBU Permanent office. Following the development of a business
plan to support the creation of an office for the WBU, the Executive approved
the plan and a number of WBUfs members offered sponsorship to support the first
few years of operation of the office.
Subsequently a decision was made to house the office within the CNIB
headquarters in
The
office has now been open for approximately one year now. It has been a busy
year since our opening. During that time we have been registered as a not for
profit corporation in Canada; have assumed the membership database; have
initiated regular communications with our members through the bi-monthly
E-bulletin; provide organizational support to all WBU Officers and Executive
meetings as well as the General Assembly organizing committees. We will take
over dues collection in 2008 and are also in the process of moving the website
to
While
it has been a very busy year in which we have focused on establishing a firm
foundation for our operations, it has been a very rewarding one. Our members are
beginning to use the office as their central point for information and regular
contact with the WBU. We can only be effective however, when our members do
communicate with us and keep us informed about changes
within their organizations, in particular their contact information.
WBUfs
work in advocacy at the international level has also been significant. In
particular, our United Nations Working Group played a key role in the
development of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that
was brought before the UN General Assembly in December of 2006. This UN
Convention contains many articles that not only improve human rights for all
persons with disabilities, but which also incorporates specific rights
important to blind persons, such as the right to Braille. The UN Working Group
is presently working on tools to assist our national members to advocate with
their local governments. Through our involvement with the International
Disability Alliance, the WBU is involved in initiatives with the World Health
Organization and UNESCO to ensure the inclusion of blind persons in their
initiatives. Moreover our WBU Copyright and Right to Read Working group has worked very hard with the World Intellectual Property
Organization and other groups to help break down barriers of access to
information for blind persons across borders.
These
are but some examples of the work that has been going on within the WBU at the
international level. We report on these and many more topics via our bimonthly
E-bulletin which is sent to all members. We invite your comments on that and in
particular invite your input so that we can ensure that the E-bulletin reflects
the work that is being done both internationally but regionally and nationally
as well.
******
4-Nation Fact-Finding Mission 2007
Ivan
Ho Tuck Choy
Secretary
General, WBUAP
The President
of the National Council for the Blind, Malaysia,
1.
(a) The Chairman persuaded the Education Centre
for Blind Affairs to join, and the Myanmar National Association of the Blind to
accept their membership. The two organisations, which were not on friendly
terms for the past ten years, have agreed to work together to achieve national
goals.
(b) Also persuaded MNAB to set up the National
Committee on Education For all Visually Impaired Children (NACOMEFAVIC) with
It is heartening to know
that MNAB has now been admitted into WBU as a full National Member with six
delegates.
2.
The
Lao Association of the Blind has just been registered on 17 September and they
would need all the advice and assistance they could get. It will be up to
WBUAP, SEARC and other more established organisations for and of the blind, to
find ways to help them. It is heartening to know that the Danish Association of
the Blind through the DANIDA Project is assisting LAB with their
capacity-Building and encouraging blind women there to be active members.
LAB
is in the process of applying to WBU to be a member. Hopefully, they will be
sending a delegation to the 7th WBU General Assembly in August.
As
a result of our discussions, LAB has just started their Computer Unit and has purchased
two sets of computers for the purpose. Also, they have started exploring with
other organisations to set up the National Committee on Education for All
Visually Impaired Children.
3.
While
in
The other
organisation we visited in
4.
The
We
visited their Training and Rehabilitation Centre where massage, ICT technology
and other skills are taught. We recently learnt that VBA, with the assistance
of the Japanese Embassy, have procured several Braille and Ink-print embossers
to produce dual format books for their children and teachers.
Another
meeting was held with the National Institute for Education, Strategy and
Curriculum Centre. Dr Nguyen Duc Minh, the Deputy Director, is very confident
that his country will be able to achieve the goal of Education For All Visually Impaired Children by 2015.
******
Update from Pacific-Oceania Sub-Region
Kevin
Murfitt (Chair, WBUAP
Pacific-Oceania sub-region)
*Launch of Equipment Recycling Web Site*
At the Regional Assembly of the WBUAP in
The
aim of the website is to recycle surplus low-tech equipment to other people who
are blind or have low vision in Pacific countries.
A
website demonstrating this concept has been created and can be viewed at:
A report of the development and success of
this initiative will be presented at the WBU General Assembly meeting to be
held in
Initially, access to this equipment will be
through either blindness agencies of/for the blind or other allied
organisations and not individuals.
We encourage you to have a look at the
equipment registered as available on the site already, and we are encouraging
all organizations in
I believe that this is a great initiative
and an effective way of assisting all in our sub-region by the use of any
surplus equipment. If you have any questions regarding the above please do not
hesitate to contact either Andrew or myself on:
*adaly@rsb.org.au
*Kevin.murfitt@visionaustralia.org
Steve Rothstein from the
*LOUIS BRAILLE BICENTENARY*
The WBU is encouraging celebrations
worldwide to commemorate Louis Braillefs bi-centenary in 2009. Braille is
central in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision, and we all
should take this opportunity to highlight the benefits of and need for Braille
in our communities. It is also an opportunity to highlight to your community
the talents and needs of people who are blind or have low vision more
generally.
SOME ELEMENTS OF A CELEBRATORY PROGRAMME as
described by WBU President William Roland include:
·
Issuing of commemorative coins
·
Issuing of commemorative postage stamps
·
Naming of roads for Louis Braille, particular in vicinity of blindness
agencies
·
Publication of commemorative brochures
·
Production of documentary films
·
Formation of braille authorities
·
Establishment of braille production units
·
Establishment of braille sections in public libraries
·
Launching of braille literacy projects
·
Launching of campaign whereby all blind children will have text books in
braille by 2009
·
Holding of conferences on development and promotion of braille
·
Making of awards to recognize outstanding contributions in braille
development and provision
·
Staging of essay competitions for blind children - gWhat braille means to
meh
·
Staging of braille reading and writing competitions
·
Organizing of awareness campaigns - gThe importance of brailleh
·
Addressing of schools and service clubs on the heritage of Louis Braille
and the innate abilities of blind people
For example, Vision Australia has submitted
a proposal for a commemorative stamp to be issued in 2009 for the Louis Braille
bi-centenary.
*Inclusive Education Workshop Fiji October
2007*
This recent workshop was hosted jointly by
the Pacific Islands Forum, UNICEF, UNESCO, SPBEA, and the Pacific Disability
Forum, with representatives from the ministries of education and major NGOs of
15 Pacific Island countries (their attendance was sponsored by AusAid). The
recent UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the focus
on inclusive education, has stimulated regional governments to look at current
educational service delivery. Almost half of the countries in the Pacific have
very limited education options for children with disabilities. They share the
challenges of poverty, geography and culture in achieving inclusive education
for all.
The following is a summary of the workshop
from Margaret Verrick of the Australian Blindness Forum, from a report prepared
by Gayle Skinner (Australian Association of Parents of Vision Impaired) and
Paul Manning (Parents of Vision Impaired NZ).
The primary aims of the workshop were to
increase parent participation within the Pacific region and assist with the
development of a national parent structure.
The workshop focused
on:
·
Programs that support parents
·
Parents learning through supporting the education of their children
·
Problems and struggles faced: lack of timely information; lack of
understanding the value of social support systems; financial hardship; lack of
family support or understanding; isolation and lack of transportation; lack of
positive planning for the future
·
The difference made by the support from the CBR (Community Based
Rehabilitation) is helping overcome parental/cultural challenges and
stimulating belief in education
Workshop outcomes
included:
·
Sharing of personal experiences
·
Greater understanding and respect for parentsf knowledge of their child
·
Realisation of the role of education in helping shape a more positive
future
·
Need for regional parent networks
Actions over the next year were identified
as:
·
CBR team to assist and encourage regional parent networks in their
respective regions
·
A national parent forum to be held with representatives from each regional
group
·
A National Parent Association to be established
·
Australian and New Zealand parent groups to continue to provide support
including exploration of NZ Aid and AusAID funding to support the Fijian
National Parent Body
More information about the Australian and
New Zealand parent groups can be found at http://www.aapvi.org.au/
(AAPVI) and
(PVI-NZ).
*The Education For All (EFA) Campaign*
The EFA Campaign launched by the
International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) in
partnership with the World Blind Union is gaining momentum. For example, ICEVI
and the Vietnamese Government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that
will allow the implementation of campaign activities from 2007 until 2010. The National Technical Task Force that
will be working in this country has a plan that includes capacity building,
production of Braille literature, and awareness programmes to create a demand
for education. The goal in the
region is to provide access to education with a target of 100% access for all
children by the year 2015.
In the Pacific region Frances Gentle,
(Chair, ECIVI Pacific) is leading the implementation of the Education For All initiative in
collaboration with a committee including Dr Jill Keeffe, currently Senior Vice
President of ICEVI, James Aiwa, Garoka University (PNG), Tricia dfApice, Doreen
Roebeck, Setareki Macanawai, CEO Pacific Disability Forum Fiji, Karen Stobbs,
Sandie Mackevicius, President of SPEVI, Kevin Murfitt (Chair of World Blind
Union Pacific-Oceania Sub-Region), Cheng Hock Kua(President of World Blind
Union Asia-Pacific Region); Paul Manning (Executive Officer of Parents of
Vision Impaired NZ), and Gayle Skinner (President of Australian Association for
Parents of Vision Impaired Inc). (sorry for those I couldnft find titles for).
The Education for All (EFA) initiative in
the Pacific region will be highlighted at a forum in Fiji early in 2008. This
forum will seek participants from across the Pacific region interested in
increasing education for people who are blind or have low vision.
*Papua New Guinea Blind Union (PNG-BU)
With support from the Danish Government
through John Hilbren from the Danish association for the Blind, the PNG-BU is
attempting to increase and spread their membership nationally, and organize a
national assembly where they can hold elections for a representative Board, and
hold workshops and training to better enable PNG-BU to become an effective
advocacy and peer support organization for PNG people who are blind or have low
vision.
Maryanne Diamond, International Development
Manager for Vision Australia, and First Vice-President WBU, myself as Chair
WBU-AP (Pacific-Oceania), John Heilbren and Suzanne Coch from the Danish
Association for the Blind, visited PNG a few months ago to assist the PNG-BU
develop a strategy to achieve their goal of a national assembly. With the
assistance of James Aiwa from University of Garoka, and Ruth Sankil from St
Johns in Port Moresby, a lot of progress was made. A committee of people who
are blind or have low vision representing different PNG Provinces has been
established to assist PNG -BU Chair Daniel Aindo and other current Board
members to gather memberships and organize the assembly.
Over the past few months progress has been
slow, but is being made, and a couple of highlights are:
·
PNG-BU has been represented at disability forums in PNG where membership
has been promoted;
·
and new memberships are being gained by the representatives in the
provinces.
We wish PNG-BU luck in achieving the aims
of the project.
Finally,
two National Conventions of organizations of people who are blind or have low
vision were held in our sub-region in October:
1.
Martine Abel reports that in early October the Association of Blind Citizens
had its national Conference and the theme this year was: Building Relationships
- Living with Blindness. We received quite positive feedback about it and
corporate, employment, personal, sexual, inter-personal relationship matters
were raised as well as stuff such as if your vision changes, how might it
affect those around you at home and so on, etc.
For
further information about the conference or ABCNZ go to www.abcnz.org.nz
2.
In Australia, the Blind Citizens Australia AGM and National Convention was held
in Melbourne: with the theme: eForging Links Beyond tomorrowf. Similar to the
ABCNZ conference, the BCA Conventionfs 125 attendees (with many others
listening to the proceedings live from home on their computers) explored topics
such as peer support, education, employment, parenting, sexuality and
relationships, and self advocacy. For further information and proceedings of
the convention go to
www.bca.org.au
******
REPORT FROM EAST ASIA SUB-RETION
Chuji Sashida
WBU Executive Officer representing WBUAP
I will be in the post of acting Chairperson
of the East Asia Sub-Region tentatively until the upcoming WBUAP General
Assembly which will be held in Geneva in August during the WBU General
Assembly. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments, suggestions
etc.
Here are a few reports from countries of
our Sub-Region.
The 8th WBU Asia Pacific Regional Seminar
on Massage for the Blind was held In Tsukuba, Japan, from September 22 to 24,
2006, co-organized by the National Committee of Welfare for the Blind in Japan
and the National University Corporation Tsukuba University of Technology. The
theme of the seminar was: gStriving for Massage Professionalism and Extending
Job Opportunities--through Knowledge and Skills Sharingh. There were country
reports from 13 countries and territories, 23 presentations for plenary
sessions, 8 technical workshops, 2 symposiums, and the Board meeting of the
WBUAP Regional Massage Commission. There were ca. 300 participants from 17
countries/ territories including Japan. Presentations and other oral
communications had simultaneous interpretation in Mandarin Chinese, Korean and
Thai, in addition to Japanese and English. 9 out of the 11 interpreters were
blind or visually impaired. The services enabled active exchange of opinions
and techniques throughout the seminar, and also suggested chances of blind and
visually impaired persons working as interpreters. If you would like copies of
the official report of the Seminar, please contact me or the National Committee
of Welfare for the Blind in Japan. Contact details are on the last page.
In May 2006, the constitutional court in
Korea judged that the regulations to only allow blind and visually impaired to
run massage clinics is unconstitutional. Following the decision, and at the
same time the movement from the blindness communities, the medical law was
revised in August 2006. Instead of allowing only vision impaired masseurs to
open their clinics, in the new framework of regulation, the restriction is in
place in terms of training and education. The masseur qualification will only
be given to those who receive designated education and training, which is in
practice limited to those graduating from schools for the blind and
rehabilitation centers where newly blinded persons receive training. In other
words, instead of stating that the job of massage is limited to the blind and
visually impaired, the law now implies that only the blind and visually
impaired can receive qualifications.
There has also been a big struggle for our
friends in Mongolia. Three of the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind
(MNFB) members went on hunger strike from April 27 2007 in protest against
legal changes which reduced financial assistances to persons with disabilities.
In addition to protest against budget cuts and urges for measures for vision
impaired persons, members were demanding talks with government officials. They
ended their successful 5-day strike when government officials promised to
change their laws back so that the former assistance will be ensured.
Congratulations our colleagues in Mongolia!
******
BRIEF UPDATE FROM DANIDA PROJECT
Herefs a very bried update on the Capacity
Building Project sponsored by the Danish Government through DANIDA, their
development aid organization.
In Laos, a a leadership training seminar
took place mid November 2007 with a facilitator provided by the Thailand
Association of the Blind. The seminar was highly appreciated for its valuable
inputs and discussions. Various ideas were presented for further actions. The
work on research and mapping regarding visually impaired women in Laos has been
initiated, and a survey has been carried out.
In Mongolia, a strategic planning workshop
was held for 4 days at the end of November 2007. 3 long-term and 3 short-term
goals for the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind were identified, and a
plan of action has been developed. A plan for the womenfs research has been
established. The research works continue from December up to February, and a
womenfs workshop is scheduled for March 2008.
In addition, a traiing program for
instuctors on follow-up issues will take place, possibly sometime in the midle
of the year 2008.
WBUAP highly appreciates this project,
which will surely benefit the blindness organizations of the two countries. We
hope to hear more from our colleagues as projects progress.
******
The 5th WBUAP Onkyo Braille Essay Contest*
The 5th WBUAP Onkyo Braille Essay Contest 2007
for persons with visual impairment in the Asia-Pacific Region was organised by
the World Blind Union-Asia Pacific (WBUAP) and sponsored by the Onkyo
Corporation Ltd. and the Tenji Mainichi (Braille Mainichi) Newspaper of Japan.
The contestants submitted an essay on one
of the three given topics as follows:
(a)
How I Make the Best Use of Braille and Audio Devices to Enrich My Daily Life.
(b)
What Must a Person with Visual Impairment Do to Become a Successful Musician?
(c)
My Concept of World Peace from the Viewpoint of a Person with Visual
Impairment.
The results from the 23 entries in the
contest are as follows:
The Ootsuki Prize: The Ootsuki Prize of US
$1,000 and a trophy, opened to both the Junior and the Senior groups, went to
Yau Wai Lok Billy (male, 22-year-old, Junior) from Hong Kong-China with a score
of 86.25 marks.
According to the judges, Billy Yau showed
that, when Braille and audio devices are combined and put to the proper use,
they can help a blind person to live a normal and useful life. He also showed
that, sometimes as an individual, we cannot "fight against the
inevitables", such as being caught in a traffic jam, but we can find
useful things to occupy our time. For instance, instead of grumbling, Billy Yau
just listen to some interesting talking-books or magazines. Blindness is a
nuisance but blind people learn to overcome difficult situations all the time.
Billy Yau related how he used Braille, computers and audio devices to get the
information he wanted and to keep in touch with friends, the local community
and with the world - all these have made his life interesting and meaningful.
He cited an incident when a blind person mistook salt for sugar in making a
cake. By simply putting Braille labels on items, a blind person would not faced
such a situation. In fact, he would gain a certain degree of independence and
not always have to depend on sighted assistance. He made a comparison to the
message delivered by the first Marathon runner and the message sent by the
Braille dots to his brain.
Without doubt, Billy Yau, by harnessing the
usefulness of Braille and audio devices, has managed to stay connected with the
world, to access information advantageous to him; but, above all, to be an
independent and useful person. In short, Braille and audio devices have
enriched his life and made education possible to him.
Group A - Junior (those whose ages were
between 14 and 25 years old)
(1) The Excellent Prize of US $500 and a
trophy went to Ma Maria-Makhon (female, 23-year-old, Junior) of Myanmar with a
score of 75.25 marks.
(2) The two Fine Works of US $200 each were
awarded to Wong Chi Wai (male, 20-year-old, Junior) from Hong Kong-China with a
score of 74.25, and Phoung Sophea (male, 24-year-old, Junior) from Cambodia
with a score of 73.75 marks.
Group B - Senior, (those whose ages were 26
years old and above)
(1) The Excellent Prize of US $500 and a
trophy went to Choo Kim Yoon (male, 39-year-old, Senior) from Malaysia with a
score of 79.6 marks.
(2) The two Fine Works of US $200 each, went
to Daw Roi Saing (female, 30 years old, Senior) from Myanmar with a score of
72.6 marks, and Stefan Slucki (male, 50-year-old, Senior) from Australia with a
score of 71 marks.
******
Silent but Deadly?
Kevin
Murfitt (Chair, WBUAP Pacific-Oceania
sub-region)
Even
given the great developments in GPS tracking systems, for people who are blind
or have low vision, getting behind the driverfs wheel is a risky Business. However, it now may be just as
deadly for us to walk out on the streets with the emergence of esilentf or
equietf cars.
On
a search of the internet, I found an article published in the Wall Street
Journal in February 2007 that
encapsulates the story. I have pasted it below, and will continue my commentary
below the article.
Subject:
Blind Pedestrians Say Quiet Hybrids Pose Safety Threat
Outlet: The Wall Street Journal
Date:
Blind Pedestrians Say Quiet Hybrids Pose Safety
Threat
By RAYMUND FLANDEZ
For
blind people, crossing the street is becoming even more of a challenge.
Michael
Osborn, a blind marketing consultant from
"Half
an inch and it would have hit us ... it wasn't making any noise," says Mr.
Osborn, 50, who has been blind for 12 years. Witnesses say the car was a Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle.
Hybrids
deliver better mileage and less pollution than traditional cars by switching
between a gasoline engine and an electric motor. But when operating on the electric battery, especially when idling
at a stop or running at low speeds, the engine in a hybrid is almost silent. A
hybrid vehicle is generally quieter
than a vacuum cleaner.
"I'm
an environmentalist, and I'm all for quiet cars," says Mr. Osborn.
"But it poses a particular problem for somebody who has no vision."
Blind
pedestrians using a guide dog or cane are largely dependent on the sounds of
traffic to cross streets safely. For a blind person, "it's very important to be able to gather auditory and tactile
cues from the environment," says Sumara Shakeel, of Toms River, N.J., who
is a rehabilitation teacher for the New Jersey Commission for the Blind.
Hybrid
cars became commercially available to mainstream consumers in 2000 and are
gaining in popularity. Nationwide, registrations for new hybrids more than doubled to 199,148 in 2005 from
83,153 in 2004, according to R.L. Polk & Co., an automotive research firm.
At least a dozen states and several cities are encouraging drivers to buy
fuel-efficient hybrids by offering tax breaks and other incentives, and the
vehicles are being added to municipal fleets.
Still,
the total 392,000 hybrids on the road reflect just over 1% of all new vehicle
registrations in the
The
National Federation of the Blind, an advocacy group, says all hybrid vehicles
should emit a sound while turned on and is calling on the auto industry to make changes. The group says the sound
should be loud enough to be heard over the din of other ambient noise.
Members
of the NFB's Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety have discussed sound
cues that hybrids could use to alert pedestrians, including a device built into the axle that could make a
sound as the wheels rotate, or a sensor that blind travelers could carry that
would indicate when a hybrid is in the vicinity. The committee has yet to have a
formal meeting with auto industry representatives.
Quiet
cars pose a problem for not only those with limited vision, says the NFB's
Debbie Stein, but also for sighted pedestrians, cyclists and the elderly who rely on sound to gauge the position
and speed of cars.
While
there are no national data on pedestrian injuries or deaths related to
low-noise cars, the NFB argues that a link will be more discernible as quiet vehicles become more common. Police
reports often don't record what kind of automobile caused a pedestrian-vehicle
collision, and the insurance industry says it doesn't have those figures. In 2005,
4,881 pedestrians were killed nationwide, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, an
increase of about 2% since 2000.
"We
want to get ahead of this and not have to wait until five blind people end up
seriously hurt or dead," says Gary Wunder, who is on the NFB's Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety.
Some
businesses are taking action. Several guide dog schools are planning to use
hybrid vehicles when training animals to acclimate them. Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc., with campuses in
So
far, advocacy groups' pleas for louder hybrids have failed to generate much
noise in automotive circles. A spokesman for the Alliance of Automotive
Manufacturers, an industry
group, says he wasn't aware of the issue. "We're interested in hearing
about the concerns of the blind community, and we'll work with them to ensure that they're addressed,"
says alliance spokesman Charles Territo.
Sev
MacPete, founder of the Toyota Prius Club of
Photo
and Caption
Last
summer at the Nation Federation of the Blind convention in Dallas, a crowd of
blind people listened for a Toyota Prius hybrid. Members of the group were asked to raise their hands as
soon as they heard the vehicle approaching.
Side Bar
Sounding Off: Noise
levels of common sounds, in decibels
Garbage truck
100
Busy Urban Street
90
Vacuum Cleaner
70
Toyota Prius electric
power (accelerating)
53
Conversation at
home
50
Sources: WSJ
research; dangerousdecibles.org
It
is me, Kevin, again:
It
seems to me that demanding elouderf equiet carsf is a futile exercise given the
environmental and aesthetic purpose of the cars is to be quiet. As a blind
person, one of my pet hates is those beeping buggiesf that pollute our airports.
Drivers should share the responsibility for pedestrian safety. There are also
suggestions that people who are blind wear ultra-sonic devices to detect
esolidf objects in their path. This technology may be beneficial for some
people and for some purposes, but is this eblaming the victimf in the case of
quiet cars? I think it misses the point that we have just as much right as our
sighted peers to travel safely around our community.
The
National Federation of the Blind in the
I
live in a city where I walk out into the middle of the road in front of cars
every day to catch my tram to work. This is not at traffic lights but the
drivers know that they cannot at any time drive past a stationary tram in the
middle of the road. So in addition to etax incentivesf for people to purchase
these equiet carsf they could be required to have training on additional
requirements for drivers of equiet carsf.
But
the biggest opportunity for us is to demand technologies such as audible
traffic signals at intersections so we know independently when it is safe to
cross. I am always surprised when I leave
If
any of you are interested in further information about this issue, there is a
listserv that you can subscribe to and interact with others who are working on
this issue. See below.
This
listserv is a forum for persons who are interested in the issue of quiet cars
and pedestrian safety. It is a place where we can share information and
exchange ideas. We welcome participation by anyone inside or outside the
blind community. By working together, concerned citizens can address the
problems posed by quiet vehicles and move toward viable solutions.
The
list is moderated by David Andrews. You can reach him at:
******
NEWS FROM
World
First! Innovation in prescription
information for the blind
In
In 2004, MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labor
and Welfare), JFB (Japan Federation of the Blind) , PMDA (Pharmaceuticals
and Medical Devices Agency) and JAVIS (Japan Association for the
Visually-impaired Information Support(URL: ww.javis.jp/indexenglish.html )
decided to convert all of prescription drugs information into Speech Code to
hear in voice through symbol reading machine for the blind citizen in Japan.
At the first stage, RAD-AR (Risk/Benefit
Assessment of Drugs- Analysis and Response URL: http://www.rad-ar.or.jp/english/index.htmljof
Japan converted 5,600 prescription drug information into Speech code in 2004
and now almost all of drugs were encoded. Speech Code is a tiny 2-dimensional
code, invented by JAVIS, which can be stored more than 1,400 bites of text
information in 0.7 inch square size. All of these prescription drug information
packed in Speech Code can be obtainable through internet by every prescription
drug stores in
Sight World—exhibition designed for the
visually impaired persons
gSight Worldh is the synthetically
organization exhibition in
The second Sight World in 2007 welcomed 8
institutions from
******
WBUAP
Needs Your Help!!
Geoffrey Gibbs
WBU Executive Officer representing WBUAP
The
World Blind Union Asia Pacific Region is seeking leaders to take us forward
from the time of the Seventh General Assembly which is to convene in
The
positions of Regional President, Regional Vice President, Regional Secretary
General and Regional Treasurer all need to be filled as do three positions on
the Executive Committee and three sub-Regional Chairs (South East Asia/East
Asia/Oceania Pacific).
We
are also looking for people to volunteer their skills to benefit the region in
other ways. If you feel you have the ability and the time to assist with
projects that involve capacity building, organizational development and
mentoring Dr Gibbs would be delighted to hear from you.
Support
and training will be offered to all who come forward so please think about what
you can do to assist the region and facilitate changing what it means blind.
Dr
Gibbs is waiting to hear from you and can be contacted as follows:
Email: geoffgibbs@woosh.co.nz
Standard Mail: 1A
Telephone: 64 952 31322
Fax: 64 952 31302
Please give this request
every consideration as your gift to the WBU as it approaches its Silver
Jubilee.
******
COMING UPc..
9th WBU
4 to
The China Blind Massage Administration
Centre was appointed by the WBU Asia Pacific
Regional Massage Commission to be the host of this Regional Massage Seminar. The theme of the Seminar is gDeveloping,
Advancing and Sharingh. It will be held at the Friendship Hotel in
The Conference Secretariat is at the Hong Kong Society for the Blind via email
rsec@hksb.biz.com.hk, fax: (852) 2788 1047 or by post to 4/F, East Wing,
******
The 7th WBU General Assembly
and 4th Womenfs Forum:
The 7th WBU General
Assembly and 4th Womenfs Forum will be hosted by he
Swiss Federation of the blind and visually impaired, the Swiss National Association of and for the Blind (SNAB), the Union
Suisse des Aveugles (USA), the Association pour le Bien des Aveugles et Malvoyants (ABA) and Retina Suisse that
The General Assembly will include business sessions as well as
interesting theme sessions and workshops. A womenfs forum will precede the general assembly and an exhibition on
assistive technology will be held.
The venue for the
General Assembly and Womenfs Forum is the International Conference Centre of
Geneva (ICCG). For more details refer to www.wbu2008.ch/e/iccg.php
THE 6TH WBUAP
ONKYO BRAILLE ESSAY CONTEST 2008
The Onkyo Corporation Ltd., The Tenji
Mainichi Newspaper "The Braille Mainichi" and WBUAP announced
the start of the 6th WBUAP Onkyo Braille Essay Contest for blind and vision
impaired people in the Asia Pacific Region. Cash
prizes of US$1,000.00, US$500.00
and US$200.00 will
be awarded respectively to the best seven entries
from two age groups from all countries in the region. This year, to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of
Louis Braille (1809 - 2009), the Sponsors have very generously offered
to pay the accommodation and return airfare to Paris for the first prize winner, who will join the celebrations of the World Blind
Union in France on 4 January 2009.
The closing day is
For further details, please contact Ivan Ho Tuck Choy
at the contact details at the end of this newsletter.
******
FROM THE EDITOR
At long last, the promise at the Mid-Term Assembly
is coming true and East Wind is finally resurging. I would like to express my
sincere appreciation to those who wrote for this second-time new borne baby
WBUAP newsletter. I would also like to give my hearty appreciation to the
National Committee of Welfare for the Blind in
We are mostly keen on hearing messages and
feedbacks from you, Dear Readers. Please let us know whatever you felt about
this resurgence.
Michiko Tabata: Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Committee: Kua Cheng Hock
Kevin Murfitt
Dato Kulasegaran
We Are Waiting for Your Contributions!!
Send in your writingscreports, essays, poems,
commentary, just about anything, that you might want to share with your friends
and colleagues in the Region.
Your Donations Is Always Welcome!!
Help us make a difference of what it means to
be blind. Your donations will help our international blindness movement in
particular from our friends in less economically privileged circumstances.
Your generous contribution is very much
appreciated. Please direct your payment to:
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
Takatanobaba Branch
USD A/C No.0083899
Name of account: WBUAP
******
CONTACT DETAILS
Editorial:
Michiko Tabata
E-mail: tabacchi@par.odn.ne.jp
National Committee of Welfare for the Blind in
E-mail: ncwbj@mbm.nifty.com
Secretary General:
Ivan Ho Tuck Choy
E-mail: ncftb@po.jaring.my
National Council for the Blind
94B Jalan Tun Sambanthan
50470
Chuji Sashida
E-mail: csashida@nifty.com
National Committee of Welfare for the Blind in
E-mail: ncwbj@mbm.nifty.com
Pacific-Oceania Sub-Region
Kevin Murfitt
E-mail: kmurfitt@bigpond.net.au
Vision
Dato Kulasegaran
E-mail: ncftb@po.jaring.my
National Council for the Blind
94B Jalan Tun Sambanthan
50470