Photo from ICEVI-Europe event

European Newsletter - Issue 52

Volume 19 number 1, May 2013

8th ICEVI European Conference

8th ICEVI European Conference on education and re/habilitation of visually impaired people, Istanbul (Turkey) 30 June - 05 July 2013

Table of contents:

 

Preface

Hans Welling photo

Dear colleagues

In Turkey the organisation committee is working hard on the last preparations.

We all hope that it will be a successful conference. A conference in which new ideas and experiences will be shared concerning education and rehabilitation of people with a visual impairment. But also a conference of meetings with new colleagues and working on professional networks.

Especially the open meetings with occupational groups will provide a good opportunity for this.

As known the meetings of the sub regions and the General Assembly will also take place during the conference.

I strongly recommend you to visit these meetings.

I look forward to meet you in Istanbul.

Hans Welling
Chairman

 

Regional Meetings in Istanbul
on Tuesday 2 July at 16.30 – 18.30

These meeting will be chaired by the Board member of the region.

Proposal for agenda

  1. Welcome
  2. Nomination of contact persons
  3. Nomination or (re) election of board member
  4. Stimulation to use website and newsletter of ICEVI-Europe
  5. Suggestions of points of interest for the Board of ICEVI or for regional conferences

It is important that a report will be made for the General Assembly and that the report will be given to the secretary of the Board.

 

Agenda proposal General Assembly
on Thursday 4 July 16.30 – 18.30

  1. Opening
  2. Reports from the sub regions
  3. To approve
    1. Annual report 2012 [doc 4,6 MB]
    2. Budget 2013
  4. Proposed changes of the articles of association
  5. European Awards 2013
  6. (Re) elections [DOC 40 KB]
    1. Contact persons per country
    2. Board members
    3. Election of the chairman/ president
  7. Presentation ICEVI conference 2017
  8. Any other business
  9. Closure

Proposed changes of the articles of association

The Board proposes to change the name of ICEVI-Europe into
International Council for Education and Rehabilitation of people with Visual Impairment, Europe.

In accordance with the international use the Board also proposes to change the name of chairman into President.

Candidate president ICEVI-Europe

Betty Leotsakou photo

A candidate has nominated herself for the function of President

Betty Leotsakou from Greece

For many years she has been Board member of ICEVI-Europe.

Her activities at the Ministry of Education make that Betty is well-informed about the education of children with a visual impairment in Greece.

She is also informed about the position of elderly people with visual impairments in Greece.

During the past years Betty has been involved in the Balkan Conferences.

The Board cordially supports Betty’s nomination for the Presidency

 

A Changing Future with ICF

This is the theme of the European Conference. More and more the ICF plays an important role in the drive to obtain a clear picture of why people with disabilities face challenges in their efforts to take part in society. The ICF will help us, together with the persons involved and with other professionals to further determine in which way support can be offered.

It concerns:

The ICF is not just important in the field of interdisciplinary cooperation and the achievement of individual support plans. ICF also offers important building blocks for scientific research and the development of policy by organisations and government.
Therefore it is important to have knowledge of ICF before the conference, since ICF will be central to the conference.

As previously mentioned, the conference is structured in such a way that you will be enabled to meet colleagues concerned with similar work to yourselves. Perhaps this offers possibilities to develop a network which can continue after the conference.

 

Membership

Please use your membership of ICEVI-Europe:

But pay your membership fee on time.

ICEVI-Europe cannot exist without your financial support.
Therefore, here is a reminder for membership 2012 and the following years.

The membership fees are:

The NEW international bank account number of ICEVI-Europe in Huizen, The Netherlands is:
ING, account number: 4890207
BIC: INGBNL2A
IBAN: NL90 INGB 0004 8902 07

Contributions can be made by Internet or payments can also be made during the European Conference in Istanbul.

Please be aware that the conference fees for workshops and the European conference are considerably less expensive for members.

Please also read the newsletter of July 2012, where you will find important information about the conference and the General Assembly.

 

European Awards

Award logo

For the first time the Board of ICEVI-Europe has decided to present an award to three people who have made a special contribution to the lives of people with a visual impairment.

Therefore each individual or corporate member of ICEVI-Europe is invited to submit to the Awards Committee the nominees who meet the following criteria:

  1. have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of education and/or re-habilitation of blind and partially sighted people, that has had an impact beyond their own school or organisation and
  2. have made a significant and long lasting contribution to ICEVI-Europe.

Nominations should be prepared in an abstract that does not to exceed two single space typewritten pages. This document should explain how the person meets these criteria and why they would be a worthy recipient.
It would be valuable when the nomination contains letters of recommendation.

Please send nominations to the secretary,
Elly Aardoom ellyaardoom@visio.org

The Board will appoint a committee, who will judge the nominations and make a final choice.

 

Work, Wellbeing and Wealth: Active Ageing at Work
26-28 August 2013, Hotel Crowne Plaza, Helsinki (Finland)

Introduction

The increasing societal costs of the expanding retired population are forcing industrialized countries to find new ways to increase production and to extend lifelong work careers. Work careers can be extended at the beginning, middle, or at the end of the traditional working life, utilizing solutions on the borders of main-life transitions between education, labour market, unemployment, disability, private household and old age pension.

The vision of "an active life while ageing" is becoming one of the major social challenges in Europe. The European Union has launched the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) "More Years, Better Lives – the Potential and Challenges of Demographic Change" in order to make a full impact assessment and development of appropriate answers to the upcoming demographic challenges. Among its five focus areas, a research agenda on "Work and Productivity" is under preparation.

Aims of the conference

The aim of the International Conference on "Work, Wellbeing and Wealth: Active Ageing at Work" is to bring together researchers, experts and European networks in the area and to present and discuss the major R&D needs and solutions.

Venue and time-table

Venue:
Helsinki, Finland, Hotel Crowne Plaza
Date:
26-28 August 2013
First announcement:
March 2012
Second announcement:
Autumn 2012

Organizers

Organizer:
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH)
in co-operation with:
  • WG3 Work and Productivity of the JPI "More Years, Better Lives"
  • The Partnership for European Research in OS&H (PEROSH)
  • The European Agency on Safety and Health at Work
  • European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
  • ICOH Scientific Committee on Ageing and Work
  • IEA Technical Committee on Ageing
  • Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland
  • Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finland
  • Finnish Labour Market Confederations
For information on the scientific program please contact:
Prof. Mikko Härmä, FIOH, mikko.harma@ttl.fi
For information on registration, payments, accommodation and travelling to Finland etc. please contact:
TAvI Congress Bureau
Ms. Annikka Lampo, Project Manager
E-mail: www2013@tavicon.fi
Tel. +358 3 233 0430, fax. +358 3 2330444
www.tavicon.fi
 

7th International Conference – Special Education and Rehabilitation Today
27th - 29th September 2013, Belgrade (Serbia)

Conference topics:

We provide details about abstract submission at conference website www.fasper.bg.ac.rs/skup/eng/.

The deadline for sending abstracts is 1st June 2013. Notifications of abstract acceptance will be sent by 25th June 2013.

The Conference will be held at:

The University of Belgrade
Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation
2 Visokog Stevana
Belgrade

 

Sixth International ICEVI Conference for East European countries
10 – 12 October, Chernigiv (Ukraine)

Theme: Full participation in society
All starts with Early Intervention and Itinerant Teaching

The conference will also be the closing of a three years International Cooperation project between Ukraine and Dutch organisations with the Title Sunshine; Improving the quality of life of children with visual impairment in Ukraine.

For more information see www.icevi-europe.org

 

Statped logo MDVI Euronet logo Ekeskolan logo

INVITATION TO Seminar in Mathematics
for Children with Visual Impairment and Children with MDVI

Welcome
The former Tambartun National Resource Centre for the Visual Impaired, today renamed as Statped midt, Department of Visual Impairment, Norway, and Ekeskolan National Resource Centre for the Visual Impaired, Sweden, have the pleasure of inviting you to a Seminar in Mathematics for Children with Visual Impairment and Children with MDVI. The seminar is organised under the umbrella of MDVI Euronet.

Hosts:
Statped midt, Department of Visual Impairment, Melhus, Norway
Ekeskolan National Resource Centre for the Visual Impaired, Örebro, Sweden
Venue:
Statped midt, Department of Visual Impairment, Melhus, Norway (20 km outside Trondheim City)
Date:
29th – 30th October 2013. (Travel days - 28th and 31st October 2013)

General information

The seminar will be organised as a workshop with a combination of presentations, exchange of experiences, team work and exhibitions. The seminar will consider all participants as professional contributors. We hope to submit a seminar document (proceedings) after the seminar.

The target group for the seminar is educational staff involved in mathematics for children with visual impairment and children with MDVI.

We would like to underline the necessity to travel on 28th and 31st of October. The seminar days will start early each day and will end late both days.

Format of Seminar

The seminar will run between 09:00 and 18:00 hours both days. It will have 3 content areas:

All oral presentations will be followed by discussions in groups. We hope to fit about 12 oral presentations into the programme followed by discussions.

Call for Abstracts or/and contributions to the posters/exhibition

We kindly ask the participants to consider delivering an oral presentation on Mathematics for Children with Visual Impairment and MDVI. The presentation may include experience-based educational case studies, methods used, theory-based presentations, projects or any other kind of interesting educational content on mathematics that you consider important contributions to this seminar. There will also be opportunity to bring educational materials on mathematics to the exhibition or to the poster session. Please send us a notification if you are interested in contributing to the seminar (see contact information below).

Accommodation and food

Low-cost accommodation can be provided at Statped midt, Melhus for around 30 people. The seminar organisers can also provide alternative low cost accommodation close to the seminar if required. Please look at the registration form for further information.

The seminar host can assist the participants with hotel reservations in Trondheim if better standard accommodation is requested. Please note the distance of around 20 km between Statped midt, Melhus and the hotels in town. Staying in the hotels will require transport by public buses.

All meals will be served at Statped midt, Melhus (breakfast, lunch, coffee/tea and fruit during coffee breaks, and a light evening meal). Participants staying in the hotels will be served breakfast in the hotel.

Costs

The number of participants is limited. Participation will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. The seminar fee is included in the following three different options:

Option 1 will cost NOK 1.500 (ca. Euro 200) and will include the following:

  1. Accommodation at Statped midt 28th – 31st October (simple standard)
  2. Three breakfasts at Statped midt (29th, 30th and 31st of Oct.)
  3. Two lunches at Statped midt (29th and 30th of October)
  4. Three dinners at Statped midt (28th, 29th and 30th of October)
  5. Coffee/tea and fruit during coffee breaks at Statped midt
  6. A seminar kit

Option 2 will cost NOK 2.500 (ca. Euro 337) and will include the following:

  1. Accommodation at Karivollen 28th – 31st October 5 km from Tambartun (simple standard)
  2. Three breakfasts at Karivollen (29th, 30th and 31st of Oct.)
  3. Two lunches at Statped midt (29th and 30th of October)
  4. Three dinners at Statped midt (28th, 29th and 30th of October)
  5. Coffee/tea and fruit during coffee breaks at Statped midt
  6. A seminar kit
  7. Transport between Karivollen and Tambartun

Option 3 will cost NOK 700 (ca. Euro 95 - hotel accommodation and transport NOT included):

  1. Two lunches at Statped midt (29th and 30st of October)
  2. Two dinners at Statped midt (29th and 30st of October)
  3. Coffee/tea and fruit during coffee breaks at Statped midt
  4. A seminar kit

Contact information

Send us a notification if you like to participate and/or if you like to contribute with a presentation/to the exhibition by sending us an e-mail to:

You can also contact us by phone:

We will respond on your notification of interest by sending you further information and a registration form by e-mail. Please note that the number of participants is limited. Participation will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. We look forward to seeing you in October!

Bengt and Catarina

 

Royal Dutch Visio, Centre of Expertise for blind and partially sighted people announces 2 new books!

Feel Free and In Touch Helping your blind child discover the world

Both books will be presented at the ICEVI Conference in Istanbul.
Look for workshops and posters in the programme.

Activity book "Feel free"

Feel Free is the of Activity book Tactual Profile with exercises and teaching suggestions for the stimulation and training of tactual skills.

Fell free book cover

When Tactual Profile, an observation instrument to assess tactual functioning,, was introduced it did not take long for those who were using it to spur us on to the next step. ’ During the observation with Tactual Profile we detected some impairments in the sense of touch. What can we do to stimulate and train these skills?’
The answers are in this activity book. It contains exercises and teaching suggestions to stimulate and train in different ways.

Book for parents: In Touch Helping your blind child discover the world

In touch book cover

In Touch, Helping your blind child discover the world, describes the tactual development of blind children. It gives an insight into the importance of touch as their main source of information.

The book is divided into three main parts. Chapter 1 of part A provides you with some useful background information about touch and tactual development.

Chapter 2 explains the importance of touch for your child as a means of making sense of the world. Examples are included to clarify and enliven the text. In chapter 3 we explore the factors that influence your child’s tactual development. Here you will also find some suggestions as to what you can do to help that development.

Part B of the book contains ideas, tips, materials and activities which will stimulate tactual development. It is patterned on Tactual Profile although the first three categories have been re-named to enhance readability. This part of the book is the most colourful one in the book. Many of the proposed activities are accompanied by photographs of the materials you can use to play with your child. Whenever possible, we have tried to use photographs in which the children themselves are manipulating the material.

Price for Feel Free: € 135,- exclusive shipping costs
Feel Free comes in a A4 folder

Price for In Touch Helping your blind child discover the world: € 35,- exclusive shipping costs

To order: Royal Dutch Visio, centre of Expertise for blind and partially sighted people www.visio.org click on the button English and go to publications

telephone: 0031 885861700
E-mail: tactualprofile@visio.org
For more information: www.tactualprofile.org

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