News Snippets
Francis Kane, an NCBI community resource worker has set up a website which provides direct links to text-only versions of news, newspaper and magazine websites, along with direct links to listen to radio stations from Ireland and abroad. It has also links to TV listings, along with some other links that may be of interest.
“It’s a very straightforward way for someone with a vision impairment to access the internet for information of that type, particularly if they are new internet users. Hopefully it will encourage people to explore the internet more, once they have the confidence to navigate around this site,” according to Francis. The website can be accessed at http:/easylinks.yolasite.com/
Household budgeting service
Over 750,000 people who are paid their weekly social welfare payment through the post office can now avail of a service that gives easy-pay options for household bills.
Under the scheme, customers can commit a fixed amount of their weekly social welfare payment towards any number of utility bills, including ESB, Bord Gaís, Eircom and Local Authority rents or mortgages. This service was previously available for jobseekers and lone parents who were being paid through their social services card. However with the recent move of all State pensioners, carers and widows onto the electronic system, many more people can now use it.
Minister Mary Hanafin said the Department intends to extend the facility to a range of other telecoms and utility providers and to introduce additional services over time. “Knowing that regular payments are going towards the electricity, heating or rent can relieve a lot of pressure on families and individuals as they seek to manage their money. An Post operates a network of over 1,200 post offices throughout the country, so this service is very accessible for all social welfare customers”, said Minister Hanafin.
To find out more about this service contact An Post on 1800 70 71 72 or visit http://tinyurl.com/yfyawp6.
European Blind Union launches the 2010 Braille Contest
The European Blind Union has launched the European strand of the Fourth Onkyo International Braille Essay Contest. This is a worldwide initiative planned and sponsored by Onkyo and by the Braille Mainichi, two Japanese firms actively engaged in the promotion of Braille.
Through personal experience, contestants will tell how Braille has empowered them and improved their daily lives. Over the last three years the Onkyo contest has been met with great enthusiasm by European braille users:
“When I started learning Braille, I felt as though I was walking through the wide open doors of the world” (Milan Duric of Serbia).
“Louis Braille has eased my breathing, taught me to walk, to feel for and step over the stones... praise him!” (Antonio Martín Figueroa of Spain).
These are but a few quotes from essays contributed in previous contests showing how much the blind feel indebted towards Louis Braille and his wonderful reading and writing system.
Information on the theme of the competition and the submission deadline are not yet available, please keep an eye on our website for further details www.ncbi.ie.
Public consultation on problems with air travel regulation
The European Commission has opened a public consultation process to gather stakeholders’ opinion on existing problems and preferred solutions to assess the quality and effectiveness of the implementation and enforcement of air passengers’ rights legislation.
You will find the documents on the website, if you would like to submit your opinions and experiences: http://tinyurl.com/y8jr23e
Knitting up a storm
Joan Truss, from Castlemaine in Kerry kindly donated €70 to NCBI recently, having sold some of her beautiful, hand-knitted dolls. These dolls require a huge amount of work and concentration and Joan is currently working on more, which she also hopes to sell for NCBI. Joan has age related macular degeneration but recently started to knit again after a seven-year break from the hobby. We would like to extend our thanks to Joan for her hard work and kind donation.
New Clear Print Mark
NCBI Media Centre has launched its new clear print mark and advisory service. The aim of the quality mark is to acknowledge public and private organisations that use clear print design in their printed information. Clear print is a design principle that makes printed information easier to read for everyone, particularly for people with sight problems.
To achieve this quality mark, public and private organisations will submit documents to NCBI’s Media Centre, who will advise on the accessibility of the document and recommend changes which will make it easier to read. There is a charge for this service and organisations who comply will be awarded the clear print quality mark.
Please contact the Library on 01 8642266 for any enquiries about this new service.
Special Stories Wins A Silver Moonbeam Award
Irish Deaf Kids (IDK) in conjunction with Irish publishing house, Special Stories Publishing, is delighted to announce that its recent book series, including ‘A Birthday for Ben’, is the recipient of a silver Moonbeam Book Award. The Moonbeam Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and are judged by expert panels of youth educators, librarians, booksellers, and book reviewers.
“We are thrilled that our second book series has won a Moonbeam award,” says Kate Gaynor, publisher of Special Stories. “Each book features a character with a certain special education need. The Irish Deaf Kids book, ‘A Birthday for Ben’ is about young children who are deaf or who have hearing issues and is designed to introduce all children, especially those in mainstream school, to children with hearing issues.” This article is illustrated by a picture which depicts three women holding the book ‘A Birthday for Ben’.
Parents Please Note
The CARA Adapted Physical Activity Resource Centre and the Institute of Technology Tralee is currently arranging Ireland’s fist ever Camp Abilities in Killarney, Co. Kerry. Camp Abilities is a residential recreational camp for children with vision impairments and will run from the 5th-8th of April 2010.
The aim of the camp is to empower participants with sensory impairments to be physically active within their schools, communities and society in general. The camp is open to 8-14-year-olds.
If you have a child who is interested, please contact Niamh Daffy in the Cara APA centre on 066 714 5646 for more information.
EBU wins the Golden Stars Award
The European Blind Union (EBU) is proud to announce that it has been chosen as one of the winners of the Golden Stars Award of the EU for the project “A Citizens’ Europe for All, Disabled People on the Move” Which it has successfully conducted in 2009.
The award ceremony in Brussels provided a further platform to promote the Dublin Declaration developed under the winning project. The Declaration highlights fourteen rights that the more than ten million blind and partially sighted citizens of the EU want to enjoy fully.
“This distinction comes at just the right moment to mark the EBU Silver Jubilee and to reward twenty five years of hard work to put an end to discrimination and social exclusion”, says Lord Colin Low, President of EBU, who led the delegation at the award ceremony.