Zest!a space for your questions and answers

Im really curious how everyone can get transport, for themselves and their family on the daily. I have low vision and cant drive, but i can currently take public transport. Are there any options available for low vision transport that are readily available and cost-effective (assuming you use it everday) when you have children, cant drive and havent got a significant other to drive you around?

If theres another forum you know of, please tell me. 

Thanks

Hi, 

I have my NDIS planning meeting on Friday. Does anyone have any advice about products or services that would be useful to include?

For many years Vision Australia has co-funded the library service in NSW with limited government support.

However, funding will be withdrawn with the roll-out of the NDIS, jeopardising future of this vital service.

Without secure state government funding, there is the risk our library service will stop in NSW.

Ahead of the NSW state election on 23 March, we're writing, calling and organising meetings with every influential politician and candidate, urging them
to publically commit to funding $500,000 per annum for our library.

Can you help us send a strong and united message to government by 21 January?
Please take action (VA site).

When we walk through the halls of Parliament of NSW on 22 and 23 January to meet with key ministers, we want them to know loud and clear that equal access
to information matters to people who are blind or have low vision and those with a print disability. Tell your friends and family to share their voice.

The NDIS participant portal has recently made changes and several upgrades to the site which helps to explain the terminology of your plan and what you can use it for. Please see the following taken from the portal if you haven't come across it or are unfamiliar.

Understanding your support budgets and categories

• Core supports
• Capacity building
• Capital supports

Core supports help with your everyday activities. It also helps with your current disability related needs and to work towards your goals. Your Core supports budget is the most flexible. In most cases, you can use your funding across the support categories in Core. However, there are times where you do not have flexibility in your funding, mostly for transport funding.
The Core support categories are:

Daily Activities:

This may be support to care for needs each day. For example cleaning and or yard maintenance.

Consumables:

This may be using Interpreting services. It could also be used for continence products. It may also be used for low-cost assistive technology. Consumables could also be used for equipment to help mobility

Social, community and civic participation:

This might be a support worker to help you engage with things out in the community. Shopping, going to concerts and shows etc.

Transport:

Helps you to travel to work or other places that will help you achieve the goals in your plan.
How transport funding is paid will be different for each person. It may be deposited into your bank account on a fortnightly basis.

Capacity building

Capacity Building (CB) supports can help you build your independence and skills to help you reach your long-term goals. Your CB budget cannot be moved between the categories. Funding can be used flexibly to get approved supports that falls within that CB category.

Capacity building encompasses things like therapy, training of skills, occupational therapist, orientation and mobility training etc.

Capital supports

Capital supports include higher-cost pieces of assistive technology, equipment and home or vehicle modifications and Specialist Disability Accommodation. Capital supports funding cannot be used to pay for anything else.

It is important to remember that funds within the Capital supports budget can only be used for their specific purpose and cannot be used to pay for anything else.

The Capital supports budget has two support categories:

Assistive Technology:

This could be items for mobility, personal care and communication. It could also be for wheelchairs or you may need your car modified.

Home modifications:

This could be installing a hand rail in a bathroom. It may be for participants who need special housing because of their disability.

hi

I’m 19 and from Brisbane I have recently started playing the guitar  which currently I can only play two songs and a few other things. I was wondering if anyone knew of any social music groups for vision impired  people.

This is an interesting video for a Ted Talk. Give it a watch. It is stirring up debate in blind communities. Personally I am torn. I agree and disagree with the angle of the talk. is disability societies problem to fix or is it medicines problem to fix?

I had a demonstration with the new Orcam my eye 2.0 yesterday and thought I’d share. I had seen the last one which was good but required a device to be carried in the pocket at all times in order to use it. This version doesn't need that.

Specs

·  About the length and thickness of an index finger in total size

·  Similar to a USB stick or a cigarette lighter in weight

·  Recharges via mini USB in about 30 minutes for full charge

·  Battery life of 2 hours in  full time use mode

·  Can magnetically attach to the arm of glasses or be attached to a lanyard around your neck for intermittent hand held use

·  Controlled by hand gestures in front of the camera or by tapping small touch pad on the side of the device

·  Connects to Bluetooth headphones should you wish

·  Responds to voice commands

·  Wi-Fi connectivity

Features

·  Product barcode recognition and ability to add new barcodes to database

·  reads print documents

·  Reads Australian currency

·  tels time with hand gesture that mimics looking at a watch

·  store and name images and speak aloud when seen again I.E people, bus numbers, shop fronts etc.

Definitely something people would use their assistive technology budget in your NDIS plan for as it retails for about 7 grand including training on the device. However it does do in one device what many other devices will only do individually.

Contact Quantum to find out more and ask questions of those who make it. Also see the video link below to see it demonstrated on 7 Sunrise

Orcam my eye 2.0 demo on 7 sunrise

HumanWare just brought out the new Victor Reader Trek device. I got a demonstration of it in the office last week and thought i'd share.

The Trek is the same size as the old style reader and includes the functions of book reading and GPS.

Of the many things it can do my favourite is course plotting.

The device works off Tom Tom maps and Tom Tom have mapped the inside of major shopping centres for the Trek. This also means that you can plot your own turn by turn course inside a building or in an open space and the device will remember it. This is useful for walking in parks for example where the main stream maps  aren't that detailed. You can also buy additional maps for different places around the world if you are traveling. Please see the following link for more information and specs:

your web browsing experience with accessible products can be vastly different depending on the web browser you are using. It's for that reason that I always have three on my laptop and work computer at any given time. unfortunately many websites unless they actively embed accessibility into their code can play havoc with things like Jaws, NVDA, voice over and Zoomtext. Microsoft edge has been quite a let down in the accessible area and explorer is quite an outdated program even though Jaws is made for windows products. I often find myself switching between firefox and chrome to do what I need to. Might be worth keeping in mind until there is better standardization around the world for digital  access.

Are there any other browsers people use that they find make a big difference? Would be good to share.