Category Archives: awards

SPEVI Conference 2020

The Australian Braille Authority was pleased to present a poster and display of our guidelines at the SPEVI Conference for South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment in Adelaide, January 2020. Our thanks are extended to Kathy Riessen for this work helping to promote ABA and braille.
four posters and many documents relating to ABA, ICEB, BANZAT and braille
The Conference is well attended by specialist vision teachers from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. There was also representation for accessible format producers, O&M specialists, parents and the University sector. Some of the braille-related highlights of the Conference are described below.

Emily White of Melbourne University delivered an excellent keynote presentation and call for more research on the topic of braille literacy with involvement from expert practitioners. Strategies for encouraging early tactile literacy was presented by Lea Nagel (SVRC), Trish Bishop (BLENNZ), Meredith Pitcher (BLENNZ) and Sonali Marathe (RIDBC); and research on acquisition of braille skills was presented by Frances-Mary d’Andrea (University of Pittsburgh) and Tricia d’Apice (RIDBC).

ABA extends our congratulations to Josie Howse, who was awarded Honorary Life Membership of SPEVI in recognition of her significant contribution to the field of vision impairment in Australia and internationally during the past 41 years. In bestowing Honorary Life Membership, SPEVI recognises Josie’s passion for education and braille literacy for children who learn by touch.

Vision Australia displayed new products including Code Jumper for accessible coding and Braille Lego, to be distributed to schools next year.

bucket of lego with braille dots and print letters/numbers on top

All conference presentations will be made available on the SPEVI website at www.spevi.net/conference/.

Congratulations Dorothy Hamilton

The Australian Braille Authority extends our congratulations to Dorothy Hamilton, who was named in the 2019 Australia Day Honours. Dorothy was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to music.

Blind from birth, Dorothy developed an early love of music. She was the first blind woman in the southern hemisphere to obtain a music degree. She then went on to fulfil her childhood ambition of teaching music to sighted students as at Korowa Anglican Girls’ School, where she taught recorder, piano and choir.

In 1985, Dorothy was instrumental in establishing the internationally-renowned National Braille Camp. She has also taught blind students unable to attend the camp remotely, via phone.

Dorothy has represented Australia in international discussions of the braille music code.

Dorothy began her braille music transcription career as a proofreader for the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind. In the 1990s she took on the role of braille music transcription at Vision Australia using a computer and refreshable braille display.

At 91 years of age, Dorothy continues her music transcription work at Vision Australia and is a mentor and role model for many.

Dorothy Hamilton holding a wooden case with medal and plaque

Congratulations Christine Simpson

Christine Simpson and Neil Jarvis

Congratulations are extended to Christine Simpson, the 2018 recipient of the Tammy Axelsen Lifetime Achievement Award for service to the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc. Christine has been involved with the Australian Braille Authority for over 25 years, including six years as ABA Chair, and was editor of the Rules of Unified English Braille, the most important publication in English braille today. Christine, we thank you for your hard work, steady guidance and friendship.

Congratulations Gillian Gale

Medal_of_the_Order_of_Australia Congratulations to Dr Gillian Gale on her award as a member (AM) in the general division of the Order of Australia in recognition of her extensive work supporting the education of children with a vision impairment throughout Australia. Among her many achievements, Gillian has worked as a vision specialist teacher, edited Round Table’s Guidelines on Conveying Visual Information, co-authored the Ozzie Dots program for early braille literacy, serves on the steering committee of the Feelix Library, and is a life member of SPEVI. She has served as a teacher, mentor and inspiration to so many of the braille community.