May Day Disability Expo

Saturday 1st May 2010
Invercargill Workingmen's Club
10am - 3pm
FREE ENTRY
70 Exhibititors
FREE Health Checks
Bazaar
Competitions, one just for kids
Prizes
Giveaways
Try a Nintendo Wii
LUCKY DOOR PRIZE Nintendo Wii Console

Call for Speakers

The NZ Federation of Disability Information Centres is calling for speakers to present at its Training Conference in Queenstown next year. The theme of the conference is RD 2010 - the challenges of rural delivery of services in 2010 and beyond. Presenters can apply for a whole session or a 'round table' 15 minute presentation. Anyone interested should download the Call for Speakers document HERE.

Consumer Consultation

DISABILITY SERVICES CONSUMER FORUM, HUI AND FONO 2009

“Towards a more flexible disability support system”

The Disability Support Services Group of the Ministry of Health are visiting towns and cities around the country to get feedback from disabled people and their families to help us plan and fund the disability support services that they need.

These meetings provide an opportunity for you to talk to us about the disability support services we fund and to share any ideas you have for the future provision of services.

Please note that these meetings are for disabled people and their families only. We are asking people to register their intention to attend to ensure we have adequate resources available to them.

For a full list of the forums please go to http://www.moh.govt.nz/dsdforum . To register call free on 0800 373 664 or email dsdforum@moh.govt.nz .

INVERCARGILL FORUM DETAILS:

Tuesday 31st April - 11am to 1pm
Invercargill Workingmens Club
154 Esk Street

Web browser for kids with Autism

John LeSieur is in the software business, so he took particular interest when computers seemed mostly useless to his 6-year-old grandson, Zackary. The boy has autism, and the whirlwind of options presented by PCs so confounded him that he threw the mouse in frustration.
LeSieur tried to find online tools that could guide autistic children around the Web, but he couldn't find anything satisfactory. So he had one built, named it the Zac Browser For Autistic Children in honor of his grandson, and is making it available to anyone for free.

LeSieur's quest is a reminder that while the Web has created important communication and educational opportunities for some people with cognitive impairments, computers can also introduce new headaches for families trying to navigate the contours of disability.
The Zac Browser greatly simplifies the experience of using a computer. It seals off most Web sites from view, to block violent, sexual or otherwise adult-themed material. Instead it presents a hand-picked slate of choices from free, public Web sites, with an emphasis on educational games, music, videos and visually entertaining images, like a virtual aquarium.

Other programs for children already offer that "walled garden" approach to the Web. But LeSieur's browser aims to go further: It essentially takes over the computer and reduces the controls available for children like Zackary, who finds too many choices overwhelming.
For example, the Zac Browser disables extraneous keyboard buttons like "Print Screen" and turns off the right button on the mouse. That eliminates commands most children don't need anyway, and it reduces the chance an autistic child will lose confidence after making a counterproductive click.

Children using the Zac Browser select activities by clicking on bigger-than-normal icons, like a soccer ball for games and a stack of books for "stories." The Zac Browser also configures the view so no advertisements or other flashing distractions appear.

Check out the Zac Browser at http://www.zacbrowser.com. It can be downloaded or run from the site - and best of all IT'S FREE!!!