Issue 2 January 2019 - icevi

The Educator


Volume XXXII - Issue 2 January 2019








Innovative Practices in


Professional Development








A Publication of

The International Council for Education of
People with Visual Impairment




PRINCIPAL OFFICERS

PRESIDENT
Frances Gentle
The Renwick Centre, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
Private Bag 29, Parramatta, NSW 2124, AUSTRALIA.
e-mail: frances.gentle@ridbc.org.au

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Praveena Sukhraj
Children's Disability Training Centre, CMI Building, 13A Joubert Street,
Park Town, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA
e-mail : psukhraj@justice.gov.za

SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT
Rima Canawati
Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation
P.O. Box 100, Bethlehem, PALESTINE
e-mail : rima.qanawati@gmail.com

TREASURER
Nandini Rawal
Blind People's Association, 132 Ft. Ring Road, Vastrapur,
Ahmedabad 380 015, INDIA.
e-mail : bpaiceviad1@bsnl.in

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Lord Low of Dalston
Royal National Institute of Blind People
105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE, UNITED KINGDOM
e-mail : colin.low@rnib.org.uk

PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Lawrence F. Campbell
1, Center Street, Rockland, Maine 04841, USA
e-mail : larry.icevi@gmail.com


CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Mani, M.N.G.
No.3, Professors' Colony, Sri Ramakrishna Vidyalaya Post,
Coimbatore 641 020, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
e-mail : ceo201922@gmail.com

REGIONAL CHAIRPERSONS

AFRICA
Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame
Sightsavers' Global Advocacy Advisor
Densu Point, P.O. Box KIA 18190, North Dzorwulu, Accra, GHANA.
e-mail : gofefoame@sightsavers.org

EAST ASIA
Aria Indrawati
Pertuni (The Indonesian Blind Association)
P.O.Box 386, Jalan Raya Bogor, Km.19 Ruko Blok Q No. 13-L,
RT01 RW04, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, INDONESIA
e-mail : aria.indrawati@gmail.com

EUROPE
Hans Welling
D.D.D. 32
12113cr Hilversum, The Netherlands
e-mail : wellingja@yahoo.com

LATIN AMERICA

María Cristina Sanz

avda. 13 n 1207, flor 9 dpto. A, (1900) LA PLATA, ARGENTINA
e-mail : latinoamericaicevi@gmail.com

NORTH AMERICA/CARIBBEAN
Kay Alicyn Ferrell
Professor of Special Education, Emerita, University of Northern Colorado
Campus Box 146, 501, 20th Street, Greeley, CO 80639, USA

e-mail : kay.ferrell@unco.edu


PACIFIC
Ben Clare
Project Manager, Pacific Islands Activities, Aspen Medical Foundation,
PO Box 231, Deakin West ACT 2601, AUSTRALIA
e-mail : bwclare@gmail.com

WEST ASIA
Bhushan Punani
Blind People's Association, 132 Ft. Ring Road, Vastrapur,
Ahmedabad 380 015, INDIA
e-mail : blinabad1@bsnl.in



FOUNDING ORGANISATIONS

American Foundation for the Blind
Rebecca Sheffield
2, Penn Plaza, Suite 1102, New York NY 10121
USA.
e-mail: rsheffield@afb.net

Perkins School for the Blind
Dave Power
175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472
USA.
e-mail: dave.power@perkins.org

Royal National Institute of Blind People
Kevin Carey
105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE
UNITED KINGDOM.
e-mail: kevin.carey@rnib.org.uk



INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Deafblind International
Bernadette M. Kappen
999, Pelham Parkway Bronx, New York 10469
USA
e-mail: bkappen@nyise.org

World Blind Union
Ajai Kumar Mittal
AICB, Braille Bhawan, Sector 5, Rohini, Delhi 110 085
INDIA.
e-mail: mittal24ak@gmail.com

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
Peter Holland
4-108, 8, Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4PL
UNITED KINGDOM
e-mail: pholland@iapb.org

INTERNATIONAL PARTNER MEMBERS


CBM
Monika Brenes
CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission
Christian Blind Mission e.V.
Stubenwald Alle 5, 64625, Bensheim
GERMANY
e-mail: monika.brenes@cbm.org

Light for the World
Nafisa Baboo
26 Niederhofstrasse, A11-20 Vienna
AUSTRIA
e-mail: n.baboo@light-for-the-world.org

Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (NABPS)
Terje Iversen
P.O. Box 5900, Majorstua0308 Oslo
NORWAY
e-mail: terje.iversen@blindeforbundet.no

Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles
Ana Peláez
C/ Almansa, 66, 28039 Madrid
SPAIN
e-mail: apn@once.es

Overbrook School for the Blind
Todd Reeves
6333 Malvern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151-2597
USA
e-mail: todd.reeves@obs.org

Perkins School for the Blind
Michael J. Delaney
175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472
USA
e-mail: Michael.Delaney@perkins.org

Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
Frances Gentle
Private Bag 29, Parramatta, NSW 2124
AUSTRALIA
e-mail: frances.gentle@ridbc.org.au



Royal National Institute of Blind People
Kevin Carey
105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE
UNITED KINGDOM
e-mail: kevin.carey@rnib.org.uk

Sightsavers
Andrew Griffiths
35 Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, Haywards Heath
West Sussex RH16 3BW
UNITED KINGDOM
e-mail: agriffiths@sightsavers.org

Visio
Sabine Fijn van Draat
Amersfoortsestraatweg 180, 1272 RR Houses
THE NETHERLANDS
E-mail: sabinefijnvandraat@visio.org
Current International Partner Members of ICEVI
(Those who pay an annual subscription of US$ 20,000)


CBM
www.cbm.org

Light for the World
www.light-for-the-world.org

Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (NABPS)
www.blindeforbundet.no

Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles
www.once.es

Overbrook School for the Blind
www.obs.org

Perkins School for the Blind
www.perkins.org

Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
www.ridbc.org.au

Royal National Institute of Blind People
www.rnib.org.uk

Sightsavers
www.sightsavers.org

Visio
www.visio.org

CONTENTS



1. Message from the President

2. Message from the Editor

3. WBU-ICEVI General Assemblies - First Announcement

4. Regional Development and Priorities for the Regions

5. The ICEVI Education Day at the 7th Africa Forum

6. West Asia Conference on Visual Impairment and Deafblindness - First
Announcement

7. Innovative Practices in Professional Development: Creating Change in
Schools in Israel - A Bottom-up Approach
- Naomi Ariel & Mary C. Zatta

8. Model for Effective Training
- K.S. Uma & Namita Jacob

9. Online Teacher Training by Perkins International Academy: Lessons
Learned
- Gloria Rodríguez Gil, Karina Medina, Álvaro Díaz, María
Antonia Vázquez, María Elena Nassif, Paula Rubiolo & Ana Lucia
Rago

10. In-service Sessions for Physical Education Teachers Learning to
Accommodate Diversity
- Mariel Delma García & María Herminia Suñé

11. Online professional development in braille
- Frances Gentle




Message from the President


Dear Readers

Welcome to the January 2019 Issue of The Educator. This issue addresses
innovative professional development approaches in the field of visual
impairment. There is a growing body of research into innovation in the
field of information and communication technology (ICT), including digital
technologies that enable persons with visual impairment to participate in
education, employment and society on an equal basis with sighted people.
During the recent 12th International Conference on Theory and Practice of
Electronic Governance (ICEGOV), representatives of national governments,
United Nations agencies and civil society organisations shared their use of
inclusive digital technologies to promote equality, inclusiveness and
productivity.

In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of a range of
technologies, software and applications that facilitate multisensory
approaches to information access and communication for persons with visual
impairment, including those with multiple disabilities. In the field of
education, students with visual impairment are increasingly able to choose
between print, braille, audio and digital formats, according to the nature
of the task and their level of visual impairment. However, an important
consideration in enabling the use of assistive or mainstream devices and
software by students with visual impairment is access to teachers who have
the required knowledge and skills to modify traditional paper-based
teaching and learning activities and examinations.

The authors featured in this issue of The Educator have introduced
innovative approaches to providing effective professional learning
opportunities for teachers and other professionals who support children and
young people with visual impairment. The authors describe their use of
innovative practices to deliver online or in-person professional training
in Israel, India, Latin America, the Caribbean and globally.

The topic of inclusive innovation in professional development and student
learning will continue to feature in ICEVI publications and conferences,
including ICEVI's joint General Assembly with the World Blind Union (WBU)
that will take place in Madrid, Spain in June 2020. This Issue includes the
First Announcement for the 2020 WBU-ICEVI General Assemblies, as well as
announcements for upcoming events in the ICEVI Africa and West Asia
regions. Please visit the ICEVI website for more information -
http://www.icevi.

I wish to acknowledge with thanks our Editor, Marianne Reggio of Perkins
International; Co-Editor and ICEVI CEO, M.N.G. Mani; and the authors who
have contributed to the quality and scholarship of this issue.



Frances Gentle,

ICEVI President.



Message from the Editor



Greetings!

I am pleased to share with you this issue that highlights Innovative
Practices in Professional Development. While reading the articles, a couple
of thoughts came to my mind. As someone who has been in this field a long
time, it is wonderful to see how the models for training have evolved in a
way that is responsive to contexts on the ground. Professional training is
no longer limited to university environment that is separated from real
life situations and training programs are not isolated to one discipline. I
think that it shows great professional growth in our field.

I am also struck by the creativity in the