6th Africa Forum, Kampala, Uganda

INTEREST GROUP MEETINGS (16:30 – 18:00)

8th AFUB General Assembly (Victoria Hall)

FORUM GALA – MANGO GARDEN (19:00 – 21:00)

THURSDAY 8^TH OCTOBER 2015

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

PLENARY SESSION – VICTORIA HALL (9.00 – 10.00 A.M)

SESSION CHAIR
Hon. Nyombi Thembo

Minister of State for Communication (ICT)

Republic Of Uganda.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. Ruth Okediji

Professor of Copyright Law

University of Minnesota, USA
CONTEXT SPEAKERS
Dr. Penny Hartin

Chief Executive Officer, World Blind Union

Canada.
Richard Orme

Executive Director, DAISY Consortium

United Kingdom.

PANEL SESSIONS (11:00 - 12:30 P.M)

Making Books Accessible To All (Victoria Hall)

Panel Char: Dr. Penny Hartin, CEO World Blind Union, Canada.
Kit, Confidence and Content- Accessing A Better Education.

R. Orme, DAISY Consortium, UK.

[e-mail]
ICEVI is a global association of individuals and organizations that promotes equal access to appropriate education for all children and youth with visual impairment so that they may achieve their full potential. Despite the progress made towards the 2015 MDG of universal primary education, too many blind and partially sighted children do not have the textbooks they need in accessible formats. In a strategic project with the DAISY Consortium, and working with some of the world’s leading experts, ICEVI has proposed a model to plan and implement initiatives to improve educational outcomes for blind and low vision learners. The model will be presented together with examples of pilot projects and an update on the progress to attract financial and political support for this initiative.
“Charter for Accessible Publishing”: What Practical Steps in Africa Beyond 2015?

Dr N. Fraasen, Publishers’ Association of South Africa, South Africa.

[e-mail]
“Our objective is to make our e-books accessible to all.” This challenge is now in the court of publishers world-wide. On 30 June 2014, the Accessible Books Consortium, under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, launched the “Charter for Accessible Publishing”. Might this Charter be merely a feel-good undertaking but lie dormant in publishing managers’ desks? How can rights users and rights owners, by following the Charter, work together at a practical and sustainable level to provide services and improve the lives of persons with print disabilities? What are the implications for networking, capacity building and legal systems? This presentation, from a publishing perspective, will consider these questions within an African context.
Developing Countries Alliance Working to Fill Identified Gaps in Holistic Solution of Accessible Books.

D. Manocha, DAISY Consortium/DAISY Forum of India, India.

[e-mail]
Production of digital master and distribution formats, Distribution system, assistive technology for end users and trainings are all integral components of holistic solution for accessible books. This presentation will define components of holistic solution for getting books in Braille, talking books and accessible e-text, share key findings of the survey to identify the gaps, present components and activities of plan to work on solution in any specific country, and, share some examples of projects based on this plan. It will also share information about some key resources such as an online library platform that can be shared by several countries in their projects and invite organizations to be part of several projects that complement each other and contribute to the holistic solution.
How The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) Initiative Can Help Enable Access To Printed And Copyright Educational Materials
Stephen King; Accessible Book Consortium, Switzerland.

[e-mail]

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is a multi-stakeholder entity that was launched in June 2014. www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org. ABC was created to help implement the objectives of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. This panel will look at how the Accessible Book Consortium can help work with local publishers, educational establishments, libraries and specialist producers to improve access to curriculum materials; both locally produced and available from across international borders.

Increasing The Role Of Libraries In Promoting Access To Information

Panel Chair: Elie Kamate, Country Director, Sightsavers, Mali.
NALB – Towards the Establishment of a Network Of African Libraries Serving Blind and Visually Impaired People.

F. Hendrikz, South African Library for the Blind, South Africa.

[e-mail]
The rendering of Library services to persons with visual impairment for the purposes of information, education and recreation is non-negotiable. The Marrakesh Treaty has created various opportunities. One of the opportunities is for African Countries to consider the establishment of a Network of Libraries serving persons with visual impairment. Cross-border exchange, not only of material but of knowledge and expertise, is now becoming a reality. It is envisaged that with the proposed establishment of the Network, participating libraries from various African Countries could meet on a regular basis to share common challenges and successes, learn from each other and jointly plan new strategies to establish or improve library services. The joint development of project plans to benefit all who wants to participate is also envisaged. It is proposed that the Network will assist to address those challenges jointly in a unique African manner.
The Development of Library Services for Blind and Partially Sighted Children In Africa.

A. A. Karimu, Ghana.

[e-mail]
The psychological, physical and social development of children has a direct impact on their overall development and on their life stages. However, the successful completion of all these developmental stages for children who are blind or partially sighted is sometimes challenging in various aspects because of the lack of adequate critical childhood services to support parents or guardians and the children themselves. One of such critical area is library services for blind and partially sighted children. Book reading would enable children who are blind or partially sighted increase their vocabulary, conceptualise their environment as well as aid them in acquiring social skills. This paper discusses the concept of the Vision Australia Feelix Library for children who are blind or partially sighted in the context of the Marrakesh Treaty and postulates how to introduce the concept across Africa.
Bookshare: Cross-border Exchange and Cooperation

J. Fruchterman, Benetech, USA

[e-mail]
Bookshare is currently the largest online library for people with blindness and vision loss. Bookshare has a global mission to provide accessible works, and plans to be of service to the blind community of Africa. Bookshare can help in two ways. First, by providing access to its American collection, and providing library infrastructure to countries that currently lack the same. Only 200,000 of Bookshare's 360,000 books are available outside the United States: those where the publishers have provided permission. With Marrakesh ratification, nearly all of these books will be available. Second, by providing access to a top quality digital library infrastructure, which can be used to create local or national collections and provide these ebooks to schools, organizations and individuals with free assistive technology solutions that support users with MP3 players, smartphone, tablets and computers. This presentation will explore these two options, and help realize the promise of Marrakesh for cross-border cooperation in ending the book famine for persons with vision disabilities.
The COBESS, Sightsavers and AAS Towards The Ratification Of The Marrakesh Treaty In Senegal

Ms. A. C. Diouf, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal.

[e-mail] [e-mail]
As an integral part of society, what is the role of universities and their service departments like libraries in promoting sustainable development for ALL? Should universities limit themselves only to their traditional missions of research and teaching or should they involve themselves in promoting responsible citizenship by encouraging services to society, as well as commitment and solidarity with other actors? To give answers to these questions, this paper will outline the tripartite partnership between a university library, a development agency and an organisation of persons with disabilities towards advocating for the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty.

Moving Towards Unified English Braille – UEB (Sheena Hall)

Panel Chair: Cathy Donaldson, President, Blind SA, South Africa.

The UEB: What And Why?

C. de Klerk, South Africa.

[e-mail]
The idea behind Unified English Braille (UEB) was to come up with a braille system that was unified, unambiguous, had representations for print characters for which no symbols existed in pre-unified braille, and should have as little impact as possible on the existing literary braille code. The author gives the example of South Africa, which has gone a step further and unified the Braille codes all ten local official languages, and hence now talks of Unified Braille Code, UBC. By applying these same principles, this can also be done in other countries where languages other than English are spoken. This paper goes on to outline and assess the status of UEB/UBC in South Africa, including efforts since the early 1990’s to use UEB, and later on training courses the gap from the pre-unified to the unified code, and the resolve to publish only in UBC from 2015.
Adapting UEB for Languages Other than English.

J. E. Sullivan, Duxbury Systems, Inc./ICEB

[e-mail]
As its name implies, Unified English Braille (UEB) is a braille code for English. It is "unified" not only in that it has been adopted by major English-speaking countries that formerly used different codes, but also in that it seamlessly provides for the inclusion of technical notation, notably for mathematics and computer programming. It can also deal with an occasional loanword from French or a Greek letter in math, but its way of handling plain-language text would not be suitable for sentences in most languages other than English. While a focus on one language is normal in a Braille code as a practical necessity, UEB has the interesting property that its design principles, grounded firmly in Louis Braille's original work, could be applied to other languages often without substantial modification, so that for example the mathematical aspects remain highly compatible with those aspects of UEB itself. This can be very useful, especially in circumstances where English is one of several languages commonly spoken, for instance in South Africa with its 11 official languages. This paper explores the characteristics of UEB that enable such work, and the design issues that may be encountered.
Get to Know UEB (UEB Braille Code In Brief).

J. E. Obi, Braille Advancement Association of Nigeria (BRAAN), Nigeria.

[e-mail]
The Unified English Braille Code (UEB) is the updated braille code that has been developed by the member countries of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). In the document “New symbols and New Usage” (available in braille and print), one will find a list of the more commonly used symbols and some examples of their use. The workshop will work through the list and include exercises to try out the use of the symbols. The code is well developed and continually under review. Use of UEB across the English speaking countries in Africa will facilitate the sharing of books and their soft copies, and improve access to brailled books. To learn more about the UBE code, visit the website www.iceb.org and explore it for more information on UEB. “UEB Braille Primer”, “Technical Guidelines” and “The Rules of UEB” are just 3 of the books that can be downloaded from the website. One can also contact [e-mail].
The Role Of The Notetaker In Promoting Braille Literacy

Y. Moon, HIMS International Corporation.

[e-mail]
Studies have shown that Braille literacy is directly related to educational achievement, professional outcomes, and adult reading habits for the visually impaired. While many are committed to reversing the decline in Braille literacy, students must have the proper tools to promote learning and use Braille proficiently. These tools must allow students to view and create presentations, formatted documents, and advanced math in Braille, and must provide teachers tools to adequately monitor and direct student learning. This presentation explores the abilities of HIMS notetakers to meet the needs of today's blind and visually impaired students and professionals through its advanced features. It also discusses the role of the notetaker in promoting Braille literacy and accessible education for blind students, and demonstrate the Braille Sense as an educational toolkit for student learning as well as teacher monitoring and control.

Promoting Knowledge Transfer For Africa (Royal Hall)

Panel Chair: Dr. S.K. Tororei, Commissioner, National Land Commission, Kenya.
Visio and the Sharing of Expertise in International Context.

C. Poels, Royal Dutch Visio, Netherlands / Ojok Simon, HIVE, Uganda.

[e-mail]
During this Free Zone presentation Royal Dutch Visio intends to share practices from its international experience. Visio International which is a department of Royal Dutch Visio, makes use of the knowledge available at Visio to continually improve the care and education of blind and low vision people in different countries. In the presentation the international services of Visio will be presented, illustrated by some of their international projects. In its work, the regional context, specific needs and reciprocity are very important. The main focus is on exchange of knowledge through training, advice to set up rehabilitation and education systems, assistance in policy issues and sharing knowledge and experience in new developments.
The Mandela Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI).

E.S. Okotie, Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), Nigeria.

[e-mail]; [e-mail]
The Mandela Young African Initiative (YALI) is a flagship program of President Barack Obama launched in 2014. The program seeks to take 500 young Africans between the ages of 25-35 years to the USA where they participate in a 6-week summer school program in Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership and Public Management. In the 2016 the program seeks to take 1000 young Africans to the USA. The author was part of the 2015 intake. Youths with disabilities in Africa lack access to information and exposure, and the author wishes more people with disabilities would participate in it since YALI is a full scholarship program with all expenses catered for. As such, talk by those in the forum who are leaders within their communities regarding YALI will be very important during this session because knowledge can be transferred to the different groups.
The VSO Volunteer Program

Lillian Viko, VSO, Uganda.

[e-mail]
VSO believes that change happens because people make it happen. VSO volunteers are drawn from many countries and all walks of life, they give their time, their expertise and their passion. Volunteers share their skills within carefully selected partner organisations, ranging from grassroots groups to government ministries. It’s a powerful, cost effective way to create lasting results. The VSO network helps poor and marginalised people understand their rights while empowering them to participate as equal, fully valued members of society.Our International volunteers transfer knowledge and experience not easily and affordably accessible locally, while local partners use their skills and cultural understanding to make impact in their own communities.
The IDP Professional Fellowship – A New Opportunity for Knowledge Transfer In Africa.

F. Haga, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kenya.

[e-mail]
In 2014, the Institutional Development Programme (IDP) commenced a Professional Fellowship initiative targeting various experts who are alumni of IDP’s flagship programme, the Senior Management Institute, a capacity development programme that has been running for more than 20 years. The aim was to expose selected fellows to service delivery models in developed countries for purposes of transferring the knowledge acquired to their home contexts. The pioneers were placed in different institutions in Australia and North America from April 2015. This presentation discusses IDP’s Professional Fellowship’s objectives, structure and ideals. More importantly, the presentation applauds the Fellowship as a critical service model across the African continent. The author is one of the pioneer fellows and informed by experiences during the IDP Professional Fellowship in general but particularly sharing the importance of the PF from the perspective of the author. The presentation highlights some lessons learned during the Fellowship that could significantly improve education services across Africa.
Improving Services In A Sustainable Way - From Idea To Realization.

P. Wijen; A. Buurmeijer, Royal Dutch Visio / Visio International, Netherlands, & S. Ojok, HIVE Uganda Ltd, Uganda.

[e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]
Sustainability is often used in various ways and different meanings. For both Visio International and HIVE Uganda Limited sustainability is very important and has become intrinsically linked with their activities and working methods. Both organizations link with different stakeholders to achieve common goals, using each one’s strengths. Different experiences learn that there is no single obvious way to guarantee a sustainable realization, but there might be similar components for successes. In this interactive panel presentation the authors together with the participants would like to explore the successes and challenges that can lead to a sustainable improvement of services. Royal Dutch Visio is a centre of expertise for blind and partially sighted people. HIVE (Human Input with Value to Environment) Uganda Limited, is a NGO based in Gulu, Uganda and is using a dual approach to reach sustainability.

Building Partnerships For Regional Development (Regal Hall)

Panel Chair: Terje Iversen, Director for International Development, NABP, Norway.
The International Disability and Development Consortium, IDDC.

Dr. M.N.G. Mani, ICEVI, India & N. Baboo, ICEVI, South Africa.

[e-mail]/ [e-mail]
International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) consists of leading organizations, which are promoting activities leading to education, employment and empowerment of persons with disabilities. ICEVI is member of the Inclusive Education Task Group (IE-TG) of the IDDC and actively engaged in implementing the IDDC activities through the seven regions of ICEVI. IDDC was very active in celebrating the Global Action Week (GAW) in May 2014 under the auspices of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). According to IDDC, the Global Action Week is just a beginning in creating the right awareness about the capabilities of persons with disabilities. Members of IDDC will be contributing to this session to share their vision and also the good practices with the participants from Africa.
The Vision Alliance

Dr. M.N.G. Mani, ICEVI, India.

[e-mail]; [e-mail]
Vision Alliance is a network of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union (WBU) to bring synergy into the services for persons with visual impairment . The objective of Vision Alliance is to ensure that a network of educators, persons with visual impairment and medical professionals is formed and nurtured at the national level. To begin with, the Vision Alliance concept is expected to be strengthened in the existing countries where the EFA-VI Global Campaign is underway.
Disability and the New Global Partnership;

M. Kaluba, Limability, Zambia.

[e-mail]
The World Bank Disability Report, 2014, suggests that qualitative evidence suggests that PWD’s are significantly poorer in developing countries than their non-disabled counterparts. Imagine a world in which the blind and visually impaired participate in motor rally competitions as navigators and treated as equals and not charity cases; A world in which PWD’s are active participants in the socio-economic road map of their lives and their communities at large; A world in which access to quality health, education and sustainable income for all is guaranteed. Despite the policy and legislative provisions made at various national and multi-national levels, such as the New Global Partnership, these aspirations may not be tenable if PWD’s themselves do not take the responsibility.
Strengthening Networks Between Africa and Global & Regional DPOs to Strengthen Advocacy for Inclusive Development.

P. Anomah-Kordieh, AFUB, Kenya.

[e-mail];, [e-mail]; [e-mail]

African Union of the Blind [AFUB] is the sole union of the blind in Africa. It was created to give blind people a voice at regional and international levels. Advocacy is therefore AFUB’s core business. Reliable data on blindness in Africa is unavailable, but the WHO estimates that there are about 36 million people with visually impairment in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2000, the disability sector in general and persons with visual impairment in particular unsuccessfully tried to include specific goals, targets and indicators on disability in the framework of the MDGs AFUB is deeply concerned that the MDGs will not be realized by 2015 for the millions of African PWDs due to the lack of inclusion and accessibility of related MDGs programmes and policies’ design, implementation and monitoring. In view of these, AFUB has joined other disability groups at regionally and internationally to ensure this is put on the agenda.

Training Program On Inclusive Publishing – III (Majestic Hall)

The DAISY Consortium / UNESCO

[e-mail]
The target audience for this training people engaged in preparing books in publishing companies, libraries, government, schools/colleges and not-for-profits A hands-on training of two days duration for people engaged in preparing books in publishing companies, libraries, government, schools/colleges and not-for-profits to give them knowledge and skill of producing digital content that conforms to international standards and is accessible to everyone including people with disabilities. The training will include production of digital files conforming to EPUB3 and DAISY standard using open source and popular tools used in publishing. Computers would be required for all participants.
Promoting Access To Information Through Mobile And Free Technology (Emerald Hall)
Diane Bergeron, Executive Director - Strategic Relations and Engagement, CNIB, Canada.
24 Apps in 24 Hours - Technology for Life.

R, Spinks, RNIB, United Kingdom

[e-mail]
Robin Spinks from RNIB will showcase a diverse range of smartphone applications which enable persons with visual impairment to live a more independent life. The session will focus on a typical day where the smartphone is used for more than twenty purposes. Applications will span reading, banking, social networking, navigation and scanning/magnification. Robin will demonstrate the tremendous potential for the modern smartphone to become the Swiss army knife of modern life. He will also take a look ahead and assess the impact of a range of wearable technology which is coming on stream.

Inclusive Mobile Financial Services for Visually Impaired People in Kenya

M, Kieti, Perkins International, Kenya

[e-mail]
This study was conducted in 2013 as a joint intention of the Perkins School for the Blind and the United States Agency for International Development to respond to the need to expand the ability of people who are blind or visually impaired to access and utilize mobile financial services (MFS) in Kenya. The study sought to identify barriers faced by blind and visually impaired users to fuller utilization of mobile-enabled money transfer technologies, focusing on mobile phone-based products and services; design appropriate intervention/modifications; determine if , and how, barriers can be reduced or eliminated; raise awareness among service providers and development practitioners of the unique needs/barriers of visually impaired end-users into their product design and marketing and among regulators of the need to develop appropriate regulatory guidance and supervisory capacity to ensure ‘Know Your Customer’ compliance and asset protection oversight. This paper highlights findings and recommendations of the study.
Accessibility Through Free And Low Cost Solutions

S. Rowe, RNIB, United Kingdom

[e-mail]
The advancement in technology over the past decade has opened up a wealth of opportunity for blind and partially sighted people, with increased access to low-cost accessible technology solutions, to be used at home, at work, or in the classroom. The emergence of "born-accessible" technology from companies such as Apple and Android, with their SmartPhone and Tablet products now fully accessible out of the box has significantly increased access to everyday life for visually impaired people. In addition, free Windows screen reader software such as Non Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) and Windows' own Narrator - are contributing significantly in allowing unhindered access to technology based resources.
How to Harness Mobile Technology for Services for Blind and Partially Sighted People in Africa.

Dr. B. Abdul, East Africa Centre for Disability Law and Policy Uganda.

[e-mail]
Mobile technology (MT) encompasses telephony, Internet and hand-held devices used as note takers. This paper sets out to tackle how the various MT’s can be harnessed for the service of people with visual impairments in Africa. Depending on the perspective, MT either spells a bleak or a bright future for blindness services in Africa. On the bright side, it promises greater independence for persons with visual impairment because it facilitates utilization of various services available on the internet such as banking. On the bleak side, the advent of mobile technology spells exclusion for persons with visual impairment because of lack of assistive technology (AT), incompatibility between MT and AT, lack of MT skills by persons with visual impairment and the tendency by service providers to exclude access to their websites by persons with visual impairment.

Providing Services To People Who Are Deafblind (Amethyst Hall)
Panel Chair: Razaq Fakir, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Increasing Motivation For O&M Among Deaf-Blind Children.

J. M. Sambian, Ghana National Association of the Deaf, Ghana.

[e-mail]
In Ghana, O&M training for deaf-blind children has not been systematically structured right from the home through to the school level. Most deaf-blind children in Ghana learn their first O&M training only when they are enrolled into the Deaf-Blind School. In order to combat this reluctance and motivate deaf-blind children to learn and use mobility skills, the Ghana National Association of Deaf and its sister organization, the Ghana Blind Union in collaboration with Perkins International and other stakeholders intends to start a program to bring O&M skills to deaf-blind children. This paper describes the program in detail and solicits support because O&M for deaf-blind children is crucial in Ghana.
Developing And Delivering Educational Services For People Who Are DeafBlind.

A. Nabanja, Sense Internatinal, Uganda.

[e-mail]
So limited is the sensory information available for the deaf-blind (DB) that 95% of information in the environment is denied to them. Facilitating DB to maximize the remaining sensory avenues requires dedicated educators. Reflecting on the above, agencies committed to the advancement of the welfare of DB people in the eastern African region have been grappling with the question of how to develop and deliver educational services for people who are DB using sustainable, scalable and participatory approaches which ensure ownership. Taking the case study of the collaborative Teacher Training Program on DB by Kyambogo University and Sense international, this paper reflects on the various challenges faced when it comes to the education of people who are DB.
Meaningful Progress for Deaf-Visually Impaired (Deafblind) People in Malawi.

E. Kumwenda, VIHEMA, Malawi.

[e-mail] / [e-mail]
Malawi is a signatory to several global treaties and conventions that promote and protect the social life of people with disabilities. Through interactions and high level panel discussions, VIHEMA has made strides in bringing together stakeholders in the disability sector in particular the deaf-blind (DB) to identify maximum and relevant mechanisms for active and sustainable participation of people who are DB in issues of development especially in education. VIHEMA is also seeking partnerships with fellow DPO’s to objectively assist each other in advocating for the Special Needs Education policy in Malawi that will help in formulating the accessible and employable modes of education to people who are DB in Malawi.
Turning The Tide Of DeafBlindness In Africa – Towards Professionalization Of DeafBlind Interpreter/Guides

N. Parkins-Maliko, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

[e-mail];

The presentation addresses key issues related to the UNCRPD which stresses access to information through professional sign language interpreters. The level of DeafBlind (DB) access to information in Africa through DB interpreter/guides (IG’s) was obtained through surveys and interviews during the Africa Federation for DeafBlind Annual General Meeting (South Africa, 2014) and the Board and Interpreter Training (Malawi, 2015). This informed a baseline report into the situational analysis of qualification levels and adequacy of skills for DB IG’s. This report provides an opportunity to understand the contextual realities of DeafBlind persons and IG’s in the African context. A sustainable approach for DB IG’s training and development will be discussed, not only focusing on financial support but also on the importance of international learning exchange opportunities.

WORKSHOPS AND INTERACTIVE SESSIONS (14:00 – 16:00)

AFUB Youth Forum (Victoria Hall)

J. Nair, AFUB, Kenya/AFUB Secretariat, Kenya.

[e-mail]
It is estimated that the AFUB youth forum will bring together 20 – 30 youth from AFUB member countries including youth representatives from each AFUB region. The proposed agenda will include:- Introduction and welcome; Speech by the Chairperson; Youth Action Plan; Election of Youth Executive arm; Conclusion and closure.

Tackling the Book Famine In Africa: How the Marrakesh Treaty Works (Meera Hall)
T. Ongolo, ADA, South Africa.

In the context of Professor Ruth Okediji delivering a keynote for Day 4 Partnerships, and in the expectation that François Hendrikz, Director of the South Africa Library for the Blind will be presenting a paper on Thursday 8th, Day Theme 4: Sub-Theme 1. The theme of this paper will be to challengee other organizations of the blind in sub-Saharan Africa to join a library sharing network to benefit from the Marrakesh Treaty. The author requests an interactive workshop of 2 hours, titled ‘Creating Africa's Marrakesh Library Network’. This will provide an opportunity for national members in Africa to explore the possibilities of creating a library network to work under the auspices of the Marrakesh Treaty cross-border sharing facility. It will particularly explore low cost start-ups. The workshop will be facilitated by an expert team organized by AFUB Marrakesh team.

Understanding and Implementing Unified English Braille (UEB) Code in Anglophone Africa (Sheena Hall)

Dr. P. M. Ajuwon, Missouri State University, USA.

[e-mail]
This two-hour interactive session will take participants through the basics of the newly-developed Unified English Braille (UEB) code. Preliminary findings indicate there is limited awareness of UEB in Anglophone Africa. Therefore, the session aims to: promote and facilitate the uses, teaching, and production of braille, in line with established guidelines of the International Council of English Braille (ICEB). The presenter will share with participants data on a recent survey conducted on UEB and braille literacy issues in Anglophone Africa. Ideas will be generated for establishing Braille Authority of West Africa (BAWA), and Braille Authority of East and Central Africa (BAECA). Finally, participants will brainstorm strategies for maintaining an office in each country in the newly-constituted regional authorities, and sustaining effective linkages with ICEB that will lead to the promotion of braille literacy in Africa post-2015 development agenda.

AFUB's Advocacy on Human Rights in Africa, Lessons and Way Forward (Royal Hall)
P. Anomah-Kordieh, AFUB, Kenya.

[e-mail]

The purpose of the Seminar is to share the lessons learnt and the success stories of the Regional Human Rights Project for the Visually Impaired in Africa; use the opportunity to raise awareness on CRPD as a tool for advocacy and also raise concerns on the ratification and domestication of the CRPD, increase SRF’s visibility in Africa, discuss and draw the way forward for SRF partnership in Africa and encourage networking among its partners in Africa.

A Trainers' Training on Promoting Safe Independent and Dignified Mobility with the SmartCane (Regal Hall)

A. Mitra, Saksham Trust & Dr. R. Paul, Assistive Technologies Group, IIT Delhi, India

[e-mail] & [e-mail]

Traditionally, the White-cane has been used for detecting obstacles. However, it is restricted in its range and unable to detect raised obstacles. Saksham Trust and its partners therefore sought to develop an affordable mobility aid called the SmartCane^TM. The device uses ultrasonic ranging to detect raised obstacles upto a range of 3m and pre-warns of impending obstacles through vibratory patterns. Through this Forum, Saksham Trust wishes to disseminate its training program with the aim of creating a community of skilled trainers in Africa who can train and assist users in their respective countries once this technology is made available locally. The session will include a review of basic White-cane mobility techniques, an introduction to SmartCane^TM, practical mobility session with SmartCane^TM, use cases collated from user trials in India and other topics such those concerning acceptance. The session is intended to be in two episodes each lasting one and a half hours. This workshop is particularly suited for O&M experts, special educators, rehabilitation officers or social workers engaged in mobility training and/or support.

Training Program On Inclusive Publishing – IV (Majestic Hall)

The DAISY Consortium / UNESCO

[e-mail]
The target audience for this training people engaged in preparing books in publishing companies, libraries, government, schools/colleges and not-for-profits A hands-on training of two days duration for people engaged in preparing books in publishing companies, libraries, government, schools/colleges and not-for-profits to give them knowledge and skill of producing digital content that conforms to international standards and is accessible to everyone including people with disabilities. The training will include production of digital files conforming to EPUB3 and DAISY standard using open source and popular tools used in publishing. Computers would be required for all participants.
Touch The World – The Power Of Tactile Graphics (Emerald Hall)
Dr. Jaroslaw Wiazowski, Harpo, Poland

[e-mail]

The goal of this workshop is to present a variety of methods and techniques to create and present graphics to people with visual impairments. Advantages and disadvantages of those methods will be discussed. Further, some general guidelines to create quality tactile renderings will be explained followed by practical exercises. The participants will also be given an opportunity to work with high and low tech solutions to create their own tactile images. Useful resource kits will be provided and participants will be eligible to enter attractive door prizes.

Braille direct from PDF/Word (Amethyst Hall)
Björn Löfstedt, CEO & Owner, Index Braille AB, Sweden.

www.indexbraille.com

Previously, when embossing braille from a PC it has been necessary to purchase, install and setup a Braille editor. In most cases, the Braille editor installation has to be made by an external resource depending on the technical knowledge present.
With Index-direct-Braille you may emboss a standard PDF/Word document consisting of headers, text and bullet lists; allowing for the demand for a braille editor to be minimal or non-existent. Emboss braille simply by right clicking on your PDF/Word file and select your Index V4 embosser. The translation (grade 1 or grade 2), formatting and page numbering processes are completed by the Index V4 embosser interface itself.

INTEREST GROUP MEETINGS (16:30 – 18:00)

AFUB Board Meeting (Meera Hall)

KAMPALA NITE! (19:00)

Participants who wish to explore Kampala can register for an evening of fun at one of Kampala’s best clubs. Charges at the door are USD 10 and come with a complimentary drink. Transport will be provided by the Local Hosts. The bus departs at 19:00 from the front of the hotel. Visit the Forum Registration/Information Desk for more information and sign-up.

FRIDAY 9^TH OCTOBER 2015

REMOVAL OF EXHIBITIONS

CLOSURE OF FORUM SECRETARIAT

DEPARTURES