Dear all,
I have been asked to circulate the information below. If you are
interested, please do not reply to me or to the list. For more information
about ABAPSTAS membership, contact Nick Clarke on 00 44 (0)1484 517954
(voice) and for conference queries contact Sonia Thompson 00 44 (0)121 455
8936 (voice).
Regards,
Mike Higgins
Friday, 30 July 1999
FAO: Equal Opportunities/Disability Officer
Dear Sir/Madam,
Visually impaired students, teachers and lecturers.
The Association of Blind and Partially Sighted Teachers and Students
(ABAPSTAS), is a national, self-help and campaigning organisation which
works to support blind and partially sighted people in the field of
education. Our individual members are all blind or partially sighted and
include many students, teachers and lecturers.
We are trying to reach visually impaired people to tell them about our
organisation and about our annual conference which this year is being held
at Lancaster University on 13 to 15 August. The conference is usually well
attended and it provides an opportunity to meet people from similar or
differing backgrounds, exchange ideas and discuss ways of tackling
problems.
I would be grateful if you would consider helping in three ways:
1. Passing on the enclosed information to any visually impaired teachers
or lecturers you may know and to any current or potential
students. The handbill contains conference information
and you may wish to point this out to them. Further information may
be got from the ABAPSTAS website at:
http://www.abapstas.freeservers.com;
2. Helping students or lecturers with funding. The conference costs are as
follows:- £25 for the Saturday day delegates; £106 per standard room
and £130 en suite (full board), which we feel is very reasonable for a
weekend event. However, it may be more than some people can afford;
3. Joining Abapstas as an institutional member, if you haven't already
done so. Many universities and colleges support our work in this way. We
hope they recognise the value of our organisation at a time when more and
more visually impaired people are taking up places in further and higher
education.
Many thanks for your co-operation and support.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Nick Clarke - Abapstas Membership Officer.
(Contact no.: 01484 517 954).
Enc.
ASSOCIATION OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
(ABAPSTAS)
29th Annual conference to be held at: Lancaster University - starting
Friday 13 August at 4 pm. And finishing 2 pm, Sunday 15 August.
ABAPSTAS is a nation wide self-help and campaigning organisation of blind
and partially sighted teachers and students concerned with issues around
studentship and employment. We regularly participate in government
consultations on disability, advising on and responding to green papers and
similar government initiatives. The conference theme for last year, for
example, was "inclusion".
Gearing up to meet the challenges of the new millennium, conference this
year focuses on "Learning For The Future" and a number of visionary and
exciting speakers are listed. The programme for Saturday 14 August reads
as follows:-
Mike Higgins - "Disability Rights Commission"
Irene Jackson - "Out of Isolation"
Helen Petrie - "Looking At Tactile Diagrams"
David Filmer - "Can Do" (as opposed to can't do)
Dr. Fred Reid - "The Past, Present and Future of ABAPSTAS"
Dr. Nick Clarke - who will "Launch the ABAPSTAS Website".
In addition, there will be opportunities for workshops, discussions and
debates as well as exhibitions of adaptive technology for the visually
impaired by two of Britain's leading suppliers, Pulsedata and Sight &
Sound.
The cost of the conference inclusive of fees, boarding and meals is, £106
per standard room and £130 en-suite. Also, there is an inclusive Saturday
rate of £25 for day delegates. Very limited financial assistance from the
Organisation might be available on a "first come, first served" basis but
such other ports of call as your employer, Local Authority, union, and some
charities have proved supportive in the past.
For a booking form and/or further details, contact Sonia Thompson on 0121
455 8936.
Come along and whatever your contribution (even just by being there) you
will help grow ABAPSTAS's effectiveness and profile as a positive influence
for "enablement" and
change.
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