Noh Alam Shah as one of the best forwards in south East Asia, Alam Shah was a member of the Singapore national football when it won the ASEAN football championship (formerly known as the 'Tiger Cup') in 2005 and 2007. At the 2007 competition, he was the top individual scorer and was named the 'Most Valuable Player' of the tournament. At club level, he was a member of the tampines rovers team which won Singapore's s.league in 2004 and 2005.

In a 2007 ASEAN Football Championship group stage match between Singapore and Laos, Alam Shah scored 7 goals in an 11-0 win for Singapore. This was not only a record win for the Singapore national team, but also a record number of goals scored by an individual player in an 'A' international game for Singapore. Singapore went on to win the championship, and Alam Shah received the 'Most Valuable Player' award for his impressive displays in the tournament.

Noh Alam Shah joined Tampines Rovers He helped the Stags win the S.League title in 2004 and 2005. In 2007, he scored a late goal against Liaoning Guangyuan to become the first player to score 100 goals for the club. The tally came from 88 goals in the league and 12 goals in the domestic cup competitions.

Bullish and enthusiastic, Alam Shah is perhaps best remembered for his dramatic late equaliser against Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier in 2001.

With his swashbuckling style and never-say-die commitment upfront, he is a firm favourite with the fans despite a volatile temper that has gotten the better of him numerous times in the past.

The Tampines Rovers striker has worked hard to keep his temper in check though, and has put a past full of foibles behind him as well, winning an S.League title with the Stags in 2004.

In 2005, Alam Shah went to first, Notts County and later, Skonto Riga for trials but unfortunately the deal fell through.

Adolf hitler

a. Birthdate and death date..how old were they when they died?

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20^th 1889 in a small Austrian town called Braunau, near to the German border.

Adolf Hitler led Germany throughout world war two. Adolf Hitler killed himself on April 30th, 1945 - just days before Germany's unconditional surrender. Berlin was about to fall to the Russians and defeat for nazi Germany was obvious. Hitler had no intention of letting the Russians capture him and putting him on trial - hence his suicide. 

b.What did they achieve?

He started World War Two in Europe. He claimed Germany needed more living space so he marched into Germanic countries with no apprehensive actions. Then officially started the war with the invasion of Poland. He continued occupying Sweden, Norway, Luxemburg, France, Belgum, Finland, Netherlands, Czecoslovakia, Romania, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, Lativia, Estonia, Ukraine, Belo-Russia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece and Parts of Morraco, Algeria, Libia, Turkey and united with Italy (and its provinces) and Japan.

c. Describe their family background.

Adolf Hitler was born at the Gasthof zum Pommer, an inn in barunau am inn, austria hungary, the fourth of Alois and kara hitler's six children. Hitler was close to his mother, but had a troubled relationship with his father, an authoritarian who frequently beat him. Years later, he told his secretary: "I then resolved never again to cry when my father whipped me. A few days later I had the opportunity of putting my will to the test. My mother, frightened, took refuge in front of the door. As for me, I counted silently the blows of the stick which lashed my rear end."

He was a poor student, which he later attributed to rebellion against his father, who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as a customs official.

d.  How does 'history judge them'.   What does that mean?  Is it fair?

In 1913, he moved to Munich and, on the outbreak of World War One, enlisted in the German army, where he was wounded and decorated. In 1919 he joined the fascist German Workers' Party (DAP). He played to the resentments of right-wingers, promising extremist 'remedies' to Germany's post-war problems which he and many others blamed on Jews and Bolsheviks. By 1921 he was the unquestioned leader of what was now the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party).

e.  Find pictures of these individuals, find maps showing where they are from.

        

human right

UN SECURITY COUNCIL MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY TO STOP "BLOODBATH" IN SRI LANKA 

The horrific condition facing civilians in north eastern Sri Lanka has been described as a “bloodbath” by the United Nations. Amnesty International has said that it demands immediate action by the United Nations Security Council. 

In the last few days, more than 400 people – including more than 100 children – are reported to have been killed in a two-day bombardment of the 2 square kilometre area designated as a “Safe Zone” by the Sri Lankan army. This brings the total estimated casualty figure to more than 7,000 killed and 13,000 injured since January. There are an estimated 50,000 civilians still trapped in the area. 

Medical personnel in the area have told Amnesty International that the artillery barrage continued throughout the weekend. The Sri Lankan government has denied using artillery, instead blaming the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. 

Both the Tigers and Sri-Lankan Military have been violating the laws of war. Over the last several months, the Tamil Tigers have used civilians trapped in the conflict zone as a buffer against government forces. 

TWELVE PEOPLE EXECUTED IN IRAQ

Hanging rope at execution gallows, Baghdad, Iraq, 15 December 2006

© APGraphicsBank

7 May 2009

The Iraqi authorities executed 12 people on Sunday, according to information received by Amnesty International. The 12 are believed to be among the 128 people who were on death row. There are growing fears that more executions will follow in the coming days or weeks.

The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council confirmed to Amnesty International on 9 March 2009 that Iraq’s Presidential Council had ratified the death sentences of 128 people who had been facing imminent execution. 

The death sentences were originally passed by criminal courts in Baghdad, Basra and other cities and provinces on charges under Iraq’s Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism law that include murder and kidnapping, and were upheld by the Cassation Court.

A spokesperson for Amnesty International expressed dismay at the executions and called for their full names to be disclosed. 

"Amnesty International is urging the authorities to commute all death sentences and to establish an immediate moratorium on executions," said Malcolm Smart, the Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. "Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases."

US among 18 nations elected to UN Human Rights Council

US Amb. Susan Rice (right) being congratulated by delegates on winning a seat on the Human Rights Council for the first time

12 May 2009 – The General Assembly today elected 18 countries to serve on the Geneva-based United Nations human right council for three-year terms starting next month, including – for the first time – Belgium, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the United States.

The 47-member Council replaced the Human Rights Commission – which faced increasing criticism over the years as being ineffective and not accountable – in 2006.

The Assembly also re-elected Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Jordan, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Uruguay. All 18 members elected today will begin their terms on 19 June.

In March, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had welcomed the announcement by the US that it would seek a seat on the Council, saying it embodies the country’s commitment to a “new era of engagement.”

UN team probing rights violations in Gaza conflict wraps up first meeting

Palestinian children cower in fear during Israeli military offensive in Gaza

8 May 2009 – Members of the fact-finding mission set up by the United Nations Human Rights Council to probe rights violations during the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip wrapped up a week-long meeting in Geneva today.

The four-person team is led by the former prosecutor for International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Richard Goldstone of South Africa, who stressed the law-based approach the mission will take in preparing its report to the Geneva-based Council.

“I would like to emphasise that we will focus our investigation not on political considerations, but on an objective and impartial analysis of compliance of the parties to the conflict with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, especially their responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and non-combatants,” he stated.

“I believe that an objective assessment of the issues is in the interests of all parties, will promote a culture of accountability and could serve to promote greater peace and security in the region.”

During their week-long session, the team held initial meetings with a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including Member States and representatives of the UN and non-governmental organizations. It also established terms of reference and a three-month programme of work.

The mission intends to conduct visits to affected areas of Southern Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza, and has requested the cooperation of the Government of Israel in this regard, according to a news release.

The other members of the team include Christine Chinkin, Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London; Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders; and Colonel (retired from the Irish Armed Forces) Desmond Travers, member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI).

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nepal is an independent and autonomous constitutional body. It was established in the year 2000 as a statutory body under the Human Rights Commission Act 1997 (2053 BS).  The Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007 (2063 BS) made the NHRC a constitutional body. It has a separate sphere of responsibilities in the constitutional legal system of the country. These responsibilities complement the responsibilities of the normal machinery of the administration of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Office of the Attorney General, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, and other existing executive, quasi-judicial or judicial bodies performing in the legal system of Nepal.

The Commission is created in response to 1991 UN-sponsored meeting of representatives of national institutions held in Paris, which laid down a detailed set of principles on the status of national institutions - commonly known as the Paris Principles. These principles, subsequently endorsed by the UN Commission on Human Rights (Resolution 1992/54 of 3 March 1992) and the UN General Assembly (Resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993, annex) have become the foundation and reference point for the establishment and operation of the National Human rights Commission of Nepal as well.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/subject.asp?SubjectID=5

ttp://www.amnesty.org/en/features-news-and-updates?page=85

human right

1.  What is a Human Right? Give an example.

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

2.  Why is your example described as a right?

My example is a right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person

3.   Who enforces Human Rights?   

 There isn't an international court to enforce human rights but it is the responsibility of the nation or state to enforce human rights.    

4.   If a right is enforceable, who enforces it?

it is the duty of the nation or state that the violation of right has occurred in to punishment 

5.   Is there any point in describing something as a right if you can't enforce it?

No, because if you believe in it its with all of you then yes there is a point in describing it because there is always a way to enforce it. It might be hard but if you are up for the battle then you can enforce a Human Right. 

6.   Some people say we have a right to an education...what does that mean?  Who enforces it?  Where did this idea come from?

The right to education was universally recognised in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formed. Even though the majority of countries agreed to this not all provide education for the kids in their country. When we say we have a right to an education we mean we have the right to learn to become something great. The people that are meant to enforce the right of education is the country. 

history

what is history ?

History is the study of the past, with special attention to the written record of the activities of human beings over time. Scholars who write about history are called historians . It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it often attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that determine events Historians debate the nature of history and the lessons history teaches famous quote by george santayana has it that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the legends surrounding king arthur) are usually classified as cultural heritage rather than the "disinterested investigation" needed by the discipline of history

what is history of western australia ?

The first inhabitants of Australia arrived from the north approximately 40,000 to 60,000 years ago and eventually spread across the whole landmass. These Indigenous Australians were well established in the area around Perth by the time European ships started accidentally arriving en-route to Batavia (now Jakarta) in the early seventeenth century.

Before the establishment of the Swan River Colony, the indigenous Nyungar people occupied the southwest corner of Western Australia, hunting and gathering. The lakes on the coastal plain were particularly important to the Aboriginal people, providing them with both spiritual and physical sustenance.

The area in which Perth now stands was called Boorloo. Boorloo formed part of Mooro, the tribal lands of Yellagonga, whose group was one of several based around the Swan River, known collectively as the Whadjug. The Whadjug was a part of the greater group of 13 or so dialect groupings which formed the south west socio-linguistic block still known today as Nyungar (“The People”), or sometimes by the name Bibbulmun.

After settlement in 1829, the European settlers gave the name “Third Swamp” to one of a chain of wetland lakes stretching from Claisebrook to Herdsman Lake. Nearly seventy years later, in 1897, 15 hectares of Third Swamp would be gazetted as a public park and two years later renamed Hyde Park. Hyde Park is now one of Perth's most attractive and popular parks.

From 1831, hostile encounters between European settlers and Nyungars – both large-scale land users with conflicting land value systems – increased considerably. This phase of violence culminated in events such as the execution of Whadjug tribal chief Midgegooroo, the murder of his son Yagan and the massacre of the Pindjarep people.

By 1843, when Yellagonga died, his tribe had begun to disintegrate and had been dispossessed of their land around the main settlement area of the Swan River Colony. They retreated to the swamps and lakes north of the settlement area including Third Swamp, formerly known by them as Boodjamooling.

Third Swamp continued to be a main campsite for the remaining Nyungar people in the Perth region and was also used by travellers, itinerants and homeless people. By the goldrush days in the 1890s they were joined by many miners enroute to the goldfields.[1] As Perth expanded with the gold rush the Nyungar people moved to Lake Gnangara where they were isolated from the European community until changes in the laws that recognised Aboriginal people during 1960s. The camp remained occupied until the early 1980s when it was converted to a school for Aboriginal children.

parliament

Parliamentary service

Elected to the Senate for Western Australia 2004 (term began 1.7.2005).

Committee service

Senate Standing: Publications from 1.7.05; Regulations and Ordinances from 1.7.05 to 13.9.05.

Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation and References Committees from 1.7.05 to 11.9.06; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport from 11.9.06 (Chair from 13.2.08); Education, Employment and Workplace Relations from 12.2.08 to 30.6.08.

Senate Select: Agricultural and Related Industries from 14.2.08; National Broadband Network from 1.7.08; Men's Health from 27.11.08.

Joint Standing: Treaties from 1.7.05 to 30.6.08; Electoral Matters from 6.12.06 to 14.2.08.

Conferences, delegations and visits

Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Jakarta, Indonesia and bilateral visit to Papua New Guinea, January 2006.

Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Taiwan, September 2006.

Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Israel, March 2007.

Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the European Institutions, April 2008.

Party positions

Member, ALP from 1991.

Delegate, ALP State Conference (WA) from 1999.

ALP Transport Policy Convener 2000.

Delegate, ALP National Conference 2002 and 2004.

Personal

Born 3.1.1960, Melbourne, Victoria.

Married.

Qualifications and occupation before entering federal Parliament

Furniture removalist, truck driver, owner operator 1977-91.

Organiser, Transport Workers' Union 1991-2005.

Branch Committee of Management, Transport Workers' Union 1991-2005.

Federal Councillor, Transport Workers' Union 1998-2005.

Honours

Awarded Centenary Medal 2003.

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=(Id:handbook/allmps/e68);rec=0;

AIT

As we spend increasing amounts of time at our computer workstation, we need to be aware of how the design and arrangement of our equipment can impact our comfort, health, and productivity.
Work Area
Desk/Workstation
Chair
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse, Trackball, or Other Pointing Device
Lighting
Work Habits


WORK AREA
The work area should be large enough to accommodate you, allow the full range of motions involved in performing required tasks, and provide room for the equipment and materials that make up the workstation.
Use a headset for lengthy or frequent telephone work.
Place the items you use most frequently directly in front of you.
Avoid overcrowding computer work areas.

DESK/WORKSTATION
Standard furniture cannot accommodate everyone’s needs. A taller person may need a one-time adjustment to have his or her work surface raised somewhat; a shorter person may need a footrest or other accessories. Adjustable furniture may be needed in situations where people share or use the same workstation.

CHAIR
The typical office chair isn't designed for users under 5 feet tall, so you may notice that your child doesn't seem to fill the seat out the way an adult would. Most experts agree that kids can sit for about an hour in adult-sized chairs without any discomfort. For longer periods of sitting, it's recommended that you make the chair better fit your child.
If the chair is adjustable, try lowering the arm rests, raising the seat pan, and pushing the lumbar support forward. If your chair doesn't have these adjustments, you can place a pillow under your child's bottom and behind his/her lower back. If your child's feet dangle in this position, put a footrest (or box) under his or her feet for support. Sitting perfectly upright isn't recommended; let your child relax and keep slightly open angles while receiving proper support from the modifications you've made.

KEYBOARD&MOUSE
If you and your child are both using the same computer workstation, you'll want to make sure that it has an adjustable keyboard tray; this helps the workstation adjust comfortably to either size. Proper posture is also extremely important; help kids learn what's known as "neutral" posture. Their arms should lay close to their body (not outstretched or reaching to the side), their elbows should be at a 90 deg. or greater angle (this is known as an "open angle"), and their wrists should be neutral (i.e. with their wrist at about the same level as their forearm). In general, kids aren't as attuned to the position of their bodies, so it's particularly important to watch your child's posture and habits, reminding him when necessary.
Kids have small hands, but most end up using their parents' keyboards. This can be uncomfortable at best, and dangerous at worst. A few companies make smaller "kid-sized" keyboards that may be helpful for younger children (these keyboards have smaller keys and shorter distances between the keys). Many companies also make miniature mice for small hands. Children may find a trackball easier to negotiate, so you may want to try both.

MONITOR
Once the chair and work surface height are properly adjusted, the computer monitor should be placed so the top of the screen is at or just below eye level when seated in an upright position. The following suggestions can help prevent the development of eye strain, neck pain and shoulder fatigue while using your computer workstation:

LIGHTING
Lighting not suited to working with a computer is a major contributing factor in visual discomforts including eyestrain, burning or itching eyes, and blurred or double vision.

WORK HABITS
Repetitious static work (working at the computer) is very fatiguing on your upper extremities as well as your eyes. It is important that breaks from working at the computer be taken every 20 to 40 minutes in order for your body to rest and recover. Taking a short break (3 to 5 minutes) does not mean you have to stop working, other activities such as talking to a co-worker, making copies, filing, etc. could be done during breaks from typing.

Rottnest Island

http://www.rottnestisland.com/en/History+and+Culture/default.htm

Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is located 18 km off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is 11 kilometres long, and 4.5 kilometres at its widest point with a total land area of 19 km². It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the Rottnest Island Authority. No private ownership of land is allowed. It is antipodal to the island of Bermuda.
The Western Australian vernacular diminutive is "Rotto", or "Rottnest". It has been an important holiday destination for over 50 years.
The island was given the name "Rattenest" (meaning "rat's nest" in the Dutch language) by the Dutch fleet captain Willem de Vlamingh on 29 December 1696. De Vlamingh described the indigenous marsupial, called a quokka, as a large rat.

Language Translator

http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html

how do blind people use the computer

This pamphlet is a resource for schools, computer clubs and community organisations such as SeniorNet, which offer computer training in local communities. In fact it has been produced by blind people, to tell it like it is first hand from our perspective.

From time to time, we expect you will receive enquiries from blind and vision impaired people in your community. This pamphlet will give you basic information about how we as blind people can effectively use today's computers, and how computers can dramatically improve our quality of life. While you might think there is not much that you and your organisation can do to help a blind person, we hope you will soon find out from this pamphlet how you can be more effective in opening up the world of computers to a blind person in your area.

How can blind and vision impaired people use a computer?
Several companies today market computer programs that allow a blind person to use a standard computer. These computer programs are called "screen readers".

A screen reader is itself a standard Windows computer application, but its job is to run alongside the other programs running on a computer and "tell" the blind person what is on the screen. Because a blind person cannot see what is on the screen, a screen reader typically has a built-in speech synthesiser which, although perhaps sounding a bit like a robot, speaks information to the user through the normal sound speakers of the computer itself.

People with some limited sight typically use a different kind of screen reader which magnifies and enhances the image on the screen to make it easier to see, and some people use both speech and magnification at the same time.
But whether a person uses speech or magnification, typically the screen reader is just a computer application that comes on a CD and easily installs on most computers.

So how does a blind person actually know what is on the screen?
The screen reader keeps track of what the computer is doing, and speaks or magnifies the necessary information that a user needs in order to use the computer. When you as a sighted person look at the computer screen, of course you see the whole screen, but instinctively you focus your attention on the bit of the screen that is immediately relevant. A screen reader does the same thing. It does not simply read the whole screen, because that would quickly become tedious. But it monitors the screen and automatically tells the blind user the most important information about what is currently happening.

A totally blind person, someone with no sight at all to read the screen, cannot use a mouse. Most functions on the computer can be operated from the keyboard, though this does vary with different programs, and a totally blind person learns how to access the needed functions by using the keyboard. But in some cases, a good screen reader can even make functions accessible with special keyboard combinations when typically those functions might only be available with the mouse.

But how can a blind person use the keyboard?
A good typist or keyboard operator does not need to see their fingers on the keyboard. So blind people can easily learn to use the keyboard, and indeed using a keyboard (touch-typing) is a fundamental skill for many of us. Confidence with the keyboard is essential, though that does not mean a person needs also to be a fast typist.

So do blind people need special computer applications?
There are some computer applications specially marketed for use by blind people. These are designed to make using a computer as easy as possible for a blind person, but they can only achieve this by focusing on some very basic tasks such as limited word processing and note taking.
So most blind people use everyday computer applications such as Word, Internet Explorer and Outlook, and actually can do most of the tasks sighted people can.

What can blind and vision impaired people do using a computer?
Blind and vision impaired people do many different things in life, so there is almost no limit to the range of tasks we can do on a computer. It would be impossible to list them all, but here is a list of things that we typically can do using a computer:
· Surfing the internet
· Reading newspapers on the internet
· Internet banking and shopping
· Chat rooms and voice communication over the internet
· Internet radio stations and entertainment
· Looking up information on the internet
· Email correspondence
· Written correspondence
· Personal notes and keeping track of personal information
· Essays and other work to do with study
· Report writing (for employment, committee work etc.)
· Personal or business accounts (spreadsheet or book keeping applications)

So you can see there are many different things we can do using a computer, and mostly these are the same things that sighted people also typically do.

What difference does this make to a blind person?
Think of some of the things you do probably every day, which you take for granted. Perhaps you read the newspaper while having breakfast or your morning coffee. Perhaps every so often you stroll through the shops, maybe just window-shopping, but maybe also buying things you need as you see them on display. From time to time you might thumb through a recipe book to decide what nice dinner to cook for guests. And of course most of us have to sit down at times and pay those dreaded bills. But now imagine you could not do any of these things without relying on someone else for assistance.
While nowadays surfing the internet and the use of the internet for such tasks as shopping and banking is still felt by many people to be a bit of a gimmick, the reality for blind people is quite different. For example, internet banking such as via the ASB Bank's FastNet service can be easily used by a blind person with only moderate training. So we can read our own bank statements, pay our own bills, and generally keep tabs on our own personal money without assistance from someone else. This means we can be more independent with our personal finances and avoid the vulnerability that sometimes comes from being completely dependent on someone else.

Blind people are becoming more interested in internet shopping, even for the weekly groceries. Most internet shopping sites can be easily used by blind people even without the pictures. This gives us the opportunity to browse for things in a way that sighted people take for granted.

As more information, such as news from everyday newspapers, and particularly public information, becomes readily available on the internet, this information is also directly available to blind people through our computers. So in a sense, we stand to gain more than most by learning to use a computer effectively.

What can blind people not do using a computer?
Typically, a totally blind person cannot do anything that is mainly graphical, or which involves interacting with moving images. Screen readers, particularly those that use synthetic speech, cannot deal with graphical applications such as painting and drawing. Nor can they cope with animated applications such as most games.

What is access technology?
The terms "access technology" and "adaptive technology" are used to describe the range of specialised equipment that we use to give us access to the sighted world. Nowadays the adaptive technology industry is strongly focused on computer access, through screen readers and some other specialised devices.

In this pamphlet we will not go into detail on the range of adaptive technology available today. Suffice it to say that there are numerous companies around the world that produce a range of adaptive technology devices in addition to screen readers, that are sometimes needed in special situations. These include hardware speech synthesisers, portable note-takers and self-contained portable computers and personal organisers, Braille printers and Braille displays.

Specialised training
So yes there is a lot that we as blind people can do using a computer, but by now you have probably realised that the way we work with a computer is somewhat different from the typical way a sighted person would use one. Because of this, blind people do need, at least initially, specialised training.

Firstly, as already mentioned, we need to be confident with the keyboard.

Then, we need to learn the basic functions of the Windows system, because although this system is meant to be intuitive for sighted people (though some people would strongly debate that point), we really need to be shown the basic functions before they begin to make sense. Also we need specialised training in such applications as the internet, because in that case the way we interact with the application is quite different than for sighted users, so it is not easy for a sighted person to explain what is happening in a way that will make sense to a blind user.

So yes we need specialised training from people who understand adaptive technology and how it works to meet our unique needs. There are several organisations in New Zealand who provide adaptive technology training which we have listed at the end of this pamphlet.

But do blind people always need specialised training?
We need specialised training to get started. But once we become familiar with the basics of Windows and Windows applications, then typically we can work with trainers who need not be familiar with adaptive technology.

Where to go for more information
In addition to the companies listed in the next section, a good local source of information on adaptive technology issues is an email list operated by the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind. Called the Assistive Technology Interest Group, this is a list that is used via email, allowing people to ask questions relating to adaptive technology or on problems that blind people are having with using a computer application. Most of the adaptive technology instructors in New Zealand are on this list, as are a number of blind people who are active computer users.

This is not a busy list so you will not be flooded with messages, but on the other hand you will find that people are friendly and willing to answer even basic questions because we all want blind people to be able to gain as much benefit and enjoyment as possible from using computers.

To join this list, simply send an empty message to the address "join-atig@rnzfb.org.nz". You will get a message back to confirm you have been added to the list

List of contacts
Out of Sight 06-348-8127
Pulse Data 03-384-4555
RNZFB Manager Adaptive Technology 09-355-6900
Zabonne 09-836-8876

SinGaporE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

french

http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Senior_Secondary/Courses/French