EBU NEWSLETTER No 67
March - April 2009

Published by the EBU Office


With the financial support of
DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
of the European Commission
 

Table of contents :

Editor’s Note

EU Update

Mobility Corner

National news

Announcement

Publication

FEATURE

Coming events

[ The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EBU. ]




Editor’s Note

Dear readers,

Welcome to EBU Newsletter No 67

Once again, collaborative work and effective lobbying have paid off! EBU was able to revert a move by the Czech Presidency that would have ruined months of campaigning for reduced VAT rates on audio books. We are also actively involved in a worldwide action to end the "book famine» - only 5% of books published around the world are made available in formats accessible to people with reading impairments! Another crucial battle being waged by EBU is to avoid blind and partially sighted people being denied access to information that is indispensable for their full enjoyment of the right to vote at the upcoming EP election in June. Read more in the section on EU Updates.

Silent cars are a clear threat to the safe mobility of people with a visual impairment. The article on page 6 points to a compromise approach that tries to reconcile the essential need to preserve our environment and the no less important requirement to secure safe roads for blind and partially sighted pedestrians.

Intergen, the EU-funded project being conducted by EBU to promote the exchange of know-how and skills between visually impaired youth and seniors is well underway. The first workshops are already taking place and preliminary feedback is encouraging. The launch of the project website www.intergenerations.eu a couple of days ago coincided with the first European Day of Intergenerational Solidarity and Active Ageing (see our press release on page 10).

Finally, our feature article on page 15 looks into a Europe-wide project which aims to enhance independent mobility for blind and partially sighted people.

Enjoy your reading !

Mokrane Boussaid, EBU Director.

 Please feel free to send your comments on this Newsletter’s layout and contents to ebu@euroblind.org 


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EU UPDATE

Successful EBU Campaign to reduce VAT on Audio Books


The Royal National Institute of Blind People organised a successful EBU campaign in partnership with the Federation of European Publishers ahead of the ECOFIN meeting on 10 March. Our common objective was to reverse the Czech Presidency decision to withdraw audio books from the list of items eligible for reduced VAT rates.

EBU organised a last minute lobby of all Finance Ministers at both EU and National level, working closely with its National members and the Federation of European Publishers. We asked Ministers to re-introduce audio books in the list of eligible items. Our campaign was supported by the European Disability Forum and relayed by the Social Platform.
Decisions on taxation require unanimity at ECOFIN meetings and since the Czech Presidency proposal focused solely on labour-intensive and locally supplied services, both very important for Member States in the current economic climate, we were at best hoping that audio books could still be discussed at a later stage.

We were therefore delighted to find out that the political agreement reached by Ministers did include audio books. The press release issued by the ECOFIN Council uses the following wording: " The Council (ECOFIN) had a thorough discussion on the overall system of reduced VAT rates, as a result of which it reached political agreement (...) that all member states, by amending directive 2006/112/EC, should have the option to apply reduced VAT rates on a permanent basis to (...) books on all physical means of support". This political agreement allows governments in the European Union to bring VAT on audio books down to 5%. This is great news for many blind and partially sighted people. It will also encourage publishers to produce more audio books.

The Council legal document detailing the political agreement is due to be issued in the next few weeks. It will then be up to National members to address the issue with their government and ask for implementation of the reduced rate on audio books in their country.

Further information from Carine Marzin, European Campaigns Officer, carine.marzin@rnib.org.uk

 

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Joint EBU and FEP Statement on Audio Books

The following is a joint press release from EBU and the Federation of European Publishers.
The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and the European Blind Union (EBU) warmly welcome the political agreement reached yesterday by the Council of Finance Ministers to include “books on all physical means of support” in the list of goods and services to which reduced rates of VAT can be applied.

“This is a fundamental step forward in the recognition of the value of books, and of the need for policies that encourage access to the culture they contain”, said Mr. Federico Motta, President of FEP. The decision will allow, among other things, audio books to enjoy lower taxation, thus providing cheaper access to an essential tool for many blind and partially sighted people and others.
Lord Colin Low, President of the EBU said “I warmly welcome this decision which for us is a move towards fairness and equality of access. Sighted people can already purchase print books at reduced VAT rates. Lower rates of VAT on audio books will allow blind people to enjoy these same books for a price that is much closer to their print equivalent.”


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European Elections and Access to Information


The EBU President will write to the President of the European Parliament to raise the issue of accessibility of its information materials. The Royal National Institute of Blind People collected information from EBU National members in order to find out if accessible formats were made available to blind and partially sighted people in the office of the European Parliament across the EU. The exercice highlighted that the European Parliament did not make provisions for formats such as Braille, large print or audio as part of its communication campaign in the run up to the election. The EBU President will therefore ask the President of the European Parliament to address the matter, in order to make sure that the 30 million EU citizens who are blind and partially sighted are not denied access to the information that they need ahead of the European election next June.

Further information from Carine Marzin, RNIB European Campaigns Officer, carine.marzin@rnib.org.uk

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Access to Books



On the 20th April the London Book Fair saw the second "WIPO Stakeholder Platform" meeting between representatives of the World Blind Union and representatives of publishers and other copyright holders. The discussion focused on practical ways in which publishers could share digital files of books with organisations that can convert these to accessible formats such as braille, large print or audio. The Director General of WIPO, Francis Gurry, chaired the meeting.

The main agreement was to work this summer towards a trial exchange of files between publishers and organisations that make accessible format books. This work will identify the process needed to ensure that publishers and blind people's organisations can trust each other with copyrighted material. Once a successful "pilot" scheme is launched, we will look to replicate it more widely and thus hopefully contribute to a significant increase in the amount of accessible books available to blind and partially sighted people."

Further information from Dan Pescod, RNIB European and International Campaigns Manager, dan.pescod@rnib.org.uk

 

April 23 : World Book and Copyright Day



The following is a press release from EBU.

The 23rd April is UNESCO's World book and Copyright day, which celebrates the wonders of reading. Books are a gateway to a magical world of culture, entertainment, education and instruction. But as blind and partially sighted readers we are largely excluded from these joys. 95% of books are not available in formats we can read, such as large print, audio or braille.

A year ago, on World Book Day 2008, the World Blind Union launched the "International Right to Read Alliance" at the then World Book Capital, Amsterdam. The Alliance has worked hard since then to increase the number of books we can read.

EBU is working with the International Right to Read Alliance to ensure that copyright law carries "exceptions" to allow blind people and their organisations to make books accessible when they have not been published in formats we can read. The Alliance is also working with the World Intellectual Property organisation (WIPO) and international rights holders' organisations, to improve international copyright law and facilitate the sharing of accessible books worldwide.

EBU President Lord Low of Dalston said:

"This year we are celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille. His invention revolutionised the way in which blind people read books. The International Right to Read Alliance now seeks nothing less than a new revolution to end the unacceptable exclusion from reading faced by blind and partially sighted people. I urge publishers and all WIPO Member States to honour Braille's memory by making 2009 the year we end the "book famine".



 

MOBILITY CORNER

Silent Cars, a new threat for visually impaired pedestrians ?



Hybrid and electric cars and buses are increasingly popular as they appear as a positive answer to, rising concerns about harmful gas emissions, the need for brave new directions in a struggling car industry and unstable fuel prices. Blind and partially sighted people welcome this beneficial trend just as much as other European citizens do, as long as this technology also proves to be safe and inclusive of all pedestrians.

Hybrid and electric vehicles operate on fuel-powered engine when driving fast and revert to a virtually silent electric motor when idling and travelling at slow speed. This poses a threat of injury or death to those who rely on their ears to assess whether it is safe to cross the street. Other pedestrians such as young children, seniors, runners, cyclists, or simply inattentive walkers are also at increased risk. In their current stage of development, therefore, hybrid and electric cars are not fully in line with Design for All principles.

Like their sighted peers, blind and partially sighted people have a right to travel safely and independently to their workplaces, schools and other places in their communities. University of California research findings clearly show that this right is threatened as hybrid vehicles must be 40 percent closer to pedestrians than combustion-engine cars for their location to be accurately determined using audition. During the tests, the electric Toyota Prius was not heard until it was 1.30 metres from blindfolded volunteers.

Preserving pedestrian rights can be balanced with a beneficial reduction of noise pollution : a sound that is reasonable but easy to detect would guaranty pedestrian safety. “We are not talking about major changes to the way automobiles are designed, but about slightly increasing their audibility when they are travelling slowly” said Lawrence Rosemblum, researcher and adviser to the Society of Automotive Engineers.

While research is still under way, designers are suggesting that low tech and low cost external sound devices could be the answer. On-going European initiatives include the successful partnership between Guide Dogs UK and Lotus Engineering to develop an external sound technology for use on hybrid vehicles.

Whilst EBU is supportive of green cars, we also believe that further research is needed to investigate the safety implications for pedestrians and to thoroughly explore adequate solutions. Today more than ever, it also remains vital to promote safe driving practices such as driving slowly and paying attention to pedestrian traffic. The challenge is now to ensure that smart cars benefit all by producing vehicles that are both environment-friendly and safe.


Further information from Sarah Ghlamallah, EBU Information Officer, ebu@euroblind.org

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April 29 : European Day of Intergenerational Solidarity

The following is a press release from EBU.

This 29 April 2009 marks the first European Day of Intergenerational Solidarity and Active Ageing. It is a day to celebrate diversity and to promote an inclusive society for all where blind and partially sighted people of all ages can enjoy full independence. It is also on this occasion that the European Blind Union (EBU) launches its new project website www.intergenerations.eu.

Because we believe that bringing different generations together empowers individuals and promotes sustainable community life, we are conducting a project to look at how junior and senior people with visual impairment can come together and share their skills and know-how.

This project is funded by the Education and Culture DG of the European Commission. It involves six partner organisations from the EBU network. Workshops with junior and senior visually impaired people and professional trainers will be held by each project partner in Germany, Italy and Turkey.

Young participants will share their enthusiasm for new technologies by introducing their senior peers to devices such as mobile phones and emailing systems. In turn, senior participants will pass on their daily living skills teaching younger people how to perform essential tasks such as cooking and gardening.

The project ultimately aims to use the input from all participants to develop innovative workshop guidelines. These practical guidelines will be made available on the website at the end of the project. They will also be widely disseminated to youth, senior and disability organisations, as well as training and rehabilitation professionals.

For further information please visit our website www.intergenerations.eu 

Or contact the EBU Office ebu@euroblind.org. 

 
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National News

Germany

Futsal is an indoor version of football which gathers many sighted, partially sighted and blind enthusiasts alike. The 1st Women Futsal B1 World Cup is being organised by a consortium of German blindness organisations including the German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV), on 13-14-15 November in Marburg.

The tournament is open to all female players and goalkeepers with or without a visual impairment (blind, partially sighted and sighted) and also to female or male coaches and guides. The games will be played in accordance with the rules set by the International Blind Sports Federation.

DBSV is urging all female players to set up their own teams to take part in this milestone of the history of blind female football.

A Futsal B1 Seminar for Women will be held by DBSV in summer 2009 in Germany.

Further information from DBSV:
r.delgado@dbsv.org
Phone: +49 30 28 53 8724
 

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Hungary

The Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest Super Marathon is a running and biking race held every year from 19 to 23 October. Participants cover some 330km in 5 days, either in relay teams of five runners or as a lone marathoner.

This year, the Hungarian Sports and Leisure Association (HSLA) plans to set up an international group of visually impaired runners and is looking for experienced runners who would be keen to participate in this year's Super Marathon.

Further information from Judit Gombas, gombas.judit@gmail.com 

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Italy

The ratification and implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol entered into force in Italy on 3 March 2009. The ratification Bill also provides for the establishment of an Observatory to monitor the situation of persons with disabilities.

The ratification process benefited from proactive lobbying by Italian disability organisations which will remain committed to its implementation. Tommaso Daniele, President of the Italian Disability Forum and of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted said “the time has come now to put words into deeds and to take concrete action so as to consolidate the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities”.

Further information from the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted, inter@uiciechi.it


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ANNOUNCEMENT

Citizen’s Europe for All – Upcoming Conference

The European Blind Union is organising the conference “A Citizens’ Europe for All, Disabled People on the Move” in Dublin on 14-17 May 2009.

The Conference will address European citizenship from the perspective of blind, partially sighted and other disabled people. Representatives from major European disability organisations will discuss equal treatment and non discrimination in European countries, the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the European Treaty of Lisbon and the significance of the Disability Vote at the June European Parliament election.

A declaration will be issued and will be made available on the EBU website.

This Conference is funded by the European Commission’s Europe for Citizens programme.

Further information from the EBU Office, ebu@euroblind.org
 

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Poseidon International

IRIFOR (the Italian Institute for Research, Training and Rehabilitation) and UIC (Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted) are organising summer diving courses for blind and partially sighted people. This is an opportunity to learn scuba diving techniques and to enjoy new experiences in the sea.

Once again, IRIFOR and UIC will accept a limited number of visually impaired persons from European countries in the scuba diving camp to be held from 27 July to 2 August 2009.

No previous scuba diving experience is required and all the equipment will be provided on site. The board and lodging cost is 200 Euros and participants will also have to pay for their travel expenses.

Applications are open to good swimmers between 18 and 40 years of age, with an ability to speak Italian, English or Spanish and a good health condition. Participants must also have a medical insurance valid in Italy.

The deadline for pre-registration is 15 June 2009.

To register, please send a pre-application (personal details, telephone number, e-mail address and a declaration of good health) to :
Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted
International Relations Office
38 via Borgognona, Rome, Italy.
Tel: +39 06 69988375/388, Fax: +39 06 69988328.
E-mail: inter@uiciechi.it, with copy to favolamt@infinito.it  .

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PUBLICATION
Helping Children who are Blind

 

“Helping Children Who Are Blind : Family and community support for children with vision problems” is a new book by Sandy Niemann and Namita Jacob. Children develop faster during their first five years than at any other stage in their life. The simple and engaging activities in this book can help parents, caregivers, teachers, health workers, rehabilitation workers, and others help a child with vision problems develop all his or her capabilities.
The book is available for 12 Euros in English http://www.hesperian.org

And in Spanish http://www.hesperian.org

A free download version is also available http://www.hesperian.org

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FEATURE :

CASBLIP : An Innovative Mobility Approach for Blind and Partially Sighted People



By Hans Kaltwasser, DBSV International Relations Officer

 
Introduction

According to research conducted by the World Health Organisation, there are currently 30 million people with sight loss in Europe. Sight loss is very often accompanied by mobility challenge and a loss of independence. For the majority of blind people the white cane or the guide dog are the primary mobility devices through which the ability to travel independently can be regained. Considerable efforts have been made over the last twenty years to complement or replace the white cane with electronic devices which can detect surrounding obstacles and ease navigation in unfamiliar environments.

This article presents the prototype of one such system, developed within the framework of an EU-funded research project entitled CASBliP. Rather than going into extensive scientific and technological details, the paper focuses on the user perspective and outlines important recommendations that were made as a result of this research.



1. The CASBLiP research project

 CASBliP stands for “Cognitive Aid System for Blind People”.

The main objective of CASBliP was to develop innovative mobility prototypes to convey the real world by means of enhanced imaging and virtual sound design.

CASBliP brought seven European partner organisations together :

• Bristol University Computer Vision Group, (United Kingdom)
• University of Valencia Graphics Research Group (Spain)
• University of La Laguna Neurochemistry and Neuroimaging Group (Spain)
• Polytechnic University of Marche (Italy)
• Siemens AG (Germany)
• Instituto dei Ciechi “Francesco Cavazza” di Bologna (Italy)
• German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV, Germany)


Each partner brought their own given expertise and research experience in fields as diverse as artificial vision, positioning systems, cognitive 3D models, maps, object detection, audio and visual interface, validation systems and user tests.

Research partners were very much aware of the needs of the end user and gave serious consideration to the recommendations made by blind and partially sighted organisations. Therefore DBSV (Germany) and the Francesco Cavazza Institute (Italy) played significant roles in defining requirements as well as in testing and evaluating the prototypes.


2. Prototypes

 Two prototypes were produced within the framework of the CASBliP project.

The first is a portable system integrated into sunglasses and open dynamic headphones. This was completed within the time frame of the CASBliP project.

The second prototype is a mobility system that enables a blind user to detect a moving object within a range of about fifteen meters. It remains in an early development stage and requires further research. For this reason, the evaluation presented in this article will only refer to the first prototype.

 

3. System Architecture

CASBLiP research focused on four main technological strands:

• Artificial Vision
This component is based on research conducted with partially sighted users at the University of Bristol. It is a set of stereo cameras which captures, analyses and processes in-depth images of surrounding environments. The captured scenes are converted into enhanced visuals i.e. highly contrasting, simplified images. These simplified images can then be further adapted to the specific needs of the user through a colour scheme.

• Obstacle Detection
This component was contributed by Siemens. It is a three-dimensional image sensor. The accurate detection of obstacles is an essential requirement on all mobility devices. While some aids use ultrasonic sound, the CASBliP prototype is geared with high-speed photosensitive technology and invisible laser pulse illumination. The sensor measures 64 distance points within a viewing angle of 60° at a distance of 5 m on a horizontal line.

• Knowing one’s position
This component is still being developed. It benefited from the work of the Polytechnic University of Marche, the Francesco Cavazza Institute and the University of Bologna. GPS technology will help the user to perform a number of mobility tasks such as updating one’ s position in order to reach remote destinations.

• Audio Information
This component was developed by researchers at the University of La Laguna. It transforms information into acoustic maps which are communicated to the user via headphones. Spatial information is conveyed through non-speech sound structures with emphasis on distance and width of objects which the user needs to detect to travel safely. Unlike ultrasound systems where the user perceives the signal in the ear, this system “externalises” the sound, i.e. the user perceives the sounds as coming directly from the surface of objects.

 

4. Project evaluation

 The CASBliP research project included a six-month evaluation component. This thorough evaluation aimed to explore the ability of the system to convey acoustic information (width, height and distances of surrounding objects) and to assess the impact of virtual sound design on the mobility performance of blind users.

Evaluation tests were carried out in Germany and Italy, using a standard methodology in both countries. Research participants were blind people of different age, gender and background. All participants were experienced cane users and reported to have good hearing.



5. Results

What follows is a short summary of all the data gathered throughout the six-month evaluation period.

Acoustic features’ results were very positive. Test participants were able to assess the width, height and distance of objects and to identify the edges of obstacles and gaps between objects and objects’ edges. The sound system is innovative in that it provides signals to detect horizontal lines and to discriminate between walls or lines of cars and open paths. For example, silence occurring on the left ear after continuous sound signals indicates an open space or an entrance where the user might turn into.

Interestingly, most participants performed well over their self-assessed ability level. For instance, a 69 years old congenital blind man who was using way-finding technology for the first time could identify the open path between two columns, walk through the 80 cm wide gap without touching the columns, turn around and find his way back to his departure point.

On the minus side, results revealed that vertical detection remained a problem, e.g. objects of different heights. Thus using ascending or descending stairs was not possible and this is an aspect that would require further research.

Overall, results highlighted the importance of training to comfortably interpret the range of sounds and tones. Test participants performed better after receiving training : they were able to cover the route in less time, collided less often with objects and required less assistance from the mobility instructor to find their way again. Targeted training therefore appears crucial to fully benefit from the system. To reach this point of ease, users require good practice exercises, starting with basic situations before moving on to complex challenges such as finding one’s way in a railway station, crossing a busy street or finding a bus stop. After adequate training, the brain is “tuned in” and understanding the different sounds becomes a habit.



6. Recommendations

The following five recommendations would benefit further research and development of the mobility prototype developed in the context of CASBliP.

• The detection of elevated objects should be addressed.

• The acoustic transmission of sound could be improved. Blind people rely on environmental information to travel safely and with confidence therefore headphones were found unsatisfactory.

• GPS integration would render the navigation system more user-friendly. Digital maps (as developed in Germany and in a number of other countries) would be particularly suited to this venture.

• The device should be as small and as light-weight as possible so that users can comfortably carry it for extended periods of time. Likewise, all functions should be integrated into one single item.

• At last, a pleasant external design would ensure that blind users are not stigmatised when using the system in public places.

 

7. Conclusions

In conclusion, the hazard-detection and navigation prototype produced within the CASBliP project comprises significantly innovative components and has much potential. However, the system is still a work in progress and it would certainly benefit from further development and evaluation.

DBSV feels confident that a new innovative mobility system can be brought about if the five recommendations above are taken into account.

The groundbreaking mobility research conducted in the framework of the CASBliP identified clear priorities for future research and development. A follow-up research project would therefore appear as the ideal way to continue this important work.

Further information: h.kaltwasser@dbsv.org



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