Issues facing higher education around the Pacific Rim are considered in 12 conference papers. Titles and authors include the following: "Developing Linkages around the Pacific Rim" (Stephen Foster); "A Cooperative Approach to Professional Development: The Canadian Connection" (Peter Murphy); "Using Film in Teaching…

Speeches, papers, and summaries of group discussions from Australia's 1978 national seminar on library services for the visually and physically impaired are presented. The opening and keynote addresses are followed by two papers dealing with the present state of services in Australia and other nations, two papers on the library service needs of…

The need for a clear definition of basic functional competency for the sight impaired student is considered, and an outline of the required functional competencies and performance indicators is presented. Performance indicators are listed for the following skill areas: communication, computation, citizenship, consumerism, decision making, and…

Speech and language disorder is seen as a characteristic feature in most of the areas of exceptionalities identified as the hearing impaired, the visually impaired, the mentally retarded, the physically handicapped, and learning disabilities. Commonalities of speech pathology/audiology and special education are discussed. (MLW)

The article summarizes some trends and issues in international education of the visually handicapped including more integrated education, increased advocacy, the need for prevention and early intervention programs, better data and definitions, and more research that is pertinent to practitioners. Problems such as students' lack of Braille facility…

This overview of adaptive technology for computers and networking identifies issues that must be addressed for people with disabilities to participate fully in online activities. Discussion includes adaptive equipment; Internet access; and graphical user interface (GUI) concerns. Contact information for vendors for adaptive technology and…

This review examines research done on affection behaviors of children with visual and hearing impairments. A social interaction perspective is utilized, and areas for further empirical investigation are identified. (DB)

Professionals who work with individuals who are blind or visually impaired are encouraged to use the power of the information, technology, and knowledge explosions, by capturing the advantages that new communication technology offers and passing these advantages on to clients in education and rehabilitation settings. (JDD)

The 1990 Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute addressed the theme "Funding Drives Service Decisions: A Moral Dilemma." Institute participants identified specific dilemmas related to legislation, funding, and placement issues in education and rehabilitation of visually handicapped individuals. Participants subsequently generated solutions in…

Programs serving young people with visual impairments should ensure that young people receive opportunities for personal development that will enable them to become self-directed, articulate, and flexible. Factors impacting on rehabilitation policies are noted. Cooperation among organizations is encouraged to promote clients' personal development…

Considerate instruction, defined as combining effective teaching practices with effective teaching tools such as textbooks and media, is seen as successfully enabling students with sensory and mild cognitive disabilities to achieve. The concept is applied to the teaching of mathematics, science, reasoning, and history. (DB)

This paper offers principles of mobility education for students with visual impairments, stressing that mobility training is a shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and the mobility specialist. It notes that the basis for mobility education is independent travel as a reachable goal, that the purposes include providing the child with a…

This paper presents a historical view of the development of special education for New Zealand's students with learning difficulties. The paper uses a chronological approach, beginning with special provisions for deaf and blind students, followed by examination of: the impact of a national standards method of classifying and promoting pupils; the…

Papers on library services and developments in reading materials for the blind, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Reading Programs for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Public Libraries of the Polish People's Republic" by Franciszek Czajkowski…

The first of two papers presents suggestions on library services for the deaf by a British university lecturer, and the second provides an enumeration of Russian achievements in providing the blind with books. Based on an outline of the personal and social implications of deafness and unawareness of the deaf on the part of libraries and the…