This year the Casual Day campaign is going big, and we hope that this year will be the biggest Casual Day ever. That is why we are reminding you to start your planning right now, in order to really plan something great at the office this year.

Make a note in your diary—Friday 6 September is your chance to live out your large personality, be who you want to be in your wildest dreams, or just generally stand out. Just remember that you need your Casual Day sticker to dress like a big deal on Casual Day. Stickers still only cost you R10 each and you can order them from us, by sending an e-mail to Lizette@sancb.org.za

For the official Casual Day press release, please click here.

Council's National Executive Director, Mr Jace Nair, recently wrote about a matter that lies very close to his heart; access for visually impaired people to reading material. Please click here to download the letter that Mr Nair wrote in his capacity as President African Union of the Blind (AFUB) stating his concerns and views regarding the current draft of the international treaty at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

He says the following about this statement: "The main thing that should come out of this is that no limitation or exception or fair access (fair use/fair dealing) should be restricted by a DRM/TPM and that if there is one in place, then for purposes of legitimate use (e.g. to enable text to speech software to work, exercise fair use/fair dealing rights), the rightsholder should provide the 'key' or 'code' to circumvent the DRM/TPM to enable access.

For libraries, the rightsholder should allow libraries to circumvent the DRM/TPM for legitimate use (e.g. browsing for the purposes of finding information or purchasing e-resources, fair use/fair dealng access, etc). This should be a standard requirement so that access is not unnecessarily restricted or delayed because permission has to be obtained. It should be an unrestricted course of action for legitimate use."
 

Mr Nair added that Council and AFUB also endorses a statement by the World Blind Union (WBU) regarding WIPO infomercials. Click here to download the WBU's statement.

At the annual Casual Day Show and Tell function held in Pretoria on Friday 8 March, it was revealed that the Casual Day campaign raised R22 million for persons with disabilities in 2012.

The Show and Tell function was really well-planned, professionally executed and excellent in creating awareness around major issues in the disability sector -  an exciting preview of this year's Casual Day campaign. The new Casual Day ambassador, TV celebrity Philicity Reeken was introduced to the guests and she entertained with her witty sense of humour and charmed everyone with her big heart. Guest speaker Sheri Brynard, Shoprite Checkers Woman of the Year 2012 in the Young Movers category, and a beautiful young women with Down Syndrome, inspired the audience with her touching life story.

The theme for this year's campaign was also announced at the event. It will be:

GO BIG

The top achievers from last year was announced and received certificates of achievement. Council is very proud of our own Nishen Naicker who also received a certificate for raising the most sticker donations.

Caption: (From left to right) Nishen Naicker, Nakedi Malebana, Madalein Greyling and Lizette Prinsloo from Council "Going Big" at the Casual Day Show and Tell Function

To find out more, please click here to download the official Casual Day Press Release.

We hope that you will join us again this year in really going big with Casual Day. Please visit our website for regular updates closer to September.

Our former Deputy Chairperson and NEC member, Dr Praveena Sukhraj-Ely was also nominated by Lord Colin Low as one of five Principal Officers of the executive committee of the International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI). Council would also like to congratulate her on this appointment.

She also presented a paper at the conference entitled “Crucial Factors for Inclusive Education”. Please click here to download a copy of the presentation.

We wish Praveena everything of the best in her new role for her term of office.
 

We have received exciting news; the National Executive Director of the SA National Council for the Blind, Mr. Jace Nair, has not only been elected as the Regional Chairperson of the African Union of the Blind (AFUB) Southern African Region, but also as the President of the African Union of the Blind!

Mr. Nair was elected during the AFUB General Assembly, which forms part of the joint World Blind Union (WBU)/ International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) General Assemblies currently taking place in Bangkok, Thailand.

AFUB is an umbrella organisation for 57 member organisations in 51 African countries, and forms part of the WBU. Its vision is:

“A continent where blind and partially sighted persons enjoy equal rights, social inclusion and full participation in development”, an its mission:

“To strengthen member organisations and create unity of purpose among them, through capacity building and advocacy, in partnership with governments, international agencies and other stakeholders”.

Mr. Nair said he was honoured to have been elected and that he was hoping to take the African Union of the Blind to new heights, making it a beacon of light for all visually impaired Africans. He is planning on working towards the fulfilment of AFUB’s vision to empower all visually impaired persons in Africa, through continuous endeavours to struggle for equality, and full inclusion and participation in development.

We congratulate Mr. Nair on his election and wish him all the best in his new role as President of AFUB.