Key Beliefs of the Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference
Literacy is liberating. It opens doors, enlarges the world and makes life richer and more meaningful.
Reading impacts us in a way that no other art form - or life skill - can duplicate. It touches all areas of our lives.
We believe:
- It is important to focus on all areas of literacy including braille, print, combination of braille and print, use of assistive technology and other
literacy tools, research, practice. The conference is not a "braille literacy conference" though some have tried to define it as such -- it is a
conference that includes underlying respect for all forms of literacy. It is the belief of conference organizers that individuals with visual impairments have a
right to respect for the use of all literacy tools.
- A range of age levels and all ability levels should be addressed. Presentations are encouraged that deal with topics related to infants and toddlers,
school aged students, and adults. Both conventional and functional literacy issues are included.
- Conference committees raise funds and solicit sponsorship in order to keep registration costs for conference participants as low as possible. Because this conference is most valuable to those who provide direct service to individuals with visual impairments, every effort should be made to keep registration
and lodging costs reasonable for teachers of students with visual impairments and rehabilitation teachers. Sponsorship of various aspects of the conference (speakers, meals and breaks, printing, etc) helps keep conference expenses as low as possible.
Proceeds from the Getting In Touch With Literacy conference should be used to support the on-going planning of this conference in future years. Therefore, all conference proceeds will be sent ahead to the next conference planning committee to continue support for an affordable conference.
