Author: Charles Mazurek

On February 24th of 2025, students and lecturers of the Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Speech Therapy of Vytautas Magnus University visited the Lithuanian Education Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired. LASUC began cooperation with this university in the spring, when it invited lecturers and students to test the EPUB format and provide feedback. During this visit, the Erasmus+ project “Flex picture ebook” was presented to the students and lecturers. The students were asked to comment on how they would adapt the text and image for visually impaired students, the EPUB format and its use possibilities were presented. The results of the project were also presented, as some lecturers and students participated in the II stage of testing and were aware of the possibilities of using the booklet.

On 16 December 2024, students on the Vytautas Magnus University Master’s programme ‘Inclusive Education: Socio-Educational Industries’ visited the Lithuanian Centre for the Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired. During the visit, the students learned about the EPUB format and the possibilities for adapting texts and illustrations for visually impaired students. The Erasmus+ project ‘Flex picture ebook’ and the possibilities for applying this methodology were also presented. The students were impressed by this project and understood the value of using such e-books in schools.

On 25 October 2024, the Lithuanian Centre for the Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired was visited by the specialists of the methodological group of special educators and speech therapists of Kaunas district. They were introduced to the ongoing Erasmus+ project “Flex picture ebook”. The participants were told about the possibilities of the EPUB format, the existing applications and the implementation of this project. A video of the project was also shown to the participants. The special educators and speech therapists were really interested in this inclusive reading opportunity for children.

Priscilla Laulan from Ludosens will be presenting a zoom presentation for parents and professionals (teachers, librarians, publishers, etc.) entitled ‘Step-by-step instructions on how to help a child with an autism spectrum disorder understand a text’.

Based on the text Ben wants a bat, Priscilla Laulan will present 3 methods to be used by carers or publishers and will answer your questions. The presentation will be given in French.

Link to register

Link to zoom

The fondation IJA (Institute for Young Blind People) will be manning the Tactile Books and Flex Picture Ebook stand at the Festival du Livre Jeunesse Occitanie on the weekend of 25-26 January.

This festival is a major regional event attended by families. Around thirty authors and illustrators will be there to meet their readers. This 23rd edition, entitled ‘Qui sont ces héros?’ (Who are these heroes?), will focus on the heroes of yesterday and today.

Check out the programme!

Fondation IJA (Institut des Jeunes Aveugles) is holding an awareness-raising day for its partners – teachers, AESHs and youth workers – who work with pupils in mainstream schools on Thursday 28 November, from 9am to 4.30pm, at the foundation’s head office: 37 rue Monplaisir 31400 Toulouse.

Elsa Sublaurier, Foundation librarian, and Nathalie Bédouin, adaptor and transcriber, will be setting up a stand to present tactile books and the Flex Picture Ebook.