CALL Scotland has been organising the FREE annual ICT and Inclusion road-show since 2001. It provides people with an opportunity to see and compare the latest software and technology to support students with additional support needs from most of the leading UK companies.

Location and dates for the exhibitions are:

• CALL Scotland, Edinburgh - 18 June 2013
• Thistle Hotel, Glasgow - 19 June 2013

Suppliers will describe their key products in timetabled sessions and there will also be short presentations by staff from CALL Scotland.

The exhibitions will be open from 9.00 am until 4.00 pm.

Free Lunch! A free buffet lunch is provided at each of the three venues. It is therefore important that people register for the exhibition in advance so we have an idea of numbers before the day. Please indicate when you book a place if you wish to stay for lunch.

To find out more and to book online, go to the ICT and Inclusion web page or telephone CALL Scotland on 0131 651 6235 to book a place.

The 2011 Scottish Children's Book Awards is an innovative nationwide reading project in which children and young people from every corner of Scotland read and vote for their favourite Scottish children's books of the year. Votes MUST reach Scottish Book Trust by 5.30pm on Friday 27th January 2012 to be included in the final count.

Last year:

• over 40,000 children registered and an amazing 17,000 votes were cast;
• children and young people from every local authority in Scotland, from Aberdeen to Dumfries; Shetland to Arran, took part;
• nearly 1,000 accessible copies of the books were provided to young judges by RNIB and CALL.

The awards were originally set up by the Scottish Arts Council in 1999 and are now run by Scottish Book Trust.

Children can vote for their favourite book, from a shortlist in each of three categories, either as individual readers or as part of a reading group in a school, library or bookshop. The shortlisted books are:

Early Years (0 - 7 years)

• Dear Vampa by Ross Collins
• The Loon on the Moon by Emily Golden
• Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray

Younger Readers (8 - 11 years)

• Zac and the Dream Pirates by Ross MacKenzie
• There's a Hamster in my Pocket! by Franzeska G Ewart
• The Case of the London Dragonfish by Joan Lennon

Older Readers (11 - 16 years)

• Wasted by Nicola Morgan
• The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin
• The Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin

But what about disabled children who can't read the books?

CALL Scotland has worked with the Scottish Book Trust and the authors and publishers to create accessible digital versions of the nine shortlisted books. The idea is that children and young people with physical, visual and reading or dyslexic difficulties, who can't read or access the paper books, can read the digital books instead and take part in the awards. For example:

• children with spinal injury, cerebral palsy or other physical impairments can click a switch or press a key on a computer, to turn pages and read the books by themselves;
• dyslexic readers or children with visual impairments can change the font size and/or colours on screen, or use text-to-speech software to read the books;
• the books can be read out by the computer using "Heather", the high quality Scottish computer voice that is available free for schools and pupils from CALL Scotland's The Scottish Voice web site.

The books are available free of charge. Readers and schools can request accessible digital copies of the book(s) they wish to read via the Books for All website or phoning 0131 651 6236.

The 2011 Scottish Children's Book Awards is an innovative nationwide reading project in which children and young people from every corner of Scotland read and vote for their favourite Scottish children's books of the year. Last year:

• over 40,000 children registered and an amazing 17,000 votes were cast;
• children and young people from every local authority in Scotland, from Aberdeen to Dumfries; Shetland to Arran, took part;
• nearly 1,000 accessible copies of the books were provided to young judges by RNIB and CALL.

The awards were originally set up by the Scottish Arts Council in 1999 and are now run by Scottish Book Trust.

Children can vote for their favourite book, from a shortlist in each of three categories, either as individual readers or as part of a reading group in a school, library or bookshop. The shortlisted books are:

Early Years (0 - 7 years)

• Dear Vampa by Ross Collins
• The Loon on the Moon by Emily Golden
• Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray

Younger Readers (8 - 11 years)

• Zac and the Dream Pirates by Ross MacKenzie
• There's a Hamster in my Pocket! by Franzeska G Ewart
• The Case of the London Dragonfish by Joan Lennon

Older Readers (11 - 16 years)

• Wasted by Nicola Morgan
• The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin
• The Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin

But what about disabled children who can't read the books?

CALL Scotland has worked with the Scottish Book Trust and the authors and publishers to create accessible digital versions of the nine shortlisted books. The idea is that children and young people with physical, visual and reading or dyslexic difficulties, who can't read or access the paper books, can read the digital books instead and take part in the awards. For example:

• children with spinal injury, cerebral palsy or other physical impairments can click a switch or press a key on a computer, to turn pages and read the books by themselves;
• dyslexic readers or children with visual impairments can change the font size and/or colours on screen, or use text-to-speech software to read the books;
• the books can be read out by the computer using "Heather", the high quality Scottish computer voice that is available free for schools and pupils from CALL Scotland's The Scottish Voice web site.

The books are available free of charge. Readers and schools can request accessible digital copies of the book(s) they wish to read via the Books for All website or phoning 0131 651 6236.

The 2010 Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books is an innovative nationwide reading project in which children and young people from every corner of Scotland read and vote for their favourite Scottish children's books of the year. Last year:

• Over 31,000 children were involved and an amazing 15,014 votes were cast;
• Over 400 schools and libraries in every corner of Scotland, from Aberdeen to Dumfries; Shetland to Arran, took part;
• The 2009 awards ceremony brought 650 young judges from across Scotland together to see their peers act out the winning books.

The Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books were originally set up by the Scottish Arts Council in 1999 and are now run by Scottish Book Trust.

Children can vote for their favourite book, from a shortlist in each of three categories, either as individual readers or as part of a reading group in a school, library or bookshop. The shortlisted books are:

Early Years (0 - 7 years)

• What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson
• Love from Louisa by Simon Puttock and Jo Kiddie
• Stormy Weather by Debi Gliori

Younger Readers (8 - 11 years)

• Invisible Fiends: Mr Mumbles by Barry Hutchison
• The Secret of the Black Moon Moth by John Fardell
• The Dragon Whisperer by Lucinda Hare

Older Readers (11 - 16 years)

• Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip
• The Witching Hour by Elizabeth Laird
• Grass by Cathy MacPhail

But what about disabled children who can't read the books?

CALL Scotland has worked with the Scottish Book Trust and the authors and publishers to create accessible digital versions of the nine shortlisted books. The idea is that children and young people with physical, visual and reading or dyslexic difficulties, who can't read or access the paper books, can read the digital books instead and take part in the awards.

• Children with spinal injury, cerebral palsy or other physical impairments can click a switch or press a key on a computer, to turn pages and read the books by themselves.
• Dyslexic readers or children with visual impairments can change the font size and/or colours on screen, or use text-to-speech software to read the books.
• The books can be read out by the computer using "Heather", the high quality Scottish computer voice that is available free for schools and pupils from CALL Scotland's The Scottish Voice web site.

The books are available free of charge. Readers and schools can request accessible digital copies of the book(s) they wish to read via the Books for All website or phoning 0131 651 6236.

The Scottish Voice has been very well received by the Scottish educational community and we know that she is being used to listen to:

• SQA digital exams;
• novels;
• digital textbooks;
• Microsoft Word documents;
• resources on Glow.

She is also used by children who can’t speak and who use voice output communication aids.

Heather needs a brother! Some boys have said that they would like to listen to digital resources spoken in a male Scottish voice, and we don’t think that Heather is acceptable for boys who use communication aids. If you were a boy, would you like your voice to sound like Heather, lovely though she is?

We are hoping to raise funds to enable CereProc to create a sibling for Heather. Please contact us if you have any comments or suggestions about where we could get the money, or about a male Scot who has a good voice that we could approach to become the (male) voice of Scottish education!

The 2009 Royal Mail Book Award winners were announced yesterday, 24th November, and they are:

Early Years 0-7

Manfred The Baddie by John Fardell.

Younger Readers 8-11

First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts by Lari Don.

Older Readers 12-16

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray.