WBU E-BULLETIN - VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 - January 2009

CONTACT US AT:
World Blind Union
1929 Bayview Avenue,
Toronto Ontario Canada M4G 3E8
Tel: 1-416-486-9698, Fax: 1-416-486-8107
Email: info@wbuoffice.org
Website: www.worldblindunion.org


Table of Contents

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WBU E-BULLETIN 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2
IMPORTANT REMINDERS 4
WBU OFFICERS DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
2009 – 2012 5
Our Vision 5
Our Personality 6
Our Values 6
Our Purpose 6
Strategic Priorities 6
Strategic Priority 1: Representation 6
Strategic Priority 2: Capacity Building 7
Strategic Priority 3: Information Sharing 7
Enabling Priority: Effective Organization 7
WBU BECOMES REGISTERED AS CHARITY 8
CELEBRATING BRAILLE BICENTENARY 8
Bicentenary Conference in France 9
EFA-VI NEWS 10
WBU REMEMBERS 13
Remembering Sir John Wall 13
Remembering Åge Nigardsøy 14
ANNOUNCEMENTS 14
DAISY 2009 14
Web 2.0 Accessibility Forum 15
Papers requested from International Conference on Special Needs of Blind and Low Vision Seniors 15
NEWS FROM OUR REGIONS 16
NORTH AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 16
News from the American Foundation for the Blind 16
Canada – CNIB Braille Conference 19
AFRICA REGION 20
AFUB General Assembly 20
Concept for Mainstreaming Youth Activities in AFUB 20
EUROPE 22
Important Notice re Change in EBU Email Address 22
ONKYO Braille contest 2008: EBU announces winners 22
RNIB Introduces the New Braille King Pocket Frame 24
WBU ASIA/PACIFIC REGION 24
Australia 24
WBU OFFICERS 25

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WBU E-BULLETIN
Contributions are welcome to the E-Bulletin. We thank those of you who have been providing us with content for the E-bulletins and encourage contributions from all regions. Our next deadline for content submission will be March 1st for our March 2009 issue of the E-bulletin. We will accept submissions in English, French and Spanish, preferably in electronic format.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
We begin 2009 extremely busy worldwide celebrating the life and work of Louis Braille. I was one of the privileged who were in Paris for the very special series of events held 4 – 8 January. These included:

Sunday January 4
There were three events held on this day:
 A Commemorative mass in the chapel of the National Institute for the Young Blind, followed by a reception
 The laying of a wreath on Louis Braille’s tomb in the Pantheon
 Recital on the organ of Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral

January 5 – 7
An international conference was held at UNESCO: “Braille 1809 – 2009 - Writing with 6 dots and its future”

Around 500 participants from 46 countries drawn from five continents participated in the conference. All plenary sessions were simultaneously translated in English, French and Spanish.

Topics covered in the conference included:
 Who was Louis Braille, the history of the man and his work;
 The Braille systems and its applications (music, mathematics, Information technology);
 Workshops on, braille and games, tactile handing of lines, space and works of art and Cartography, relief drawings and children’s books;
 Braille in the world in various languages;
 Braille unification: success and obstacles;
 User’s perspectives over the world - braille in the developing countries;
 Future prospects for braille;
 Braille in our daily lives;
 Social integration and employment;
 Braille and children.

The conference concluded with a dinner hosted by the Mayor of Paris at the city Hall.

January 8
On 8 January there were a number of visits to various exhibitions of the hosting organisations included a visit to the home of Louis Braille.

There will be celebrations throughout 2009 and I hope all have the opportunity to be part of some of these in this very special year.

There are a number of publications which are interesting and informative on the life and work of Louis Braille which you may wish to read and share as part of your celebrations. One such publication is “A Universal Voice” launched at the 7th General Assembly August 2008. Another excellent well researched publication is the “Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius” by Michael Mellor from the USA.

2009 is a special year for the WBU, it is 25 years since we were formed and the book edited by the Late Sir John Wall is a wonderful recount of our work and leaders over this time. I urge you to take the time and read this book, a fitting final contribution to the WBU by one of our greatest contributors.

I look forward to a busy and productive year as we put our strategic plan into action and continue to make a difference in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision.

Maryanne

IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Louis Braille Medal
This is a reminder that nominations for the Louis Braille Medal are due by March 31st 2009. Nomination forms are available on the WBU website or from the WBU office.

Scholarship Funds
New guidelines and application forms for the Hermoine Grant Calhoun Scholarships (for blind women), the Pedro Zurita Youth Fund and the Arne Husveg Development Fund are available on the WBU website or from the WBU Office.

WBU OFFICERS DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
2009 – 2012
At the first meeting of the newly elected Officers held in London from December 7 – 10th, the focus was on setting the course of action for the coming quadrennial term. Through the generous sponsorship of RNIB, the Officers had a day long planning session with Tony Elischer, an international fundraising expert in order to help us set the course for raising external resources to support our work.

Then two days were spent developing our Strategic Plan for 2009 – 2012. Marilyn and Chris Doyle, the facilitators who so ably assisted us last term, offered their support on a voluntary basis to the WBU – we were extremely grateful for that generous contribution. The Strategic Plan is available on the WBU website, but following are some of the highlights from it:
Our Vision
Our long term, twenty year Vision is:

A community where people who are blind or partially sighted are empowered to participate on an equal basis in any aspect of life they choose.

Our short term, four year Vision has three ladders that together will move us towards the realization of our long term vision. These three Vision ladders are:

1. That WBU is recognized as the authentic voice representing blind and partially sighted persons at the international level
2. That our members at all levels have the capacity and capability to deliver their programs.
3. That the WBU is recognized as an international source of information in matters related to vision impairment
Our Personality
We are a worldwide community of blind and partially sighted persons that is inclusive, assertive and resourceful.
Our Values
We value the abilities of people who are blind or partially sighted;

We are an organisation which is: accountable, transparent, united, diverse, and professional and has integrity;

We operate by being: respectful, honest, innovative, creative, trustworthy and responsive.
Our Purpose
To facilitate achievement of our short and long term visions by building on our progress in our three vision ladders of: representation, capacity building and information sharing.
Strategic Priorities
Strategic Priority 1: Representation

Promoting full participation and equal opportunities for blind and partially sighted persons in all aspects of social, economic, political and cultural life

Strategic Objectives:

1. Working towards a world accessible to blind and partially sighted persons
2. Representing Blind and Partially Sighted Persons at the United Nations and UN Agencies
3. Advocating for human rights of blind and partially sighted persons

Strategic Priority 2: Capacity Building

Strengthening the capabilities and capacity of the WBU regional structures and member organisations

Strategic Objectives:

1. Improving employment opportunities for blind and partially sighted persons
2. Developing the capacity of our members
3. Supporting our target populations for full inclusion
4. Strengthening of World Braille Council
5. Supporting our members to ratify the CRPD at the National level.

Strategic Priority 3: Information Sharing

Serving as an international information and resource centre on matters in respect of blind and partially sighted persons

Strategic Objectives:

1. Developing a Resource Repository for members including website
2. Developing international partnerships and collaboration
3. Developing the capacity to include our various language communities within the work of the WBU.

Enabling Priority: Effective Organization

Ensuring the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the WBU

Strategic Objectives:

1. Working to expand the membership
2. Maintaining the membership
3. Coordinating the development of and reviewing WBU Policies and Position Papers
4. Overseeing WBU financial resources
5. Developing and implementing the Funding Strategy
6. Monitoring the effectiveness of the WBU operations to support its work

WBU BECOMES REGISTERED AS CHARITY
We are very pleased to let you know that, following an eighteen month process, the WBU has been granted status as a registered charity by the Canadian government. This means that we will be able to issue charitable tax receipts in Canada. While our donor outside of Canada will not find this to be a significant benefit to them, our status as a charity now enables us to approach organizations that require charitable status as a condition of their funding. Many international Foundations that provide funding to international organizations require that organizations who apply to them are registered charities – the country of registration is less important than the charitable status itself.

This announcement was very timely for us, as we have now begun to work with Sarah Godwin a fundraising professional who has been engaged on a part time basis by RNIB to assist us with our fund development programs.

CELEBRATING BRAILLE BICENTENARY
By the time this issue of the WBU E-bulletin reaches our members, celebrations to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille will already have taken place in many parts of the world. From special conferences, to commemorative coins and stamps, to birthday cakes and media events, many activities have taken place. We will mention a few of these here, and encourage you, our members, to let us know about what is happening in your country to celebrate this most important date in the history of blind persons.

Bicentenary Conference in France
From 4th to 9th January, a major conference to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille was held in Paris, France. The following resolutions were developed and adopted at this conference:

PARIS RESOLUTIONS

We, the participants from 46 countries and five continents in the conference “Braille 1809 - 2009: Writing with 6 dots and its future”, held in Paris from 5 to 7 January 2009 to commemorate the birth of Louis Braille 200 years ago, hereby resolve:

1. To urge the World Blind Union (WBU) and the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) to promote the teaching of braille as early as possible to blind children as well as to adults according to personal need;

2. To urge the WBU to re-establish the World Braille Council with a view to unifying all elements of braille and the various braille codes to the extend that may be practicable;

3. To urge the WBU to commission a third edition of “World Braille Usage” from a source with the necessary expertise and means to achieve such a task;

4. To urge UNESCO, in collaboration with the WBU, to convene an international conference to advance the unification of braille;

5. To urge the WBU to promote the use of braille in public spaces and to mark consumer products;

6. To commend the Association Valentin Haüy (AVH) and the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles, acting in co-operation with the WBU and their partner organizations in France, for the organizing of a highly successful international conference and joyous celebrations to commemorate the birth 200 years ago of Louis Braille our greatest benefactor. We further thank UNESCO for its generous gesture in making available to us free of charge such excellent meeting facilities;

7. To express our profound disappointment and dismay at the failure of the French Government to be represented in this conference honouring one of the greatest sons of France and express the hope that the French Government will be represented at the very highest level at the second celebratory conference to be convened at Coupvray in June 2009. This resolution is sponsored by the four WBU Presidents, past and present, attending this conference; and

8. To include in the record of the conference proceedings the following salutation:

Dear Louis,
We, your blind brothers and sisters from around the world, gathered in Paris to commemorate your birth in Coupvray 200 years ago, speak to you across the centuries to pay homage to you for the enduring example of your life and work and humbly to thank you for the gift you have bequeathed to us in the 6-dot code that is today the universal key to our literacy and independence.

EFA-VI NEWS
At the beginning of the quadrennium 2006-2010, ICEVI proposed a target of 14 focus countries for the implementation of the campaign in the first phase. It was also suggested to include the focus countries in a phased manner during the quadrennium. ICEVI is happy to report that the following have already become focus countries.

East Asia Region
1. Vietnam (From 2007/2008 onwards)

Latin America Region
1. Paraguay (From 2008 onwards)
2. Dominican Republic (From 2008 onwards)
3. Ecuador (From 2009 onwards)
4. Honduras (From 2009 onwards)
5. Peru (From 2009 onwards)
6. Nicaragua (From 2009 onwards)

A meeting was organised at the initiative of ICEVI on October 23-24, 2008, in Madrid, Spain, to bring leading international organisations who are interested in the Latin America region to bring synergy to the Global Campaign. Representatives from ICEVI, CBM, ONCE/FOAL, ONCE, Perkins School for the Blind, and the Unión Latinoamericana de Ciegos (ULAC) attended the meeting and discussed at length the strategies to be adopted in the region to expand educational services for persons with visual impairment. In order to review the progress of the EFA-VI activities in the region, a working group was formed with the following tasks

 Improving communication and collaboration between organisations at the international, regional and local levels. This will be done through an annual meeting.
 Reviewing action plans of countries and suggesting modifications that may be required. This will be done through e-mail.
 Doing a forward planning of countries to be included in the EFA-VI campaign.
 Preparation of consolidated plans for the region on the basis of country plans.

Pacific Region
1. Fiji (From 2009 onwards)

West Asia Region
1. Nepal (From 2008 onwards)
2. Pakistan (From 2009 onwards)

Preparatory work for the implementation of the Campaign has begun in Cambodia, China, Bolivia, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka.

ICEVI Executive Committee which met in Bangkok in November 2008 resolved that for every focus country of EFA-VI, ICEVI will sign a Memorandum of Understanding either with the government or a lead NGO with a government Official from the Ministry of Education heading the National Task Force (NTF). It also suggested that strengthening sub-regional and national level committees is more practical than having a regional committee as EFA-VI at present is focused on country level activities.

The Regional Committee of the Africa region has suggested that Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda and Uganda be treated as focus countries for the implementation of the Campaign during phase I. ICEVI is happy that Mr. Bernard Mogesa has been appointed as the first Regional Coordinator for the promotion of the EFA-VI campaign in the Africa region, and he will conduct a situational analysis to implement the campaign activities in a phased manner.

In summary, the EFA-VI Global Campaign is off to a good start and we are in the process of consolidating our initiative. We encourage WBU affiliates in countries where the campaign is already active to get involved, if you are not already. You may do that by contacting the ICEVI chairperson for your region whose contact information can be located on the ICEVI website www.icevi.org. You may also contact the ICEVI Secretary General, Dr. M.N.G. Mani sgicevi@vsnl.net.

Thank you! Together we can make a difference.

WBU REMEMBERS
Remembering Sir John Wall
(By Lord Colin Low)

Sir John Wall died suddenly on 30 November 2008. He was 78.

He was Secretary-General of the European Blind Union from 1994-96 and its President from 1996-2003. As a Regional President he was an Officer of the WBU to which he devoted much hard work and gave much wise advice. During his time as an Officer he was particularly associated with the major revision of the constitution which was concluded at the 6th General Assembly in Cape Town in 2004 and many will remember his patient chairing of those discussions which took more than two days. After he stepped down as an Officer he continued to represent the WBU effectively in discussions with the Universal Postal Union with the aim of modernising the international postal regime for blind and partially sighted people. His last service to the WBU was his editing of the history of WBU's first 25 years entitled "Changing What it Means to be Blind – Reflections on the first 25 Years of the World Blind Union", which was launched at the 7th General Assembly in Geneva last August and will serve as his memorial. He was Chairman of RNIB from 1990-2000.

John Wall had a brilliant school career at Worcester College for the Blind where he excelled not just academically but also at chess, on one occasion beating the former World Champion Dr. Max Euwe in a simultaneous display in which everyone else lost.

Professionally, he was a solicitor of distinction for forty years, first in the trade union movement and then as a partner in private practice. In 1990 he was appointed a Deputy Master in the High Court, the first blind person to be appointed to the English judiciary in modern times.

He was a man of wide human sympathies. He never turned down a request for help from an individual or an organisation. As a result he served in many of them and wrote the constitutions of as many as eight. He had an infectious love of life which made him very good company. He will be greatly missed by his many friends around the world.

Remembering Åge Nigardsøy

We were very sorry to learn that the President of the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (NABP), Mr. Åge Nigardsøy passed away the 20th of October 2008. Åge was the President of NABP from 2001, and he was re-elected for a new term in 2007. A few weeks after the General Assembly in 2007 it was found that he had cancer in his eye which could not be treated. Åge was 54 years old, and he was an active member of NABP for more than 30 years. He was honoured as a Life Member of NABP, and he also received the NABP Gold Medal for his work in the organisation. Åge also was involved in international work through his participation in EBU and WBU. Åge made a significant contribution both to NABP and to blind and partially sighted persons in Norway. His duties as NABP President were assumed earlier in 2009 by Vice President Mr. Atle Lunde.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
DAISY 2009
The German Central Library for the Blind in Leipzig (DZB Leipzig) has announced that they will host DAISY2009 which will take place from 21st to 27th of September 2009. DAISY2009 is going to be the international meeting for users and developers of modern information technologies for print disabled people.

During DAISY2009, there will be an international technical conference discussing new possibilities and the development of the DAISY technology, a supra-national symposium with the title “Barrier-free Preparation of Documents” and a public DAISY User Forum.

For more detailed information about the programme, the venue and contact, please visit their website at: www.daisy2009.de.

Web 2.0 Accessibility Forum
A Web 2.0 Accessibility Forum has been set up by a Canadian, Jennison Asunsion, on the professional networking group, LinkedIn. The focus of the Forum is, as its name suggests, a group on all topics relevant to Web 2.0, next-generation web technology, and accessibility. Like it or hate it, Web 2.0 applications, such as Youtube and Facebook, along with next-generation web technologies are gaining momentum in their adoption and use in place of HTML alone to build rich internet experiences in areas such as education and the world of work. The objective of this online community therefore is to bring together: users with disabilities who have first-hand experience interacting with Web 2.0 and related applications; individuals working on and interested in accessibility efforts to make aspects of Web 2.0 and next-generation web technology accessible; and the broader community of Web 2.0 and next-generation technology developers and champions to learn about and collaborate on ways to make these applications as accessible as possible.

The URL for the group's page is: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1605077
Note that if you are not a LinkedIn member, you will have to register.

Papers requested from International Conference on Special Needs of Blind and Low Vision Seniors
In March 2000, in Heidelberg, Germany, an International Conference on Special Needs of Blind and Low Vision Seniors took place. The proceedings of it can be found at the following website: http://www.ma-ha-schulze.de/index.php?menuid=47
Mr. Hans-Eugen Schulze would be very grateful, for additional papers and contributions to complete these proceedings.

NEWS FROM OUR REGIONS
NORTH AMERICA/CARIBBEAN
News from the American Foundation for the Blind
FamilyConnect
FamilyConnect is an online, multimedia community created by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI). This site gives parents of visually impaired children a place to support each other, share stories and concerns, and link to local resources. The site also features a mom-authored blog, inspiring video testimonials from families, and articles authored by parents and experts in the field of blindness on multiple disabilities, technology, education, and more. From the personal to the professional, families will find all the resources they need to raise their children from birth to adulthood.
www.familyconnect.org

Louis Braille Museum
AFB celebrates the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birthday on January 4, 1809, this year. We also celebrate the braille code, named after its young inventor, and the expanded possibilities for literacy, independence, and self-expression Louis Braille opened up to blind people everywhere.

 The Louis Braille Museum - An all-new illustrated exhibit traces the history of Braille and the life of this remarkable inventor.

 The Reading Fingers - The full text of Jean Roblin's classic 1952 biography of Louis Braille.

 The War of the Dots - Chapter 1 of Robert Irwin's book, As I Saw It, recounting the struggle to develop a uniform system of braille in the United States.

 The Braille Bug®—AFB's award-winning web site that introduces children to the magic of braille. Check out the Braille Bug's celebration of Louis' birthday:

o New Reading Club book selections featuring Louis Braille
o New Louis Braille trivia games
o Louis Braille Biography for Kids

And don't forget kids can see their name in braille or send a secret message in braille to a friend!

http://www.afb.org/LouisBrailleMuseum

JVIB to celebrate Louis Braille in 2009
The January 2009 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) will mark the beginning of the journal's year-long celebration of Louis Braille’s 200th birthday with an essay on braille by Susan Jay Spungin, retired Vice President for International Programs and Special Projects at AFB, and former Treasurer of the World Blind Union (WBU). Dr. Spungin, who will serve as the guest editor of the JVIB 2009 Louis Braille Anniversary Celebration, introduces the theme for the year and offers readers a glimpse into the articles and commentary the journal will feature throughout 2009. Topics of these essays, to be written by notable members of the field of visual impairment and blindness in the United States and abroad, will include teaching braille in public schools, braille competencies, braille translation technology and its impact on literacy, and the Unified English Braille Code, to mention a few.
www.jvib.org

New Book on Assistive Technology from AFB Press

Assistive Technology for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment
By Ike Presley and Francis Mary D’Andrea

Assistive technology is essential in today's world to enable people who are blind or visually impaired to participate fully in school, work, and life. But how can you keep track of all the devices and software and each one's function? And what assistive technology tools are right for your students? If you’ve asked yourself these questions or others like them, this comprehensive handbook is the resource you need. You'll find a wealth of technical information translated into clear, user-friendly terms in Assistive Technology for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment, including:

 An overview of the full range of assistive technology that students can use to manage information in print or electronic formats—whether they use vision, touch or hearing to access information
 How to select appropriate tools and strategies
 A structured process for conducting a technology assessment
 A detailed assessment form that can be used to determine students’ technology needs and solutions to address them
 Advice on writing up program recommendations based on assessment results

You’ll also find:

 Tips and insights on working with technology effectively
 A summary of laws and regulations relating to assistive technology
 A resource section of assistive technology producers
 Readings about technology instruction
 Reproducible, blank assessment forms

Essential for teachers of students with visual impairments, members of the IEP team, administrators, technology professionals, and anyone who needs to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology.

Projected publication date: Winter 2009
Order online at www.afb.org/store

Purchasing AFB Press Books Just Got Easier!
AFB Press has entered into an agreement with Lightning Source, Inc.—an international, print-on-demand provider—to make its books more readily available to retailers, distributors, and wholesalers abroad. Books will be printed at Lightning Source’s UK facility and can be shipped within the UK, Europe, Africa and Australasia. International customers can now enjoy faster delivery of books and cheaper shipping fees.

Canada – CNIB Braille Conference
A Braille Odyssey: 2009 and Beyond
October 29 – 30, 2009, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Call for Workshops (including Roundtables) and Presentations
CNIB would like to invite proposals for workshops, roundtables and presentations that celebrate the success and potential of braille – its past, present and future. The Braille Conference will offer its registrants a variety of workshops/roundtables and presentations that are interactive, practical, skill-based, research-based and/or theoretical. We encourage proposals and participation from a range of different perspectives.

Workshop/Presentation Categories
Your proposed session should fall under one of the following three broad categories: Braille Past, Braille Present and Braille Future. We are looking for informative workshops and presentations ideally facilitating discussion and providing reference materials such as prepared handouts. Workshops and roundtables will be 90 minutes in length and presentations will be 60 minutes.

If you have any questions, please contact us at brailleconference@cnib.ca. Submission deadline is February 28, 2009. Selections will be made by March 31, 2009. Thank you!

AFRICA REGION
AFUB General Assembly
The General Assembly of the African Union of the Blind took place in Casablanca, Morocco from November 26 – 28th, and was preceded by a two day Women’s Forum. Under the patronage of the Royal Family of Morocco, the General Assembly and Women’s Forum had excellent facilities to welcome delegates from fifty countries. The program was a reflection of the many successes enjoyed by AFUB over the past four years and also looked ahead to future opportunities.

Our sincere congratulations to the new Leadership team at AFUB, to the newly elected President Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui from Morocco and the new Board of AFUB!

Concept for Mainstreaming Youth Activities in AFUB
(Excerpted from YOUTH BEAT, a magazine for young blind and partially sighted people across Africa, November 2008)

Until 2004, Young People with visual impairment (YPWVI) had hardly been mobilized to adequately participate in the continental blindness movement agenda. After realizing that the leadership and development potential among YPWVI was very low, AFUB – in partnership with SRF/SHIA, started the Knowledge on Democracy and Development Project (KDDP), targeting blind and partially sighted youth in Southern and Eastern Africa. The project is premised on the following broad objectives:

(a) Building the capacity of visually impaired youth to actively participate in the activities of their parent organizations, as well as in the wider society.
(b) Empowering the Youth as individuals to advocate for their rights.

In more specific terms, the project is training-based, focusing on ensuring that by the end, trainees should be able to:

 Influence public policies and practices governing the education, health, social security, rehabilitation, employment, sports and recreation to mainstream blind people;
 Advocate for increased access to information about basic human rights and social services by youth with visual impairment in order to reduce discrimination and stigmatization by their communities;
 Establish and/or strengthen Youth Committees/Wings within their parent organisations;
 Mobilize resources at local, national, and international levels to support human resource development and economic empowerment services for blind and partially sighted youth in their respective countries;
 Exchange information and share experiences among themselves for effective service delivery.

To date, training has been conducted for selected youth from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa; as well as Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda in eastern Africa, and Liberia in West Africa. In all these, gender equity is very key element in the selection criteria.

AFUB’s appreciation of the youth-related challenges has also yielded another project –Africa Visually Impaired Youth Empowerment Project (AVIYEP), supported by Sight Savers International (SSI), Eastern Central and Southern Africa/ECSA, and West Africa Regional Office/WERO respectively. This project is being implemented in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia in Eastern/ Southern Africa, together with Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone in West Africa. Akin to the KDDP, the AVIYEP is aimed at:

(a) Building the leadership and advocacy capacity of visually impaired youth in Africa as means of preparing them for full participation in the development processes of their organisations and the wider society;
(b) Strengthening AFUB’s institutional capacity to mainstream youth issues throughout its programmatic interventions;
(c) Enhancing information sharing and networking amongst visually impaired youth in Africa;
(d) Raising public awareness among governments and other mainstream stakeholders about the need to include visually impaired persons in their policies, programmes and the general development process.

EUROPE
Important Notice re Change in EBU Email Address
Please note that, effective immediately the new email address for the European Blind Union office is: ebu@euroblind.org. The former email address has been disabled and no mail sent to the old email address for EBU will be delivered. Some of you may have received multiple copies of the last edition of the EBU newsletter before Christmas. This was because hackers got into their system and took over their email address, and it is for that reason that their email address has been changed so quickly. If you receive email from their old email address (ebuoffice@euroblind.org) this is not legitimate and will be spam. Again the new EBU email address is: ebu@euroblind.org

ONKYO Braille contest 2008: EBU announces winners
On 7 January 2009, the European Blind Union (EBU) announced the winners of the Onkyo 2008 Braille contest at the closing session of the World Conference on Braille held at the UNESCO in Paris to mark Louis Braille’s two hundred birthday.

The contest is a worldwide initiative planned and sponsored by Onkyo and by Tenji Mainichi, two Japanese firms actively engaged in the promotion of Braille. EBU was responsible for running its European strand and for selecting the winners.
54 competing essays, contributed by 16 European countries, were submitted to the selection panel. With the excellent quality of the essays the panel found it extremely difficult to make its final decision. The winners are:
 First Prize (Ootsuki): Mr. Antonio Martin Figueroa, age 56 (Spain).

 Excellent Work Prize, junior category: Miss Kristina Misiunaite van Schie, aged 13 (the Netherlands).

 Excellent Work Prize, senior category: Mrs. Joke Clazing, aged 55 (the Netherlands).

 Fine Works Prizes, junior category: Miss Mari-Liis Täht, 19 (Estonia), and Mr. Thomas Mondelli, 20 (France).

 Fine Works Prizes, senior category: Mrs. Edvige Maria Pagani, 66 (Italy), and Mrs. Amna Hrvat, 27 (Bosnia).

All essays celebrated the continued relevance and significance of Braille in blind people’s lives. As EBU President Lord Low put it: “two hundred years after Louis Braille’s birth in 1809, Braille is still alive and will continue to enlighten generations of blind people to come. Braille is nothing less than the key to liberation for blind people”.

Antonio Martin Figueroa, First Prize winner wrote: “Louis Braille has eased my breathing, taught me to walk, to detect and step over the stones, to apply technique so that the words chiselled in my mind become a work unique in form and structure”.

RNIB Introduces the New Braille King Pocket Frame
To help celebrate Louis Braille Bicentenary in 2009, RNIB's new pocket writing frame is a great new introduction to our range. Available through RNIB's online shop: http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk for just £9.95 (ex VAT), it's aimed at both sighted and blind or partially sighted users. Friends and family can use it for writing messages in cards or labelling objects by simply copying the braille characters printed on the pocket-sized plastic pouch.

Unlike traditional braille frames, the Braille King is an upward writing frame, which uses a unique hollow-ended stylus to produce the dots. Braille is written from left to right, so you don't have to worry about reversing characters as you write or having to turn the paper over to read what you have written!

This new handy frame is great for short notes and reminders, recording phone numbers and shopping lists, making labels and marking up receipts, tickets and other documents for easy identification. It's supplied with a plastic style and spiral bound brailon notebook (product code BP63) in a handy pocket-sized white plastic pouch, which has the braille alphabet printed on it in blue.

The frame is fixed inside the pouch with Velcro and can be removed if required. It works well with plasticised materials, such as brailon and plastic self-adhesive labelling material and also produces braille on 9mm and 12mm Dymo tape with guides to hold the tape in place.

WBU ASIA/PACIFIC REGION
Australia
Amongst a number of activities planned in Australia to celebrate 2009 there are two which will run for the entire year:

1. AN exhibition at the Powerhouse museum in Sydney, “Living in a sensory World”. This exhibition gives visitors an understanding of the world of the blindness and low vision community and celebrates their achievements. It features objects from Vision Australia’s heritage collection, compelling accounts and examples of new technologies that are increasing the independence of thousands of Australians.
2. AUSTRALIA Post, in conjunction with Vision Australia has released a special prepaid envelope. The envelope features the phrase "200 Years: Louis Braille" in both print and braille. These will be sold through all Australia Post outlets throughout 2009.

WBU OFFICERS
Ms. Maryanne Diamond, President
Maryanne.diamond@Visionaustralia.org
Mr. Arnt Holte, 1st Vice President
arnt.holte@blindeforbundet.no
Ms. Frances Candiru, 2nd Vice President
canfran2004@yahoo.co.uk
Mr. Enrique Pérez, Secretary General
umc@once.es
Mr. A. K. Mittal, Treasurer
akmittal@rediffmail.com
Mr. William Rowland, Immediate Past President
rowland@sancb.org.za

REGIONAL PRESIDENTS

AFRICA (AFUB)
Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui
nafbu@yahoo.fr
ASIA (ABU)
Mr. Ahmad Mohammed Mousa Allouzi
fabjo@index.com.jo
ASIA PACIFIC (WBU-AP)
Mr. Chuji Sashida
Sashida.Chuji@jeed.or.jp
EUROPE (EBU)
Lord Colin Low
Colin.Low@rnib.org.uk
LATIN AMERICA (ULAC)
Dr. Guillermo Moreno
dr_guillermo_moreno@hotmail.com
NORTH AMERICA/CARIBBEAN (WBU-NA/C)
Mr. Carl Augusto
caugusto@afb.net

WBU STAFF

Dr. Penny Hartin, Chief Executive Officer
Penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org
Ms. Ianina Rodríguez, Administrative Assistant
Ianina.rodriguez@wbuoffice.org