The World Blind Union Marks Twenty-Five Year Anniversary

December 20, 2009 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of the World Blind Union (WBU) – the internationally recognized voice of blind and partially sighted persons at the global level.

The WBU was formed in 1984 through the union of the International Federation of the Blind (IFB) and the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind (WCWB). However, the WBU represents over a century of global co-operation on blindness issues - dating back to the first international conference on the subject in 1873 in Vienna.

Through the leadership of the WBU and the development of its constitution, one of its achievements to date has been to provide a forum where blind and low vision people established the right to speak for themselves. While the prominence of organizations of the blind is clearly embedded in the WBU structures, the World Blind Union has also been able to embrace the partnership of both service and consumer organizations. While in 1984, about 60 countries were members of the WBU, today we have a representation of national member organizations in more than 170 countries.

Since it was founded in 1984, the WBU has made significant progress towards its objectives of representation, capacity building and resource sharing. Some of the highlights include: leadership and organizational development training, particularly for organizations of the blind in developing countries; in all areas of its work. The following are some of the most outstanding achievements: organization of world forums on such topics as rehabilitation, braille literacy, human rights, blind women and blind children; advocacy in such areas as free postal service for materials for blind persons, the abolition of blinding laser weapons, the development and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities.

These achievements over the past 25 years have laid the foundation for the continuation of our work in our three strategic priority areas of: representation, capacity building and resource sharing. Some of the specific objectives envisioned in the fulfilment of these priorities include: improving accessibility in the areas of reading materials, access to technology and safe and independent travel; representation of the needs of blind and partially sighted persons at the United Nations and its agencies; monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; building the capacity of organizations of the blind, particularly in developing countries; addressing the unemployment situation of blind persons around the world; addressing the particular needs of blind women, children, youth and elderly persons as well as those with low vision; establishing a resource bank on vision loss.

In undertaking our initiatives and fulfilling the objectives, the World Blind Union remains committed to optimizing opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with UN Departments and Agencies with which we are involved and other international partners. We believe that our partnerships and opportunities for collaboration have been key to our success during the first 25 years of our organization and that they will be equally important as we move forward in changing what it means to be blind.

For further information, contact:

Dr. Penny Hartin
Chief Executive Officer
World Blind Union
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto Ontario Canada M4G 3E8
Tel: 1 416 486 9698
Fax: 1 416 486 8107
Email: penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org
Website: www.worldblindunion.org