WBU E-BULLETIN VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5, September 2010
WBU E-BULLETIN
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5
September 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE E-BULLETIN 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3
WBU DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR HELD IN MADRID 4
EFA-VI GLOBAL CAMPAIGN: THE RESULTS ARE TANGIBLE
AND THE CHALLENGES ARE MORE! 6
FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN: WBU APPEALS TO THE
UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL 7
NGO-CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP KEY TO SUCCESSFUL
CAREER FAIR FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 9
THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS 10
ANNOUNCEMENTS 11
DR. RAJENDRA VYAS: AN INSPIRATION AND MENTOR 12
REMEMBERING DORINA DE GOUVEA NOWILL 12
FIFTH AFRICA FORUM: CALL FOR PAPERS! 13
ELECTIONS TO NEW UN CRPD MONITORING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED 14
WORLD STANDARDS DAY: OCTOBER 14, 2010 15
OCTOBER 14TH WORLD SIGHT DAY:
COUNTDOWN TO VISION 2020 16
RESOURCES 16
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WORLD CONGRESS BRAILLE21
IS ONLINE! 16
IMPROVING ACCESS TO WHITE AND BROWN GOODS 16
“JUST JILL” – A MOVING AUTOBIOGRAPHY 17
CENTRE FOR REBUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
AFTER DISASTERS 17
A NEW AUDIO ADVENTURE IPHONE GAME 17
E-PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES 18
JOIN INCLUSIVE PLANET 18
PARTNERSHIPS FOR DECENT WORK 18
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 18
AFRICA 18
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROJECT IN SWAZILAND AND NIGER 18
IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY
DAY & INTERNATIONAL WORLD SIGHT DAY 19
ASIA-PACIFIC 19
DUSKIN LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN JAPAN 19
WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES RECOGNIZED AT UNITED NATIONS 20
ASIA 20
READY-TO-USE COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND 20
ABU REACHES OUT TO CHILDREN WITH DUAL DISABILITIES 21
EUROPE 22
GERMAN FEDERATION OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED LAUNCHES NEW ACCESSIBLE PATIENT INFORMATION SERVICE 22
8TH INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE & MEDIA CONFERENCE 23
BLIND FOOTBALL COMES TO IRELAND 23
A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION BY THE BLIND (PEBB) 24
LATIN AMERICA 25
CRPD WORKSHOP IN GUATEMALA 25
LATIN AMERICAN COUNCIL OF BRAILLE (CIB) 25
VIRTUAL FORUM FOR YOUTH 25
GENDER AND EQUALITY 25
NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 26
ENROLL FOR FALL SEMESTER UTAH STATE U-HADLEY COURSES 26
SEVA CANADA 26
WBU OFFICERS 27
REGIONAL PRESIDENTS 27
WBU STAFF 27
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 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 Monday, November 23, 2010 for our December 2010 issue of the e-Bulletin. We will accept submissions in English, French, and Spanish, preferably in electronic format. Please send your submissions to Sarah Smith at sarah.smith@wbuoffice.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Maryanne Diamond
Welcome to another interesting and information rich issue of our e-Bulletin.
In this issue we recognize and remember two past leaders of our organization who have recently passed away: Dr. Rajendra Vyas and Dorina De Gouvea Nowill. Two leaders whose memory and contributions will be remembered for many years ahead.
As I outlined in the previous issue, we are looking for examples to share of case studies and good practices in:
• Successful employment stories of people who are blind or have low vision
• Peer support and mentoring programs for people who are blind or have low vision in the area of employment
• Employment toolkits and programs
• Microcredit programs, either established for people who are blind or have low vision as well as mainstream programs which have successfully included us.
You can email your examples to penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org
Congratulations to those elected and re-elected to the CRPD monitoring committee. Fifteen of the 18 members are people with disabilities with six being persons who are blind. The 18 person committee take up their roles in 2011.
The Executive meeting to be held in Melbourne is quickly approaching and plans are well underway. I am delighted that many observers from both Australia and many parts of the world will join us.
Hope you enjoy reading.
Maryanne
WBU DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR HELD IN MADRID
From June 24-25, a Development Summit, co-organized by the WBU Development Committee and ONCE brought together some 25 participants from 15 countries and five continents to discuss issues related to capacity building within the WBU. The event was hosted by ONCE at their Educational Resource Centre and School for the Blind in Madrid, with financial support provided by ONCE and NABP from Norway in order to ensure full representation from developing countries. The seminar was then followed by a meeting of the WBU Development Committee.
The two day seminar was introduced by opening presentations by Yolanda Martin, Vice President of ONCE and President of FOAL; WBU 1st Vice President Arnt Holte; Enrique Guerrero, Member of the Development Commission of the European Parliament and Member of the Delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly; Alvaro Renedo Head of the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for the European Union. WBU Secretary General, Enrique Perez presided over the opening presentations.
The seminar included presentations on a number of topics of relevance for capacity building among WBU members. Some of the topics included the following:
• Disability perspective in European Union and Spanish international cooperation with a presentation by Enrique Guerrero, Member of the Development Commission of the European Parliament and Member of the Delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly.
• A discussion on fundraising with presentations made by Victoria Jiménez, an external facilitator resourced by ONCE, who discussed the government project funding process, and Sarah Smith, WBU Manager of Fundraising and Communications who covered different aspects of and opportunities for fundraising from private sources.
• John Heilbrunn, Chair of the EBU Development Commission conducted a session on capacity building, focusing on the process of training, mentorship and other activities to improve performance at the individual and organizational level.
• Ana Paláez, Vice President of the UNCRPD Monitoring Committee led a discussion about the Article 32, dealing with International Cooperation and the opportunities this presents to WBU members around the globe whose countries have ratified the Convention.
• A presentation on Job creation within the framework of international cooperation was provided by Fernando Iglesias, General Director of FOAL who discussed the positive results of cooperative efforts in improving the employment situation of blind and partially sighted persons in Latin America.
• A session on Education and development was led by Lars Bosselmann, Policy Officer for CBMI. There was a good deal of discussion about the issue of inclusive education with students placed in mainstream classrooms rather than segregated schools and the need to ensure adequate teacher training and specialized resources such as the availability of Braille in order to maximize opportunities for success.
• A session on best practices by NGO’s was delivered by Mr. J.L. Kaul, Secretary General of the Asian Blind Union, facilitated by Dr. Elly Macha, Executive Director of the African Union of the Blind. One of the examples discussed was the development of the Braille Press by the All India Confederation of the Blind which ensures availability of Braille at an affordable price.
• The final session of the seminar, delivered by Penny Hartin, CEO of WBU, focused on health care, trends in health care, with particular issues of importance to blind and partially sighted persons. In addition, there was discussion about the Vision 2020 program, its goals and objectives and progress to date. A key issue discussed was the matter of access to fitness and leisure activities by blind and partially sighted persons and how that contributes to healthy living.
Several of the presentations are available and can be requested from the WBU Office.
The Development Seminar was followed by a meeting of the Development committee which considered various issues raised during the seminar and incorporated these into its action plan for the remainder of the quadrennium. Some of the issues discussed that you will continue to hear about include: defining WBU’s role in situations of emergency or disaster that might arise in our member countries; determining how best WBU can and should support capacity building among our members; and examining how WBU can encourage access to fitness, leisure and other aspects of healthy living.
EFA-VI GLOBAL CAMPAIGN: THE RESULTS ARE TANGIBLE AND THE CHALLENGES ARE MORE!
By Mani, M N G - Secretary General, ICEVI
The Global Campaign on Education for All Children with Visual Impairment (EFA-VI) has started showing tangible results. Increased enrolment is one of our indicators of success and we have been gathering required data from the focus countries where the campaign activities are underway. The National Task Forces reveal that while the campaign is primarily targeting the children who are unreached, there are instances when children who dropped out of schools returned back to the mainstream as a result of the increased awareness created about education. The seven focus countries, viz., The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay and Vietnam for which we have data indicate that 30,877 additional children have been enrolled in schools as a result of the campaign. They also report that the campaign has generally created a positive awareness about education of children with visual impairment.
While these results are encouraging, the campaign presents different challenges too. As the quantity of enrolment started increasing, we are posed with quality issues which primarily involve teachers and materials. Non-availability of quality teachers and learning materials are likely to become increasing challenges as the campaign progresses.
Lack of braille materials, particularly for mathematics and science, makes it difficult for children to learn effectively. Braille book production is in fact costly compared to preparation of print books but this should not obscure the importance of braille materials. Convincing governments to allocate substantial resources for material production becomes another arduous task. The technical knowledge of these production centres too should be constantly updated to prepare quality braille materials.
The Global Task Force of the EFA-VI Campaign, which was basically involved in the formulation of policies and strategies for campaign activities has been dissolved as per the recommendations of the Executive Committee of ICEVI and four new working committees have been created with the primary focus on improving quality of services besides increasing the enrolment of children with visual impairment in schools. The committee dealing with Advocacy and Global Network will influence inter-governmental organizations and governments to give priority to education of children with disabilities within the overall national education plans. The Media and Materials committee will suggest the type of advocacy materials that would be necessary for the campaign activities and also recommend cost-effective assistive devices that can be used by children for their education and mobility. There will be a committee on Program Review which will go into the details of national plans, strategies for human resource development, monitoring campaign activities, etc. A Resource Mobilization Committee is also in place which will suggest strategies to optimize resources to support the campaign activities.
We wanted to use the 13th World Conference as a platform to review the success and challenges of the campaign but it is a pity that the conference will not take place as scheduled due to political instability in Thailand. We are sure there will be other opportunities for our friends to share their expertise.
The last three years have been a true learning experience and we believe these experiences will help us to speed-up the campaign activities in the existing focus countries and also extend to new countries. We shall regularly update you through our publications and websites of ICEVI and the World Blind Union.
FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN: WBU APPEALS TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL
The following letter was written by WBU President, Maryanne Diamond, and sent to Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary General. We sincerely hope that our “Call to Action” will bring the desired interventions and planning required to help all those individuals who are blind and their families affected by the devastating flood.
Dear Mr. Ban:
The World Blind Union has noted with deepest concern the growing flood disaster in Pakistan. The floodwaters which arose in north-west Pakistan nearly three weeks ago have swept down the Indus valley through the agricultural heartland of the country and into the southern provinces, causing death and destruction and disrupting the lives of up to 20 million people. Some six million people face the further threat of water-borne diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dysentery.
From past experience the World Blind Union has learned that blind people are especially vulnerable to the consequences of such natural disasters, being least able to access relief and often suffering situations of abandonment. These conditions are made worse by the fact that organizations of the blind--the very organizations that speak for our people and which are expected to intervene on their behalf--are themselves overwhelmed by circumstances and likely to suffer total loss of resources.
While we will most certainly look to the Pakistan government and the representative organizations of the blind to join hands in addressing the disaster situation, the role of the UN via its emergency relief programmes is crucial to the protection of life and the provision of food and shelter to the affected population. In the longer term, UN agencies also have a vital role to play in the aftermath of disaster in the planning and redevelopment which of necessity must take place.
The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to appeal to you in your capacity as UN Secretary General to direct the designated officials and responsible UN agencies to include in their early interventions and longer-term planning, measures specifically intended to secure the position of blind people in everything that is done to save lives, bring relief, and renew community infrastructure and livelihoods. While our resources are limited, the World Blind Union nevertheless places itself at the disposal of the UN and its agencies for advice and practical guidance.
In addressing this appeal to your office, we would also commend you for your personal involvement in the disaster situation in Pakistan. We are greatly encouraged by your action on the ground, your public statements, and the establishment of an emergency relief fund, all of which lead us to hope that the blind people of Pakistan, along with other disability groups, will not be left at the margins of relief efforts but be fully integrated at every level into all relief initiatives.
NGO-CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP KEY TO SUCCESSFUL CAREER FAIR FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Excerpted and revised from reports by Chris Friend and Victoria Martin
Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Sightsavers collaborated to hold the first career fair for people with disabilities in Accra, Ghana, in May 2010. The event aimed to encourage companies to employ people with disabilities and provide them with the opportunity to identify candidates, and to provide people with disabilities the opportunity to interview with large companies and showcase their experience and capabilities. Approximately 30 companies and 70 people with disabilities attended the event.
Some very moving presentations by people with disabilities--including people who are blind, deaf, albino, and have physical disabilities--were showcased at the Fair. These presentations included their life stories, adversities they have faced, and their achievements. An engaging discussion of their employment experiences, attitudes of employers, the capabilities of people with disabilities and the need for more diverse employment opportunities followed. A demonstration of accessible technology for computers and mobile phones illustrated to employers that cost-effective technology is available to make the workplace more accessible to people with disabilities.
Companies including SCB, PZ Cussons, Tullow Oil, Blue Skies, Guinness, Bank of Ghana, Vodafone, Barclays and Mon-Tran, conducted one-to-one interviews for all participants with disabilities who were seeking employment. These interviews took place over the course of two hours, with each candidate being interviewed at least once. Representatives from Barclays and Vodafone will be speaking to their seniors to recommend that offers of employment and/or internships are made. Mon-Tran, a large recruitment agency and provider of contract staff to many of Ghana’s largest companies, asked that all of the people with disabilities at the Fair register with them so that they can assist them find employment.
Committed to inclusion and diversity, SCB offered at least four jobs to people with disabilities who they interviewed at the event and are keen to roll out this career fair in other countries. In particular, the career fair is likely to be incorporated into the 5th Africa Forum in 2011 (See more detailed information about the Forum in the “Announcements” section below). The benefit of this would be the international profile and pan-disability nature of the event.
The announcement of several imminent job offers was very encouraging. Sightsavers will be creating a documentary film about the event. For more information, please contact Chris Friend, Program Development Advisor-Sightsavers, at CFriend@sightsavers.org
THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS
Excerpted and revised from an article by Hamya Julius
It all started with Mrs. and Mr. Muhofa Patrick in the eastern district of Butaleja, Uganda where I was born in 1985 with a visual impairment. The condition intensified until I was taken to hospital and it was discovered that it was due to glaucoma. My parents at this moment decided to pursue a concurrent approach of educating me and treatment as a way of improving my life.
I joined Butaleja Integrated in 1991. There, I enjoyed co-curricular activities like bicycle riding and football where I used self-improvised inventions which acted as a sound device to show direction.
At primary school I faced many challenges. The lack of special needs teachers to teach braille and other related technologies and inadequate scholastic materials like braille paper are just a few of the barriers I experienced. Being segregated by sighted students who did not understand blindness was also difficult.
I completed my primary education in 1997 before joining Iganga Secondary School in 1998, where I finished my secondary education at the above mentioned school. While I was there I was exposed to a number of sporting activities like Goalball and Showdown which helped in reducing some of the stressors associated with secondary education. But I was still frustrated by the lack of scholastic materials and related technologies for people with visual impairments like computers and talking calculators. There was inadequate qualified staff to address the needs of blind students and inadequate resources which made it difficult for my parents to pay school fees in time, ultimately affecting my class attendance and performance.
In 2004, I went for a computer course at the UNAB HI-TECH project where I was trained in computer before joining Makerere University in the same year. While at university, life seemed to have improved since I did not need to depend a lot on guides; I had computer knowledge which I could use during research for coursework. But the lack of braille textbooks was a major problem at all levels and I found that not all lecturers were aware of the accommodations required by people who are blind such as when they would write on blackboards without voicing the content or providing any kind of Braille translation. Nonetheless, at this level I enjoyed academics. I also participated in leadership where I was elected as a Guild Representative Councillor for Nkrumah Hall in academic year 2005-2006 before finishing my university education in 2007 and graduating in 2008.
After University I went for a certificate in Officers Administrative Law Course before being recruited at UNAB to work as a HI-TECH project coordinator from 11/2007-12/2008. After acting as a HI-TECH coordinator I interviewed with Butaleja local government and I was appointed as a Community Development officer. The position I have held since 2008.
In May 2010, I was elected as the Vice General Secretary of the Uganda National Association of the Blind. And, I would like to pursue my career by attaining more knowledge in computers to become an information technology expert.
** If you or someone you know has an inspiring employment success story to tell like Hamye, please forward it to penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org Collection of this information will assist the WBU in increasing awareness of the abilities of people who are blind or partially sighted and in sharing good employment practices.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DR. RAJENDRA VYAS: AN INSPIRATION AND MENTOR
It is with sincere sadness we announce the passing of Dr. Rajendra Vyas on August 29, 2010. His long and distinguished career will remain an enduring legacy.
A lawyer by profession, Dr. Vyas and his associates went on to found leading national bodies such as the Blind Men's Association and the National Association for the Blind (NAB). His death leaves a very large void for NAB and the blind people of India. He was Secretary-General of NAB India from 1990-2010 and an honorary life member of the World Blind Union. He also served as an Honorary Governor of the World Braille Foundation, founded in 2001. His commitment to publish a children's Braille magazine in Hindi over a five year period in partnership with NAB was among one of the Foundation’s first successful projects.
Dr. Vyas was instrumental in initiating several facilities for blind people in India, including the First Talking Book and Braille Press projects in the non-government sector. He was also associated with several advocacy activities. Through his efforts, Dr Wadegaonkar, a prominent blind lawyer, was appointed as principal of Government Law College in Mumbai. Another instance occurred when Dr. Vyas and his associates successfully lobbied the government of India to adopt the integrated education approach for children with disabilities in the early 1980s, which the government accepted, scaled across the country, and continues to support till date.
He has received several awards for his stellar work in the sector, including the Padma Shri, Diwaliben Mohanlal Mehta Award and Kamal Nayan Bajaj Award among others. He leaves behind his wife, Madhavi, who always supported his work, and two daughters. Dr. Vyas will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.
REMEMBERING DORINA DE GOUVEA NOWILL
WBU extends their sincere expression of sympathy and condolences to family and friends of Dorina de Gouvea Nowill, WBU Honorary Life Member, who passed away in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the age of 91. She was an outstanding woman and leader of the blind movement not only in her country, Brazil, but worldwide.
A close friend of Helen Keller in the early fifties, she held numerous senior positions at national and international levels including the Presidency of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, predecessor organization of the WBU at the time of its foundation some 25 years ago. Throughout her life she was extremely involved with the education of blind people and an active leader and strong member of ICEVI, WBU, and ULAC. Among her most notable initiatives are the creation of the Foundation for the Book of the Blind of Brazil (known today as the Dorina Nowill Foundation) and the creation of the Brazilian Teachers Association for the Visually Impaired.
We will always be grateful and full of respect for Dorina's contributions--who helped us since she became blind at the age of 17--and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people who are blind in Brazil and around the world.
FIFTH AFRICA FORUM: CALL FOR PAPERS!
The Institutional Development Program (IDP) and the Ghana Blind Union (GBU) is proud to announce the Call for Papers for the 5th Africa Forum, which will be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Accra, Ghana, on July 3-8, 2011. This is the only international conference on blindness services in Africa.
The IDP was founded in 1991 by Sightsavers International and the Hilton/Perkins Program to support the work of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the African Union of the Blind (AFUB). IDP is managed by an international team led by Perkins International, supported by a senior manager from Sight Savers International, and a team of consultants and trainers, all of whom are Africans. The Program is led by and recruits trainers who are blind and partially sighted and works to expand the capacity of organizations of and for the blind in Africa to advocate for opportunities for improved policies and equal participation for people who are blind and partially sighted.
Papers for the 5th Africa Forum should build on the theme “Access Africa: Exploring the Full Benefit of Social Inclusion For All Persons”. Papers should not exceed ten to fifteen minutes’ duration. Presenters will work in panels of 3-4 persons based on the subject of their submissions. We are seeking papers built on practical life experience, action for social transformation, academic research and/or the development of knowledge from program implementation. In addition, we encourage organizations that are involved in policy development to submit papers for open discussion on the issues that their work is addressing.
Papers should fit into any of the following sub/themes of the Forum:
• Technology as a tool for social and economic empowerment
• Social responsibility and access to a sustainable and enabling environment
• Applying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities! Giving meaning to the convention in creating equality and opportunity for those who are blind and partially sighted
• Diversity in the spectrum of vision loss!
Abstracts should not exceed two hundred words and should be sent via email or fax with the title: “Abstract for Fifth Africa Forum” in the subject line of an email. Abstracts should be sent no later than October 31, 2010 and should be sent to: aubrey.webson@perkins.org or, ongolo@africandecade.co.za or via fax to +1-617-923-8076 in the U.S.
ELECTIONS TO NEW UN CRPD MONITORING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED
The World Blind Union would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new members of the UN CRPD Committee on their elections at the Conference of States Parties held in New York in early September.
The CRPD Committee is comprised of representatives nominated by their governments and elected to the Committee that is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While the committee, initially established two years ago, had twelve members, it has now been expanded to eighteen members as a result of more countries having ratified the UN CRPD. We congratulate Ron McCallum, a blind law professor from Australia, who is well known to the WBU on his re-election to the Committee and as Chair of the Committee, as well as the many other blind and low vision persons who are members of the CRPD Committee.
The full list of UNCRPD Committee members are as follows:
Mr. Ron McCallum (Australia), Current Chair of the CRPD Committee
Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina (Kenya)
Ms. Theresia Degener (Germany)
Mr. Hyng Shik Kim (Republic of Korea)
Mr. Carlos Rios Espinosa (Mexico)
Mr. Lotfi Ben Lallahom (Tunisia)
All of the above members will serve four-year terms. Mr. McCallum, Ms. Maina and Mr. Lallahom were existing members who were re-elected.
An additional six members were elected for the new seats resulting from the expansion:
Mr. Gabor Gombos (Hungary)
Mr. Damjan Tatic (Serbia)
Mr. Stig Langvad (Denmark)
Ms. Silvia Judith Quang Chang (Guatemala)
Ms. Fatiha Hadj Salah (Algeria)
Mr. German Xavier Torres Correa (Ecuador)
The experts from Guatemala, Hungary, and Algeria will serve two-year terms (drawn by lot) while the rest will serve four-year terms. The full Committee of eighteen members also includes the current members: Ms. Amna Ali Al Suweidi (Qatar), Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh (Jordan), Mr. Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri (Bangladesh), Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes (Chile), Ms. Ana Peláez Narváez (Spain), and Ms. Jia Yang (China), all of whose terms expire in 2012. In 2012, there will be nine open Committee member seats. For more information, contact the International Disability Alliance (IDA) Secretariat at stromel@ida-secretariat.org www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org
WORLD STANDARDS DAY: OCTOBER 14, 2010
Accessibility is increasingly an issue as the world population and people with disabilities demand equal access to social, political, and economic life. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunication Network (ITN) coordinate their work and offer a system of standardization that helps designers, manufacturers, and policy makers to make the world safer and more accessible for all. International standards facilitate everybody’s access to products, structures, and services. They include safety considerations, ergonomics and harmonized test methods all geared to increase accessibility. Standards also provide a platform for the dissemination of technological innovations in both developed and developing countries. They help markets to grow faster and increase global trade. For more information on World Standards Day, October 14, 2010, please visit http://www.iso.org
OCTOBER 14th WORLD SIGHT DAY: COUNTDOWN TO VISION 2020
World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Included on the official World Health Organization calendar, WSD is co-ordinated by IAPB under the VISION 2020 Global Initiative. The theme and certain core materials are generated by IAPB. All events are organized independently by members and supporters. On World Sight Day, VISION 2020 members work together to:
Raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment as major international public health issues
Influence Governments/Ministers of Health to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programs
Educate target audiences about blindness prevention, about VISION 2020 and to generate support for VISION 2020 program activities
Without effective, major intervention, the number of blind people worldwide has been projected to increase to 76 million by 2020. As we mark the 10th anniversary of Vision 2020, please take a moment to visit www.vision2020.org for more detailed information about initiatives and events taking place around the world.
RESOURCES
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WORLD CONGRESS BRAILLE21 IS ONLINE!
The official website of the World Congress Braille21 is online. This is really a historical date as the congress will take place in nearly one year (September 27-30, 2011). At www.braille21.net you will always find the most recent information about the project from now on. Read about the news and explore the statements of our Braille Ambassador.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO WHITE AND BROWN GOODS
Those of us who have recently purchased a home appliance of some kind will realize how difficult it is to find something which does not have touch pads, multi-function buttons, or a visual interface which makes it impossible to know whether you are about to cook for hours or defrost for minutes. We are keen to learn more about efforts to change this situation and ask that you summarize your efforts concerning the development of legislation, regulation, and any projects you feel have global appeal. Please email your summary to Pete Osborne, Head International Development and Partnerships, RNIB, pete.osborne@rnib.org.uk, or call +44 1670 829447 to discuss developments in your country with Pete.
“JUST JILL” – A MOVING AUTOBIOGRAPHY
“Just Jill” is an inspirational and moving account of Jill Allen-King’s triumph over adversity and how she used her own experience of disability to benefit others. When she was growing up during the 1940s very few people were aware that Jill Allen-King had lost an eye as a baby. However, when tragedy struck for the second time and Jill went completely blind on, what should have been one of the happiest occasions of her life–her wedding day, she was rendered housebound. It was only when Jill got her first guide dog that she began to rediscover the world outside of her front door and take those first giant steps towards regaining her freedom. It was a journey that would lead to a life of campaigning for reform and helping others. Further details can be obtained from Jackie Bright at Apex Publishing:
Jackie.Bright@apexpublishing.co.uk
CENTRE FOR REBUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AFTER DISASTERS
Recent publications and presentations from the July 2010 International Conference on “Rebuilding Sustainable Communities with the Elderly and Disabled People” can be found at http://www.rebuilding.umb.edu.
The primary purpose of the Centre for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities After Disasters is to work in close collaboration with practitioners, academics, researchers, policy makers and grassroots organizations in the United States of America and in all the continents of the world in their search for the most appropriate and sustainable ways to rebuild their communities after disasters.
A NEW AUDIO ADVENTURE iPHONE GAME
Something a bit different now-an iPhone game you can play with your eyes closed. Papa Sangre is an audio adventure where you have to move around a virtual environment, reacting and interacting with what you hear. You have to concentrate on the ambient sounds if you do not want to come out a “cropper”. The game, due for release in September, is not free, but you can download it for a small price. Versions for the iPad and Android handsets will be released next year.
e-PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES
Check out this new free online play environment for children with special needs and disabilities. It has memory improvement games and activities allowing children to create their own music. The link is http://www.allabilitiesplayground.net.au. The All Abilities e-Playground was created by the Australian arm of Sonokids (http://www.sonokids.org/), an international non-profit organization developing technology for people with disabilities.
JOIN INCLUSIVE PLANET
www.inclusiveplanet.com is an online platform that enables persons with visual impairments to connect with each other, share accessible content and build conversations and communities around these shared experiences. In short, the problem of lack of accessible content is being solved by the community themselves by sharing files, making new friends and participating in conversations. Some of the channels started by users include English literature, computer science, social science, accessible sheet music and much more. Over 2200 members from 76 different countries have come together to attempt to make this an inclusive planet.
PARTNERSHIPS FOR DECENT WORK
Partnerships for Decent Work is a newsletter providing information on the International Labour Organization's (ILO) mission and objectives for “Decent Work” and their impact on civil society organizations. This electronic newsletter is courtesy of the ILO’s Partnership and Development Cooperation Department (PARDEV). It can also be found on the internet at www.ilo.org/pardev
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
AFRICA
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROJECT IN SWAZILAND AND NIGER
In July 2009, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) approved funding for an inclusive education project entitled “Equitable Access to Education for Blind and Visually Impaired Girls and Boys in Swaziland and Niger”, through the World Braille Foundation (WBF) in partnership with AFUB. Now in its second year, the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) is providing technical support to the implementation of this project. The project responds to MDG 2 and it is expected that by the end of the project cycle in 2011, at least an additional 80 blind and partially sighted girls and boys (40 in Swaziland and 40 in Niger) will be enrolled in the education system of the two countries respectively.
IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY & INTERNATIONAL WORLD SIGHT DAY
International White Cane Safety Day has been held on October 15 every year since 1964 to celebrate the achievements of visually impaired persons. It also celebrates the white cane as a symbol for blindness and a tool of independence.
With International World Sight Day falling on October 14 this year, the South African National Council for the Blind has decided to host a Fun Walk to mark both occasions. Council is inviting all organizations for the visually impaired, schools for the visually impaired and interested businesses and individuals to join Council staff and students from Optima College in a 3 km Fun Walk on Friday October 15, 2010. We encourage visually impaired people to walk with their guide dogs or mobility canes, and sighted people to wear blindfolds. Registration is free. For more information, please contact Lizette at lizette@sancb.org.za or 012 452-3811 before October 1, 2010.
ASIA-PACIFIC
DUSKIN LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN JAPAN
Duskin Leadership Training is a 10-month program in Japan encouraging people with disabilities between the ages of 18-25 years to become the next generation of leaders who can contribute to the improvement and welfare of people with disabilities in their respective countries/regions. Participants will receive intensive Japanese language training (and/or Japanese Braille training) as well as group trainings by visiting facilities and organizations related to persons with disabilities. They will also receive individual training, based on their needs and areas of interest, will learn how to write reports and proposals, and improve their presentation skills. Applications are available at http://www.normanet.ne.jp/~duskin/english/.
WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES RECOGNIZED AT UNITED NATIONS
Excerpted and revised from an article by Carolyn Frohmader, Executive Director WWDA
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) was recently represented by member Christina Ryan, on the Australian NGO delegation to appear before the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Monitoring Committee in July 2010 in New York.
CEDAW is one of the core international human rights treaties and was ratified by Australia in 1983. WWDA was involved in the process of developing the CEDAW NGO Report, and issues facing women with disabilities were well covered in this sector wide Shadow Report.
However, for the first time, the CEDAW Committee also accepted a separate Shadow Report from WWDA, focusing solely on the situation of women with disabilities in Australia. The CEDAW Monitoring Committee has just released its Concluding Observations on Australia’s performance regarding the implementation of CEDAW. The Committee has taken great notice of WWDA’s input, and has made very strong recommendations regarding the need for urgent action by the Australian Government in relation to women with disabilities (Please visit wwda@wwda.org.au for the full report.)
This recognition is long overdue. WWDA takes this opportunity to thank Christina Ryan for her sterling advocacy work on our behalf in New York and also acknowledges all its members for their tireless efforts over many years in getting us to this point and ensuring that our issues are recognized as issues of human rights, and supporting us to demand accountability from our Governments. With this recognition in the CEDAW concluding comments, WWDA can be encouraged to work even harder to improve the lives of all women with disabilities in Australia.
ASIA
READY-TO-USE COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND
Saksham Trust, a non-profit charitable trust, based in New Delhi, India partnered with Intel to produce the Samarth Project. Here volunteers from both these organizations put together a suite of computer software solutions and related utilities that remove most of the limitations of reading and writing for people who are blind and partially sighted.
Saksham Trust configured Samsung N150 Netbook with this software and the result is an amazing fully configured computer at the lowest possible cost for this revolutionary tool. Features that were added to this machine with the Samarth Suite of software are: Multilingual Screen Reading software, DAISY Book Player, word-processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, internet browser, dictionary, newspaper reading, easy access to thousand of books from bookshare and Gutenberg online libraries, audio recording, music playback, etc.
In April 2010, 100 such fully configured computers were made available to university students at the cost of 11500 Indian Rupees. This included a subsidy of 5000 rupees on each computer. These computers are still available without the subsidy at the cost of 15500 rupees. The Samarth Project will also be happy to share the suite, free of cost, with any organization who would like to offer these services to persons with blindness or low vision. The Samarth Suite of software can be loaded on any computer and is not dependent on any single type or brand of computer. For more information, please contact Saksham Trust at info@saksham.org or telephone +91-11-4241-1015 (Website: http://www.saksham.org)
ABU REACHES OUT TO CHILDREN WITH DUAL DISABILITIES
Excerpted from an article in the Asian Blind Union Newsletter
There is a severe shortage of specialists and qualified teachers of visually impaired students with an intellectual or developmental disability, which restricts access to the specialized skills these children need. This means that such students receive instructions from personnel who are not qualified to teach critical skills. This problem is even more alarming in rural communities, where shortages of qualified personnel are most acute.
Keeping in view of this critical issue, the Asian Blind Union (ABU), in collaboration with Friendship Association of the Blind, conducted a two day training workshop in Amman, Jordan earlier this year. It was attended by 24 participants from 10 Middle East countries, of which 13 were women.
The two day training was conducted by specialists and consultants on early intervention and multiple disabilities. Topics such as: Categories of Visual Impairment and Intellectual Disabilities; Causes, Syndromes, Tests, Prevalence; Selection, Qualifications, and Training of Trainers and Caregivers; Strategies of Working with Individuals and Groups; Sensitizing and Involving Family Members; Importance of Planning and Preparing Programs. Practical sessions were also conducted.
This ABU initiative has helped create capable human resources to handle a critical target group among visually impaired children in the Middle East countries, namely, visually impaired children with intellectual and/or other developmental disabilities.
EUROPE
GERMAN FEDERATION OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED LAUNCHES NEW ACCESSIBLE PATIENT INFORMATION SERVICE
Excerpted from an article by Hans Kaltwasser, DBSV Head International Relations
Germany has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and must ensure now its implementation which is a challenge facing the entire society. The German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) provides its expertise and will monitor the implementation process in the years ahead. Equal access to information is among the fundamental rights enshrined in the Convention. Ensuring access to patient information is a vital matter for blind and partially sighted people. Unless this information is provided in an alternative format, this can lead to life-threatening situations when people miss information about the maximum dosage, side-effects, or even simple things like the name and purpose of the pharmaceutical product.
German legislation governs that the pharmaceutical companies must ensure the accessibility of the patient information leaflet (PIL) for blind and partially sighted people upon request by patient organizations. Upon the initiative of DBSV and in close collaboration with Rote Liste GmbH, the accessible internet portal “PatientenInfo-Service” fulfills the rightful demands of 1.2 million blind and partially sighted patients in Germany regarding an independent and barrier-free access to patient information.
The portal makes pharmaceutical information available for blind and partially sighted patients in four different accessible formats:
(1) standard print; (2) large print for use by partially sighted patients (accessible PDF); (3) a website which can be read out electronically; and, (4) as an audio book file in DAISY format.
The pharmaceutical companies have been called upon by DBSV and Rote Liste GmbH to contribute to the service by feeding in the PILs of their products. In addition to this, negotiations with the associations of pharmacies are under way, aimed at ensuring that the pharmacists download upon request the PIL from the internet for their blind and partially sighted customers. The patient information service sends a strong signal towards an inclusive society as demanded by the Convention. DBSV will continue encouraging pharmaceutical companies to post their PILs on the patient information platform http://www.patienteninfo-service.de/
8th INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE & MEDIA CONFERENCE
Languages & The Media is a biennial international conference dedicated to the subject of language transfer in a changing audiovisual media landscape (e.g., Video, DVD, digital TV, cinema, and social networks). The conference themes include innovations and latest developments in dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, and translation for the media. International experts will further discuss national and international language policies in the media, multilingual access to global media as well as the distribution and quality of content. The conference will take place from October 6-8, 2010 in Berlin. For more information log on to http://www.languagesmedia.com/conferenceprogramme_2010.php
BLIND FOOTBALL COMES TO IRELAND
National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), in association with Paddy Power bookmaker and the Football Association of Ireland, recently teamed up to host the first Blind Football Tournament in Ireland.
Paddy Power’s involvement in the tournament stems from their latest TV advert which shows a blind football match where a cat with a bell on its collar runs onto the pitch, and is unfortunately mistaken for the ball. You can watch the advert at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEmA_QF30GI
Sixteen teams of five players went head to head in a series of 10-minute matches starting at 12 pm with a blind football skills demo given by English Blind Football Team captain, Aj Ahmed. The level of skill shown by the players was remarkable. All players adapted extremely well to not being able to see by constantly communicating with one another in order to let their team mates know where they were positioned on the pitch. The sighted goal keepers also played a key role in helping score goals by instructing his/her players where to direct each shot. Although this tournament raised money for NCBI, it has also promoted and encouraged people with sight loss to participate in blind football, a sport that is still very much in its infancy in Ireland.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION BY THE BLIND (PEBB)
PEBB, presented by Mind Visibility, is a series of photographic exhibitions by the blind and partially sighted organized in 10 major cities globally between 2010 and 2012. Mind Visibility is a non-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland.
PEBB intends to create dialogue and raise awareness among the blind/partially sighted and the sighted in our society. Each exhibition explores the daily lives and environments of the blind in an attempt to bring understanding to the general public and to provide an opportunity for people with this form of disability to gain more self-confidence, well-being, freedom and social integration through communication of their experiences in a shared world. Athens, Greece is to host the first of this exclusive series of global events.
In conjunction with the exhibition, internationally conducted surveys will explore and compare each urban environment and culture, including mobile phone technology as it relates to blindness. Each exhibition displays 30 large photographs (size approx.80x100cm) taken by local blind and partially sighted participants. The participants use mobile phone devices to capture their surroundings & moments of their daily lives. An internationally distributed TV documentary will be produced of the project.
If you and/or your organization would like to partner with PEBB and/or help raise awareness of this exciting international project, please contact Ms. Sanna Jalomäki at sanna.jalomaki@mindvisibility.com
LATIN AMERICA
CRPD WORKSHOP IN GUATEMALA
The Latin American Union of the Blind (ULAC), in collaboration with La Fundación ONCE para la Solidaridad con Personas Ciegas de América Latina (FOAL), and Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), will be offering a workshop on the United Nations Convention for People with Disabilities (CRPD) at the Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española de Antigua (Guatemala) from October 25-29, 2010. This workshop is intended to empower Latin American blind leaders on the implementation and evaluation of the CRPD. For more information, please go to www.foal.es or www.ulacdigital.org
LATIN AMERICAN COUNCIL OF BRAILLE (CIB)
CIB “Action Plans” and final documents of the Montevideo Workshop can be found at www.ulacdigital.org under the “Documents of Interest” section.
VIRTUAL FORUM FOR YOUTH
Young people between the ages of 15-30 years can now subscribe to a free virtual forum governed by the Secretariat of Youth of ULAC. This Forum allows for the exchange of ideas on topics of interest to young individuals who are blind and partially sighted such as “participation within organizations”, “access to education”, “employment opportunities”; and “information and communications technology”. Please visit http://www.egrupos.net/grupo/iforovirtualjovenesulac/alta to subscribe.
GENDER AND EQUALITY
The Latin American Union of the Blind (ULAC), in conjunction with Ilumina, Ceguera y Baja Visión, summoned Latin American women to participate in a program geared to improving their abilities in information and communication technologies. Two scholarships by each Latin American country were granted. A published list of successful candidates can be found on www.ulacdigital.org. ULAC Secretariat wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to all Latin American women with visual disabilities for their interest in participating in this program and encourages them to actively continue fighting for their rights as women.
NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
ENROLL FOR FALL SEMESTER UTAH STATE U-HADLEY COURSES
Fall semester at Utah State U-Hadley begins on August 30th, so sign up now! Added to the USU-Hadley program is a new course offering, Introduction to Multiple Disabilities, as well as a non-credit option. Students can now take any course offered through the program at a substantially reduced cost on a non-credit basis, as long as they do not intend to request credit at a later time.
The Hadley School for the Blind and Utah State University (USU) partnered in 2008 to meet the growing demand for an affordable certificate and degree program for professionals offered through distance education. Courses are offered as part of USU’s SKI-HI Institute, a unit of the College of Education’s Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education. This training better enables USU-Hadley students to work with children who are blind or visually impaired often with multiple disabilities.
Students in this unique program are able to earn either a Certificate in Blindness at the undergraduate level or a USU Associate’s degree in General Studies with a Focus in Blindness, preparing them to work in a classroom with school-age children who are blind or visually impaired. Courses include Introduction to Blindness and Visual Impairment, the Human Eye and Visual System, Introduction to Braille, the Role of Para-educators with Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Introduction to Low Vision, and Introduction to Multiple Disabilities. The program is available to teachers, teacher assistants, para-professionals and parents at in-state tuition rate or a reduced rate for non-credit students. To learn more or register, please visit http://www.skihi.org/HADLEYUSU-HOME.html .
SEVA CANADA
SEVA Canada is launching an international campaign to raise public awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major international public health issues. Since 1982, Seva Canada has been restoring sight and preventing blindness in the developing world.
Seva is asking people around the world to think about what they would miss the most if they were blind, then write it down, take a photo and send it to Seva via Seva Canada’s Facebook Group. From August 15 on, Seva Canada is hoping to get hundreds of photos of people from around the world. For more information about this project and events taking place on October 14th-World Sight Day, please contact Heather Wardle at admin@seva.ca (Website: www.seva.ca)
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
aiykko@gmail.com
Mr. Enrique Pérez, Secretary General
umc@once.es
Mr. A. K. Mittal, Treasurer
akmittal@rediffmail.com
Dr. William Rowland, Immediate Past President
rowland@sancb.org.za
REGIONAL PRESIDENTS
AFRICA (AFUB)
Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui
med.ezzaoui@gmail.com
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. Sarah Smith, Manager Fund Development & Communications
sarah.smith@wbuoffice.org
Ms. Ianina Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant ianina.rodriguez@wbuoffice.org
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5
September 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE E-BULLETIN 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3
WBU DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR HELD IN MADRID 4
EFA-VI GLOBAL CAMPAIGN: THE RESULTS ARE TANGIBLE
AND THE CHALLENGES ARE MORE! 6
FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN: WBU APPEALS TO THE
UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL 7
NGO-CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP KEY TO SUCCESSFUL
CAREER FAIR FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 9
THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS 10
ANNOUNCEMENTS 11
DR. RAJENDRA VYAS: AN INSPIRATION AND MENTOR 12
REMEMBERING DORINA DE GOUVEA NOWILL 12
FIFTH AFRICA FORUM: CALL FOR PAPERS! 13
ELECTIONS TO NEW UN CRPD MONITORING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED 14
WORLD STANDARDS DAY: OCTOBER 14, 2010 15
OCTOBER 14TH WORLD SIGHT DAY:
COUNTDOWN TO VISION 2020 16
RESOURCES 16
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WORLD CONGRESS BRAILLE21
IS ONLINE! 16
IMPROVING ACCESS TO WHITE AND BROWN GOODS 16
“JUST JILL” – A MOVING AUTOBIOGRAPHY 17
CENTRE FOR REBUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
AFTER DISASTERS 17
A NEW AUDIO ADVENTURE IPHONE GAME 17
E-PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES 18
JOIN INCLUSIVE PLANET 18
PARTNERSHIPS FOR DECENT WORK 18
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 18
AFRICA 18
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROJECT IN SWAZILAND AND NIGER 18
IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY
DAY & INTERNATIONAL WORLD SIGHT DAY 19
ASIA-PACIFIC 19
DUSKIN LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN JAPAN 19
WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES RECOGNIZED AT UNITED NATIONS 20
ASIA 20
READY-TO-USE COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND 20
ABU REACHES OUT TO CHILDREN WITH DUAL DISABILITIES 21
EUROPE 22
GERMAN FEDERATION OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED LAUNCHES NEW ACCESSIBLE PATIENT INFORMATION SERVICE 22
8TH INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE & MEDIA CONFERENCE 23
BLIND FOOTBALL COMES TO IRELAND 23
A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION BY THE BLIND (PEBB) 24
LATIN AMERICA 25
CRPD WORKSHOP IN GUATEMALA 25
LATIN AMERICAN COUNCIL OF BRAILLE (CIB) 25
VIRTUAL FORUM FOR YOUTH 25
GENDER AND EQUALITY 25
NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 26
ENROLL FOR FALL SEMESTER UTAH STATE U-HADLEY COURSES 26
SEVA CANADA 26
WBU OFFICERS 27
REGIONAL PRESIDENTS 27
WBU STAFF 27
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 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 Monday, November 23, 2010 for our December 2010 issue of the e-Bulletin. We will accept submissions in English, French, and Spanish, preferably in electronic format. Please send your submissions to Sarah Smith at sarah.smith@wbuoffice.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Maryanne Diamond
Welcome to another interesting and information rich issue of our e-Bulletin.
In this issue we recognize and remember two past leaders of our organization who have recently passed away: Dr. Rajendra Vyas and Dorina De Gouvea Nowill. Two leaders whose memory and contributions will be remembered for many years ahead.
As I outlined in the previous issue, we are looking for examples to share of case studies and good practices in:
• Successful employment stories of people who are blind or have low vision
• Peer support and mentoring programs for people who are blind or have low vision in the area of employment
• Employment toolkits and programs
• Microcredit programs, either established for people who are blind or have low vision as well as mainstream programs which have successfully included us.
You can email your examples to penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org
Congratulations to those elected and re-elected to the CRPD monitoring committee. Fifteen of the 18 members are people with disabilities with six being persons who are blind. The 18 person committee take up their roles in 2011.
The Executive meeting to be held in Melbourne is quickly approaching and plans are well underway. I am delighted that many observers from both Australia and many parts of the world will join us.
Hope you enjoy reading.
Maryanne
WBU DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR HELD IN MADRID
From June 24-25, a Development Summit, co-organized by the WBU Development Committee and ONCE brought together some 25 participants from 15 countries and five continents to discuss issues related to capacity building within the WBU. The event was hosted by ONCE at their Educational Resource Centre and School for the Blind in Madrid, with financial support provided by ONCE and NABP from Norway in order to ensure full representation from developing countries. The seminar was then followed by a meeting of the WBU Development Committee.
The two day seminar was introduced by opening presentations by Yolanda Martin, Vice President of ONCE and President of FOAL; WBU 1st Vice President Arnt Holte; Enrique Guerrero, Member of the Development Commission of the European Parliament and Member of the Delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly; Alvaro Renedo Head of the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for the European Union. WBU Secretary General, Enrique Perez presided over the opening presentations.
The seminar included presentations on a number of topics of relevance for capacity building among WBU members. Some of the topics included the following:
• Disability perspective in European Union and Spanish international cooperation with a presentation by Enrique Guerrero, Member of the Development Commission of the European Parliament and Member of the Delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly.
• A discussion on fundraising with presentations made by Victoria Jiménez, an external facilitator resourced by ONCE, who discussed the government project funding process, and Sarah Smith, WBU Manager of Fundraising and Communications who covered different aspects of and opportunities for fundraising from private sources.
• John Heilbrunn, Chair of the EBU Development Commission conducted a session on capacity building, focusing on the process of training, mentorship and other activities to improve performance at the individual and organizational level.
• Ana Paláez, Vice President of the UNCRPD Monitoring Committee led a discussion about the Article 32, dealing with International Cooperation and the opportunities this presents to WBU members around the globe whose countries have ratified the Convention.
• A presentation on Job creation within the framework of international cooperation was provided by Fernando Iglesias, General Director of FOAL who discussed the positive results of cooperative efforts in improving the employment situation of blind and partially sighted persons in Latin America.
• A session on Education and development was led by Lars Bosselmann, Policy Officer for CBMI. There was a good deal of discussion about the issue of inclusive education with students placed in mainstream classrooms rather than segregated schools and the need to ensure adequate teacher training and specialized resources such as the availability of Braille in order to maximize opportunities for success.
• A session on best practices by NGO’s was delivered by Mr. J.L. Kaul, Secretary General of the Asian Blind Union, facilitated by Dr. Elly Macha, Executive Director of the African Union of the Blind. One of the examples discussed was the development of the Braille Press by the All India Confederation of the Blind which ensures availability of Braille at an affordable price.
• The final session of the seminar, delivered by Penny Hartin, CEO of WBU, focused on health care, trends in health care, with particular issues of importance to blind and partially sighted persons. In addition, there was discussion about the Vision 2020 program, its goals and objectives and progress to date. A key issue discussed was the matter of access to fitness and leisure activities by blind and partially sighted persons and how that contributes to healthy living.
Several of the presentations are available and can be requested from the WBU Office.
The Development Seminar was followed by a meeting of the Development committee which considered various issues raised during the seminar and incorporated these into its action plan for the remainder of the quadrennium. Some of the issues discussed that you will continue to hear about include: defining WBU’s role in situations of emergency or disaster that might arise in our member countries; determining how best WBU can and should support capacity building among our members; and examining how WBU can encourage access to fitness, leisure and other aspects of healthy living.
EFA-VI GLOBAL CAMPAIGN: THE RESULTS ARE TANGIBLE AND THE CHALLENGES ARE MORE!
By Mani, M N G - Secretary General, ICEVI
The Global Campaign on Education for All Children with Visual Impairment (EFA-VI) has started showing tangible results. Increased enrolment is one of our indicators of success and we have been gathering required data from the focus countries where the campaign activities are underway. The National Task Forces reveal that while the campaign is primarily targeting the children who are unreached, there are instances when children who dropped out of schools returned back to the mainstream as a result of the increased awareness created about education. The seven focus countries, viz., The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay and Vietnam for which we have data indicate that 30,877 additional children have been enrolled in schools as a result of the campaign. They also report that the campaign has generally created a positive awareness about education of children with visual impairment.
While these results are encouraging, the campaign presents different challenges too. As the quantity of enrolment started increasing, we are posed with quality issues which primarily involve teachers and materials. Non-availability of quality teachers and learning materials are likely to become increasing challenges as the campaign progresses.
Lack of braille materials, particularly for mathematics and science, makes it difficult for children to learn effectively. Braille book production is in fact costly compared to preparation of print books but this should not obscure the importance of braille materials. Convincing governments to allocate substantial resources for material production becomes another arduous task. The technical knowledge of these production centres too should be constantly updated to prepare quality braille materials.
The Global Task Force of the EFA-VI Campaign, which was basically involved in the formulation of policies and strategies for campaign activities has been dissolved as per the recommendations of the Executive Committee of ICEVI and four new working committees have been created with the primary focus on improving quality of services besides increasing the enrolment of children with visual impairment in schools. The committee dealing with Advocacy and Global Network will influence inter-governmental organizations and governments to give priority to education of children with disabilities within the overall national education plans. The Media and Materials committee will suggest the type of advocacy materials that would be necessary for the campaign activities and also recommend cost-effective assistive devices that can be used by children for their education and mobility. There will be a committee on Program Review which will go into the details of national plans, strategies for human resource development, monitoring campaign activities, etc. A Resource Mobilization Committee is also in place which will suggest strategies to optimize resources to support the campaign activities.
We wanted to use the 13th World Conference as a platform to review the success and challenges of the campaign but it is a pity that the conference will not take place as scheduled due to political instability in Thailand. We are sure there will be other opportunities for our friends to share their expertise.
The last three years have been a true learning experience and we believe these experiences will help us to speed-up the campaign activities in the existing focus countries and also extend to new countries. We shall regularly update you through our publications and websites of ICEVI and the World Blind Union.
FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN: WBU APPEALS TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL
The following letter was written by WBU President, Maryanne Diamond, and sent to Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary General. We sincerely hope that our “Call to Action” will bring the desired interventions and planning required to help all those individuals who are blind and their families affected by the devastating flood.
Dear Mr. Ban:
The World Blind Union has noted with deepest concern the growing flood disaster in Pakistan. The floodwaters which arose in north-west Pakistan nearly three weeks ago have swept down the Indus valley through the agricultural heartland of the country and into the southern provinces, causing death and destruction and disrupting the lives of up to 20 million people. Some six million people face the further threat of water-borne diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dysentery.
From past experience the World Blind Union has learned that blind people are especially vulnerable to the consequences of such natural disasters, being least able to access relief and often suffering situations of abandonment. These conditions are made worse by the fact that organizations of the blind--the very organizations that speak for our people and which are expected to intervene on their behalf--are themselves overwhelmed by circumstances and likely to suffer total loss of resources.
While we will most certainly look to the Pakistan government and the representative organizations of the blind to join hands in addressing the disaster situation, the role of the UN via its emergency relief programmes is crucial to the protection of life and the provision of food and shelter to the affected population. In the longer term, UN agencies also have a vital role to play in the aftermath of disaster in the planning and redevelopment which of necessity must take place.
The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to appeal to you in your capacity as UN Secretary General to direct the designated officials and responsible UN agencies to include in their early interventions and longer-term planning, measures specifically intended to secure the position of blind people in everything that is done to save lives, bring relief, and renew community infrastructure and livelihoods. While our resources are limited, the World Blind Union nevertheless places itself at the disposal of the UN and its agencies for advice and practical guidance.
In addressing this appeal to your office, we would also commend you for your personal involvement in the disaster situation in Pakistan. We are greatly encouraged by your action on the ground, your public statements, and the establishment of an emergency relief fund, all of which lead us to hope that the blind people of Pakistan, along with other disability groups, will not be left at the margins of relief efforts but be fully integrated at every level into all relief initiatives.
NGO-CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP KEY TO SUCCESSFUL CAREER FAIR FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Excerpted and revised from reports by Chris Friend and Victoria Martin
Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Sightsavers collaborated to hold the first career fair for people with disabilities in Accra, Ghana, in May 2010. The event aimed to encourage companies to employ people with disabilities and provide them with the opportunity to identify candidates, and to provide people with disabilities the opportunity to interview with large companies and showcase their experience and capabilities. Approximately 30 companies and 70 people with disabilities attended the event.
Some very moving presentations by people with disabilities--including people who are blind, deaf, albino, and have physical disabilities--were showcased at the Fair. These presentations included their life stories, adversities they have faced, and their achievements. An engaging discussion of their employment experiences, attitudes of employers, the capabilities of people with disabilities and the need for more diverse employment opportunities followed. A demonstration of accessible technology for computers and mobile phones illustrated to employers that cost-effective technology is available to make the workplace more accessible to people with disabilities.
Companies including SCB, PZ Cussons, Tullow Oil, Blue Skies, Guinness, Bank of Ghana, Vodafone, Barclays and Mon-Tran, conducted one-to-one interviews for all participants with disabilities who were seeking employment. These interviews took place over the course of two hours, with each candidate being interviewed at least once. Representatives from Barclays and Vodafone will be speaking to their seniors to recommend that offers of employment and/or internships are made. Mon-Tran, a large recruitment agency and provider of contract staff to many of Ghana’s largest companies, asked that all of the people with disabilities at the Fair register with them so that they can assist them find employment.
Committed to inclusion and diversity, SCB offered at least four jobs to people with disabilities who they interviewed at the event and are keen to roll out this career fair in other countries. In particular, the career fair is likely to be incorporated into the 5th Africa Forum in 2011 (See more detailed information about the Forum in the “Announcements” section below). The benefit of this would be the international profile and pan-disability nature of the event.
The announcement of several imminent job offers was very encouraging. Sightsavers will be creating a documentary film about the event. For more information, please contact Chris Friend, Program Development Advisor-Sightsavers, at CFriend@sightsavers.org
THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS
Excerpted and revised from an article by Hamya Julius
It all started with Mrs. and Mr. Muhofa Patrick in the eastern district of Butaleja, Uganda where I was born in 1985 with a visual impairment. The condition intensified until I was taken to hospital and it was discovered that it was due to glaucoma. My parents at this moment decided to pursue a concurrent approach of educating me and treatment as a way of improving my life.
I joined Butaleja Integrated in 1991. There, I enjoyed co-curricular activities like bicycle riding and football where I used self-improvised inventions which acted as a sound device to show direction.
At primary school I faced many challenges. The lack of special needs teachers to teach braille and other related technologies and inadequate scholastic materials like braille paper are just a few of the barriers I experienced. Being segregated by sighted students who did not understand blindness was also difficult.
I completed my primary education in 1997 before joining Iganga Secondary School in 1998, where I finished my secondary education at the above mentioned school. While I was there I was exposed to a number of sporting activities like Goalball and Showdown which helped in reducing some of the stressors associated with secondary education. But I was still frustrated by the lack of scholastic materials and related technologies for people with visual impairments like computers and talking calculators. There was inadequate qualified staff to address the needs of blind students and inadequate resources which made it difficult for my parents to pay school fees in time, ultimately affecting my class attendance and performance.
In 2004, I went for a computer course at the UNAB HI-TECH project where I was trained in computer before joining Makerere University in the same year. While at university, life seemed to have improved since I did not need to depend a lot on guides; I had computer knowledge which I could use during research for coursework. But the lack of braille textbooks was a major problem at all levels and I found that not all lecturers were aware of the accommodations required by people who are blind such as when they would write on blackboards without voicing the content or providing any kind of Braille translation. Nonetheless, at this level I enjoyed academics. I also participated in leadership where I was elected as a Guild Representative Councillor for Nkrumah Hall in academic year 2005-2006 before finishing my university education in 2007 and graduating in 2008.
After University I went for a certificate in Officers Administrative Law Course before being recruited at UNAB to work as a HI-TECH project coordinator from 11/2007-12/2008. After acting as a HI-TECH coordinator I interviewed with Butaleja local government and I was appointed as a Community Development officer. The position I have held since 2008.
In May 2010, I was elected as the Vice General Secretary of the Uganda National Association of the Blind. And, I would like to pursue my career by attaining more knowledge in computers to become an information technology expert.
** If you or someone you know has an inspiring employment success story to tell like Hamye, please forward it to penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org Collection of this information will assist the WBU in increasing awareness of the abilities of people who are blind or partially sighted and in sharing good employment practices.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DR. RAJENDRA VYAS: AN INSPIRATION AND MENTOR
It is with sincere sadness we announce the passing of Dr. Rajendra Vyas on August 29, 2010. His long and distinguished career will remain an enduring legacy.
A lawyer by profession, Dr. Vyas and his associates went on to found leading national bodies such as the Blind Men's Association and the National Association for the Blind (NAB). His death leaves a very large void for NAB and the blind people of India. He was Secretary-General of NAB India from 1990-2010 and an honorary life member of the World Blind Union. He also served as an Honorary Governor of the World Braille Foundation, founded in 2001. His commitment to publish a children's Braille magazine in Hindi over a five year period in partnership with NAB was among one of the Foundation’s first successful projects.
Dr. Vyas was instrumental in initiating several facilities for blind people in India, including the First Talking Book and Braille Press projects in the non-government sector. He was also associated with several advocacy activities. Through his efforts, Dr Wadegaonkar, a prominent blind lawyer, was appointed as principal of Government Law College in Mumbai. Another instance occurred when Dr. Vyas and his associates successfully lobbied the government of India to adopt the integrated education approach for children with disabilities in the early 1980s, which the government accepted, scaled across the country, and continues to support till date.
He has received several awards for his stellar work in the sector, including the Padma Shri, Diwaliben Mohanlal Mehta Award and Kamal Nayan Bajaj Award among others. He leaves behind his wife, Madhavi, who always supported his work, and two daughters. Dr. Vyas will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.
REMEMBERING DORINA DE GOUVEA NOWILL
WBU extends their sincere expression of sympathy and condolences to family and friends of Dorina de Gouvea Nowill, WBU Honorary Life Member, who passed away in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the age of 91. She was an outstanding woman and leader of the blind movement not only in her country, Brazil, but worldwide.
A close friend of Helen Keller in the early fifties, she held numerous senior positions at national and international levels including the Presidency of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, predecessor organization of the WBU at the time of its foundation some 25 years ago. Throughout her life she was extremely involved with the education of blind people and an active leader and strong member of ICEVI, WBU, and ULAC. Among her most notable initiatives are the creation of the Foundation for the Book of the Blind of Brazil (known today as the Dorina Nowill Foundation) and the creation of the Brazilian Teachers Association for the Visually Impaired.
We will always be grateful and full of respect for Dorina's contributions--who helped us since she became blind at the age of 17--and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people who are blind in Brazil and around the world.
FIFTH AFRICA FORUM: CALL FOR PAPERS!
The Institutional Development Program (IDP) and the Ghana Blind Union (GBU) is proud to announce the Call for Papers for the 5th Africa Forum, which will be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Accra, Ghana, on July 3-8, 2011. This is the only international conference on blindness services in Africa.
The IDP was founded in 1991 by Sightsavers International and the Hilton/Perkins Program to support the work of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the African Union of the Blind (AFUB). IDP is managed by an international team led by Perkins International, supported by a senior manager from Sight Savers International, and a team of consultants and trainers, all of whom are Africans. The Program is led by and recruits trainers who are blind and partially sighted and works to expand the capacity of organizations of and for the blind in Africa to advocate for opportunities for improved policies and equal participation for people who are blind and partially sighted.
Papers for the 5th Africa Forum should build on the theme “Access Africa: Exploring the Full Benefit of Social Inclusion For All Persons”. Papers should not exceed ten to fifteen minutes’ duration. Presenters will work in panels of 3-4 persons based on the subject of their submissions. We are seeking papers built on practical life experience, action for social transformation, academic research and/or the development of knowledge from program implementation. In addition, we encourage organizations that are involved in policy development to submit papers for open discussion on the issues that their work is addressing.
Papers should fit into any of the following sub/themes of the Forum:
• Technology as a tool for social and economic empowerment
• Social responsibility and access to a sustainable and enabling environment
• Applying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities! Giving meaning to the convention in creating equality and opportunity for those who are blind and partially sighted
• Diversity in the spectrum of vision loss!
Abstracts should not exceed two hundred words and should be sent via email or fax with the title: “Abstract for Fifth Africa Forum” in the subject line of an email. Abstracts should be sent no later than October 31, 2010 and should be sent to: aubrey.webson@perkins.org or, ongolo@africandecade.co.za or via fax to +1-617-923-8076 in the U.S.
ELECTIONS TO NEW UN CRPD MONITORING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED
The World Blind Union would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new members of the UN CRPD Committee on their elections at the Conference of States Parties held in New York in early September.
The CRPD Committee is comprised of representatives nominated by their governments and elected to the Committee that is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While the committee, initially established two years ago, had twelve members, it has now been expanded to eighteen members as a result of more countries having ratified the UN CRPD. We congratulate Ron McCallum, a blind law professor from Australia, who is well known to the WBU on his re-election to the Committee and as Chair of the Committee, as well as the many other blind and low vision persons who are members of the CRPD Committee.
The full list of UNCRPD Committee members are as follows:
Mr. Ron McCallum (Australia), Current Chair of the CRPD Committee
Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina (Kenya)
Ms. Theresia Degener (Germany)
Mr. Hyng Shik Kim (Republic of Korea)
Mr. Carlos Rios Espinosa (Mexico)
Mr. Lotfi Ben Lallahom (Tunisia)
All of the above members will serve four-year terms. Mr. McCallum, Ms. Maina and Mr. Lallahom were existing members who were re-elected.
An additional six members were elected for the new seats resulting from the expansion:
Mr. Gabor Gombos (Hungary)
Mr. Damjan Tatic (Serbia)
Mr. Stig Langvad (Denmark)
Ms. Silvia Judith Quang Chang (Guatemala)
Ms. Fatiha Hadj Salah (Algeria)
Mr. German Xavier Torres Correa (Ecuador)
The experts from Guatemala, Hungary, and Algeria will serve two-year terms (drawn by lot) while the rest will serve four-year terms. The full Committee of eighteen members also includes the current members: Ms. Amna Ali Al Suweidi (Qatar), Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh (Jordan), Mr. Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri (Bangladesh), Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes (Chile), Ms. Ana Peláez Narváez (Spain), and Ms. Jia Yang (China), all of whose terms expire in 2012. In 2012, there will be nine open Committee member seats. For more information, contact the International Disability Alliance (IDA) Secretariat at stromel@ida-secretariat.org www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org
WORLD STANDARDS DAY: OCTOBER 14, 2010
Accessibility is increasingly an issue as the world population and people with disabilities demand equal access to social, political, and economic life. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunication Network (ITN) coordinate their work and offer a system of standardization that helps designers, manufacturers, and policy makers to make the world safer and more accessible for all. International standards facilitate everybody’s access to products, structures, and services. They include safety considerations, ergonomics and harmonized test methods all geared to increase accessibility. Standards also provide a platform for the dissemination of technological innovations in both developed and developing countries. They help markets to grow faster and increase global trade. For more information on World Standards Day, October 14, 2010, please visit http://www.iso.org
OCTOBER 14th WORLD SIGHT DAY: COUNTDOWN TO VISION 2020
World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Included on the official World Health Organization calendar, WSD is co-ordinated by IAPB under the VISION 2020 Global Initiative. The theme and certain core materials are generated by IAPB. All events are organized independently by members and supporters. On World Sight Day, VISION 2020 members work together to:
Raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment as major international public health issues
Influence Governments/Ministers of Health to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programs
Educate target audiences about blindness prevention, about VISION 2020 and to generate support for VISION 2020 program activities
Without effective, major intervention, the number of blind people worldwide has been projected to increase to 76 million by 2020. As we mark the 10th anniversary of Vision 2020, please take a moment to visit www.vision2020.org for more detailed information about initiatives and events taking place around the world.
RESOURCES
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WORLD CONGRESS BRAILLE21 IS ONLINE!
The official website of the World Congress Braille21 is online. This is really a historical date as the congress will take place in nearly one year (September 27-30, 2011). At www.braille21.net you will always find the most recent information about the project from now on. Read about the news and explore the statements of our Braille Ambassador.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO WHITE AND BROWN GOODS
Those of us who have recently purchased a home appliance of some kind will realize how difficult it is to find something which does not have touch pads, multi-function buttons, or a visual interface which makes it impossible to know whether you are about to cook for hours or defrost for minutes. We are keen to learn more about efforts to change this situation and ask that you summarize your efforts concerning the development of legislation, regulation, and any projects you feel have global appeal. Please email your summary to Pete Osborne, Head International Development and Partnerships, RNIB, pete.osborne@rnib.org.uk, or call +44 1670 829447 to discuss developments in your country with Pete.
“JUST JILL” – A MOVING AUTOBIOGRAPHY
“Just Jill” is an inspirational and moving account of Jill Allen-King’s triumph over adversity and how she used her own experience of disability to benefit others. When she was growing up during the 1940s very few people were aware that Jill Allen-King had lost an eye as a baby. However, when tragedy struck for the second time and Jill went completely blind on, what should have been one of the happiest occasions of her life–her wedding day, she was rendered housebound. It was only when Jill got her first guide dog that she began to rediscover the world outside of her front door and take those first giant steps towards regaining her freedom. It was a journey that would lead to a life of campaigning for reform and helping others. Further details can be obtained from Jackie Bright at Apex Publishing:
Jackie.Bright@apexpublishing.co.uk
CENTRE FOR REBUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AFTER DISASTERS
Recent publications and presentations from the July 2010 International Conference on “Rebuilding Sustainable Communities with the Elderly and Disabled People” can be found at http://www.rebuilding.umb.edu.
The primary purpose of the Centre for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities After Disasters is to work in close collaboration with practitioners, academics, researchers, policy makers and grassroots organizations in the United States of America and in all the continents of the world in their search for the most appropriate and sustainable ways to rebuild their communities after disasters.
A NEW AUDIO ADVENTURE iPHONE GAME
Something a bit different now-an iPhone game you can play with your eyes closed. Papa Sangre is an audio adventure where you have to move around a virtual environment, reacting and interacting with what you hear. You have to concentrate on the ambient sounds if you do not want to come out a “cropper”. The game, due for release in September, is not free, but you can download it for a small price. Versions for the iPad and Android handsets will be released next year.
e-PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES
Check out this new free online play environment for children with special needs and disabilities. It has memory improvement games and activities allowing children to create their own music. The link is http://www.allabilitiesplayground.net.au. The All Abilities e-Playground was created by the Australian arm of Sonokids (http://www.sonokids.org/), an international non-profit organization developing technology for people with disabilities.
JOIN INCLUSIVE PLANET
www.inclusiveplanet.com is an online platform that enables persons with visual impairments to connect with each other, share accessible content and build conversations and communities around these shared experiences. In short, the problem of lack of accessible content is being solved by the community themselves by sharing files, making new friends and participating in conversations. Some of the channels started by users include English literature, computer science, social science, accessible sheet music and much more. Over 2200 members from 76 different countries have come together to attempt to make this an inclusive planet.
PARTNERSHIPS FOR DECENT WORK
Partnerships for Decent Work is a newsletter providing information on the International Labour Organization's (ILO) mission and objectives for “Decent Work” and their impact on civil society organizations. This electronic newsletter is courtesy of the ILO’s Partnership and Development Cooperation Department (PARDEV). It can also be found on the internet at www.ilo.org/pardev
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
AFRICA
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROJECT IN SWAZILAND AND NIGER
In July 2009, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) approved funding for an inclusive education project entitled “Equitable Access to Education for Blind and Visually Impaired Girls and Boys in Swaziland and Niger”, through the World Braille Foundation (WBF) in partnership with AFUB. Now in its second year, the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) is providing technical support to the implementation of this project. The project responds to MDG 2 and it is expected that by the end of the project cycle in 2011, at least an additional 80 blind and partially sighted girls and boys (40 in Swaziland and 40 in Niger) will be enrolled in the education system of the two countries respectively.
IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY & INTERNATIONAL WORLD SIGHT DAY
International White Cane Safety Day has been held on October 15 every year since 1964 to celebrate the achievements of visually impaired persons. It also celebrates the white cane as a symbol for blindness and a tool of independence.
With International World Sight Day falling on October 14 this year, the South African National Council for the Blind has decided to host a Fun Walk to mark both occasions. Council is inviting all organizations for the visually impaired, schools for the visually impaired and interested businesses and individuals to join Council staff and students from Optima College in a 3 km Fun Walk on Friday October 15, 2010. We encourage visually impaired people to walk with their guide dogs or mobility canes, and sighted people to wear blindfolds. Registration is free. For more information, please contact Lizette at lizette@sancb.org.za or 012 452-3811 before October 1, 2010.
ASIA-PACIFIC
DUSKIN LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN JAPAN
Duskin Leadership Training is a 10-month program in Japan encouraging people with disabilities between the ages of 18-25 years to become the next generation of leaders who can contribute to the improvement and welfare of people with disabilities in their respective countries/regions. Participants will receive intensive Japanese language training (and/or Japanese Braille training) as well as group trainings by visiting facilities and organizations related to persons with disabilities. They will also receive individual training, based on their needs and areas of interest, will learn how to write reports and proposals, and improve their presentation skills. Applications are available at http://www.normanet.ne.jp/~duskin/english/.
WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES RECOGNIZED AT UNITED NATIONS
Excerpted and revised from an article by Carolyn Frohmader, Executive Director WWDA
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) was recently represented by member Christina Ryan, on the Australian NGO delegation to appear before the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Monitoring Committee in July 2010 in New York.
CEDAW is one of the core international human rights treaties and was ratified by Australia in 1983. WWDA was involved in the process of developing the CEDAW NGO Report, and issues facing women with disabilities were well covered in this sector wide Shadow Report.
However, for the first time, the CEDAW Committee also accepted a separate Shadow Report from WWDA, focusing solely on the situation of women with disabilities in Australia. The CEDAW Monitoring Committee has just released its Concluding Observations on Australia’s performance regarding the implementation of CEDAW. The Committee has taken great notice of WWDA’s input, and has made very strong recommendations regarding the need for urgent action by the Australian Government in relation to women with disabilities (Please visit wwda@wwda.org.au for the full report.)
This recognition is long overdue. WWDA takes this opportunity to thank Christina Ryan for her sterling advocacy work on our behalf in New York and also acknowledges all its members for their tireless efforts over many years in getting us to this point and ensuring that our issues are recognized as issues of human rights, and supporting us to demand accountability from our Governments. With this recognition in the CEDAW concluding comments, WWDA can be encouraged to work even harder to improve the lives of all women with disabilities in Australia.
ASIA
READY-TO-USE COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND
Saksham Trust, a non-profit charitable trust, based in New Delhi, India partnered with Intel to produce the Samarth Project. Here volunteers from both these organizations put together a suite of computer software solutions and related utilities that remove most of the limitations of reading and writing for people who are blind and partially sighted.
Saksham Trust configured Samsung N150 Netbook with this software and the result is an amazing fully configured computer at the lowest possible cost for this revolutionary tool. Features that were added to this machine with the Samarth Suite of software are: Multilingual Screen Reading software, DAISY Book Player, word-processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, internet browser, dictionary, newspaper reading, easy access to thousand of books from bookshare and Gutenberg online libraries, audio recording, music playback, etc.
In April 2010, 100 such fully configured computers were made available to university students at the cost of 11500 Indian Rupees. This included a subsidy of 5000 rupees on each computer. These computers are still available without the subsidy at the cost of 15500 rupees. The Samarth Project will also be happy to share the suite, free of cost, with any organization who would like to offer these services to persons with blindness or low vision. The Samarth Suite of software can be loaded on any computer and is not dependent on any single type or brand of computer. For more information, please contact Saksham Trust at info@saksham.org or telephone +91-11-4241-1015 (Website: http://www.saksham.org)
ABU REACHES OUT TO CHILDREN WITH DUAL DISABILITIES
Excerpted from an article in the Asian Blind Union Newsletter
There is a severe shortage of specialists and qualified teachers of visually impaired students with an intellectual or developmental disability, which restricts access to the specialized skills these children need. This means that such students receive instructions from personnel who are not qualified to teach critical skills. This problem is even more alarming in rural communities, where shortages of qualified personnel are most acute.
Keeping in view of this critical issue, the Asian Blind Union (ABU), in collaboration with Friendship Association of the Blind, conducted a two day training workshop in Amman, Jordan earlier this year. It was attended by 24 participants from 10 Middle East countries, of which 13 were women.
The two day training was conducted by specialists and consultants on early intervention and multiple disabilities. Topics such as: Categories of Visual Impairment and Intellectual Disabilities; Causes, Syndromes, Tests, Prevalence; Selection, Qualifications, and Training of Trainers and Caregivers; Strategies of Working with Individuals and Groups; Sensitizing and Involving Family Members; Importance of Planning and Preparing Programs. Practical sessions were also conducted.
This ABU initiative has helped create capable human resources to handle a critical target group among visually impaired children in the Middle East countries, namely, visually impaired children with intellectual and/or other developmental disabilities.
EUROPE
GERMAN FEDERATION OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED LAUNCHES NEW ACCESSIBLE PATIENT INFORMATION SERVICE
Excerpted from an article by Hans Kaltwasser, DBSV Head International Relations
Germany has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and must ensure now its implementation which is a challenge facing the entire society. The German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) provides its expertise and will monitor the implementation process in the years ahead. Equal access to information is among the fundamental rights enshrined in the Convention. Ensuring access to patient information is a vital matter for blind and partially sighted people. Unless this information is provided in an alternative format, this can lead to life-threatening situations when people miss information about the maximum dosage, side-effects, or even simple things like the name and purpose of the pharmaceutical product.
German legislation governs that the pharmaceutical companies must ensure the accessibility of the patient information leaflet (PIL) for blind and partially sighted people upon request by patient organizations. Upon the initiative of DBSV and in close collaboration with Rote Liste GmbH, the accessible internet portal “PatientenInfo-Service” fulfills the rightful demands of 1.2 million blind and partially sighted patients in Germany regarding an independent and barrier-free access to patient information.
The portal makes pharmaceutical information available for blind and partially sighted patients in four different accessible formats:
(1) standard print; (2) large print for use by partially sighted patients (accessible PDF); (3) a website which can be read out electronically; and, (4) as an audio book file in DAISY format.
The pharmaceutical companies have been called upon by DBSV and Rote Liste GmbH to contribute to the service by feeding in the PILs of their products. In addition to this, negotiations with the associations of pharmacies are under way, aimed at ensuring that the pharmacists download upon request the PIL from the internet for their blind and partially sighted customers. The patient information service sends a strong signal towards an inclusive society as demanded by the Convention. DBSV will continue encouraging pharmaceutical companies to post their PILs on the patient information platform http://www.patienteninfo-service.de/
8th INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE & MEDIA CONFERENCE
Languages & The Media is a biennial international conference dedicated to the subject of language transfer in a changing audiovisual media landscape (e.g., Video, DVD, digital TV, cinema, and social networks). The conference themes include innovations and latest developments in dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, and translation for the media. International experts will further discuss national and international language policies in the media, multilingual access to global media as well as the distribution and quality of content. The conference will take place from October 6-8, 2010 in Berlin. For more information log on to http://www.languagesmedia.com/conferenceprogramme_2010.php
BLIND FOOTBALL COMES TO IRELAND
National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), in association with Paddy Power bookmaker and the Football Association of Ireland, recently teamed up to host the first Blind Football Tournament in Ireland.
Paddy Power’s involvement in the tournament stems from their latest TV advert which shows a blind football match where a cat with a bell on its collar runs onto the pitch, and is unfortunately mistaken for the ball. You can watch the advert at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEmA_QF30GI
Sixteen teams of five players went head to head in a series of 10-minute matches starting at 12 pm with a blind football skills demo given by English Blind Football Team captain, Aj Ahmed. The level of skill shown by the players was remarkable. All players adapted extremely well to not being able to see by constantly communicating with one another in order to let their team mates know where they were positioned on the pitch. The sighted goal keepers also played a key role in helping score goals by instructing his/her players where to direct each shot. Although this tournament raised money for NCBI, it has also promoted and encouraged people with sight loss to participate in blind football, a sport that is still very much in its infancy in Ireland.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION BY THE BLIND (PEBB)
PEBB, presented by Mind Visibility, is a series of photographic exhibitions by the blind and partially sighted organized in 10 major cities globally between 2010 and 2012. Mind Visibility is a non-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland.
PEBB intends to create dialogue and raise awareness among the blind/partially sighted and the sighted in our society. Each exhibition explores the daily lives and environments of the blind in an attempt to bring understanding to the general public and to provide an opportunity for people with this form of disability to gain more self-confidence, well-being, freedom and social integration through communication of their experiences in a shared world. Athens, Greece is to host the first of this exclusive series of global events.
In conjunction with the exhibition, internationally conducted surveys will explore and compare each urban environment and culture, including mobile phone technology as it relates to blindness. Each exhibition displays 30 large photographs (size approx.80x100cm) taken by local blind and partially sighted participants. The participants use mobile phone devices to capture their surroundings & moments of their daily lives. An internationally distributed TV documentary will be produced of the project.
If you and/or your organization would like to partner with PEBB and/or help raise awareness of this exciting international project, please contact Ms. Sanna Jalomäki at sanna.jalomaki@mindvisibility.com
LATIN AMERICA
CRPD WORKSHOP IN GUATEMALA
The Latin American Union of the Blind (ULAC), in collaboration with La Fundación ONCE para la Solidaridad con Personas Ciegas de América Latina (FOAL), and Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), will be offering a workshop on the United Nations Convention for People with Disabilities (CRPD) at the Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española de Antigua (Guatemala) from October 25-29, 2010. This workshop is intended to empower Latin American blind leaders on the implementation and evaluation of the CRPD. For more information, please go to www.foal.es or www.ulacdigital.org
LATIN AMERICAN COUNCIL OF BRAILLE (CIB)
CIB “Action Plans” and final documents of the Montevideo Workshop can be found at www.ulacdigital.org under the “Documents of Interest” section.
VIRTUAL FORUM FOR YOUTH
Young people between the ages of 15-30 years can now subscribe to a free virtual forum governed by the Secretariat of Youth of ULAC. This Forum allows for the exchange of ideas on topics of interest to young individuals who are blind and partially sighted such as “participation within organizations”, “access to education”, “employment opportunities”; and “information and communications technology”. Please visit http://www.egrupos.net/grupo/iforovirtualjovenesulac/alta to subscribe.
GENDER AND EQUALITY
The Latin American Union of the Blind (ULAC), in conjunction with Ilumina, Ceguera y Baja Visión, summoned Latin American women to participate in a program geared to improving their abilities in information and communication technologies. Two scholarships by each Latin American country were granted. A published list of successful candidates can be found on www.ulacdigital.org. ULAC Secretariat wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to all Latin American women with visual disabilities for their interest in participating in this program and encourages them to actively continue fighting for their rights as women.
NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
ENROLL FOR FALL SEMESTER UTAH STATE U-HADLEY COURSES
Fall semester at Utah State U-Hadley begins on August 30th, so sign up now! Added to the USU-Hadley program is a new course offering, Introduction to Multiple Disabilities, as well as a non-credit option. Students can now take any course offered through the program at a substantially reduced cost on a non-credit basis, as long as they do not intend to request credit at a later time.
The Hadley School for the Blind and Utah State University (USU) partnered in 2008 to meet the growing demand for an affordable certificate and degree program for professionals offered through distance education. Courses are offered as part of USU’s SKI-HI Institute, a unit of the College of Education’s Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education. This training better enables USU-Hadley students to work with children who are blind or visually impaired often with multiple disabilities.
Students in this unique program are able to earn either a Certificate in Blindness at the undergraduate level or a USU Associate’s degree in General Studies with a Focus in Blindness, preparing them to work in a classroom with school-age children who are blind or visually impaired. Courses include Introduction to Blindness and Visual Impairment, the Human Eye and Visual System, Introduction to Braille, the Role of Para-educators with Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Introduction to Low Vision, and Introduction to Multiple Disabilities. The program is available to teachers, teacher assistants, para-professionals and parents at in-state tuition rate or a reduced rate for non-credit students. To learn more or register, please visit http://www.skihi.org/HADLEYUSU-HOME.html .
SEVA CANADA
SEVA Canada is launching an international campaign to raise public awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major international public health issues. Since 1982, Seva Canada has been restoring sight and preventing blindness in the developing world.
Seva is asking people around the world to think about what they would miss the most if they were blind, then write it down, take a photo and send it to Seva via Seva Canada’s Facebook Group. From August 15 on, Seva Canada is hoping to get hundreds of photos of people from around the world. For more information about this project and events taking place on October 14th-World Sight Day, please contact Heather Wardle at admin@seva.ca (Website: www.seva.ca)
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
aiykko@gmail.com
Mr. Enrique Pérez, Secretary General
umc@once.es
Mr. A. K. Mittal, Treasurer
akmittal@rediffmail.com
Dr. William Rowland, Immediate Past President
rowland@sancb.org.za
REGIONAL PRESIDENTS
AFRICA (AFUB)
Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui
med.ezzaoui@gmail.com
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. Sarah Smith, Manager Fund Development & Communications
sarah.smith@wbuoffice.org
Ms. Ianina Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant ianina.rodriguez@wbuoffice.org
diposting oleh DPP Pertuni Blog Master pada
06.52
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