WBU E-BULLETINVOLUME 10, ISSUE 2 April 2015

World Blind Union1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4G 3E8Telephone: 1-416-486-9698, Fax: 1-416-486-8107Email: info@wbuoffice.org Website: www.worldblindunion.orgTwitter: @BlindUnion

Table of Contents

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE E-BULLETIN..................................................1PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE.......................................................................1REMEMBERING SIR DUNCAN WATSON.................................................2RIGHT TO READ – MARRAKESH TREATY UPDATES................................5

ELECTRONIC INFORMATION FOR LIBRARIES (EIFL)...........................5ACCESSIBLE BOOKS CONSORTIUM...................................................5

UN CRPD UPDATES..............................................................................5WBU & ICEVI – JOINT SUBMISSION TO UNCRPD................................5THIRD WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION “INCLUSION, THE KEY TO RESILIENCE”...........................................12

UPDATES FROM WORKING GROUPS...................................................14EUROPEAN SUMMIT ON THE DANGERS IMPOSED BY SILENT VEHICLES............................................................................14

UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD...............................................15SHARED SPACES – WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW SHOULD THEY BE DESIGNED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF BLIND PEDESTRIANS.........15

ANNOUNCEMENTS.............................................................................18

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THE WBU RIGHT TO READ CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A WSIS (WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY) PROJECT PRIZE FOR 2015...............................................................19ART BECOMES ACCESSIBLE IN THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED VISITORS.................................................19

WBU SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS........................................................19RESOURCES.......................................................................................20

FROM RNIB: THE VISAL TOOLKIT.....................................................20UNITED NATIONS ‘ENABLE’ NEWSLETTER.......................................20THE NEW ZERO PROJECT REPORT 2015 IS OUT!.............................20A REVIEW OF THE BE MY EYES REMOTE SIGHTED HELPER APP FOR APPLE IOS................................................................................21

2016 GENERAL ASSEMBLY UPDATE....................................................24BOOKS...............................................................................................252015 IMPORTANT DATES/CONFERENCES/EVENTS..............................25THE REGIONS.....................................................................................27

AFRICA............................................................................................28ASIA................................................................................................28ASIA-PACIFIC...................................................................................28EUROPE..........................................................................................28LATIN AMERICA...............................................................................28NORTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN...............................................29

WBU OFFICERS..................................................................................29REGIONAL PRESIDENTS.....................................................................30WBU STAFF........................................................................................30OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS................................................................30OUR DIAMOND SPONSORS................................................................31OUR GOLD SPONSORS.......................................................................31

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE E-BULLETINWe welcome articles from the regions and from members who wish to share their good news with the rest of the world. The next deadline for content is June 30th, 2015. We accept submissions in English, French, and Spanish in electronic format. Please note that we retain the right WBU e-Bulletin, April 2015

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to edit submissions for space limitations. Send your articles to: penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE2015 is going to be an active year in World Blind Union. The planning of the next General Assembly has started. On April 10 and 11, the Program Committee had its first meeting in London and, based on the discussions, it seems to be a program which will cover a lot of topics. We have not gone into detail yet but I can say that areas such as youth, gender, technology, leadership, how to reach out to new members, as well as many others, are on the list of the program committee.

Another important discussion which is taking place is about education. ICEVI also met in London in April; the importance of education for blind and low vision children was on the agenda. The CRPD Committee has also organized an open day of discussion where the topic was inclusive education. Our Immediate Past President and Chair of the IDA Board, Maryanne Diamond, stated in her remarks to a panel discussion that “education is not about the life, it is the life”.

Having active members of WBU is crucial to make WBU SUSTAINABLE. I know that many of our members are facing a difficult financial situation but if we are to reach our goals we all need to contribute. My most serious concern is the future financial situation of WBU. Due to this we have had to reduce the staff in our office. I wish I could have continued with the number of our staff, and even had the opportunity to strengthen our capacity. But while we control all of our expenses very well, we simply don’t receive enough money and some of our members have not paid their membership fees for many years. I will take this opportunity to say thank you to Marianne McQuillan, who will leave WBU during April. She has contributed a lot to our work and brought us closer to our goals.

Another very interesting development I wish to report on is the promising news about the new technology which can dramatically reduce the cost for Braille display. The first prototype has been developed and in the beginning of June a full 20 cell display prototype will be presented. This will give access to refreshable Braille at a much more affordable cost to many blind persons.

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During May, I will visit some members of WBU. I am planning to go to Spain, Cuba and Russia. For me it is of great interest to talk directly to our members and I am looking forward to meet fellow visually impaired people in these countries.

In 2016, when we have our General Assembly, it will be 10 years since the CRPD was adopted by the UN General Assembly. A lot has been achieved, such as the Marrakesh Treaty. However, we have a lot more to do. Together we can change the situation for blind and partially sighted persons in the world.

Arnt Holte,WBU President

REMEMBERING SIR DUNCAN WATSONBy Lord Colin Low

We were very sad to learn of Sir Duncan Watson’s death at the age of 88. Sir Duncan Watson, the blind solicitor and senior civil servant probably did more than anyone else in the United Kingdom to facilitate the emancipation of the blind and was one of the foremost leaders of the blind on the international stage during the 1980s and 90s. This included his term as President of the WBU from 1988 to 1992.

Born in Sunderland in 1926, Duncan Watson came from a working class background. His uncle was Sam Watson, the leading trade unionist. Blind from a very early age, he went to a primary school for blind children in Newcastle. His abilities were soon recognized and he was sent off to Worcester College for the Blind, a boarding school for blind boys of grammar school ability. His academic ability continued to shine and he went up to Still Edmund's Hall, Oxford, to read law, subsequently becoming a solicitor. After some years in private practice, he joined the civil service, where the regard in which he was held helped to establish a foothold for those blind people who would come after him. He progressed through the ranks, rising to Principal Assistant Treasury Solicitor for his last eight years of service.

But his greatest contribution probably lies in the part he played in opening up the charities serving the blind, particularly the RNIB, to the influence and involvement of blind people themselves, and in the way he used this new force to modernize RNIB's work for blind people.

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Similarly at the international level, in 1984, he played a pivotal role in persuading the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, the umbrella body of service providers, and the International Federation of the Blind, the representative voice of Blind people worldwide, to disband and merge into a single more powerful organization, first at European and then at world level; the European and then the World Blind Union, of which he was the second President (1988-92). During this period he worked hard to build bridges with fellow international organizations representing deaf, learning disabled and physically disabled people and in recognition of the progress of this cooperation he was invited to address the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1992.

He was a large personality, highly sociable, gregarious and full of bonhomie, and with broad interests and human sympathies. It was said that you certainly knew when he entered a room.

An example of the significant role Sir Duncan played in the formation of the WBU is noted here by Ian Bruce, former Chief Executive of the RNIB at the time:

“It was 1984 and a meeting of the European arm of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind in beautiful Hurdal in Norway and something quite extraordinary was happening. The meeting was agreeing that the organization should dissolve itself! Similarly another semi competitive body the International Federation of the Blind was agreeing to do the same. Unanimity was being reached to set up one European body, the EBU, the European Blind Union, to be the sole (and therefore more powerful) representative of blind people in Europe. Sir Duncan Watson who has died at the age of 88, then Chair of RNIB, was one of a handful of people leading us to this watershed moment, and he was the only one who had the vision and strength to argue that we should do the same at the world level. The rest of us could hardly believe we were taking this step at the European level, but to contemplate persuading four other continental arms of two different international bodies to do the same in only six months’ time... well! This was Duncan Watson and we should not have been surprised, nor surprised when in Riyadh later that year, Duncan's dream came true and the World Blind Union was formed.”

The World Blind Union is blessed with so many leaders who have shaped who we are today and who continue to contribute to our work. We are grateful for the vision and leadership shown by one of those early leaders, and pay tribute to Sir Duncan Watson. May he rest in

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peace.

NOTE: Membership fees payment – in US DollarsMany members are now sending in their fees and we do appreciate it; however, please remember that membership fees are calculated in US dollars and we need these to be paid in US currency. When fees come in as Canadian dollars your membership fee is underpaid by 20%, as currently the Canadian dollar is much lower than the American dollar. This translates into our member being not fully paid for the year. So please be sure to indicate to your banks that the funds need to be sent in US dollars.  If this is not possible and the fee will be paid in Canadian funds, please add 20% to the membership fee amount so that we get the correct balance. Thank you.

RIGHT TO READ – MARRAKESH TREATY UPDATES WIPO's Secretariat has confirmed that both Singapore and Argentina have delivered their ratification papers to Geneva and that now the Marrakech Treaty enjoys eight ratifications/accessions! WBU's team spearheading the promotion of ratification throughout its six Regions knows that many other Member States are well underway towards their ratifications. Our goal in 2015 is to reach the 20 needed to get this treaty in force. We are grateful to these governments and our members who helped to advocate for this vital right to read. Let’s keep the pressure on; ask you country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty today.

Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL)The EIFL has produced a guide to the Marrakesh Treaty for Libraries: http://www.eifl.net/sites/default/files/eifl-guide-marrakesh_en_1.pdf

Accessible Books Consortiumhttp://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/portal/en/index.html The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) aims to increase the number of books worldwide in accessible formats - such as braille, audio and large print - and to make them available to people who are blind, have low vision or are otherwise print disabled. The ABC is a multi-stakeholder partnership, comprising WIPO; organizations that serve people with print disabilities (such as WBU members); and organizations representing publishers and authors. Once the

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Marrakesh Treaty is in force ABC will be able to work in countries that have ratified it to help build up the supply of accessible books.

UN CRPD UPDATES

WBU & ICEVI – Joint Submission to UNCRPDRight to Education: The World Blind Union (WBU) & International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)’s Joint Submission to the UNCRPD Committee on the Education of Persons with Disabilities for a Day of General Discussion Leading to General Recommendation. Date: 03/2015

The following is a joint submission developed by the WBU and ICEVI to the UNCRPD Committee regarding inclusive education for blind and partially sighted students.

The Education for All Children with Visual Impairment (EFA-VI) is a global campaign and program of the ICEVI acting in partnership with the WBU. The main aim of the EFA-VI campaign is to ensure that all girls and boys with blindness and low vision enjoy the right to education. The EFA-VI vision is to ensure that by 2020 all children with visual impairment will enroll and remain in primary education and their educational achievement will be on a par with non-disabled children. To this end the ICEVI and the WBU aim to:

Build awareness among relevant global organizations of the needs of children with a disability and specifically visual impairment

Ensure that global educational organizations accord the needs of children with visual impairment a central place in their planning and delivery operations

Ensure that EFA Plans and their implementation include the needs of children with visual impairment

The WBU and ICEVI wholeheartedly welcome and sincerely appreciate the initiative of the UNCRPD committee to conduct a day of general discussion on the right to education of persons with disabilities leading to general recommendation.

Introduction:Education is a basic and fundamental human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Education is considered to be an important means of socialization; it transforms a human being into

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a social being, and is instrumental in improving the life situation of human beings and enhancing their livelihood opportunities.

According to the “World report on disability-2011” by the World Bank and the World Health Organization, there are one billion persons with disabilities worldwide, who constitutes 15% of the total global population. 80% of them live in developing countries and almost the same percentage live in extreme poverty conditions. Persons with disabilities exhibit the lowest health, education and economic outcomes. They are counted among the poorest of the poor and most excluded group in the society. There are 285 million persons with visual disabilities in the world who constitute 28.5% of the total disabled population of the world.

Estimates for the number of children (0-14 years) living with disabilities range between 93 million and 150 million worldwide. It is estimated that there are 26,505,000 to 42,705,000 children with visual disabilities in the world who constitute 28.5% of the total population of children with disabilities in the world. Many children and adults with disabilities have historically been excluded from educational opportunities. In many countries early efforts at providing education or training were generally through separate special schools, usually targeting specific impairments, such as schools for the blind, deaf, intellectually disabled. These institutions traditionally reached only a small proportion of those in need and also necessitated a separation of children with visual disabilities from their families and communities. This separation then posed the challenge of reintegration of these children back to their families and communities. The situation began to change only when legislation started to require inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream educational systems.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) recognizes the right of all children with disabilities both to be included in the general education systems and to receive the individual support they need. Systemic change to remove barriers and provide reasonable accommodation and support services is required to ensure that children with disabilities are not excluded from mainstream educational opportunities. Article 24 of the CRPD stresses the need for governments to ensure equal access to an "inclusive education system at all levels" and to provide reasonable accommodation and individual support services to persons with disabilities to facilitate their education. Article 24 3) C also focuses on the education of children with sensory disabilities such as blind, deaf,

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deafblind, partially sighted and others and stresses the need for specific support required for individuals on a case by case basis. The article reads as follows: “(c) Ensuring that the education of persons, and in particular children, who are blind, deaf and deafblind, is delivered in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development”.

The Millennium Development Goal of completion of universal primary education and Education for All (EFA) strategy stresses attracting children to school and ensuring their ability to thrive in a learning environment that allows every child to develop to the best of their abilities.

Children with visual disabilities are among the most excluded group from the education system. The World Report on Disability 2011 by WB and WHO clearly articulated that education outcomes are lowest among children with sensory disabilities such as visual disability in comparison with children with physical disabilities. Less than 10% of children with visual disabilities have access to any form of education in developing countries. The general educational system generally excludes them from its mainstream education programs. A small number of children with visual disabilities study in residential special schools which results in the separation of these children from their families and communities. A few attend regular schools. Those who attend regular schools often do not receive adequate support. The lack of teachers trained to teach Braille means that children are not taught to read and write using this critical tool of communication for the blind. In addition, the lack of trained orientation and mobility instructors means that blind and partially sighted children are not taught the necessary travel skills to enable them to travel to school safely and independently. Moreover, teachers are not trained to meet the unique educational needs of children with visual disabilities. Regular schools lack appropriate and adequate teaching and learning materials such as textbooks in accessible formats such as braille, audio and large print, as well as accessible assistive devices and technology. Because regular school teachers are not taught the skills required to meet the education needs of blind and partially sighted children, the rate of enrolment and access to education of children with visual disabilities tends to be much less than for non-disabled children. As a result, both, the WBU and ICEVI, promote appropriate quality education in either integrated/inclusive education programs or, where this is appropriate for meeting the child’s particular needs, at special schools

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for all visually impaired children and youth so that they can achieve the best education possible and reach their full potential in life. The parents' informed choice, access to trained teachers, and the availability of essential equipment and materials are the guiding principles which will ensure high-quality education. ICEVI and WBU are conscious of the gross inequalities in educational opportunities for blind and low vision (partially sighted) children and youth, especially in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, where 90% of all children with visual impairment live and where less than 10% of these children currently have access to any type of formal or non-formal education.

According to the WBU and ICEVI, inclusive education is an approach and not a program but a dynamic process that supports and welcomes diversity amongst all learners. It is a concept of effective schools where every child has a place to study and teachers become facilitators of learning rather than providers of information. Inclusion should be the broad goal and the ways to work towards achieving it are many.

For facilitating effective inclusive education, the following areas need utmost attention: Preparation of general classroom teachers to adopt strategies to

teach children with disabilities in general classes Effective systems for the planning, development, production and

distribution of support materials for facilitating inclusion on a local, regional and national level

Here are some additional key issues related to accessing the right to education by children with visual disabilities: Negative attitudes of family members and communities which

underestimate the talents and potential of children with visual disabilities with no or low expectation;

Lack of capacity and efficiency of teachers to deal with the unique and specific educational needs and issues such as orientation and mobility skills, braille, use of assistive devices and technology of children with visual disabilities in regular schools;

Absence of curriculum on inclusion or special education of children with visual disabilities in general teacher training courses;

Absence of appropriate institutional and policy framework at the country level to ensure the enrolment and retention of children with visual disabilities in regular schools, or failure to enforce such policies where they exist;

Weak or non-existent early identification and intervention programs;

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Insufficient empirical data on program models that are effective and sustainable;

The need to admit an increasingly wide range of children with disabilities, including the full range of visual impairments, in local schools: Policy makers need to be cognizant of the fact that children with visual impairment are not a homogeneous group. The term ‘visual impairment’, refers to a very broad spectrum of needs with different levels of complexity. Some children will have a total loss of vision and rely on tactile methods for learning; others will have low vision which may be sufficient to learn through print. Some children will have stable conditions and others may have vision which will deteriorate over time. Some children are born with a visual impairment whilst others will experience vision loss during their preschool or school years. Some children with low vision will benefit from high levels of lighting whilst others will be photophobic and require lower levels of illumination;

The need to increase retention of children with disabilities in schools: Increased admission rates of children with disabilities into local schools do not necessarily equate to successful inclusion. Low drop-out rates can be a more useful indicator of the success of the inclusivity of a school or support program. Among the prerequisites for achieving low dropout rates in relation to children with visual impairment are: a welcoming school with a positive ethos and attitudes by all staff, parents and students to students with a disability;

Lack of textbooks and learning material in accessible formats such as braille, large print, audio, electronic and other appropriate formats in regular schools;

Accessibility, affordability and availability of assistive devices and technology for children with visual disabilities as well as training in their use;

Negative attitudes of their peers and limited participation in extracurricular activities;

Chronic poverty of the family preventing them from spending adequate time for the education of children with visual disabilities;

Incompatible education systems such as curriculum, pedagogy and evaluation systems;

Admission of children with visual disabilities into special residential school which separate them from their families and communities and make the reintegration process difficult.

EFA –VI Recommendations:

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On the basis of these facts and present situation related to ensuring the right to education for children with visual disabilities we make the following recommendations:

We call upon the states parties to:

1. Promote a strong policy and institutional framework in line with Article 24 of the UNCRPD to ensure the full inclusion of children with visual disabilities in the education system;

2. Ensure that the Post 2015 sustainable development goals include specific targets and indicators for the inclusion of children with visual disabilities in the education system;

3. Undertake capacity building for the teachers of regular schools on inclusive or special education, use of assistive devices and technology and include a course on inclusive or special education in all teacher training programs;

4. Undertake massive sensitization and awareness generation programs for multiple stakeholders to bring about attitudinal changes about the right to education for children with visual disabilities;

5. Provision of text books and other learning materials in accessible formats, assistive devices and technology;

6. Undertake training programs in order to train specialized teachers in the unique skills of blindness such as braille and orientation and mobility;

7. Ensure that the responsibility for ensuring the right to education of children with visual disabilities lie with the ministry or department of education;

8. Promote the establishment of programs and services for blind and visually impaired children and youth with additional disabilities;

9. Promote programs and services for deafblind children through efforts at community levels, awareness raising, screening and human resource training;

10. Provide special attention to the education and literacy needs of blind and visually impaired children, youths and adults from especially vulnerable groups such as refugees and indigenous populations;

11. Acknowledge the critical importance of the pre-school years to the long-term social, emotional and educational development of blind and visually impaired children;

12. Recognize the need for the development of appropriate services for very young and pre-school blind and visually impaired children;

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13. Encourage the screening, early intervention and quality habilitation of blind and visually impaired children by specially trained teachers and instructors;

14. Recommend and advocate the continued support for valued alternative forms of education, both formal and non-formal, for those who cannot benefit from an inclusive, integrated or special education program;

15. Availability of additional support to the regular classroom teachers from an advisor with specialist knowledge.

16. Successful inclusion of children with complex needs relies upon adequate support for the class teacher from a professional with specialist knowledge and understanding of those needs: In the case of children with visual impairment this professional is most likely to be a trained specialist teacher of students with visual impairment. Their role is varied and the degree of their involvement will be determined by the age of the student, the severity of their vision loss and by the willingness of staff in the mainstream school to embrace inclusive strategies.

For more details, contact:Dr. Penny Hartin, CEO, World Blind Union, penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org Dr. MNG. Mani, CEO ICEVI, sgicevi@vsnl.net

This full document is also available on our website: http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/news/Pages/replace-later.aspx

The WBU also submitted a statement to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding their deliberations on the situation of persons with Albinism. This submission can be found at: http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/news/Pages/Albinism-OHCHR-WBU-March-20,-2015-submission.aspx

Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction “Inclusion, the Key to Resilience” By Maryanne Diamond & Michiko Tabata

This UN Conference was held March 14-18 in Sendai, the hub city of Tohoku area in northern part of Japan that was severely hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.

The Conference brought together leaders and stakeholders committed to disaster risk reduction and resilience, with over 8,000 participants

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from governments, civil society, NGOs, academia and the private sector participating, to assess how the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) has been implemented since 2005 and to adopt a post 2015 “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction”. Speakers at the Conference shared the experience from their own countries, regions and special interest groups and made recommendations to shape the new Framework.

The Conference saw participants with visual impairments, besides Maryanne (representing IDA) and Michiko (representing WBU): such as Mr. Monthian Buntan of Thailand (representing UN CRPD Committee), Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura of Japan (representing Rehabilitation International), Mr. Setaraki Macanawai of Fiji (representing Pacific Disability Forum), and Ms. Akiko Fukuda of Japan (representing World Federation of Deafblind). Michiko also facilitated participation of two young blind persons, and a sighted worker who took initiative in relief effort in 2011 to help blind people affected by the March 11 earthquake.

The primary aim of participants from disability community was to ensure that persons with a disability were considered when countries and communities prepare for and respond to disasters, so that we are not left behind. In reflection of the data from the 2011 Japan earthquake that the mortality rate of persons with disabilities was about double that of general population, and with the efforts from relevant international organizations, the disability community was recognized as special stakeholders group and the presence of persons with disabilities throughout the conference was a huge success. This was evident through presentations, interventions, side events (such as DESA Forum with presentations made by PWDs from around the world) and connections with stakeholders from a wide range of sectors such as: governments, international development agencies, the private sector, academia and other UN major groups.

The newly adopted framework has five references to disability, and disability community is now recognized as stakeholders in disaster risk reduction.

With the support from the Disability Caucus, the Nippon Foundation, KGS Corporation and the Government of Japan, this Conference was one of - if not the most - accessible UN Conference ever. This accessibility went beyond the Conference building, it included the conference documentation, proceedings with closed captioning, Braille,

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international and Japanese sign interpretation: a new standard for accessibility has been set!

The Conference was closed late evening March 18 by a touching statement from Margareta Wahlström, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UN ISDR). She declared that:“The adoption of this new framework for disaster risk reduction opens a major new chapter in sustainable development as it outlines clear targets and priorities for action which will lead to a substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health.”

Specifically related to the rights of persons with disabilities, she highlighted that: ‘Representatives of Major Groups and Civil Society have been highly engaged in the process leading up to this conference, and they have contributed enormously to the substance and content of the outcome document. We would like to thank organising partners for the efforts and cooperation. The Major Groups - parliamentarians, private sector, business leaders, of course women, youth, children, local governments, and certainly persons with disabilities - have been very visibly and actively engaged in the Conference’.

UPDATES FROM WORKING GROUPS

European Summit on the Dangers Imposed by Silent VehiclesWBU and EBU were happy to invite leaders of blind and partially sighted people’s organisations to the European Summit on the Dangers imposed by Silent Cars, hosted by the German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) from 17 to 18 February 2015 in Berlin. As many more electric and hybrid cars appear on roads around the world, appropriate definition of a good AVAS system, and regulation to require it, is needed in order to ensure the safety of blind, partially sighted and indeed all pedestrians.

The summit aimed at giving detailed background information about past and ongoing activities with regard to the development of European and global regulations for an Audible Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) and at serving as a platform for creating an effective advocacy strategy, which specifies the requirements for such a system. Representatives of Germany, USA, Sweden, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France and Kazakhstan counted among the participants in the summit. They discussed and brought together a number of ideas on how to take the issue forward. Several action WBU e-Bulletin, April 2015

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points were established. Among others, these included: the writing of a policy statement; to contact government representatives at national, European and UN-level; to exchange about research; and to build up coalitions with other target groups’ associations at national and European level.

There was strong agreement that there should be a further meeting of this group, which will possibly be held in Vienna, Austria, at the beginning of June 2015, in order to continue coordinating WBU’s and EBU’s work on the silent cars issue and pursuing their aim to ensure road safety for blind and partially sighted people.

To learn more, please visit the EBU website at http://www.euroblind.org/

For more information and updates, please follow us on Twitter @BlindUnion and @euroblind #silentcars.

UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Shared Spaces – what are they and how should they be designed to ensure the safety of blind pedestriansBy Martine Abel-Williamson, Strategic Objective Leader on Access to the Environment and Transport

A Shared Space is a low speed residential or retail street where the usual kerb that distinguishes the footpath as pedestrian priority space and the roadway as traffic priority space is removed. The ambiguity of a common level and surfacing material leads to caution and lower speeds by vehicles. While this is generally beneficial to most road users, it creates difficulties for pedestrians who are blind or have low vision as the usual orientation cues are often absent and it is difficult for them to sense the subtle cues on the location of the continuous accessible path of travel (CAPT). The Pedestrian Planning and Design Guide section 5.3.3 discusses shared zones: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/pedestrian-planning-guide/ .

Shared spaces are not new concepts; in fact, prior to vehicles becoming popular on roads and able to travel at higher speeds, ancient road areas were used by vehicles such as horse carts and people, jointly, traveling on foot.

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It should also be acknowledged what can go wrong should a modern shared space be incorrectly designed, as happened in the UK and the Netherlands, according to research, and thus led to some local government agencies around the world deciding not to continue to develop those because of safety issues.

The development of shared space environments in New Zealand is becoming increasingly popular. For countries working on shared space development, what follows are technical considerations in drafting potential local, state or provincial, or national standards. Please note that these technical considerations are shared as an example of what was developed in New Zealand and are presented to share information and should not be considered formal WBU standards.

Shared spaces should be signed as shared zones so that pedestrian priority is legally established along with a low speed limit that is compatible with a walking priority environment.

There should still be a safe pedestrian space designed as a CAPT near one or preferably both sides of the street that is reliably free of traffic and obstacles. The transition to the traffic space must be delineated in a manner detectable by users who are blind or have low vision. Well located street furniture, plantings, landmarks and similar features are especially useful for orientation in shared spaces, and to provide a natural boundary to the CAPT and buffer to the shared carriageway. In addition a subtle tactile paving delineator has been devised for Auckland CBD (for instance in Fort Street, Auckland). This was developed in conjunction with stakeholders and the rise and fall was agreed upon to prevent it becoming hazardous or not being detectable by cane or foot. The installed width should be a minimum of 600mm. This delineator should not be used in streets that are not classified as shared spaces.

Consistency of approach is important. Across streetscapes the CAPT should be consistently located –preferably next to the building line, where there is typically also some shelter. It should not be in different positions along the path. It is confusing when the CAPT changes when a person turns a corner, crosses an intersecting road or deviates to go around obstacles.

Shared spaces often invite adjacent site activities to spill out onto the street. There should be no obstacles in the CAPT such as

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sandwich boards, café dining, cycle stands, shop displays, or parked vehicles. The extent of approved dining and café areas should be well defined on the ground, with signage, umbrellas, heaters, etc. not extending into the CAPT. Formalised barriers with a feature to within 150mm of the ground that can be detected by canes (as per NZ Standard 4121: http://www.standards.co.nz/assets/Publication-files/NZS4121-2001.pdf) are preferred. Monitoring and enforcement of encroachment is likely to be necessary.

Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSI) should only be used where there are hazards or directional changes without adequate cues that a pedestrian who is blind or has low vision needs to be aware of. TGSI should not normally be used where the pedestrian has priority (unless safety is compromised).

Generally in shared spaces, crossing takes place everywhere with pedestrians having priority so warning TGSI are not required in addition to the delineator strip described above. However where street crossing locations are particularly suitable for blind and vision impaired users and directional TGSI are used to guide user to these crossing points, warning TGSI should also delineate the transition to shared traffic space on the line of the directional TGSI.

Large vehicles such as buses should not be included as traffic through shared spaces – in particular with stops within the shared space (including tour buses).

Car-parking facilities within the shared spaces should give the pedestrians the priority. Entrances to adjacent parking facilities need to ensure full visibility for the driver exiting from a stopping point within the footprint of the building.

The ends of the shared zones should be unambiguously defined. Kerbs and kerb ramps and any other features that normally define the pedestrian and traffic spaces outside the shared zone should be in place and especially used to identify entrance/exit points for vehicles. These provide cues for those travelling parallel and not into the shared space so they are aware that they are crossing a street. Warning TGSI should be installed where the shared space terminates at traffic signals. Cars should not be able to block the shared surface waiting for light changes if there is not a signalized phase and standard crossing point incorporated for pedestrians.

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Plantings adjacent to the CAPT should not have features that can, or will with growth, extend into the CAPT. Garden edges should be straight if they are to be used for orientation along the CAPT.

Decorative surfaces with strips or patterns of different colours and textural changes should be avoided in the CAPT as they can create confusion within the shared space. Carefully located however, they may be an aid to orientation – for instance where they line up with shop entrances and other features. Colours such as yellow that might be confused with TGSI should be particularly avoided. Colour changes can also be confused by vision impaired users with steps or changes in surface level.

The whole CAPT surface should be smooth and level with the only textural differences being for the delineator, or necessary TGSI. Any surface features used in the shared zone and furniture zones, must be able to be easily navigated by those who have mobility issues i.e. they do not catch canes or other mobility aids or trip those who have a shuffling gait.

Guide dog handlers may have difficulties knowing where they are in space and holding a straight line. An accessible CAPT and logical crossing points that enable directional alignment are important.

Monitoring the use of the shared spaces is essential. Vehicle speeds and driver behaviours determine the safety and ease of use for pedestrians.

Because shared spaces are a new concept and design guidance is still emerging blindness service providers and consumer organisations should always be consulted on any proposals.

If you or your organisation wish to comment on shared space development, especially if those are being designed in your country, do not hesitate to contact me, Martine, Chair of the WBU Access to the Environment Working Group at martine.abel@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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The WBU Right to Read Campaign has been nominated for a WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) Project Prize for 2015There are a number of prize categories (18 in all) and World Blind Union is nominated in the Access to Information category C3. WBU is the first project listed: http://groups.itu.int/stocktaking/WSISProjectPrizes.aspx#nominated-projects

Voting is done via an online voting process and seems to be open only to WSIS stakeholders.  Some of our member’s countries may already be involved with WSIS and have the right to vote.  You may also know of others who are likely involved or connected in some way and might have the right to vote. Please spread the word as it helps increase knowledge of our Right to Read campaign and could spur more countries on to ratify it. This would allow member organizations to begin to share accessible books across borders. In any case, this is good news for us and good recognition of the work WBU continues to do for the benefit of the 285 million blind and partially sighted people of the world.

Art Becomes Accessible in the Van Gogh Museum for Visually Impaired VisitorsVincent van Gogh’s artworks can now also be ‘seen’ through touch: the Van Gogh Museum has launched a special program for blind and partially sighted visitors. Feeling Van Gogh consists of an interactive guided tour and a multi-sensory workshop. Feeling Van Gogh makes Vincent van Gogh’s paintings accessible for visually impaired visitors, as well as their sighted friends, family and guides. To learn more visit the museum website: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en

WBU SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMSThe WBU continues to offer scholarships through the Pedro Zurita Youth Fund and the Hermoine Grant Calhoun Scholarship Fund for young blind women.  Please go to the WBU website at http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/resources/Pages/Scholarships.aspx to find the guidelines and application forms.

You will also find information about other scholarships available through the World Braille Foundation.  The WBU Scholarships

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Committee will be meeting in July or August of this year. Applications need to be submitted by the WBU office by May 31 st .

RESOURCES

From RNIB: The VISAL ToolkitThe VISAL toolkit is designed to enable older people with sight loss to participate actively and have a voice in their local communities - giving organizations the means to reach out to an often isolated and hard to reach group of people in society.

The toolkit offers a step-by-step guide to planning, organizing and delivering a VISAL program to help a group of older people with sight loss to gain confidence and skills.

The method outlined in the toolkit has been refined by the project partners over a two-year period and is the result of a European-wide collaboration. The shared feedback from this cross-cultural interaction adds value to the toolkit. The VISAL toolkit is available at www. rnib.org.uk/olderpeople

We have also produced a short video which tells you more about the toolkit http://youtu.be/vVfXhjf-Dhs

United Nations ‘Enable’ Newsletter The newsletter is available online at: http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/newsletter/january2015.doc

The New Zero Project Report 2015 is Out!The Zero Project researches the status of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), this year with a focus on independent living and political participation.

Data on 150 countries were collected, together with 50 Innovative Practices and Policies that can be considered as worldwide role models in their fields.

The complete Zero Project Report can be found online at http://www.zeroproject.org. The website also gives you the opportunity to research Social Indicators in all 150 countries on world maps, or to search the database for all the Innovative Practices and Policies that WBU e-Bulletin, April 2015

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have been analysed and selected since 2013: Employment (2013), Accessibility (2014) and now Independent Living and Political Participation.

The Zero Project takes a network approach. In the last three years, more than 3,000 experts around the world have contributed with their knowledge and expertise.

A Review of the Be My Eyes Remote Sighted Helper App for Apple iOS By Bill Holton, writer of AccessWorld

Many iPhone users with visual impairments use a video FaceTime or Skype call with a friend for a brief session of sighted help—to find a hotel room door, for instance, or to help set the controls on a washer or dryer. But what if your friends or family members are not available when you need assistance? Or maybe you call the same person again and again, and you worry you might be overstaying your welcome?Mobile identification and text recognition apps such as TapTapSee, Talking Goggles, and the KNFB Reader can take up a lot of the slack, but there are times when you really do need a working pair of eyeballs. Now, thanks to a new iOS app called Be My Eyes, sighted help is just a tap away.

How Be My Eyes WorksBe My Eyes pairs sighted volunteers with visually impaired individuals who would appreciate a bit of remote assistance. The app is free both to download and to use.

For visually impaired users, the app could not be simpler to use. Most of the screen is taken up by a single control to connect you to the first available helper. Double tap this button and your device will announce, "Creating connection request." A few seconds later a sort of electronic ring tone begins to play, and soon you are connected to a sighted volunteer through a two-way audio and one-way video connection using the opentok/tokbox video platform.

The volunteer can view your environment through the higher-resolution rear-facing camera. With a connection established, you can converse with the volunteer, introduce yourself (if you like), and ask for help with whatever identification task is at hand. You can disconnect at any time.

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When you first open the app you are asked if you need assistance or wish to provide it. In either case you are required to register. You can do this using your Facebook credentials, or you can create a Be My Eyes account with your name, e-mail address and the password of your choice.

If you register as a helper, you merely need to leave the app running in the background. When it's your turn to offer assistance, the app will alert you. If you don't respond within 10 seconds or so, the app servers will move onto the next person in the queue and alert them.

Turning an idea into a serviceThe main app screen displays a running count of the number of sighted and blind users who are registered. It also displays the number of individuals who have been helped—over 10,000 in the first six days. A future app update will also include the numbers of volunteers who are currently available. "This will help users have some idea of how long it will take to either offer or receive help," says Hans Jørgen Wiberg, the service's founder.

Putting Be My Eyes through its pacesI first tried Be My Eyes just a few days after it was released. The first two attempts were unsuccessful: after 20 minutes I had not yet been connected to a volunteer. I was using the app late on a Sunday evening, around the time when the servers were being swamped with setup requests, so those circumstances may have played a part in the delays.

The next day I tried the app several times, and each time I was connected within 2 minutes. According to Wiberg, this is the norm. "There are going to be people who for some reason cannot answer an alert in time, and we have to connect to several different helpers, one at a time, before a request is answered. Other times there may be server problems caused by our rapid growth. My advice to users seeking help is that if there is no response within 3 or 4 minutes, disconnect and immediately try again."

My first Monday call was answered by a woman in Britain. My question was simple: "Is this package of teabags caffeinated or decaf?" "Caffeinated," came the reply, and after a quick "thank you," I disconnected. Total time: less than 2 minutes from start to finish.

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My second request was answered by a man in California. He helped me access my thermostat and find the LCD off setting.

My third session was answered by a man in Germany. I had inadvertently left the plastic cover to a vegetable seed starter on the patio table, and sometime during the night it had blown away. Together the volunteer and I search the backyard for it. We did not find it, but the help was still useful as it saved me the considerable time I might have spent walking around the yard, hoping to encounter it.

On initial setup, the Be My Eyes app uses your iOS device's default language setting to direct your calls. English speaking helpers are always connected with English speaking help requesters, French with French, and so forth. But the app's Setting menu offers you the ability to add additional languages, which is how I was able to connect with an English speaking helper in Germany.

PrivacyAccording to Wiberg, your personal information is not shared with the helper. You may then wonder why you need to enter your name and e-mail address to create a Be My Eyes account. When I posed this question, Wiberg replied, "Both the helper and user can report a problem member, and we can then block that [account] and prevent [the user] from returning." Unfortunately, the version I tested, 1.2 (45), did not require any e-mail verification, which means someone could make up a series of false accounts and cause mischief. Perhaps verification will be a part of an update in a future version.

What's ahead for the Be My Eyes App?Wiberg is determined to keep the service free. He states that currently they have enough money to pay for development and server resources through next September. Consequently, I would not be surprised to see a Donate button pop up in a future release of the app, on the company's website, or both.

The app is currently available only for iOS devices. There are no immediate plans to create an Android version.

Ironically, the biggest hurdle Be My Eyes currently faces is finding enough blind users. "The response to the opportunity to become volunteers has been overwhelming," says Wiberg. "If they don't get the chance to become fully involved, they may grow frustrated and uninstall the app."

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As it is now, Be My Eyes is an extremely powerful platform whose time has come. I will still keep both TapTapSee and KNFB Reader on my iPhone home screen, but Be My Eyes will definitely be my fallback—and in many instances, my go-to—resource for those times when greater independence can best be achieved by knowing when and how to ask for help. (To read the full article, link here: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw160202)

2016 GENERAL ASSEMBLY UPDATEAlthough the WBU/ICEVI 2016 GA planning is underway, the dedicated event website (to register) has not been launched yet but will be ready later this year. This joint general assembly will be hosted by the National Federation of the Blind (USA), and will be held in the same location they use for their own national convention, so they are familiar with the venue and the surrounding attractions. WBU will continue posting updates on our General Assembly page: http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/general-assembly/Pages/default.aspx

The full Assembly event will take place from Thursday, August 18 to Thursday, August 25th, 2016. Please keep in mind the important deadlines for paying membership fees in full in order for countries to qualify for delegate sponsorships (refer to the GA article on the January e-bulletin and also on the WBU website).

All documents for the joint assembly will be posted in the General Assembly section of the website at a later date. Information on prior WBU Assemblies can also be found in this section. For more specific information, contact CEO Penny Hartin directly at: penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org

BOOKSThis time we have books by blind authors and a book featuring a blind character.

A Man of Letters, a classic by the late Egyptian writer and Minister of Education, Taha Hussein: http://www.amazon.com/Man-Letters-Taha-Hussein-ebook/dp/B00PAH7P7Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427724886&sr=1-3&keywords=taha+hussein#reader_B00PAH7P7Y

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Visual artist John Bramblitt’s autobiography Shouting in the Dark: http://www.amazon.com/Shouting-Dark-Journey-Back-Light/dp/076278007X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427724820&sr=1-1&keywords=shouting+in+the+dark

Invisible Ellen by Shari Shattuck (features a blind character): http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Ellen-Shari-Shattuck/dp/0399167617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427724707&sr=1-1&keywords=invisible+ellen%2C+Shari+shattuck

Planet of the Blind a memoir by Stephen Kuusisto: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385333277/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

The Art of Choosing by Professor Sheena Iyengar: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Choosing-Sheena-Iyengar/dp/B0085RZDMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356856532&sr=8-1&keywords=the+art+of+choosing You can also watch some of her talks on YouTube.

Scottish author Gordon Anthony went blind in his 50’s. He went from being a banker to writing numerous historical fiction books. This is the link for his website: http://www.gordonanthony.net/

If you come across other blind writers, let us know!

2015 IMPORTANT DATES/CONFERENCES/EVENTSPlease remember to send us details of your annual conferences and other major event so we can promote them!

May 7 to 9 - Disability Trade & Lifestyle Expo This event will take place in Cape Town, South Africa. For information and registration details, visit: http://www.mcnaughtonevents.co.za/index.php/dis-introduction

May 18 to 20 – W4A’15 Web for All Accessibility Research ConferenceThis conference will take place in Florence, Italy. As with many technologies that have come before, wearable devices present incredible opportunities for improving accessibility for people with and without disabilities, but also present accessibility challenges in

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ensuring that people are able to equally benefit from them regardless of disability, context or situation. www.w4a.info

June 1 & 2 - M Enabling Summit This event will take place in Washington, DC, USA, featuring cutting-edge innovation and ideas for a smarter living, wearable computing, mobile payments, M2M, as well as new apps and services launched by innovative organizations among governments and Fortune 500 companies promoting universal access and greater usage: http://m-enabling.com/index.html

June 8 to 9 - European e-Accessibility ForumTo be held in Paris, France, in conjunction with the 2015 Daisy Consortium Board Meeting. The theme of this year's conference is e-Accessible Knowledge. More information at: http://eaf2015.braillenet.org

July 6 to 9 - International Mobility ConferenceTo be held in Montréal, Canada. Theme “A world of innovation” and will be an opportunity to reflect on the developments in orientation and mobility research, environmental accessibility, developing technology in orientation and perception, preparing for innovative services for the older population. Website: www.imc15.com Registration is now open.

September 1 to 3 - 3rd Asia-Pacific CBR Congress The event will take place at the Shinjuku Keio Plaza Hotel, in Tokyo Japan. Theme: Poverty Reduction through Community-based Inclusive Development (CBID) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Website: http://www.apcbr2015.jp/

October 4 to 8 - 6th IDP AFRICA FORUMThe Institutional Development Program (IDP) is pleased to announce the 6th Africa Forum will be held in Kampala, Uganda at the Speke Resort Munyonyo. This is a joint program generously sponsored by Perkins International, WBU, along with NAPB & CNIB. The theme is: Beyond 2015: Delivering on the Agenda for Persons who are blind in Africa. It will focus on a new development agenda for African blindness services beyond the UN Millennium Development Goals. Registration is now open: http://www.perkins.org/international/africa/africa-forum

October 26 to 28 - 10th EBU General AssemblyTo be hosted by RNIB in London, England. The Assembly will take place at a hotel near Heathrow airport, London. RNIB is doing all they

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can to ensure that the accommodation and venue will be fully accessible, and delegates will have a comfortable stay. Before deciding upon a venue, they investigated many options in order to ensure both an accessible and affordable event. RNIB is now looking forward to playing our part in ensuring that EBU has a successful General Assembly which will set the scene for a productive few years thereafter. Details will be posted to the EBU website: http://www.euroblind.org/newsletter/2014/july-august/newsletter/online/en/newsletter/announcements/nr/2308/

November 4 to 6 - AER Conference on Vision Loss in Older Adults & Veterans Event will take place in Norfolk, VA, USA. Theme is: Leveraging our Collective Wisdom. Over 2 days discussions of important issues facing vision rehabilitation therapists, low vision therapists, orientation & mobility specialists, occupational therapists and others in the vision medical field who work with blinded veterans and older persons with vision loss. For more information and to register: http://www.aerbvi.org/aerconf2015/index.htm

November 12 to 14 - 2nd Lions World Song Festival for the Blind - Sounds from the Heart It will take place in Krakow, Poland. This is a music competition for non-professional blind and visually impaired musicians and singers, sponsored by Lions clubs in Poland and around the world. Registration deadline is May 31st, more information: http://lionsfestival.org/

THE REGIONS Our regions are the bridge between the international level of work and the local level. Policies and treaties constructed at global levels are then carried out by our members in their own countries. Most of the regions have their own websites where they post updates of their work, member activities, and upcoming events in their area.AFRICAhttp://www.afub-uafa.org

ASIA http://www.abunion.org

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ASIA-PACIFIC http://wbuap.org/index/

EUROPE http://www.euroblind.org

LATIN AMERICA http://ulacdigital.org

ULAC PARTICIPATED IN THE OAS CIVIL SOCIETY FORUMFor the first time in the history of our Latin American Union of the Blind, we have taken part in the Civil Society and Social Actor Participation Forum convened by the Organization of American States (OAS) in the framework of the 7th Summit of the Americas. Our organization was represented by Volmir Raimondi, President; Moisés Bauer, Human Rights Secretary and Guillermo Moreno, Immediate Past President.

This event, held in Panama City, from April 8 to 10, focused on eight topics. Education, Citizen Participation and Democratic Governance were our top priorities.

The first day activities started in the afternoon. José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General, Juan Carlos Varela, President of Panama, and other governmental authorities opened the sessions. Immediately after the opening, Bill Clinton, USA Past President, delivered a speech about the importance of the civil society in structuring a democratic state.

During the second day, the participants split in eight working groups. Volmir Raimondi worked on democratic governance; Moisés Bauer, on citizen participation and Guillermo Moreno chose education. The first two faced some obstacles because of the presence of protesters who did not agree with the celebration of the Forum. This situation forced the organizers to change the meeting rooms and to hold simultaneous sessions.

Notwithstanding this, our participants succeeded in developing a positive work, and they believe that ULAC proposals will be taken into account in each one of the three groups. We feel that the voice of Latin

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American visually impaired persons was well represented and we are proud of being entrusted with that responsibility.

The closing ceremony on April 10th was honored with the presence of Juan Carlos Varela, President of Panama, Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia and Barack Obama, President of the United States.

We will soon share with you the documents that sum up the outcomes of the Civil Society and Actor Participation Forum.

NORTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

WBU OFFICERSMr. Arnt Holte, Presidentarnt.holte@blindeforbundet.noDr. Fredric Schroeder, 1st Vice Presidentfschroeder@sks.comMr. Enrique Pérez, 2nd Vice President EPB@once.esMrs. Rina Prasarani, Secretary Generalrinalamsyah@gmail.com Mr. A. K. Mittal, Treasurermittal24ak@gmail.com Ms. Maryanne Diamond, Immediate Past Presidentmaryanne.diamond@visionaustralia.org

REGIONAL PRESIDENTSAFRICA (AFUB)

Mr. Jace Nair jace@sancb.org.zaASIA (ABU)

Mr. Santosh Kumar Rungta santoshkumar.rungta@gmail.comASIA PACIFIC (WBU-AP)

Ms. Michiko Tabata tabacchi@par.odn.ne.jpEUROPE (EBU)

Mr. Wolfgang Angermann w.angermann@dbsv.orgLATIN AMERICA (ULAC)

Mr. Volmir Raimondi presidencia@ulacdigital.orgNORTH AMERICA/CARIBBEAN (WBU-NA/C)

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Mr. Charles Mossop charles.mossop@cnib.ca

WBU STAFFDr. Penny Hartin, Chief Executive Officerpenny.hartin@wbuoffice.orgMs. Ianina Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant Ianina.rodriguez@wbuoffice.org Dr. Victor Cordeiro, Advocacy Coordinator adco.wbu@gmail.com

The World Blind Union is registered in Canada as a charitable organization in order to raise funds for our work. Donations from individuals or groups are always appreciated and can be made via the “Donate Now” button on our website: www.worldblindunion.org.

The members listed below provide funds beyond their membership fees to support the work of the World Blind Union. We are grateful to these members for their valued contributions.OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS CBM International http://www.cbm.org/ Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) www.cnib.ca Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE) www.once.es Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (NABP)

https://www.blindeforbundet.no Royal National Institute of Blind Persons (RNIB) www.rnib.org SightSavers International http://www.sightsavers.org Vision Australia http://www.visionaustralia.org/

OUR DIAMOND SPONSORS Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Swiss Federation of the Blind and Sight Impaired (SFB) Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Vanda)

OUR GOLD SPONSORS National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Danish Association of the Blind (DAB) German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV)

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