The Role of an Association of Professionals
by Michel GOUBAN
An Association that Serves Blind and Partially Sighted Masseurs and Physiotherapists
France has many associations involved in all fields of social and professional life. Through the debate and ideas that they instigate, through their ability to form a lobby and thereby heighten awareness and perhaps mobilise public opinion and maintain contact with the public authorities, in France they form the melting pot of a democratic society.
Founded in 1926 under the name of " Union Amicale des Masseurs et Masseuses Aveugles de France " (Friendly Union of Blind Masseurs of France) the association in 1950 became the Professional Union of Masseurs and Physiotherapists after the profession was created under law in 1946. In keeping with current semantic trends, the association has updated its name to become, in 2003, UNAKAM (Union Nationale des masseurs-kinésithérapeutes Aveugles et Malvoyants), the National Union of Blind and Partially Sighted Masseurs/Physiotherapists.
The association was created to bring together and defend the interests of partially sighted persons belonging to the profession .
Prior to the creation of the UMKA two associations played a determining role for the promotion of blind and visually impaired in this field of activity: they are firstly the AVH (the Valentin Haüy Association) which founded the first school for blind masseurs in 1906, then the UAG (Union des Aveugles de Guerre = Union of Blind War Victims) which founded the second association in 1920.
Why do we need a professional association specifically for blind and partially sighted masseurs and physiotherapists?
Firstly, because blind and partially sighted people have historically gravitated towards and are therefore numerous in the profession. 1500 to 2000 of them currently pursue this activity yet they are in a minority with respect to the general professional group (which counted 54,000 working persons in 2001).
Secondly, because it is an excellent way to ensure the professional introduction and social integration of the visually impaired in France.
Indeed, in a normative and discriminatory society that increasingly demands that all members be productive, people who do not fit into an " established " social or professional scheme tend to be marginalised and may therefore find themselves excluded from professional and even social life.
What should be the project of a professional association ?
The National Union of Blind and partially sighted Masseurs/Physiotherapists aims at the social integration of blind and partially sighted persons through the profession of masseur / physiotherapist. Its mission focuses on its members and on the social and professional environment of the group.
1. Focus on its members
The association seeks in particular
1. to provide all useful information to newly qualified persons seeking employment and to those already working in the profession.
2. to facilitate the entry of its members into professional life by granting no-interest loans.
3. to promote its members as professionals.
It contributes to the improvement of their scientific, technical and professional skills through all means adapted to visual impairment.
To this effect the association organises vocational training, seminars and conferences on topics of interest to the visually impaired professionals.
It provides a media library of CDs and cassettes, software and videos, plus professional reviews in recorded and digital form for its members.
2. Focus on the Group
The association particularly oversees :
1. to ensure continuing access to training for its focus group and access to masseur/physiotherapist qualifications and status.
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Currently, for instance, we are working to keep the training of future blind and partially sighted professionals in specialised institutes. In France, in the context where initial training for the health care professions increasingly takes place in universities, we consider it important to monitor this trend while maintaining the expertise of the specialised institutes.
Because he represents the blind and visually impaired nation wide, one of its members has been appointed to a commission of the Ministry of Health, Family and Handicapped Persons (Higher Council of the Paramedical Professions, Commission of Masseurs/Physiotherapists – CSPPMK).
Our representation in the CSPPMK is strategic for the blind and visually impaired as a whole, being a way of bringing their concerns to the attention of the administrative and political authorities. At the same time, like all other members of the profession, they can form a lobby to put forward proposals for the promotion of their profession.
2. Entry of newly qualified professionals into the work arena:
The association runs a physiotherapy centre in Paris. Approximately ten blind or partially sighted masseurs/physiotherapists work there at any given time, developing their professional activity as self-employed persons. This acts as a springboard for them to exercise their profession out in the ordinary work place. In the Sixties, when it was more difficult for the blind to work in this capacity, the centre provided work for some thirty or so qualified masseurs/physiotherapists.
3. Maintaining the employment of working professionals:
The aim here is to focus on reducing the disadvantages encountered as a result of blindness or poor sight in aspects of the professional situation. We live in an ergonomic environment that is increasingly visual in nature. At the present time, a lot of measuring instruments or software packages are impossible for those with a major visual impairment to use.
Our mission is therefore to alert instrument or software manufacturers to those special needs so that with the help of our members in most cases they can develop adaptations compatible with visual impairment. Currently, for instance, we are working on an adaptation of remote data transmission software for self-employed blind masseurs/physiotherapists. This work is done directly with the software developers.
We also maintain close contacts with the companies that market physiotherapy equipment, requesting that they adapt their equipment for use by the visually impaired. Most of them are willing to do this, and usually free of charge.
4. Beyond that, our mission is to increase an awareness in politicians to ensure that the special needs of the blind and visually impaired working in this field of activity are taken into account.
2003, the European year of the handicapped, provides an ideal opportunity for us to emphasise to our administrative and political contacts the sound economic and social grounds of a policy to promote the integration of the visually impaired into the profession of masseur/physiotherapist.
5. The association develops a policy of information, communication and action with public authorities, union organisations, professional and other associations for the blind both nationally and internationally.
6. On the international level, October 2000 in Paris, the association along with other partner associations organised a major international conference. This event contributed to essential professional discussions on which the professional and social promotion of blind and partially sighted persons in the fields of massage and rehabilitation depend.
Conclusion
The work of associations in France contributes significantly to the democratic process. A number of people with converging interests get together as a group and form of an association, usually governed by the 1901 law (on non-profit making organisations).
The UNAKAM acts as a hub for the individual and collective interests of its members.
Its mission is to offer services to blind and partially sighted masseurs/physiotherapists, to defend the interests of the group and represent it in dealings with the public authorities, professional associations and associations for the blind.
In a profession traditionally exercised by the visually impaired and which therefore would appear well suited to this sector of the public, the association tries to mitigate the inevitable disadvantage for a blind or poor-sighted individual exercising an activity in a competitive sector.
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