CONTENTS

• Section 1 - EBU Board Update
• Section 2 - EBU Commissions Highlights
  
  
  • Commission on Cooperation with Blind and Partially Sighted in Developing Countries
  • Commission on Human and Social Rights
  • Commission on the Activities of Partially-Sighted People
  • Commission on Rehabilitation, Vocational Training and Employment
• Section 3 - Focus
  
  
  • The insufficient body language of the blind and visually impaired restrains their communication with sighted people
  • Employment of the visually impaired in Russia
  • Tactile books for blind and partially-sighted children in the UK
  • Low vision services in Belgium more accessible
  • Balkan Consultative Committee meeting in Greece
• Section 4 - Obituary
• Section 5 - Coming Events

The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EBU.

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EBU Board Update

The Board of EBU held its last meeting in Rome on 16-17 September 2000.

High on the agenda were the plans of action of a number of EBU Standing Commissions for this new work period, 2000-2003 (see approved plans of action in " Commissions Highlights ").

Amongst other developments, it is to be noted that the Board of EBU will ask the World Blind Union to consider the adoption of the " White Cane Man " as the official symbol of blindness.

With respect to EBU membership, Israel does no longer wish to become an external member.

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EBU COMMISSION HIGHLIGHTS

Most EBU Commissions have had their first meetings in this new work period 1999-2003. High on the agenda were their plans of action for the coming 4 years. We are reproducing below those plans of action which the Board approved at its last meeting (Rome, September 2000).

Commission on Cooperation with Blind and Partially-Sighted in Developing Countries

Plan of Action 1999 - 2003

1. To exchange information on all items related to the work of the Commission members, their organisations or any other operation relevant to the field of development. Examples might be programme activities, workshops, training and funding possibilities or manuals.
2. To explore and, if at all possible, make operational various types of funding from the European Union or any other relevant source to promote partnerships and twinning amongst European blind organisations.
3. To implement the recommendation set forth in the EBU Plan of Action point 4.2 on a European Conference on development issues, with item 2 above in mind as a possible source of funding. The conference should take place in 2001 or 2002 depending on deadlines for submission of project proposals and for payment of grants.
4. To give priority to activities that will ensure unity and transparency, co-operation and respect of representative bodies of the blind in Africa, and which are designed to develop organisations of the blind. The Commission should also give priority to activities that promote co-operation between such organisations, other relevant agencies and any specifically designed programme in this area.
5. To carry out the quadrennial European survey on development work specifically targeting visually impaired persons.
6. With due respect to EBU General Assembly 1999 resolutions 8 and 9, the principles therein should be promoted and a dialogue should be strengthened regarding information technology for the visually impaired and the quality of teaching and training especially in integrated settings.

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Commission on Human and Social Rights

Plan of Action 1999 - 2003

1. To continue with the HERMES Network by developing the regional structure, updating the list of Link Officers, having a training seminar for Link Officers and continuing production of the Messenger Newsletter.
2. To hold a pan European conference on the United Nations Standard Rules and the UN Convention.
3. To produce two policy papers on the needs of older visually impaired people and the situation of blind women and girls.
4. To undertake three questionnaires - one on the cost of blindness, one on violence and abuse and one on legislation, it may be that one survey with three questionnaires could cover all these subjects.
5. To maintain a watching brief on refugees.
6. To support the Board with its work regarding genetic engineering and bioethics.

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Commission on the Activities of Partially Sighted People

Plan of Action 1999 - 2003

1. To carefully analyse the complex issue of the definition of " partially sighted person and low vision " through the evaluation of existing definitions ; to work out, if deemed possible, a definition to be proposed as the common definition in all European countries.
2. To work towards ensuring that the strife of the partially sighted to live in society on equal terms with their sighted peers is fully supported and endorsed by the European Blind Union and the national organisations of the blind.
   
    2.1 To select some sectors of the "Society for All", and to deal with some specific issues from the point of view of the needs of the partially sighted.
   
    2.2 To collect and disseminate available information in the field of rehabilitation of the partially sighted.
   
   
3. To foster the awareness of the general public and the organisations of/for the blind as regards the point of view and the needs of the partially sighted. Contact with other EBU Commissions and the active participation of members of this Commission in conferences dealing with the visually impaired are deemed very important.
4. To disseminate information on the partially sighted by writing articles for the EBU Newsletter and collecting relevant material to be put on the EBU web site.

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Commission on Rehabilitation, Vocational Training and Employment

Plan of Action 1999-2003

1. To study carefully the general situation of the employment of blind and partially sighted people in EBU member countries :
   
    1.1 To update a survey carried out by the commission in 1995,
   
    1.2 To prepare an evaluation of different legislation among European countries, and to encourage them to work towards the adoption of specific measures in favour of the employment of blind and partially sighted people.
   
   
2. To maintain and develop traditional professions, and to search new job opportunities in the open labour market.
3. To initiate better co-operation between all sheltered workshops for the blind and partially sighted throughout Europe :
   
    3.1 To prepare list of workshops,
   
    3.2 To identify the activities developed in each workshop,
   
    3.3 To promote exchange of good practice.
   
   
4. To fight, in collaboration with the relevant commissions, all discrimination against blind or partially sighted women/youth in employment.
5. To consider EBU resolutions No 99-10 on " the expected effects of anti-discrimination legislation and regulations on the rights to compensatory measures ", and 99-09 on " special requirements for the visually impaired with regards to the principle of Education for all ".
6. To develop closer co-operation between vocational training centres for blind and partially sighted people in EBU member countries :  6.1 To update list of centres,
   
    6.2 To have a clear and complete vision about existing training courses,
   
    6.3 To exchange information about programmes,
   
    6.4 To compare these programmes,
   
    6.5 To exchange documents,
   
    6.6 To organise study visits.
   
   
7. To organise an international conference on "the work of our organisations to promote the employment of blind and partially sighted workers" ; this conference could take place in Paris during the first half of 2003.
8. To give the general public, and employers in particular, a better idea about the professional possibilities of blind and partially sighted people, through books, brochures, TV/radio programmes, press conferences, courses...

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OBITUARY

You will be sad to hear that Eugene Loeff, former EBU Treasurer, died on 12 July 2000 at the age of 71.

Eugene held many leading positions in organisations of the blind and partially sighted, both on national level in The Netherlands and on the international scene in the European Blind Union.

In the seventies he was Chairman of St. Odilia, a Dutch Roman Catholic Association of the Blind. He soon emerged as one of the champions of the unification of the three big existing national organisations of the blind into one national organisation, of which he became the first Secretary General.

Until 1985, he was the Chairman of Centrum voor Gesproken Lectuur, one of the special libraries in The Netherlands. In 1986, he played an instrumental part in the organisation of the first European Conference on Partial Sightedness, in Lunteren. One year later, he was elected member of the Board of the European Blind Union, and served as Treasurer from 1990 to 1996.

Thanks to his many contacts in the sector of the production of banknotes, he succeeded in having banknotes with tangible markings introduced in The Netherlands. His knowledge and experience made him a valuable member of the EBU EURO Working Group whose work had a major impact on the design of the EURO.

Eugene was a dedicated, sometimes even tenacious, leader. His work was highly appreciated, as shown by the fact that the Queen of The Netherlands made him Knight of the Order of Orange Nassau, and that the European Blind Union honoured him with the Louis Braille Medal.

Besides all his duties, Eugene was a warm-hearted family man who deeply loved his wife, children and grandchildren. We express all of them our heartfelt sympathy.


Frances Fortuin
Member of EBU Board (The Netherlands)

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COMING EVENTS

EBU BOARD AND COMMISSIONS

16 - 17 September 2000, ROME
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller, EBU Secretary General
Tel : +49 7621 799230, Fax : +49 7621 799231
E-mail : norbert@dbbw.de


20 - 21 October 2000, ATHENS
EBU Youth Commission
Contact : Einar Fiskvik
Fax : +47 940 41 444, E-mail : Einar@eifi.net


27 - 29 October 2000, ZURICH
EBU Commission on the Activities of Elderly Blind and Visually Impaired People
Contact : Rose-Marie Luthi
Tel : +41 71 246 6160, Fax : +41 71 246 6189
E-mail : obv.luethi@spectraweb.ch


3 - 4 November 2000, PARIS
EBU Commission for Multi-Handicapped Visually Impaired People
Contact : Coen de Jong
Tel : +31 343 526 501, Fax : +31 343 526 856
E-mail : coendejong@compuserve.com


22 November 2000, MELBOURNE
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller, EBU Secretary General
(See contact details above)


1- 3 December 2000, PARIS
EBU Commission on Mobility and Guide Dogs
Contact : Jill Allen-King
Tel : +44 1702 477 899, Fax : +44 1702 711 171
E-mail : peter@fedtalk.demon.co.uk


8 - 10 December 2000, LINZ (Austria)
EBU Commission on Technical Devices and Services
Contact : Bernard Stoeger
Tel : +43 732 2468 9608, Fax : +43 732 2468 9322
E-mail : Bernhard@aib.uni-linz.ac.at


8 -10 December 2000, OSTERODE (Germany)
EBU Commission for Liaising with the EU
Contact : Rodolfo Cattani
Tel : +39 06 699 88375, Fax : +39 06 699 88378
E-mail : inter@uiciechi.it


12 - 14 January 2001, SICILY
EBU Commission on Activities of Partially-Sighted People
Contact : Giuseppe Castronovo
Tel : +39 06 699 88375, Fax : +39 06 699 88378
E-mail : inter@uiciechi.it


26 January 2001, ROME
EBU Commission on Rehabilitation, Vocational Training and Employment
Contact : Philippe Chazal
Tel : +33 1 44 49 27 27, Fax : +33 1 44 49 27 30
E-mail : phchazal@avh.asso.fr


27 - 28 January 2001, MADRID
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller, EBU Secretary General
(See contact details above)


January 2001 (date and venue to be confirmed)
EBU Commission on Cooperation with Blind and Partially Sighted in Developing Countries
Contact : John Heilbrunn
Tel : +45 3814 8817, Fax : +45 3814 8800
E-mail : jh@dkblind.d


Spring 2001, Romania
EBU Commission on Human and Social Rights
Contact : Tony Aston
Tel : +44 1444 870 462, Fax : +44 1444 258 557
E-mail : taston@enterprise.net


February - March 2001, Greece (to be confirmed)
EBU Commission on the Advancement of the Interests of Blind and Partially Sighted Women
Contact : Birgitta Blokland
Tel : +31 30 2999 2878, Fax : +31 30 293 2544
E-mail : bjb@elnet.nl


May 2001, MOSCOW
EBU Board


September 2001, Poland or Greece
EBU Board

OTHER ORGANISATIONS

5 - 6 October 2000, PARIS
International Congress of Blind and Visually Impaired Physiotherapists
Contact : Michel Gouban
Tel : +33 1 4824 1700, Fax : +33 1 4824 0112
E-mail : unmkrhv@magic.fr


17 October 2000, NEW YORK
World's March of Women
A United Nations initiative, with the theme : 2000 reasons to march against violence and poverty.
More information is available from :

• Birgitta Blokland, Chair of the EBU Women's Commission : E-mail : bjb@elnet.nl
• Nancy Burrows, Liaison Team, at 110 rue Sainte Thérèse, 307, Montreal H2Y 1E6 (Quebec), Tel : +1 514 395 1196, Fax : +1 514 395 1224, E-mail : Marche2000@ffq.qc.ca

20 - 25 November 2000, MELBOURNE (Australia)
WBU Fifth General Assembly
Contact : Pedro Zurita, WBU Secretary General
Tel : +34 91 571 3685, Fax : +34 91 571 5777
E-mail : umc@once.es
Website : http://www.once.es/wbu


10 - 15 December 2000, SINGAPORE
First International Clinic on ten-pin Bowling for the Blind
Contact :
Andrew Chew
Convener of Ten-Pin Bowling
Independent Society of the Blind
Tel : +65 346 6411, Fax : +65 346 7422
Email : jeow@pacific.net.sg


28 - 31 March 2001, EDINBURGH
5 Conference of the European Union of Supported Employment " Support for All "
This conference aims to explore ways of expanding the Supported Employment model to encompass other groups of people who are disadvantaged or disengaged from the open labour market.
Contact : Mike Evans at mike.evans@dundeecity.gov.uk


1 - 5 June 2001, MONTREAL (Quebec)
International world congress, Inclusion by Design - Planning the Barrier-Free World, hosted by the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work
Contact : Karine Toupin
Fax : +1 416 260 3093, E-mail : ktoupin@ccrw.org
More information on http://www.ccrw.org


2 - 5 July 2001, WARSAW (Poland)
TRANSED 2001
The theme of the Conference will be "Safety, independence and security."
Contact : Fax : +48 22 831 6525, E-mail : transed2001@idn.org.pl


24 - 29 July 2001, The Netherlands
5th European Conference on Deafblindness
Contact : Anneke Balder, Conference Secretariat
Tel : +31 30 276 9970, Fax : +31 30 271 2892
E-mail : sdg@wxs.nl
Website : http://www.deafblindinternational.org


7 - 12 October 2001, AUCKLAND (New Zealand)
7th Helen Keller World Conference - What it means to be deafblind,
organised in conjunction with the 1st General Assembly of the World Federation of the Deafblind
Contact : Jan Scahill, International Conference Committee
PO Box 14-076, Tauranga (New Zealand)
E-mail : jscahill@rnzfb.org.nz


19 - 20 October 2001, NEW YORK
Symposium " Integrating differences : Theories and applications of Universal Design ".
Contact : Universal Design Symposium 2001
Fashion Institute of Technology
E-mail : dkoslin@fitsuny.edu
Fax : +1 212 217 7910


Next issue : December 2000

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