EBU NEWSLETTER
No 46

Published quarterly by the EBU Office

With the financial support of DG Employment and Social Affairs
of the European Commission

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





News from EBU Board

The Board of EBU held its last meeting in Cape Town on 9 December 2004. Decisions made at that meeting include :

Brussels Office

Following a detailed assessment, the Board felt the presence of an information worker in Brussels was no longer necessary as it did not justify the investment, and resolved to close down the office of EBU in Brussels. EU subsidies will be used for the EBU Central Office in Paris and for the Liaison Commission Chairman's Office in Rome from where EU-related work will be dealt with. It is however necessary to maintain an EBU presence in Brussels, a task which the Belgian Confederation for the Promotion of Blind and Partially-sighted People kindly agreed to take on.

The spared financial means will be used mainly to strengthen the resources towards the maintenance of EBU website. However, the level of contributions by national members to EBU Office needs to remain the same.


Israel

Further to an application by Israel to become a member of EBU, the Board had proposed a Cooperation Agreement which the Center for the Blind in Israel could not accept. They mainly disagreed on having to pay full contributions whilst not enjoying EBU full membership (i.e. no voting rights). In April 2004, the Board agreed to reduce their fee to 260 Euros (instead of 900 Euros) as a contribution to the EBU Office.

The status of Israel was also raised at the last WBU Executive Committee meeting (Cape Town, December 2004). Because all delegations must be affiliated to one of the WBU regions to be able to take part in the WBU 6th General Assembly, Israel was put down in the European region as having a special relationship with Europe. WBU Executive asked the EBU Board to consider Israel being a member of the European region positively. Colin Low, EBU President, will table a paper clarifying Israel's status and relationship with EBU at the next Board meeting (Potsdam, 11-13 March 2005).


Plans of action 2003-2007

The Board received the plan of action 2003-2007 for the following commissions/working groups :

- Commission on Equality and Diversity
- Women's Working Group
- Culture, Information and Leisure Working Group
- Commission on Cooperation with Blind and Partially-sighted People in Developing Countries
- Commission on the Rights of Blind and Partially sighted People

Board representatives will see to it that these POAs are developed into tangible actions. The above POAs are available from : www.euroblind.org/About us/Commissions and Working Groups.


EBU Award

The EBU 7th General Assembly adopted a resolution introducing an EBU award to be bestowed on organisations, institutions, policy makers, enterprises and individuals to honour their achievements towards advancing the rights and status of blind and partially sighted people and to raise public awareness. An Awards Working Group was formed to carry this forward under the chairmanship of Tommaso Daniele, Second Vice-President.

At its Cape Town meeting on 9 December the Board considered proposals made by the Awards Working Group : the award will be called " Vision for Equality ". It will be given every two years, either at general assemblies or at other major EBU events. The nature of the prize to be given - i.e medal and/or a piece of art commissioned from a blind artist - was referred back to the Awards Working Group.

The Awards Working Group had also been asked to look into an internal distinction to be awarded to well-deserving EBU personalities. The Board agreed that this distinction should be named after Arne Husveg, former EBU President and one of the most outstanding personalities of the European and worldwide movement of blind and partially-sighted people. It consists of a medal bearing the words "European Blind Union Arne Husveg Award" and the name of the recipient. The distinction may be bestowed at any time the Board so decides.


New associate member

The Board agreed to grant Sonneheerdt EBU Associate Member status. Sonneheerdt is the biggest organisation providing vocational training for blind and partially-sighted people in the Netherlands. It also runs projects overseas. The Netherlands Federation of the Blind and Partially-Sighted were supportive of this decision.


Back to contents



Disabled Air Passengers' Rights European developments

By Nora Bednarski
Policy Officer, European Disability Forum

Voluntary Passenger Service Commitments (2001-2002)

In 2001, the ECAC/EU Dialogue on Air Passenger Rights (ECAC stands for European Civil Aviation Conference), which the European Disability Forum - EDF was involved in, led to the adoption in February 2002 of voluntary commitments developed by the organisations representing Europe's air carriers and airports. While 33 European countries and many major airlines have signed the commitments, passengers with disabilities are not seeing many positive results in terms of the respect of their rights and of quality service.

Separate commitments were developed by the airlines and airports because of their inability to agree on certain key issues, in particular the prohibition of direct charging of disabled passengers for assistance in the airport. EDF has continued to argue that issues relating to disabled air travellers cannot be addressed through voluntary commitments alone and must also be addressed through European legislation.


European Commission Consultation on Air Passenger Contracts (2002)

Following the Commission's consultation process on Air Passenger's Contracts in 2002, a public hearing was held by the European Commission in March 2002 between airlines, airports and consumer groups, at which EDF participated. All parties at the hearing, including the air industry, generally expressed a positive attitude towards the need for European legislation. Such legislation should clearly set down rules to prohibit discrimination of disabled travellers ; prohibit unjustified denied boarding of disabled travellers ; prohibit direct charging of disabled passengers for the assistance they may require in the airport ; and set down clear rules and guidelines to define minimum standards for assistance.


Staff Working Paper on the Rights of passengers with reduced mobility when travelling by air (2004)

In January 2004, the Commission finally published its long-awaited Discussion Paper on the Rights of Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRMs) when travelling by air. The paper contains a draft version of a Regulation. This means a draft for discussion only - not an official commission proposal which would launch the legislative procedure. We have been waiting for a regulation proposal since January 2004.

After several letters to Energy and Transport Commissioner de Palacio (who has now been replaced by Commissioner Barrot) and after being told various possible dates for official adoption (March 2004, June 2004, September 2004, November 2004, January 19th, 2005...) we have now been advised that the Commission will issue a Proposal in mid-February 2005.

Main provisions in the proposed draft Regulation should include :

- Prohibition of refusal of booking or refusal of carriage to disabled persons because of their disability ;

- Prohibition of direct charging for assistance ;

- Provision of high and comparable levels of assistance to meet the needs of PRMs ;

- Setting up of quality standards by the managing body of the airport in conjunction with airport users committee ;

- Establishment of a centralised charging system whereby the managing body of an airport will provide assistance free of charge to PRMs ; airlines will pay into the centralised system of a given airport an amount proportional to the number of passengers they carry from and to that airport (all passengers, not just PRMs) ; the charge paid by airlines shall be cost-related, transparent and established after consultation with the airport users committee ;

- Outline of mechanisms for complaints, sanctions and enforcement.


EDF response to the Staff Working Paper (June 2004)

In its response developed after consultation with its members, EDF emphasised that key concerns for the disability movement are :

- Disabled persons must not be charged directly for the assistance they require ;

- Disabled persons must not be refused booking or refused carriage because of their disability ;

- Refused boarding on grounds of health, safety and security reasons cannot be used as a means to discriminate against disabled passengers. EDF would like to see a streamlining and clarification of the diversity of rules governing health and safety in air travel which are currently far from transparent. EDF would favour EU harmonised rules in this area.

- Provision of a seamless assistance for disabled air passengers throughout all stages of the journey, from the point of set-down to boarding and from deplaning to the point of pick-up.

EDF also raised the issue that accessibility of airports and aircraft is not at all addressed in the draft Regulation.


Other responses to the Staff Working Paper

There has been a significant lobby against the idea of a Regulation. Specific arguments have been raised by the airports and airlines against the Commission's proposed scheme. EDF is very concerned by these powerful lobbies who are unrelenting in their attempts to block and modify this Regulation.

Airports object to having to take on this additional service responsibility and administrative burden, arguing also that a one-size-fits-all solution does not take into account the different situations of airports (eg. small regional airports vs big hub airports).

Airlines object to the fact that the legislation would not enable them to " opt-out " - i.e. provide assistance to disabled passengers themselves (self-handling) without making use of the centralised service. They argue that they would be able to provide a better quality of service ; that opting-out will prevent a monopoly situation where the airport service provider is the only service provider and can take advantage by raising charges and diminishing quality ; that the passenger has a direct contract with the airline and that having a third-party provide assistance will unnecessarily complicate things.

EDF concerned by 'opt-out' arguments

EDF is worried about the 'opt-out' self-handling argument put forward by the airlines. We believe that centralised service provision at airports is the most reliable way to ensure both the financial viability and seamlessness of assistance. The opt-out service proposal is worrying for several reasons :

- Financial viability : if major airlines withdraw from the system, this could threaten the financial viability of the centralised charging scheme which relies on proportionate contributions by airlines. The economies of scale benefits to the whole system would be reduced as the pool of available funds diminishes. This in turn would threaten the quality of service.

- Seamlessness : a centralised service will ensure assistance from the point of arrival at an airport (taxi, train, car...) to the aircraft. Disabled passengers will be met at their arrival. They will rely on one assistance provider and will not be left stranded, searching for the check-in counter of the airline they wish to travel with. A centralised scheme is crucial for disabled passengers' confidence in the seamlessness of a system.

- Transparency : a multitude of service providers means that the disabled passenger often does not know who is accountable to them for the provision of high quality professional assistance. Different service providers for different airlines - in addition to the centralised scheme - risks causing chaos for the disabled passenger.

- Administrative burden/complication : whilst rejecting the opt-out solution altogether, EDF notes that, if an opt-out clause for self-handling were to be incorporated, it would significantly complicate the Regulation - there would have to be a series of conditions under which airlines could apply to opt-out. The financial viability of the centralised system would have to be maintained and the level of service quality would have to be comparable. In addition, however, organisations of disabled people would have to be part of the decision-making process to grant the right to opt-out, which itself would be on a limited basis (e.g. 2 years) and subject to review. There would also have to be mechanisms for withdrawing the opt-out in cases of non-compliance with quality standards and obligations.

EDF is doing its utmost to prevent such an opt-out clause as we feel it would significantly compromise the Regulation.



On 12 January 2005, Mokrane Boussaid and Nora Bednarski represented EDF at a meeting with the person responsible for the future Regulation on air passengers with reduced mobility. He indicated that, although the draft Regulation had gone through the necessary interservice consultation at the Commission, it was still awaiting final approval by Commissioner Barrot. It is now anticipated that the draft Regulation will be released in February 2005.


Back to contents



Inclusive design : products for all consumers

By David Yelding, Director of Ricability Board Member of the UK Institute for Inclusive Design
and Lindsey Etchell's, Ricability's Principal Researcher

Researchers and demographers categorise people into groups. It has been easy to conceptualise disabled people and older people as being marginal and separate from the rest of the population. Yet both age and disability are something most of us will experience during our lifetime - they are most definitely not experiences confined to a small minority. Given this fact, it is all the more extraordinary that the design of much of the environment and many everyday products exclude many disabled and older people from using them. The social model of disability argues that disability is not some form of personal deficiency but is actually created by environments, products and services which fail to cater for the needs of their potential users. Having limited dexterity is an impairment which only becomes a disability when you try to use a remote control that assumes you have fine control of your fingers.

Inclusive design at its simplest means designing for as many people as possible, taking into account the diversity of their abilities. It brings mainstream products to a wider pool of users. It means there is less reliance on stigmatising special equipment. And Ricability has consistently found that products designed for people who have the most difficulty are easier for everybody else to use.


What is inclusive design ?

The contention that young, fit designers design products for people like themselves has some truth to it. Even user tests and anthropometric measurements tend to leave out people towards the extremes.

In the USA the terms 'universal access', 'barrier free' became common as part of a consumer led campaign for a more enlightened approach. This led to an idea that became known as 'universal design'. The principles they have evolved provide a clear exposition of some of the basic concepts :


The seven principles of universal design

1. Equitable - the design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.

2. Flexibility in use - the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

3. Simple and intuitive to use - use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

4. Perceptible information - the design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.

5. Tolerance for error - the design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

6. Low physical effort - the design can be used efficiently and comfortably with a minimum of fatigue.

7. Size and space for approach and use - appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

Universal design has at its heart the idea that all products can be designed so that absolutely everybody can use them - an ideal that has so far rarely been realised in practice with mainstream products.

In the UK the focus has been more on inclusive design. While inclusive design embraces the principles of universal design, it has aimed at the more realistic target of products that cater for as many people as is reasonably possible. It is also seen as a means of developing strategies for businesses and designers which leads to a progressive series of attainable goals.

It can be argued that inclusive design is no more than practical consumerism in action, as it requires designers and businesses to respond closely to consumers' needs and aspirations. The move towards user-centred design can be seen as one of the victories of the consumer movement.


An holistic approach

Inclusive design also requires some holistic thought. For example, a journey by public transport is made up of a chain of events. Before even considering the design of the train, coach or bus it needs to be possible for passengers to book tickets easily, to get to the station, find and use an accessible toilet. Every aspect of the journey needs to be accessible if the journey is to be easily possible. This brings into question considerations of website design, training of staff, availability of help with luggage and much else. What unites all these considerations is the need to know and understand what consumers want, how they behave and what they can do. An inclusive approach demands much closer contact with consumers and a coherent understanding of all the elements that make up what is essentially a composite activity.


Assistive and mainstream products

Mainstream and assistive products have traditionally existed in two separate universes and consequently largely developed as two distinct industries. Traditionally designed mainstream products simply left out people who did not fit into what was considered the norm. The market for products that people with special needs required was too narrow to support innovative design. Nor was it imaginative enough to take their aspirations into account. The result has been stigmatising, poorly designed, undesirable products that no one would choose to have. Their users were rarely consulted and rarely were given much choice in the products they were supplied with. Inclusive design should mean that the need for assistive products or adaptations is reduced.

The designers of assistive technology products have information that could help mainstream manufacturers achieve this aim. It has long been Ricability's contention that design would be improved for everybody if designers focused on developing products that catered for those who had the most difficulty. Secondly mainstream products should be designed in the knowledge that, however good the design, some will need to be adapted to suit people who have very unusual and specific needs. Products should be designed to accommodate this possibility, and adaptations should be designed so that they complement and blend in with the products they are fitted to. Over 100 adaptation companies exist in the UK to provide equipment that enables disabled people to use standard production cars. Most of them work entirely independently of motor manufacturers and many of their products look out of place when fitted to the carefully designed interior of a car.


The changing population

A mature population

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the commercial case for inclusive design is based on the size and prosperity of the market rather than on a sense of social justice. Much of the recent interest in inclusive design from industry stems from a growing awareness of the way the population is ageing.

Since the beginning of the last century life expectancy has increased on average by two and a half years each decade. By 2020 close to half the adult population in the UK will be over 50 years old. As a country, we are now as young as we will ever be so these changes are both radical and permanent. Far from being a homogenous group, older people are at least as diverse as younger age groups - arguably more so as they have time (and sometimes the income) to explore new opportunities. The stereotypes of ageing no longer apply. Today, on average, older people are 'fitter, healthier, wealthier and more independent than ever before'. It is this unprecedented growth in the numbers of older people that will make us reconsider our ideas about disability. The majority of disabled people are also older. The consumer sector that has real potential for growth is that of older people, and organisations that do not recognise this are not likely to prosper.

The trick for designers is to accommodate the commercial possibilities of this demographic change while recognising the physical, mental and psychological changes that eventually come with age - eyesight, hearing, dexterity, mobility and memory are commonly affected. Typically, and over an extended period, we are likely to acquire several minor impairments as we get older. However as these only have an affect on independence because of the failings of the 'designed world', it follows that products that help maintain or increase independence are likely to be increasingly demanded.


Some minority !

Estimates of the prevalence of disability have been difficult to come by because of the problems of devising an acceptable definition, and the practical problems of surveying the whole population. The first has been addressed by the World Health Organisation, which distinguishes between impairment, handicap and disability. The most recent large scale survey of disability in Britain was published in 1999. It showed that over eight and a half million people - 20 % of the population - had a disability.


Mainstream products now

Ricability research

Ricability long ago recognised the potential for well-designed, easy to use mainstream consumer products to enable older and disabled people to live more independently. Since the late 1980s we have researched and produced consumer guides to a range of consumer products including domestic appliances, telephones, childcare equipment, cars and, most recently, central heating controls. The core methodology for each has been product-specific user trials. Depending on the product, these have included people who have limited manual dexterity, visual impairment (both blind and partially sighted), hearing impairment, walking difficulties and wheelchair users. Since 2002 recruitment of users has been from our Inclusive Design Panel - a body of more than 300 older and disabled people who evaluate models within a laboratory setting or their own homes.

Another feature common to these consumer guides is the inclusion of advice on what to buy, i.e. those products with features that are likely to be easy to use. However we have consistently found a mix of easy and difficult features on almost all models we have tested in each product group. Too often the good features seem to be there by chance rather than design : typically domestic appliance controls require force ; mobile telephones have miniscule buttons and even smaller print in their complex instruction booklets ; childcare products such as safety gates have painful opening mechanisms ; cars have high door and boot sills, and digital central heating programmers have displays and complex setting sequences that defeat all but the most determined older users.

Here is our often quoted list of general inclusive design product principles :

Controls

Stability

Accessories

Cleaning

Portability

Instructions

To be continued...

Back to contents




Deafblindness
An episode of the past to make the most of the present

By Angela Pimpinella
Deputy Coordinator, EBU Deafblind Working Group

Whenever I am asked to talk about my experience at university as a deafblind person, my mind immediately goes back to 11 May 2002. That's why I have decided to tell you about this event.

It is on that day that a ceremony was organized at Roma Tre University in order to present all those who had graduated in 2000 and 2001 with the degree certificate and a medal especially designed to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the University's foundation. The atmosphere fascinated me. Because a great many graduates were there, we were placed in nine lecture halls according to the faculty we belonged to. The authorities and the teaching staff were assembled in the Great Hall where they delivered their speeches. These were broadcasted in the lecture halls by means of videoconferencing technology. Very important leading figures of Italian culture and politics as well as the Rector of the University were present. The importance of education as a cultural process was highlighted : even though a degree alone may not always be sufficient to get a job, studying is important in terms of personal training and development and contributes to the growth of the entire nation. The importance of a closer collaboration between students and authorities was highlighted. As a matter of fact an alumni association has since been established, one of its objectives being the cohesion and collaboration between students and teachers.

Then came the most important part of the ceremony. A commission composed of the Faculty Dean and two other lecturers, all wearing the academic gown, presented each graduate with the degree certificate and medal.

I was there waiting to be called, everybody was excited… and soon it was my turn. I went to the Dean who shook my hand. There were the usual congratulations and good wishes while he gave me the degree certificate (a beautiful parchment certifying my first-class honours degree in pedagogy). It is difficult to describe what I felt at that moment. I was very happy, and much of my happiness stemmed from my conviction that my study experience led the way to a new and easier access to the right to culture for deafblind people. Nowadays deafblind people have to face fewer difficulties than I had to. I was one of the first, if not the first, deafblind person to go to university in Italy. The lack of knowledge and experience around deafblindness was for me a tremendous obstacle as it brought about many social and methodological problems which I had to solve by building up my own pathway, step by step. Nonetheless, 11 May 2002 gave me to ascertain to my great satisfaction that equal opportunities are no longer a dream, but a reality. I was there with other non-disabled students with whom I had followed the same courses, the only difference lying in methodology.

How did all that become possible ? I could manage thanks to the services I was provided with by the St Alessio Institute for the Blind in Rome. I must say that the opening of a braille printing centre at that time was vital for me to take up university education. This certainly is an example of how equal opportunities can be put into practice. I was able to study the same textbooks as the other students thanks to the possibility I was given to have them transcribed into braille. As I went on with my studies, I tried to build up my own methodology. The St Alessio Institute provided me with guide/interpreters for a few hours, thus making it easier for me both to contact my teachers and to study some specific topics in depth.

I totally agree with what was pointed out in the cultural and political speeches that day at the ceremony : studying should primarily be acquisition of culture because this is the key to access information easily as well as to grow richer in humanity.

I would like to conclude with the good news that currently a few deafblind students are attending university in Naples. I am convinced that, also thanks to recent developments in assistive technologies, equal opportunities will be even closer a reality for them.


Back to contents




Beyond the Stereotypes :
Blind and partially sighted people and work

Beyond the Stereotypes is part of a series that RNIB has produced to highlight the unacceptable fact that three out of four blind and partially sighted people in the UK are not in work. We have disseminated the report widely : in particular, UK MEPs on the European Parliament Committee for Employment and Social Affairs have been contacted.

Beyond the Stereotypes demonstrates that sight loss in itself is not a barrier to employment. Given better support from government and employers, around a 140,000 blind and partially sighted job seekers could join the work force tomorrow, making a valuable contribution. Although there are now specific schemes and legislation designed to promote the employment of disabled people, many of these interventions generally do not support blind and partially sighted people. Recruitment practices, which exclude this group from employment, should be stopped, for example the failure to supply information and application forms in accessible media and selection tests that fail to take account of reasonable adjustments.

RNIB has been calling on the UK Government, service providers and employers to act to change the employment situation of blind and partially sighted people. Their skills and abilities should be recognised and harnessed for the enrichment of the workforce. We are also forging links with both employers and MEPs to raise awareness at local and regional levels.

However this report is not only about mainstreaming work. RNIB is also concerned with the additional strands of supporting the employment of blind and partially sighted people who have additional disabilities. This is an issue that has been addressed in a previous report Constructing and Employment Continuum (2002). We also believe that questions such as disability leave and other measures to foster the retention in their jobs of people who lose their sight while working, are essential. These will be detailed in future reports.

As we are sure you are aware, the issues raised in this report are not exclusive to the UK : they should also be addressed at a European level. We think that this vital piece of research could assist fellow EBU members in their campaigning work.

For further information, please contact Catrin H. Roberts at :
catrin.roberts@rnib.org.uk


Back to contents




Accessibility on the move

European Mobility Award 2004 recognises Ljubljana's commitment to accessibility

In EDF Weekly Mailing No 17-2004 (6 June 2004)

On 1 June 2004, the city of Ljubljana (Slovenia) was appointed as the official winner of the European Mobility Week Award 2004. The award, presented by European Commissioner for Environment Margot Wallström during an official ceremony held in Brussels, recognises local action to promote sustainable transport in European cities and towns. Special focus was given to permanent measures taken in favour of the accessibility of disabled people, theme of last year's European Mobility Week.

Chosen among the 723 other European cities invited to participate in last year's award and winning against 2 other finalists (Almada, Portugal, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) Ljubljana was chosen by the members of the jury for its commitment to the improvement of local transport, including accessibility for disabled users.

Ljubljana's local authorities launched several permanent measures in line with the European Mobility Week Charter, including :

Ljubljana Public Transport also has confirmed its commitment to continue its efforts in favour of disability-friendly local buses, taking into account the specific needs of disabled users (access for wheelchair users, information in alternative formats for visually impaired people, training for the drivers).

The European Disability Forum, member of the jury, congratulates the Slovenian city of Ljubljana for the permanent measures it has taken in favour of disabled people's access to public transport. "We are very happy that a new member State has received this award. We are confident that other new Member States will also demonstrate a strong commitment to disability issues. Ljubljana has paved the way, showing that the best way forward is to work in close cooperation with the national organisations of disabled people", said Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum.

While welcoming the decision on the award and the good cooperation with the European Commission and all partners involved in the organisation of the European Mobility Week, the European Disability Forum deeply regrets that the official award ceremony was itself not accessible for disabled people.




Back to contents




Coming events

EBU Board

    11-13 March 2005, POTSDAM (Germany)
    22-26 July 2005 ZAKYNTHOS (Greece)
    Contact : Vaclav Polasek, EBU Secretary General
    Tel : +420 2 2146 2246
    Fax : +420 2 2146 2145
    E-mail : polasek@sons.cz


EBU Commissions

    4-5 February 2005, PARIS
    Commission for Multi-handicapped Visually Impaired and Deafblind People
    Contact : Henri Faivre
    Email : CLAPEAHA@wanadoo.fr


    4-6 March 2005, OSLO
    Commission on Social Policy
    Contact : Philippe Chazal
    Email : ph.chazal@avh.asso.fr


    April 2005
    Commission for Liaising with the EU
    Contact : Rodolfo Cattani
    Email : inter@uiciechi.it


    2-3 April 2005, ZURICH
    Commission on Cooperation with Blind and Partially-sighted People in Developing Countries
    Contact : John Heilbrunn
    Email : jh@dkblind.dk


    8-10 April 2005, LONDON
    Commission on Access for Blind and Partially-sighted People
    Contact : Peter Brass
    Email : mail@pbrass.de





Other Organisations

17-18 February 2005, CANNES (France)
Communications for All
A unique mobile and telecommunications industry conference that looks at ways in which the industry can act to help the physically and socially handicapped and disadvantaged sections of our global society.

For further details on the conference, visit :
www.newdimensionevents.com
or contact Stuart N. Willett
Tel :+ 44 7734 315506
Email : sw@newdimensionevents.com


4-8 April, LONDON (UK)
VISION 2005
The world's largest conference on issues concerning people with sight problems will be hosted by RNIB in London from 4-8 April 2005. The Vision 2005 conference and exhibition will draw together the world's leading researchers and providers of services, equipment and products. It will be held at a prestigious centre in Parliament Square, Westminster. The conference is organised under the auspices of the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation. Now in its eighth year, the conference is renowned amongst eye health professionals and specialists throughout the world for offering the latest in scientific research and the best opportunities for networking.

More information is available from :
Tel : +44 20 7391 2329
Fax : +44 20 7391 2079
Email : vision2005@rnib.org.uk


1-4 August 2005, GLASGOW (United Kingdom)
International Special Education Conference :
Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity ?

To keep up with news, please keep checking the conference website at www.isec2005.org.uk
Questions about the programme and registration :
ISEC 2005 Conference Administrator
Tel : +44 141 950 3234
Email : isec.2005@strath.ac.uk


2-7 August 2005, PRESNOV (Slovakia)
6th European Conference of Deafblind International

For more information about the conference, please visit
www.dbiconference.sk
Or contact Anna Misinova, Conference Secretariat, at :
Tel/fax : +421 51 7582 485
Email : conference@dbiconference.sk


14-18 August 2005, CHEMNITZ (Germany)
ICEVI European Conference : Education, Aiming for Excellence

For more information about the conference, please visit :
www.icevi2005.de
Email : e.fuchs@icevi2005.de
Or contact Kongress 2005
Tel : +49 371 33 44 0 ; Fax : +49 371 33 44 350


19-22 September 2005, LILLE (France)
8th European conference for the advancement of assistive technology in Europe

The Association for the advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe organises its 8th conference in Lille (France) in 2005. This biannual conference is an opportunity for people to discuss new developments, trends and researches in the field of Assistive Technology.

Information regarding this conference is available at : www.aaate2005.com


19-21 October 2005, LJUBLJANA (Slovenia)
eChallenges e-2005 Conference and Exhibition

This is the fifteenth in a series of annual conferences supported by the European Commission, which regularly attracts over 500 delegates from commercial, government and research organisations around the world to share knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice.

e-2005 will provide a forum to showcase the achievements of FP6, eEurope 2005, and regional, national and international ICT-related initiatives, and look forward to the future by focusing on the thematic priorities of FP6 and FP7. The European Research Area and research priorities and trends for the future will also be discussed.

Contact : e2005@adera.fr
Website : www.echallenges.org




Back to contents