Published by the EBU Office
With the financial support of
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of the European Commission
Table of contents :
European Commission proposes new rights for bus and maritime passengers
National news
Development in Action
Announcement
FEATURE
[ The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EBU. ]SEASONAL GREETINGS
by Lord Colin Low, President of EBU
Dear Friends,
This is a time of some sadness, particularly for us in the UK, as we mourn
the recent loss of our great former President, Sir John Wall. Sir John
remained such a vital presence in EBU right up to the time of his sudden
death, which took us all by shock, that it is difficult to get used to the
fact that he is no longer with us, always
ready with words of wise advice whenever we needed them. But it is difficult
to be sad for too long when one remembers all the fun and good humour Sir
John injected into everything he did, and that is certainly not something
Sir John would have wished. And so I send you warmest greetings for this
festive and holiday
season.
2008 has been a time of consolidation and putting systems in place for
delivering the work plan for 2007-11. But there is already progress to
report:
We are beginning to put together the database for monitoring implementation of the UN Convention across all countries;
But we have plenty more to do. The Board will be working hard in 2009. You
can count on us and I know that we can rely on your support in our
collective effort.
Once again, may I wish you, your family and friends all the best of health,
happiness and productive work in 2009.
Colin Low
EBU President
Please feel free to send your comments on this Newsletter’s layout and
contents to
ebu@euroblind.org
Farewell Sir John
It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of one of EBU's most prominent and dedicated leaders, Sir John Wall, on November 30, at the age of 78 years.
John Wall was Secretary General of EBU from 1994 to 1996 and President from 1996 to 2003. He has given us an exceptional legacy to honour, through his career achievements and the many contributions he made to the blind movement.
John Wall lost his sight at the age of eight years. He was educated at a
college for the blind and read Law at the University of Oxford. He first led
a successful career as a highly sought-after solicitor and went on to become
the first blind lawyer to be appointed to a judicial position in 1991.
Before taking up his appointment as Deputy High Court Master at the Chancery
Division, John Wall stated: "In the past, the Lord Chancellor's Department
considered it would be wrong to appoint blind people to judicial office. I
am glad to say that this attitude has changed, and they are now looking at
people on their individual merits. I hope my example will be an
encouragement to other visually impaired lawyers".
John Wall's achievements went far beyond his outstanding legal career as he
worked tirelessly for the blind movement in various organisations in the UK
and internationally throughout his life. He has been involved with the RNIB
from 1962 when he first joined its Executive Council. From 1967, he chaired
its Publications and Equipment Committee; he then became Vice-Chairman in
1975 and was RNIB Chairman from 1990 to 2000.
EBU President Lord Colin Low recalls : “He threw himself with astonishing energy into everything he did and was working right up to the end on innumerableprojects with undiminished vigour. Sir John will occupy an honoured place in the annuals of EBU alongside its most distinguished leaders”.
John Wall was also a founding member of the National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom and contributed to the UK Disability Forum for Europe, the Society of Blind Lawyers of England, the Middlesex Association for the Blind and the British Wireless for the Blind Fund, amongst others. He received several awards and was appointed as Commander of the British Empire and knighted by Her Majesty Elizabeth II.
With his unique talents and fully-fledged dedication, John Wall has been and shall remain an inspiration to all visually impaired people.
European Commission proposes new rights for bus and maritime passengers
Press Release: European Commission, Brussels, 4 December 2008
The Commission adopted today two legislative proposals establishing sets of rights for passengers using bus and maritime services on both domestic and international routes. Rights include minimum rules on information for all passengers before and during their journey, assistance and compensation in the event of interruptions of journeys, measures in the event of delays and specific assistance for persons with reduced mobility. Like in the air and rail sectors, proposals foresee independent national bodies for settlement of disputes.
"The EU cannot afford different levels of rights for passengers depending on which mode of transport they travel with. With these two new regulations, we will cover all transport modes. All passengers can make their choice of preferred mode of transport knowing that their rights are equally enforced irrespective of the means", said Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for transport.
Rights of persons with reduced mobility
Disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility are often
prevented from travelling by bus and ship due to lack of accessibility of
these services and the inexistence of necessary assistance for their needs.
The proposals address these problems by forbidding any discrimination on
grounds of disability or reduced mobility with regard to booking a journey
or boarding a vehicle or ship. Assistance is provided free of charge on
condition that the passenger has notified a need for it in advance and
arrives at the terminal or port at a predetermined time prior to the
scheduled departure. Personnel of companies and staff of bus terminals or
ports should have appropriate knowledge with regard to provision of
assistance to disabled persons.
(...)
EU countries will have to set up enforcement bodies responsible for ensuring
the implementation of these regulations on their territory. If a bus or ship
passenger considers that any of these rights have not been respected, he can
bring the matter to the attention of the company. If he is not satisfied
with the response, a complaint can be made to the national enforcement body
designated by the country concerned.
Full text and further information from the European Commission’s website: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air_portal/passenger_rights/index_en.htm
Accessible Digital TV Update
The European Blind Union was well represented at the European Commission's
eInclusion conference, which took place between 30/11 and 02/12 in Vienna.
The conference followed a year on from a similar event in Lisbon, and its
aim was to review the progress-or lack of progress- towards a fully
inclusive digital Europe.
RNIB put together a stand for EBU, which formed part of the "Digital TV
experience area" in the conference's exhibition hall. Our stand stood out
strongly from the others in this area. It was themed on a 1930s sitting
room, complete with old-fashioned furniture and wallpaper. On a pedestal in
front of the wall was a replica of the first ever mass production TV,
invented by Logie Baird. This machine projected images of blind people
talking about the switchover to digital TV in English, French, German and
Spanish.
Our message was that whilst we welcome the switch to digital TV in
principle, digital TV must urgently be made accessible to people with sight
problems. We explained that this can be done by ensuring that synthesised
voice technology "speaks" the on-screen menus. The slogan above our stand
warned that switchover would be a step back in time for blind people without
such technology- hence the old-fashioned look of our stand. As such we
struck a controversial but necessary note!
We had good discussions at the conference with many representatives from the
TV industry, many of whom acknowledged that our concerns were valid.
The stand did much to raise awareness- and a few eyebrows- about the
continuing inaccessibility of digital TV. In 2009 we will redouble our
efforts to stop switchover from switching off millions of blind and
partially sighted European citizens.
Further information from Dan Pescod, RNIB European and International
Campaigns Manager, dan.pescod@rnib.org.uk
National News
France
ELSA (“Echange de lodgements et de services accessible”; Accessible
Housing and Services Exchange) is a new service run by and for disabled
people.
The practice of house swapping dates back to the 1950s, enabling people to
cut their holiday budget thanks to a seasonal house exchange. ELSA now
offers this service to people who live in disability-friendly houses and
apartments. ELSA helps to link members based on their profile to ensure
their specific needs are met. This is a great opportunity for disabled
people who are too often faced with inappropriate or prohibitive holiday
options.
ELSA is supported by several Regional Governments in South-West France; IRM,
a mobile home manufacturer; MATMUT, a French insurance company as well as
various major disability organisations.
The first 100 subscriptions are free on
www.elsaccessible.com
Further information from Aurélie Cevaër, ELSA Project Officer,
contact@elsaccessible.com
Ireland
The Vision Impaired Service Providers Alliance (VISPA) is a new umbrella
group of visually impaired organizations which held its inaugural annual
conference on 9 October 2008, World Sight Day, in Dublin. It is formed by
Fighting Blindness, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, National Council for the
Blind of Ireland (NCBI) and St Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired.
The “Eyes on the Future” report was presented at the Conference. It is based
on research on the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in Ireland.
This publication marks a first step in VISPA’s aim to get a more accurate
picture of the prevalence of sight loss in Ireland and will enable the group
to lobby for adequate funding for services and additional investment in eye
health care.
The study was led by Professor Jonathan Jackson of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and Professor Colm O’Brien of the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin. Findings show that :
VISPA intends to press for a full epidemiological ophthalmic study that
builds on the study findings and recommendations.
The full report is available on the NCBI website at
www.ncbi.ie
Further information from NCBI, the National Council for the Blind of
Ireland, www.ncbi.ie
Back to contents
Development in action:
India: Vocational Training, the key to inclusion
The Vocational Rehabilitation Training Centre (VRTC) in Ludhiana, in the
Indian State of Punjab, offers training, counselling, vocational guidance
and outplacement services to the visually impaired. Over the years, it has
developed fruitful partnerships with the Swiss Federation of the Blind and
Visually Impaired, Rehaswiss and Christoffel Blindenmission. Two thriving
rehabilitation programmes are running as a result, with a view to enabling
the visually impaired locals to take their lives in their own hands.
The first programme is a micro-credit project : a non-interest loan of
10,000 Indian Rupees (approximately 150 Euros) is made available towards
training or the setting up of self-employment businesses. The other is a
funding programme that supports visually impaired people into a well
regarded secretarial training course. Here are some success stories that
showcase the outcomes of these programmes.
Nayagi is a blind lady from the Tamilnadu State. The daughter of
Burmese refugees, she has been blind from birth and went through many
hardships as the death of her father meant her single-parent family was too
poor to support her. Her referral to VRCT was life transforming. She
relocated to the Punjab where she completed a one-year Stenography course.
She became active in the community there and met her husband, a partially
sighted man, at the institute. She now holds a position at the Indian
Overseas Bank, she is a mother of two and a proud home owner.
Rajwinder is a woman from Hasanpur, a village located in the Punjab.
She was deaf from birth and became partially sighted as a result of
inappropriate medical prescriptions. She was unemployed and very poor until
she was able to attend a training course in store management skills through
the micro credit programme. She now holds a steady position at the local
cattle feed retail store.
Kiran is a blind woman from the Punjab. She lost her sight whilst
studying towards an undergraduate Nursing degree. She fell into depression
and required counselling to cope with her new situation. She eventually
learnt Braille and took the one-year English Stenography course. She then
obtained a position as a government stenography teacher in the city of
Chandigarh. She has recently been appointed to the Selection Committee to
conduct interviews and select prospective government employees and is now
pursuing a PhD.
Rajan is a visually impaired man from the Tamilnadu province. His
poor family background meant he would have been unable to access higher
education. However, he was referred to VRTC and relocated to the Punjab to
attend the institute. At first he did not know the Punjabi language. He
initially received mobility training and counselling before being admitted
to the English Stenography training course. He is now employed at the
Institute for the Blind in Madurai, a city in Tamilnadu.
EBU Development Commission shares this cameo of international development
cooperation with EBU National Members to show the benefits of sharing your
expertise with brother and sister organisations in the developing countries
where your knowledge and experience can so easily and valuably be
re-invested.
Further information from the Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired, www.sbv-fsa.ch
ANNOUNCEMENT
Volunteer Internet Radio Broadcasters Wanted
Under its motto of “Connecting the Blind Community”, the
ABC Radio offers five channels of
on-line content which can be heard using free computer software. Two of
these channels are now looking for new broadcasters.
ACB Radio Interactive is
a live English language channel which focuses on music and interaction with
listeners.
ACB Radio World broadcasts both
live and pre-recorded shows in various languages and it concentrates mainly
on music and talk.
ABC is looking for visually impaired volunteer broadcasters with an interest
in music. Guidance will be offered on technical and other aspects. No
previous experience is required and all languages are welcome.
Further information from Naama Erez, ABC Radio Coordinator
naama@acbradio.org
Network Training Programme for Visually Impaired Adults
The Sensis training programme ‘Building and maintaining a personal
network’ for visually impaired older adults is now available in English.
As many older people experience loneliness, Sensis developed a group
programme to help visually impaired older adults to actively engage with
issues of network, self esteem and friendship. Training consists of ten
weekly meetings, with practical exercises and homework, for approximately
eight participants. It also includes a one-day training course for
professionals who work with visually impaired adults. It is based on
research conducted by Sensis with Maastricht University and Radboud
University Nijmegen.
It can be ordered through the Sensis website for 35 euros
http://www.sensis.nl/professional/expertisecentrum/?action=view&id=98
Further information from Peter Verstraten:
pverstraten@sensis.nl
FEATURE :
Ana Peláez: A true commitment towards the rights of people with disabilities
The following is an interview of Ana Peláez on the occasion of her
election to the United Nations Convention Monitoring Committee. Ana Peláez
is Director of International Relations at ONCE, the Spanish National
Organisation of the Blind. She is also the Vice-Chairwoman of the EBU
Commission for Liaising with the European Union.
Question: Why did you want to serve on the Committee of Experts on the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
Reply: I believe the Committee is a key body in monitoring compliance with
the obligations set by the Convention and will have an impact in all the
countries. As such it is vital that we, as persons with disabilities, are
represented in order to make sure there is “Nothing about us, without us”.
Due to my wide experience in the disability field, academic qualifications
and professional career, I believe I can contribute with my experience in
disability issues as well as international co-operation and human
development.
Q: What do you think will be the biggest challenges facing you as an
expert on the Committee?
R: Without a doubt the greatest challenge will be carrying out true advocacy
for the human rights, equal opportunities and non-discrimination of the most
vulnerable groups within the population of persons with disabilities an all
areas of life (such as, for example, boys and girls with disabilities, women
with disabilities, residents in closed, segregated environments, persons who
are especially affected due to their disability, persons with disabilities
in rural settings, and so on).
Q: In which areas of the CRPD do you feel you have the strongest
understanding or expertise?
R: The areas which bear the closest links to my academic training and
professional career may be education, employment, accessibility, political
participation and international development co-operation, in addition to
children with disabilities and gender issues in all cross-cutting articles
affecting them.
Q: Bearing in mind your direct life experience as a person with
disabilities, which parts of this experience are most relevant to the work
of the Committee?
R: I am a woman and I am blind from birth. I began my studies at a ONCE
school for the blind before moving on to a mainstream school for my
secondary education. I also studied abroad at the Liceo Saint Ubert in
Brussels.
I have a two-year old daughter, and being a mother is one of the best
experiences in my life. In my personal life my husband and I have a strong
social commitment as we are foster parents to persons with disabilities.
Thanks to my professional career I have had the opportunity to visit 76
countries, focussing at all times on development and improving the quality
of life of persons with disabilities. In addition, I worked as a voluntary
aid worker in development projects in the field of disability in Guanajuato,
Mexico, in 1996 and Cork, Ireland, in 2004.
Q: How would you describe your experience in fields relevant to the work
of the Committee, such as human rights, sociology, political science,
policy, law, research or technical applications?
R: I am most experienced in the field of social sciences, with particular
experience in research in quality of life and visual impairment, the subject
of my doctoral thesis.
Q: Have you served on the staff or board of directors, or as a volunteer
worker, active committee member, etc. of disabled persons’ organizations or
organizations working in the field of disability? Have you been involved
with advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities in other ways?
If so, please give concrete examples of activities, responsibilities,
challenges, successes and lessons learned.
R: I am currently Director of International Relations at the Spanish
National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE) and Executive Vice-President of
the ONCE Foundation for Solidarity with Blind People in Latin America
(FOAL). I am also Commissioner for Women’s Affairs for the Spanish Committee
of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (CERMI).
In Europe, I am a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of
Directors of the European Disability Forum (EDF), and I chair the EDF
Women’s Committee. I also play an active role in the European Blind Union (EBU)
as Vice-chair of its Commission for Liaising with the European Union.
Internationally, I am part of the International Council for the Education of
People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), where I am actively involved in its
‘Education for All’ programme fighting to bring about inclusion in education
for blind and partially sighted girls and boys in developing countries. I am
also a member of the World Blind Union Children’s Committee, and I was given
the honour of representing WBU at the Special Session of the United Nations
General Assembly on Children in 2002 and on the NGO Committee on UNICEF.
I drafted a report for UNICEF on the increased vulnerability blind and
partially sighted boys and girls may suffer. It was included in UNICEF’s
2005 worldwide annual report.
All this experience and work has enabled me to play a very active role in
promoting and advocating the rights of persons with disabilities in general,
and persons with visual impairment in particular. The following are but a
few examples of my work in this field:
Q: Given that you were nominated to represent Spain on the Committee, how
would you describe your relationship with the Spanish government?
R: I have always worked as an integral part of civil society. I have been
selected on various occasions as an expert by the disability movement to
represent it, in areas where I have expertise, at hearings of the Spanish
Congress of Deputies (lower house) and Senate and the European Parliament.
I have also represented the movement in several government bodies such as
the Council of the Royal Board on Disability, the Ministry of Health and
Consumer Affairs Women’s Health Observatory, the State Observatory against
Gender Violence and the Governing Board of the Spanish Women’s Institute,
all official bodies in my country.
I was also chosen by the disability movement in Spain (CERMI) to take part
in the final phase of the preparatory work for the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, representing civil society as a Spanish
delegate. I have carried out all of this work independently, free of outside
influence and in line with constructive and participative political
activity.
Q: Of all your writings and opinions, which do you feel are most relevant
to the work of the Committee?
Q: What do you think will be the major challenges in implementing the
CRPD? Which issues in the CRPD do you feel will require particular attention
in implementation?
R: In my opinion, the major challenge in implementing the CRPD will be to
engage the whole society in changing the approach in addressing disability.
If we are capable of engaging everyone, not just persons with disabilities
but social and economic agents, governments and society in general, with the
Convention, this will mean that each stakeholder will have assumed his or
her responsibility and the social model will be a reality.
It is important to disseminate the message that this Convention is not only
for persons with disabilities, and equally important that we as persons with
disabilities are the ones leading this change and participating actively and
constructively in the process of implementing the CRPD.
In addition, the CRPD addresses a range of rights and issues affecting all
areas in the lives of persons with disabilities. Each of these is, of
course, important and they all require a degree of attention and effort in
line with the level of development in the country where implementation is
being effected. In those countries with a lower level of socioeconomic
development the key challenge may be to include ‘disability’ on the
political agenda.
Article 12 of the Convention raises certain questions that must be handled
with particular care in order to ensure respect for the spirit of the treaty
during implementation; accessibility as a guiding principle is a key element
that will determine the effectiveness of many of the rights in the
Convention.
In the parts of the Convention which contain radical conceptual shifts for
certain nations in terms of the previous situation and what is being
implemented in that country, it is vital to have the participation of civil
society and international co-operation to ensure the Convention is
implemented successfully.
Q: The social model approach to disability recognizes the role of society
in creating and maintaining barriers to the full and equal enjoyment of
human rights by persons with disabilities. Please describe one area where
application of the social model would, in your view, make a significant
change in how society relates to persons with disabilities.
R: The implementation of the Convention should bring about changes in a
number of questions, but I feel the most important is without a doubt how we
address the issue of the rights of persons with disabilities.
Until now issues such as this one have almost always been dealt with in
social affairs departments and with financial resources that fluctuated
depending on the political will at the time. The terms ‘assistance’ and
‘benefits’ were used instead of ‘rights’.
The key shift must be to include those issues affecting persons with
disabilities, and eradicate barriers and obstacles that cause disability in
all parts of life, in each and every public policy as cross-cutting issues.
All of this should not be dependent on budgetary matters as we are talking
about RIGHTS and not assistance.
Another aspect that will change is the participation of persons with
disabilities in determining our own life choices, which is simply the
consequence of our exercising fully the rights we have.
Q: In the negotiations in the lead up to the Convention, NGOs,
particularly disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs), had an important
participatory role in the process. How do you envision the interaction of
civil society with the Committee?
R: Interaction between civil society and the Committee is absolutely vital
if we are to ensure the Convention is successful. This is the purpose of the
Committee and the reason why it is mentioned in these terms in the text of
the Convention. If there wasn’t close co-operation between both sides we
would be failing to adhere to the CRPD.
In relation to the Committee co-operating with civil society, not only do I
feel that collaboration should exist, but that it should be formalised
through action protocols or by-laws to be approved by the Committee itself.
However, we need to go further than this: to address multi-discrimination,
such as disability and gender, children with disabilities, disability and
race, and so on, co-operation will be required with other United Nations
bodies and those civil society actors specialised in these fields of human
rights. We will need to address these issues also in the work of the
Committee.
Q: Members of the Committee of Experts will participate in meetings held
in Geneva, Switzerland, for about 10 weeks per year. How will you combine
your current work with the time required to serve on the Committee?
R: I’ll just need to work more !
Full text and complete references from EBU office,
ebu@euroblind.org
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Coming Eventss |
EBU Board
10
– 11 January 2009 COUPVRAI (France)
Contact : Birgitta Blokland, EBU Secretary General
Email : bjb202@hotmail.com
EBU Commissions and Steering
Groups
9 – 11 January 2009
MARNE LA VALLEE (France)
Board Meeting
Contact : EBU Office
Email : ebu@euroblind.org
16 – 18 January 2009 TUUSULA (Finland)
Youth Steering Groupp
Contact : Oystein Fylling, EBU Youth Steering Group Coordinator
Email : oystein.fylling@netcom.no
Other organisations
4 - 8 January 2009 PARIS (France)
BRAILLE 1809-2009 - Symposium
The Symposium marks the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille. It is
organised by the Association Valentin Haüy and the Institut National des
Jeunes Aveugles. The programme includes various events, including a
Conference and a concert in the Notre Dame Cathedral.
http://www.avh.asso.fr/bicentenaire/programme/programme.php
15 - 16 January 2009
VALENCIA (Spain)
LIVING ALL CONFERENCE
The Free Movements and Equal Living Opportunities for All (Living All)
Project is funded by DG Research Health in the VI Framework Programme of the
European Commission.
The Living All European Conference presents the final results of the
research carried out under the Living All project. The Conference will
showcase best practices and expose the barriers to free movement and equal
opportunities for disabled people in the Member States of the EU.
Until 8 March 2009 STRASBOURG (France)
Temporary Exhibition "Dialogue in the Dark";;;
www.dialoguedanslenoir.com/en/dialogue-dans-le-noir-en/
20 - 23 April 2009
WROCLOW (Poland)
Conference and Workshop on Assistive Technologies for People with Vision and
Hearing Impairments: Past Successes and Future ChallengessThis is the sixth event in the CVHI international conference series on Assistive Technologies and Rehabilitation Engineering supported by the European Commission. CVHI is part of the CWST project, http://cwst.icchp.orgg.
Topics will deal with the engineering and scientific aspects of assistive technology for sensory impaired people.
Information soon available from:
www.elec.gla.ac.uk/Events_page/CVHI/cvhi
18 - 20 June 2009
COUPVRAY (France)
INTERNATIONAL BRAILLE CONGRESS
The Congress is organised by CINAL in Coupvray, the birth place of Louis
Braille. The programme will cover independence, integration and access to
knowledge. It will inform the Coupvray Charter which will have 10 key
political proposals. Activities will conclude with a concert featuring
Stevie Wonder and Andrea Bocelli.
http://www.webstore.fr/lille.webstore.fr/faf.asso.fr/cinal.htm