EBU NEWSLETTER No 37
SEPTEMBER 2002

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. ]






EBU Board Update

The Board of EBU held its last meeting in Prague on 7 September 2002. Decisions made at that meeting include :

    - Louis Braille Museum

    In EBU Newsletter No 36, our readers were informed of the Board's plans to set up a European Louis Braille Committee to solve the museum's financial difficulties. In fact there are already two such committees, one at WBU and the other at French national level. Board members therefore felt it more appropriate to establish a Louis Braille Club whose members will help raise funds for the museum. Club members will have a say on how the club should be organised and run, and will be fully involved in developing and improving the museum activity. It is also hoped that club members will form national clubs to promote the use of braille in their countries.

    - Bombing of the Al-Nour Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind in the Gaza Strip

    Further to the Board's letter of protest of 12 June 2002 (see Newsletter No 36), the Israeli government sent the following letter to EBU :

    "... I wish to inform you of the details furnished by our Ministry of Defense.

    On the evening of 5 March 2002, the Israeli Air Force took operational action against Palestinian police headquarters in the Gaza Strip, approximately 30 meters west of the Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind. An analysis of the relevant film has revealed that a direct hit was registered on the police facility, but that pieces of shrapnel were the cause of broken windows and cracks in the wall of the adjacent centre.

    Although the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) endeavors to avoid harming non-belligerents in the course of its activities, continued Palestinian terrorism against innocent Israeli civilians has left us with no choice but to engage in the active defense of our country and people. Hopefully, once the Palestinian Authority fulfills its signed obligation to combat violence, the need for Israeli preventive measures will be diminished. "

    - EBU enters in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO)

    The Board approved plans for EBU to carry out, on behalf of ILO, a survey on the employment of blind and partially-sighted persons in Europe. The survey aims to compile examples of good practice in the employment of people with a visual impairment. In particular, EBU is asked to prepare a plan for information gathering ; to provide case study information from at least eight European countries on steps to promote the employment of blind and partially-sighted persons ; to describe adaptations of work station and work place ; to indicate what additional costs are involved and how these are funded.

    - The Board decided to entrust this work to the EBU Commission on Rehabilitation, Vocational Training and Employment. The project will run from 1 October 2002 to 30 March 2003, and will be funded by ILO.

The Board will hold its next meeting in La Grande Motte, near Montpellier (France) on 1-2 February 2003.

For further details, please contact Mokrane Boussaid
Director, EBU Office
Tel : +33 1 47 05 38 20, Fax : +33 1 47 05 38 21
E-mail : ebuoffice@euroblind.org

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EBU AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

PRESERVE FREEPOST SCHEMES FOR THE BLIND

1) The European Directives that apply in this sector

As part of its internal market objectives, the European Union is aiming to complete the internal market in postal services.

This process started with "Directive 97/67/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 1997 on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service." This Directive contained a clause allowing for the continuation of freepost schemes for blind and partially sighted people, in Recital 16 ("... whereas the process of liberalisation should not curtail the continuing supply of certain free services for blind and partially sighted persons introduced by the Member States.") as well as Article 7 ("…In the case of the free postal service for blind and partially sighted persons, exceptions to the weight and price restrictions may be permitted.").

This 1997 Directive was recently amended by "Directive 2002/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the further opening to competition of Community postal services". The amended Directive leaves out the recital 16 mention of blind and partially sighted people, but more importantly retains it in Article 7 (In the case of the free postal service for blind and partially sighted persons, exceptions to the weight and price restrictions may be permitted). On the basis that Articles set down legal regulations whilst recitals only set out general aspirations, this should be more than sufficient to safeguard freepost schemes.

2) Member States are in the process of reviewing their existing regulations

The most recent 2002 Directive states that Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive no later than 31 December 2002. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

This means that many national Member States are currently reviewing their legal framework governing postal services. We cannot assume that they will automatically retain the provisions for blind and partially sighted people, as there is no obligation on them to do so. Instead of obliging Member States to put in place or maintain weight and price exceptions, the Directive allows for this to happen but leaves it to the Member States to decide. This means that Member States can decide who is covered by freepost schemes, what constitutes an article for the blind, weight limits and contents criteria.

This provides an opportunity for EBU members to insist on the inclusion of freepost provisions that take the following issues into account :

2.1) The following principles should be recognised in national legislation :

    2.1.1) General principles applying to the universal service

    Postal Services currently have a Universal Service obligation to deliver and collect post everywhere. There is concern that some private operators will pick lucrative routes and ignore the rest, leading to the Post Office having to deal with the least profitable ones.

    Our client group are more reliant on the post for, among others, home shopping, and therefore, any impact on postal services has a disproportionate effect on them. For example, many blind and partially sighted people rely largely on the postal service to access information and obtain essential equipment which is not readily available from high street shops.

    This is why freepost schemes for blind and partially sighted people should be available from all service providers in the market.

    2.1.2) Quality : reliable, accessible and secure services ; speed of delivery

    Quality is as important, if not more so, to blind people as to sighted people. Services need to be reliable, accessible and secure, allowing blind people to access information and services. Speed of delivery is particularly important because blind and partially sighted people have often already had information delayed while it is made available in braille or tape. For the same reason Articles for the Blind should continue to be sent as first class letters to minimise the risk of delays which may have a direct impact on the quality of blind people's lives.

    2.1.3) Accessibility : maintain number of collection points and special collection and delivery arrangements in rural areas

    Given that mobility is a significant problem for blind and partially sighted people, it is important that the number of collection points are maintained. In addition blind and partially sighted people value highly the option in some rural areas to have bulky and heavy letters and packages collected. This service should be safeguarded. Any changes likely to affect collection or delivery arrangements should take into account the particular needs of blind people. In particular, the liberalisation should not lead to a reduction in the existing network of physical post offices, as these offices are a crucial contact and access point in providing a universal service to blind and partially sighted people, for example as a point where people can buy stamps. It is also not clear where people will be able to buy stamps for other providers of postal services.

    Post Offices are vital for the most disadvantaged people (people with serious sight loss). Closure of urban and rural Post Offices is a real problem for our client group, and we support their promotion and development rather than disappearance.

    2.1.4) Affordability and non-discrimination : importance of freepost schemes

    The issue of affordability is particularly relevant to blind and partially sighted people. Firstly, special format copies of documents and books are heavier than their print equivalent and would make many items prohibitively expensive to post. Yet they can often only be obtained by mail order. Secondly, the majority of blind and partially sighted people live on lower incomes than non-disabled people, with a smaller percentage than average in employment. This combined with overall higher living costs (due to their reliance on specialist equipment and their mobility problems) means that increased costs for postal services they are using would discriminate against blind and partially sighted people. Their reliance on affordable postal services is particularly great. Yet without the freepost scheme they would be denied access to information and services which are essential for their ability to live independent lives.

    2.1.5) Universal service should include the obligation to carry articles for the blind without charge

    Any legislation should avoid any reduction in the service currently provided to blind and partially sighted people on the grounds of lack of profitability. Given the considerable weight of some braille copies, the weight limit for articles for the blind should remain at 7 kg. It should be noted that this is also the limit set in the Universal Postal Convention. As articles for the blind are sent free, price limits would only apply to airmail surcharges and exemptions should be introduced where required. Article 7.4 of the 1994 text of the Universal Postal Convention states that "literature for the blind shall be exempt from all postal charges, with the exception of air surcharges." This Convention binds governments and not postal operators.

    Furthermore, it is essential that the distinction between postal items (e.g newspapers and goods) on the one hand and items of correspondence on the other hand should not be applied to articles for the blind. It is precisely because braille and tape versions of "postal items" (newspapers, magazines and books) are not readily available that blind and partially sighted people rely on postal services to get access to them. The same applies to specialised goods which are only available by post.

    2.1.6) What items should ideally be covered by freepost ?

      1. Freepost for braille of any weight from and to anybody

      2. Freepost for tapes of any weight from registered organisations and being returned to registered organisations

      3. Freepost for computer disks of any weight from registered organisations and being returned to registered organisations

      4. Freepost for CD-roms of any weight from registered organisations and being returned to registered organisations

      5. Freepost for large print items of any weight from registered organisations and being returned to registered organisations

For further information, please contact Leen Petrie
EBU Working Group on Access to Infomation
Tel : +44 207 391 2009
E-mail : leen.petre@rnib.org.uk

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ONCE PROPOSALS FOR THE CONVENTION ON THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Through the proposals set out in this paper, ONCE (Spanish National Organisation of the Blind) wishes to draw the attention of the Convention to issues that affect the integral development of blind people - and those affected by disabilities in general - as citizens, with the ultimate goal of achieving the full social integration of this population group in the construction of the European Union.

First of all, we wish to congratulate those responsible for this initiative, which undoubtedly serves to legitimise the work of the institutions. It must be stressed that respect for diversity entails the principle of equality and reaffirms the values of a participative democracy.

The proposals outlined in this document are based on the following points :

1. Recognition in the Treaties of the Charter of Fundamental Rights
2. Constitutional guarantees in the fight against discrimination
3. Recognition of general interest services of a social nature, and of Social Economy



1. Binding nature of the Charter of Fundamental Rights

The adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights marks a significant advance in the construction of a Europe of the Citizens. Nonetheless, the fact that this text is not legally binding considerably undermines its significance. The Community acquis must guarantee that the Member States, as well as prospective future members of the Union, recognise and respect the fundamental rights of their citizens by incorporating this Charter in the Treaties.

The recognition of these fundamental rights acquires even greater importance when they affect people exposed to social exclusion, in this case the blind or the disabled in general. For all disabled persons, the Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees their full social integration, specifically through Articles 21 (non-discrimination) and 26 (positive action).

It is our firm conviction that we must strive for the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in all Treaties so that it is binding throughout the whole of the European Union.




2. Constitutional guarantee in the fight against discrimination : Reform of Article 13

Article 13 of the EC Treaty establishes the competence of the Institutions, within their area of responsibility, when it comes to implementing policies to fight discrimination thanks to the unanimous agreement of all the Member States.

However, this Article does not expressly provide for the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of disability ; this could diminish its effectiveness, due to the lack of interest on the part of some Member States for these issues and their ability to veto any initiative of this kind.

We in the ONCE wish to declare that the integration, in every sphere, of blind persons and the disabled in general must be a constitutional principle for the European Union, and we therefore request that this Article be reformed in the following terms :

- The modification of Article 13 to provide it with direct effect ;

- The modification of the procedure adopted for initiatives related to the same, in such a way that they are passed by way of a co-decision procedure, with a qualified majority and the participation of the Parliament ;

- Expand the scope of the fight against discrimination on the grounds of disability to all community policies, through the inclusion in the Treaties of an article that ensures the mainstreaming of the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of disability.




3. Services of General Interest

We understand the Social Economy concept as being any economic intervention that takes place in the market or in society and which, irrespective of its legal formula, involves the principle of democratic organisation, a framework with a broad social base, that adopts a collective criterion when it comes to distributing profits/returns, demonstrates great solidarity with its milieu and fosters social cohesion. The Social Economy is therefore an economic sector with a recognised capacity for creating employment in accordance with social values, such as the incorporation of groups generally excluded from the job market.

Social Economy entities frequently provide general interest services of a social nature, which find themselves threatened by community rules on competition. In some Member States, the tendency is to ignore the nature of these entities and focus on the nature of their activities ; this often results in the organisations that provide this kind of services finding themselves adversely affected by the application of the competition rules, which proves detrimental to their important social function and the principle of solidarity.

The important role played by the Social Economy in the development of a competitive, sustainable Europe must be duly recognised in the Treaties, and, for this reason, we in the ONCE propose :

- the incorporation of an article in the Treaties that recognises the inherent qualities of the Social Economy ;

- the protection of this sector, ensuring its development and recognising its special characteristics in the Treaties, particularly with respect to the general interest social services, to a large extent provided by Social Economy agents, and the exemption from the application of the competition rules to these activities.

For further information, please contact Ernesto Uria
Director of ONCE International Relations
Tel : +34 91 436 5362
E-mail : EUI@once.es

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EBU PHARMACEUTICAL LABELLING CAMPAIGN

At its last Plenary Session (21-24 October 2002), the European Parliament accepted some of EBU amendments on accessible pharmaceutical labelling in first reading !

You will be pleased to hear that the amendments tabled in the Industry Committee and the Environment Committee were passed in plenary. Amendments 78 and 79 were voted in the bloc sent from committee ; amendment 102 on requiring a report on information to patients was a roll-call vote and was passed with 522 in favour and 34 against (see text of these amendments below).

Despite their renumbering, the amendments which EBU have supported have remained intact, and the report as adopted contains a strong message which will go before the Council of Ministers. This is very exciting as, without our collective EBU involvement, these amendments would not have gone through. EBU joint letter writing campaign has paid off.

Now the key is to put pressure on the Council of Ministers as these amendments must be maintained by the Council when it considers the European Parliament Report. The best way forward for achieving this will be discussed at the next meeting of the EBU Commission for Liaising with the EU (Dublin, 23-24 November 2002).

For further information, please contact Leen Petre
EBU Working Group on Access to Information
Tel : +44 207 391 2009
E-mail : leen.petre@rnib.org.uk



The following amendments (among others) have been passed :

    - Amendment 78
    Article 56 of Directive 2001/83/EC is replaced by the following :

    "Article 56
    The particulars referred to in Articles 54, 55 and 62 shall be easily legible, clearly comprehensible and indelible. The references made in Article 54(a) must be also expressed in Braille format on the packaging or in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) provided inside so that blind and partially-sighted people also have access to this vital information. Basic information such as product name, dosage, helpline telephone number and web site address must be included on the packaging or on the PIL, in large print (minimum font size 16). The full text of the PIL shall be available, free of charge, in other formats on request, (such as large print, braille, audio tape and electronic format)."

    - Amendment 79
    The following Article 56a is inserted :

    "Article 56a
    The competent national authority shall establish a database, accessible free of charge through the internet, in which upto-date content information for all pharmaceutical products licensed for sale or dispensing within the territory of that Member State is available. This database shall be fully accessible to all citizens in such a way that disabled people can easily access pharmaceutical product information. For those without access to the internet, a telephone helpline service shall be established to ensure as wide a dissemination of information as possible. Complete product information shall be made available on request on the web site and helpline, in the following alternative formats : large print (minimum font size 16), braille, audio tape and electronic format."

    - Amendment 102
    The following paragraph 6 a has been inserted in Article 88 of same Directive :

    "6a. By (date) the Commission shall, following consultations with consumer and patient organisations and other interested parties, present a report outlining a comprehensive consumer/patient information strategy to ensure good quality, objective, reliable and non-promotional information on medicinal products and other treatments. It shall look specifically at ways in which websites and telephone helplines are or can be used to provide information on a range of treatments, including medicinal products, and, where official approval is given to this information source, addressing the question of liability. The Commission shall propose any changes to this Article, which could enhance the extent and quality of information available to patients, paying particular attention to solutions that would ensure that this information is available in formats which are accessible to patients with disabilities. The report shall notify the European Parliament of the findings of the Pharmaceutical Committee on how to enhance the extent and quality of information available to patients.


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VISUAL
Voice for Information Society Universal Access Learning

VISUAL is a European project with financial support of the Information Society Technologies Programme of the European Commission, which core objective is to develop voice-based technology to facilitate the design of accessible websites and to improve visually impaired people's access to the web.

In particular, VISUAL aims to :

- Provide web developers with a tool facilitating the creation of accessible pages (both in meeting accessibility specifications and in implementing speech navigation). The VISUAL authoring tool could be ultimately integrated in, or at least be compatible with, any existing well-known web authoring package.

- Implement speech in the navigation as an alternative format for interaction.

- Develop an accessible portal, which can be browsed by means of speech and with contents stored in VoiceXML documents.

The development of a plug-in involving synthetic speech and voice recognition in any type of browser will give incentives to web designers and content providers to create contents that are accessible for all visually impaired people. Thanks to VISUAL, not only will they have the necessary technology, but also an authoring tool that will allow them to create accessible contents easily. A suitable methodology has been designed to that effect by specialists with far-reaching knowledge and experience of information access problems. The VISUAL authoring tool will also be accessible to web designers with a visual impairment thanks to the voice system to be developed by VISUAL.

An e-learning portal will be designed as a practical application of the technologies developed under VISUAL. E-learning plays an ever-increasing part in the world of education, and it is essential that visually impaired people are not excluded from taking advantage of this new educational opportunity. Being a member of the VISUAL consortium, EBU has played a key role in the design of the e-learning portal architecture, bearing in mind the accessibility needs of blind and partially sighted people.

The VISUAL e-learning portal will give access to e-learning websites which accessibility will have been tested based on a VISUAL-agreed methodology. It will also provide customised services in that the visually impaired user will be able to create his/her own working environment, including the e-learning website of his/her choice, encyclopedia, relevant dictionaries and other related didactical materials.

The e-learning portal is still under development, but further information is available from Mokrane Boussaid Tel : +33 1 47 05 38 20 ; Fax : +33 1 47 05 38 21 E-mail : ebuoffice@euroblind.org


The VISUAL Consortium is composed of the following 9 organizations :

- Soluziona Telecomunicaciones (Spain) - Coordinator
- Soluziona Software Factory (Spain)
- European Blind Union
- Royal National Institute of the Blind (United Kingdom)
- Unione Italiana Ciechi - Verona (Italy)
- Fédération des Aveugles et Handicapes Visuels de France (France)
- Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband e.V (Germany)
- City University (United Kingdom)
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

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BATCANE" AWARD SIGNALS GREEN LIGHT FOR MANUFACTURERS

The Batcane has won the 2002 Tomorrow's World Health Innovation Award, in association with NESTA, and the timing could not have been better. User trials have just finished and the new technology, which will revolutionise the way visually impaired people can move around, is now ready to find a manufacturer to bring the product to its large and eager market.

Sound Foresight Limited intends to launch the Batcane in the second quarter of 2003. The product is designed to increase the mobility of blind and partially sighted people, who are already showing a great deal of interest in its launch. It is estimated that the total visually impaired population of the developed world is in the region of 25 million. This figure is increasing rapidly each year, largely because of the ageing population.

The Batcane has been developed with the help of Cambridge Consultants Limited (who produced the prototype) using two new types of technology :

The first is inspired by the way bats are able to navigate in absolute darkness. The Batcane uses ultrasonic echoes : signals which bounce off objects present in the environment and feed back information to the cane. This covers the areas in front, to either side, and, uniquely, to the head height of the user. It is the first cane which gives reliable information about obstacles at that height, such as low branches and wing mirrors on lorries.

The second new technology is tactile feedback designed to access a specific part of the brain used in mapping the surroundings. We move around in a complex environment, and the Batcane enables the visually impaired user to understand the elements present in a way that is much more immediate than has previously been possible.

Cambridge Consultants Limited (CCL) has incorporated a carbon graphite shaft into the design and is working to develop a two-shot moulding grip which will reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury. Andrew Diston, the project leader for CCL, commented : "The Batcane captured our imaginations right from the start. Our challenge was to take this innovative concept and create a user-friendly product which will promote mobility and independence for visually impaired people. The award shows we have achieved that."

Dr Dean Waters, Human Factors Director of Sound Foresight and one of the inventors of the Batcane, commented : "The award is confirmation of all that we have been told by visually impaired people all over the world who contributed to the trials of the Batcane. Their enthusiasm for the product has been overwhelming and has shown that it has the potential to enhance and enrich a great many lives."

For more information, please contact Jane Fowler, Managing Director, Sound Foresight Ltd :
E-mail : info@soundforesight.co.uk
Website : www.soundforesight.co.uk

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OBITUARY

Svend Jensen, former President of the Danish Association of the Blind (DAB), died on 5 October 2002 at the age of 73. His Presidency extends over 30 years of
DAB's 90-year existence.

The death of Svend Jensen means the end of an era. He was a great personality and a major force within social politics in Denmark since the 1960's. Indeed he played a central part in the development of the Danish Welfare System. For Svend Jensen it was very important to put disability issues on the political agenda not only in Denmark but also abroad. "Policy of the disabled is policy of society - what is good for disabled people is good for all". This statement was often put forward by Svend Jensen and was heard by numerous decision-makers including by those not directly involved in the disability field. This was instrumental in bringing about the position DAB holds today in Danish society.

His objectivity and vision had a great influence in shaping the social reform of the 1970's which culminated in the adoption of the Social Security Act of 1976. He was centrally involved throughout the reform process - from the preparatory work which began in 1964 until responsibility for the care of disabled people was moved from the state administration to the counties in 1980. He was also centrally involved in the work leading up to the fundamental change in the Disability Allowance Act in 1984, and to the latest social reforms for disabled people finally adopted by the Parliament in 1997.

Svend Jensen was elected to the Executive Committee of DAB as Treasurer in 1959, and subsequently President of DAB in 1968. This position made it possible for him, as it was for his predecessors, to chair the Danish Council of Organisations of Disabled People and the Co-ordination Committee representing organisations of retired elderly people and organisations of the disabled. Svend Jensen was also involved in numerous other governmental commissions, committees and boards.

Svend Jensen was honoured in many ways : he was made Knight of the Dannebrog in 1983, and first degree Knight of the Dannebrog in 1993. He was also awarded the highest honours in a number of countries in recognition of his dedicated work for the blind internationally.

In 1998 Svend Jensen received the DAB medal of honour as a token of his invaluable contribution towards the improvement of blind and partially sighted people's social participation in Denmark. The presidency of Svend Jensen has made it possible for DAB to provide services to most of the Danish people who lose their sight. Homes, special nursing homes and a special counselling service are significant examples of assistance offered by DAB. Also the Danish Eye Foundation benefited from Svend Jensen's leadership. The work of the Foundation which funds research into methods of preventing blindness surely reflects his spirit.

By Poul Lneborg
President of Danish Association of the Blind


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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please note the following changes :

    - New President of the Azerbaijan Association of the Blind :
    Mr. Semyar ABDULLAYEV

    - New address, telephone, fax and email of SONS, Czech Blind United :

    Krakovska 21
    110 00 PRAHA 1
    Tel : +420 2 2146 2246 ; Fax : +420 2 2146 2145
    E-mail : sons.polasek@centrum.cz

    - New telephone numbers of ACAPO :

    +351 213 244 500
    President's Office : +351 213 223 651
    International Department : +351 213 244 523

    - New e-mail address and fax number of the Federation of the Blind of Turkey :

    E-mail : bilgi@korlerfederasyonu.org.tr
    Fax : +90 312 231 8246
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COMING EVENTS

EBU BOARD AND COMMISSIONS

6 - 8 September 2002, PRAGUE (Czech Republic)
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller
Tel : +49 7621 799230, Fax : +49 7621 799231
E-mail : norbert@dbbw.de

12 - 15 September 2002, SOFIA (Bulgaria)
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 : ph.chazal@avh.asso.fr

20 - 23 September 2002, TIRRENIA (Italy)
Second HERMES Network Training Seminar
Contact : Tony Aston
Tel : +44 1444 870 462, Fax : +44 1444 258 557
E-mail : taston@enterprise.net

23 September 2002, TIRRENIA (Italy)
EBU Commission on Human and Social Rights
Contact : Tony Aston
(see contact details above)

27 - 28 September 2002, MADRID (Spain)
EBU Commission on Technical Devices and Services
Contact : Bernhard Stoeger
Tel : +43 732 2468 9608, Fax : +43 732 2468 9322
E-mail : bernhard.stoeger@jku.at

28 - 29 September 2002, MOSCOW (Russia)
EBU Commission on the Advancement of the Interests of Blind and Partially-sighted Women
Contact : Birgitta Blokland
Tel : +31 30 299 2878, Fax : +31 30 293 2544
E-mail : bjb202@hotmail.com

14 - 15 October 2002, PARIS
EBU Conference on Mobility and Transport
Contact : Jill Allen-King, MBE
Tel : +44 1702 477 899, Fax : +44 1702 711 171
E-mail : peter@goodsound.demon.co.uk

8 - 10 November 2002, TURIN (Italy)
EBU Youth Commission
Contact : Einar Fiskvik
Tel : +47 555 63710, Fax : +47 940 41444
E-mail : einar@eifi.net

15-17 November 2002, Schwerin (Germany)
EBU Commission on Activities of Partially-sighted People
Contact : Giuseppe Castronovo
Tel : +39 06 699 88375, Fax : +39 06 699 88328
E-mail : inter@uiciechi.it

23 - 24 November 2002, EASTBOUNE (UK)
EBU Commission on the Activities of Elderly Blind and Visually Impaired People,
to be held in conjunction with the WBU/RNIB seminar "Developing and Delivering Quality Services for Frail Older Blind and Partially-sighted People" (25-27 November)
Contact : Rose-Marie Luethi
Tel : +41 71 246 6160, Fax : +41 71 246 6189
E-mail : obv.luethi@spectraweb.ch

23 - 24 November 2002, DUBLIN (Ireland)
EBU Commission for Liaising with the EU
Contact : Rodolfo Cattani
Tel : +39 06 699 88375, Fax : +39 06 699 88328
E-mail : inter@uiciechi.it

30 November - 1 December 2002, ATHENS (Greece)
EBU Commission on Education
Contact : Enzo Tioli
Tel : +39 06 699 88375, Fax : +39 06 699 88328
E-mail : inter@uiciechi.it

30 November - 1 December 2002 (The Netherlands)
EBU Commission for Multihandicapped Visually Impaired People
Contact : Coen de Jong
Tel : +31 343 526 859, Fax : +31 343 526 856
E-mail : m.weisz@bartimeus.nl

14 - 15 December 2002, EASTBOURNE (England)
EBU Commission on Mobility and Guide Dogs
Contact : Jill Allen-King, MBE
Tel : +44 1702 477 899, Fax : +44 1702 711 171
E-mail : peter@goodsound.demon.co.uk

2003

1 - 2 February 2003, LA GRANDE MOTTE (France)
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller
(See contact details above)

March 2003, BERLIN (Germany)
EBU Commission on Technical Devices and Services
Contact : Bernhard Stoeger
(See contact details above)

10 - 11 May 2003, The Netherlands
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller
(See contact details above)

17 - 21 July 2003, PARIS (France)
European Conference on Employment : How can visual impairment organisations and institutions promote blind and partially sighted people's employment ?
Jointly organized by the EBU Commission on Rehabilitation, Vocational Training and Employment and the French National Committee for the Social Promotion of Blind and Partially sighted People
Contact : Philippe Chazal
Tel : +33 1 44 49 27 27, Fax : +33 1 44 49 27 30
E-mail : ph.chazal@avh.asso.fr

September or October 2003, STOCKHOLM (Sweden)
EBU Board
Contact : Norbert Mueller
(See contact details above)

21 - 24 November 2003, ATHENS (Greece)
Second European Blind Women's Forum
Contact : Birgitta Blokland
Tel : +31 30 299 2878, Fax : +31 30 293 2544
E-mail : bjb202@hotmail.com

25 - 30 November 2003, ATHENS
7th EBU General Assembly
Contact : Norbert Mueller
(See contact details above)


OTHER ORGANISATIONS


23 - 26 October 2002, DUSSELDORF
REHACare International 2002
13th International Trade Fair for Those with Special Needs and Those Requiring Care.
A global rendezvous for anyone seeking information on new developments, products and services in the field of rehabilitation and care.
Info hotline : +49 211 45 60 601
Website : www.rehacare.de

4 - 6 November 2002, COPENHAGEN
IST 2002 : Partnerships for the Future
This leading networking event for Information and Communications Technologies, co-organised by the European Commission and the Danish EU Presidency, will broaden its scope to all European Information Society research, whether it be funded at European, national or regional level - or even entirely within the private sector.

The main purpose of IST 2002 is to help build the European Research Area for the Information Society within the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Development , which is to be launched at the end of 2002. The general theme is therefore 'Partnerships' and its purpose is to help researchers and industrialists build networks for collaboration.
Further information on the event available at :
http://2002.istevent.cec.eu.int

6 - 7 November 2002, MADRID (Spain)
XVII Hispano-American Seminar on Handicap and Social Communication
Contact : Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad
Tel : +34 91 745 2442, Fax : +34 91 745 2459

21 - 22 November 2002, Birmingham (UK)
Techshare 2002
Techshare is for professionals who work in the field of visual impairment, or have an active interest in technology and how it facilitates independent access to education, employment, lifelong learning for visually impaired people. It will be an opportunity to engage with current thinking about the role of technology, and to bring issues to the fore with the very people who are best placed to move those issues forward, be they from government, statutory bodies, the ICT marketplace or the voluntary sector.

Techshare will join together with RNIB's Vision Exhibition to become a bigger event offering delegates the opportunity to visit a wide range of exhibitors, offering stands relating to visual impairment organisations and services including a range of technology suppliers.

For further information see :
http://www.techshare.org.uk
E-mail : Techshare@rnib.org.uk
Tel : +44 24 7636 9555

25 - 27 November 2002, EASTBOURNE (England)
Developing and Delivering Quality Services for Frail Older Blind and Partially Sighted People
The Royal National Institute of the Blind and the World Blind Union are staging a major International Seminar which will bring together individuals and organisations who specialise in the development and delivery of quality services for frail older blind and partially sighted people, to exchange innovation and good practice and to establish ongoing relationships.
More information available from conferencecsd@rnib.org.uk

25 - 28 March 2003, LONDON (England)
INCLUDE 2003, 2nd inclusive design conference
Building on the success of Include 2001, the organizers aim to make the biannual Include conferences an essential feature on the calendar of designers, researchers, business managers and everyone with an interest in making inclusive design a reality. At Include 2003, the world's leading figures in inclusive design will discuss work on topics ranging from fashion to workplace design, from transport to domestic interiors

For further information, please contact John Bound
Tel : +44 20 7590 4242, Fax : +44 20 7590 4244
E-mail : j.bound@rca.ac.uk
Website : www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/events/include2003/index.html

23 - 25 April 2003, BOZEN-BOLZANO (Italy)
EU-LuxOr Symposium International : Vocational training, Job outlines and prospects for the visually impaired
The aim of the symposium will be to establish an international platform for educational and research institutions, producers of aids and of course the visually impaired themselves, and to identify and analyse needs and requirements. There will also be an exhibition where producers of aids for the visually impaired will present state-of-the-art technology.

Contact : Angelika Kubik, Eu-LuxOr Kongressburo
Postfach 55, 6010 Innsbruck (Austria)
E-mail : k@eu-luxor.or
Website : www.eu-luxor.org

Next issue : December 2002

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