EBU Project update

In 2019, EBU continues to implement a wide number of diverse activities. Here is an update for some of them.

ADVISE aims at supporting young blind and partially-sighted job-seekers. Its training course structure and coaching approach are being tested in Austria, Montenegro, Poland and Spain. Interestingly, training courses held in Austria earlier this year mostly attracted two-year post-secondary students who are now followed by a duo of visually impaired and sighted coaches. ADVISE also offered the possibility to revise the EBU manual for inexperienced job-seekers with a visual impairment. The third version now includes a section on “new ways of job searching in the digital age” and is available in English, French, German, Montenegrin, Spanish and soon Polish.

EBU also collects and shares good practices. This year’s competition focuses on mobility and transport and the (only) 8 national contributions submitted will be assessed in late June by a jury chaired by Jan URBANEK from Czech Republic, and compiled into a publication available in 5 languages by the end of the year.

Training is key to improving EBU members’ capacities. A how-to memo on “the advocacy meeting” was produced in 13 languages and accompanied by a related e-workshop. Through EBYouth, approx. 15 young national and European visually impaired leaders will also participate in training sessions until the end of 2021. In March, they were presented EBU, its inner-workings, campaigns, activities and information tools. In early July they will be trained on improving their written communication and in the last quarter of 2019, the 4 European leaders from Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland and Slovenia identified will meet and learn how to become the voice of visually impaired persons.

EBU also helps national members collect their individual members’ needs with a view to proposing future tailor-made activities and projects. In Cyprus and Slovenia, AGEBU focus groups involving blind and partially-sighted seniors will be held in September and national project concept notes will be drafted. In addition, as a follow-up to last year’s EBU low vision conference, national low vision committees will be set up or strengthened in 3 countries and focus groups will also be organised.

An important work is being carried out on accessible elections as well. As explained in the June issue of EBU Focus, AVA team members produced a video and a brochure to support our EBU member organisations in raising awareness on this issue with their authorities. The first countries to use these tools in 2020 will be Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and Slovakia.

Last but not least, EBU is drafting a report on the implementation of UNCRPD article 33 “National implementation and Monitoring” to be circulated in October. In parallel, national members in Iceland and Serbia are finalising the translation of the EBU publication “The UNCRPD is for everybody”, a first step towards raising VI citizens’ awareness on the importance of this landmark international text on the occasion of future national information sessions.

Your organisation is interested in implementing one or several of these activities in 2020 or in 2021? Feel free to contact Romain FERRETTI, EBU Project Officer at ebuprojects@euroblind.org to know more. Together, we will find solutions to secure your involvement while limiting its impact on your already heavy workload.