February 22 - World Blind Union General Assembly

Last November marked the date of the General Assembly of the World Blind Union held in Bangkok, Thailand.  Louise Gillis, National President for CCB (Canadian council of the Blind) was one of the four Canadian delegates to attend the conference. Back in November I followed some of the proceedings on the Internet, but recently Louise sent me an abbreviated copy of the report she presented to the CCB National Board. It had obviously been a very busy week!

The World Blind Union has a membership of 188 countries. At the General Assembly delegates address concerns, which cross global boundaries and which affect people who are blind or with low vision.  One of these concerns was the disturbingly high incidence of unemployment for this sector of the general population. I read this part of the report with great interest. The concerns raised were the same as those I heard from working age people on the White Cane Connections walks. In part, I was also reminded of my meeting with the Employment Counselling Team at Vision Australia in Sydney this past December.  

From Day 1 of the Assembly, there was discussion regarding educational issues. I have often thought about these educational issues at a local level but it was a bit of an eye opener to broaden my thinking to the global perspective. How will technology assist in accessibility for the visually impaired? In a Digital Age, does this accessibility spread its wings to children in developing countries?  How can we ensure that everyone, children and adults alike, has the right to read, whether it be by sight, sound, or touch?  What strategies can be put in place for children with sight or other disabilities in emergency situations in classrooms? The list was long and provocative. Of course, there were other concerns, which were discussed, and strategic planning initiated. Other sub-committee meetings will be held before the next General Assembly.

In her email to me Louise wrote, “The experience of attending the WBU General Assembly was amazing. To see so many people from other countries with so many more issues than we have here in Canada made me so thankful for what we have here. We are so much more advanced than the developing countries. It makes one think twice about how fortunate we really are in North America.”