Program

The World Blindness Summit:

What it means to be Blind and Visually Impaired

Marriott Hotel, Madrid, Spain

June 19-24, 2020

Host: ONCE, Spain

Program Outline

Thursday, June 18

Pre-Assembly Day

  • 9:00 – 10:30 WBU Executive Committee Meeting
  • 10:30 – 11:00 Tea Break
  • 11:00 – 12:30 executive Committee meeting continued
  • 12:30 – 2:30 Lunch break
  • 2:30 – 4:00 Credentials Committee meeting 
  • 4:00 – 4:30 Tea Break
  • 4:30 – 6:00 Nominations Committee meeting, Other Committee meetings as required

Friday, June 19

WBU Day 1

9:00 – 10:30 Session 1

WBU Days Opening Ceremonies (ONCE president, WBU president and ICEVI President)

  • Call to Order (WBU president)
  • Acceptance of changes to agenda
  • Acceptance of Report from 2012 General Assembly
  • Appointment of Assembly Committees: Credentials, Resolutions, Elections
  • Obituaries (WBU Secretary General)
  • Credentials Committee Report (Credential committee chair)
  • First report of the Nominations Committee (nominations committee chair)

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break 1

11.00-12.30 Session 2

The future of technology in the inclusion of blind and partially sighted persons

12:30 – 2:30 Lunch break

2:30 – 4:00 Session 3

Regional Reports by Regional Presidents

  • ABU
  • AFUB
  • EBU
  • WBU-AP
  • NA-C
  • ULAC

4:00 – 4:30 Tea Break

4:30 – 6:00 Session 4

  • Presidents Report
  • Strategic Plan 2017–2020
  • WBU CEO report, (WBU CEO)
  • Financial Accounts, (WBU treasurer)
  • WBU Membership: (WBU Secretary General) Questions from the floor

6:00 Nominations Close for all Table Officer positions

6:30 – 8:00 Opening Reception

Saturday, June 20

WBU Day 2

9:00 – 10:30 Session 5

  • Constitutional Report including amendments (WBU constitution committee chair)
  • Resolutions (Chair TBC)  
  • Budget Discussions focusing on future sustainability (WBU treasurer) 
  • Report of the Nominations Committee, candidates given opportunity for campaign speeches

10:30 – 11:00 Tea Break

11:00 – 12:30 Session 6

WBU elections and results

12:30 – 2:30 Lunch break

2:30 – 4:00 Session 7

Innovative tools for an  effective advocacy work at the national level

4:30 – 6:00 Session 8

Capacity building, the role of our organizations in promoting the meaningful participation and inclusion of blind and partially sighted persons

6:30 – 8:00 Regional Meetings

  • ABU
  • AFUB
  • EBU
  • WBU-AP
  • NA-C
  • ULAC

Sunday, June 21

9.00 – 10.30 Inaugural Session

  • Welcome Remarks – President ONCE
  • Welcome Remarks – President WBU
  • Welcome Remarks – President ICEVI
  • Inaugural Address
  • Keynote Address

11.30 – 3:00 ONCE Event

8:00 Gala Dinner

Monday, June 22

9.00 – 10.30 WBU-ICEVI Joint concurrent Session 1

  • Session 1:  Youth leadership - 3 Invited speakers 
    • Country champions program 
    • Good practices and lessons learnt: How to include young leaders in blindness organisations 
    • WBU Youth Committee Presentations
  • Session 2: Technology - 3 Invited speakers
    • What is new when we talk about accessibility
    • Longterm partnerships to promote the inclusion of blind and partially sighted persons
    • Challenges and opportunities for our organizations in promoting accessible and affordable technology
  • Session 3: Humanitarian Action and Emergency Relief
  • Session 4: Braille Literacy - 3 Invited speakers
    • Braille literacy for MDVI children 
    • Learning Braille: Country perspectives
    • Research in Braille
  • Session 5: Marakkesh Treaty - 3 Invited speakers
    • Role of DPOs in implementing Marakkesh Treaty
    • WIPO
    • Accessible books
  • Session 6: SDG and Employment– WBU Employment Committee

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break

11.00 –12.30 WBU-ICEVI Joint Concurrent Sessions (Topics and Speakers to be finalised)

  • Session 1: Technology - 3 Invited speakers
    • Educational Technology
    • UNICEF Technology priorities 
    • Good practices in using technology – country experiences
  • Session 2: MDVI - 3 Invited speakers
    • Global perspectives on visually impaired persons with multiple disabilities
    • Practices with MDVI children
    • Latin America experiences
  • Session 3: Parental Involvement - 3 Invited speakers
  • Session 4: Building Organizational capacity – 3 Invited speakers
    • WBU help desk on human rights and sustainable development
    • WBu inclusive urban development initiative
    • Sports and social inclusion, the case of Brazil
  • Session 5: Gender and disability - 3 Invited speakers
    • Good practices
    • Higher education of girls in Developing countries
    • Girls education in Africa
  • Session 6: Economic Empowerment – WBU Committee To coordinate
    • Access to financial services
    • Entrepreneurship
    • ONCE Experience

12.30 – 2.00 Lunch Break

2:00 - 4:00 Joint Ceremonies and Awards Presentations

Co-Chairs: Frederic Schroder, President, WBU and   Frances Gentle, President, ICEVI

  • Presentation of ICEVI Awards 
  • Presentation of WBU Awards  
  • Honorary Life Members 
  • Louis Braille Medal
  • WBU women empowerment award 
  • Presentation of WBU Executive Committee 2020-2024
  • Presentation of incoming WBU President Farewell to retiring WBU Table Officers Farewell by outgoing
  • WBU President Expressions of Appreciation 
  • Remarks by Frances Gentle, President, ICEVI 
  • Remarks by WBU incoming President  
  • Close of WBU General Assembly

4.00 – 4.30 Tea Break

4:30 - 6:30 ICEVI Regional Meetings

4:30 - 6:30 WBU Executive Committee Meeting

Tuesday, June 23 ICEVI Day Presentations

9.00–10.30 ICEVI DAY Inauguration and Plenary

  • Welcome: Frances Gentle, ICEVI President
  • Message: Fred Schroeder, President, WBU
  • Inaugural address –  
  • ICEVI-ONNET Book release - 
  • About the book: Larry Campbell, President Emeritus, ICEVI
  • Keynote speaker 1 –
  • Keynote speaker 2 – My education, my world 

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break

11.00 – 12.30 Concurrent Sessions (Topics and Speakers to be finalised)

  • Session 1: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 2: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 3: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 4: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 5: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 6: Workshop
  • Session 7: Workshop
  • Session 8: Workshop

12.30 – 2.00 Lunch Break

2.00 – 3.30 Concurrent Sessions (Topics and Speakers to be finalised)

  • Session 1: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 2: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 3: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 4: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 5: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 6: Workshop
  • Session 7: Workshop
  • Session 8: Workshop

3.30 – 4.00 Tea Break

4.00 – 5.30 Concurrent Sessions (Topics and Speakers to be finalised)

  • Session 1: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 2: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 3: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 4: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 5: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 6: Workshop
  • Session 7: Workshop
  • Session 8: Workshop

Wednesday, June 24 ICEVI Day Presentations and General Assembly

8.30 – 9.00 Plenary – Women Empowerment

9.00 – 10.30 Concurrent Sessions (Topics and Speakers to be finalised)

  • Session 1: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 2: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 3: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 4: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 5: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 6: Workshop
  • Session 7: Workshop
  • Session 8: Workshop

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break

11.00 – 12.30 Concurrent Sessions (Topics and Speakers to be finalised)

  • Session 1: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 2: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 3: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 4: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 5: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 6: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 7: 4 paper presenters
  • Session 8: 4 paper presenters

12.30 – 2.00 Lunch Break

2.00 – 4.30 ICEVI General Assembly

4.30 – 5.00 Tea Break

5.00 – 6.30 ICEVI Executive Committee Meeting