Program

The World Blindness Summit:

What it means to be Blind and Visually Impaired

Marriott Hotel, Madrid, Spain

May 21-26th, 2021

Host: ONCE, Spain

 

Program Outline

WBU Executive Committee Meeting & other WBU Pre-Assembly Committee Meetings

Thursday, May 20th 

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 
  • 4:30 – 6:00 Resolution Committee Meeting
  • 4:30 – 6:00 Elections Committee Meeting 
  • 7:00 – 8:00 Opening Reception

WBU General Assembly Days

Friday, May 21st

WBU Day 1

9:00 – 10:30 Session 1

9:00 – 9:45 Opening Ceremonies

Organized by local host, ONCE

9:45 – 10:30 First Business Session

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

  • Acceptance of changes to agenda
  • Acceptance of Report from 2016 General Assembly
  • Appointment of Assembly Committees: Credentials, Resolutions, Elections
  • Obituaries
  • Credentials Committee Report 
  • First report of the Nominations Committee 

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break

11.00-12.30 Session 2

Artificial Intelligence: Services Accessible Using the Voice, a new technological age for blind and partially sighted persons 

12:30 – 2:30 Lunch break

2:30 – 4:00 Session 3 (second business session)

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 (third business session)

  • President's Report and report on Strategic Plan 2017–2020 
  • WBU CEO Report 
  • Financial Accounts 
  • WBU Membership

Questions from the floor

6:00 Nominations Close for all Table Officer positions

Saturday, May 22nd

WBU Day 2

9:00 – 10:30 Session 5 (fourth business session)

  • Report of the Nominations Committee, candidates given opportunity for campaigning 
  • Constitutional report including amendments 
  • Resolutions 
  • Budget discussions focusing on future sustainability

10:30 – 11:00 Tea Break

11:00 – 12:30 Session 6 (fifth business session)

  • WBU elections and results
  • Unfinished business

12:30 – 2:30 Lunch break

2:30 – 4:00 Session 7

Advocacy and DPOs Accountability: effective tools for implementing and monitoring human rights and inclusive sustainable development

4:30 – 6:00 Session 8

Influencing the global agenda on disability, 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
  • WBU International Members

WBU-ICEVI Joint Days

Sunday, May 23rd

9.00 – 10.30 Inaugural Session

  • Welcome Remarks
  • Welcome Remarks
  • Welcome Remarks
  • Inaugural Address
    • Keynote Address 1
    • Keynote Address 2

11.00 – 4.00 pm – ONCE outdoor social event

  • 11:00 - Departure from hotel
  • 11:30 -1:30 - Parade from Plaza de Colon to Wizink Center, Plaza de Felipe II
  • 1:30 – 2:45 Music festival
  • 3:30 - Return to hotel
  • 4:30 – 5:30 Celebrating World Braille Day event by invitation only
  • 5:30 – 7:00 Open show of self-driving vehicle
  • 5:30 – 7:00 WBU Employment Committee event
  • 7:00 - Departure from hotel for Gala dinner
  • 8:00 10:00 pm - Gala Dinner at Palacio de Cibeles
  • 10:00 Return to the hotel

Monday, May 24th

9:00 – 10:30 WBU Sponsors breakfast event by invitation only 

9.00 – 10.30 WBU-ICEVI Joint concurrent Session 1

  • Session 1:  Youth leadership
  • Session 2: Technology
  • Session 3: Humanitarian Action and Emergency Relief
  • Session 4: Braille Literacy
  • Session 5: Marakkesh Treaty
  • Session 6: Inclusive and Sustainable Employment, a Pathway for Social Inclusion

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break

11.00 –12.30 WBU-ICEVI Joint Concurrent Sessions (topics and speakers to be finalized)

  • Session 7: Technology
  • Session 8: MDVI
  • Session 9: Parental Involvement
  • Session 10: Building Organizational capacity
  • Session 11: Gender and disability
  • Session 12: Economic Empowerment and entrepreneurship

12.30 – 2.00 Lunch Break

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

  • 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 and farewell to retiring WBU Table Officers
  • Officers farewell by outgoing WBU President - expressions of appreciation 
  • Remarks by President of 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

ICEVI Days

Tuesday, May 25th ICEVI Day Presentations

9:00–10:30 ICEVI DAY Inauguration and Plenary

  • Welcome Remarks
  • Message
  • Inaugural address 
  • ICEVI-ONNET Book release 
  • About the book
  • 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 finalized)

  • 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 finalized)

  • 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 finalized) 

  • 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, May 26th ICEVI Day Presentations and General Assembly

8.30 – 9.00 Plenary – Women Empowerment

9:00 – 10:30 Concurrent Sessions (topics and speakers to be finalized)

  • 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 finalized)

  • 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