European Year of People with Disabilities

EBU has been successful in attracting project funding from European Commission DGV Employment and Social Affairs to run an Information Campaign for the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003.

The project aims to develop an innovative website which will:

• Promote exchange between blind and partially sighted people across Europe

• Promote information about the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003

• Pilot an interactive forum for communication

• Be a model of good practice in terms of accessibility for blind and partially sighted people

For blind people too technology and the web hold the possibility to open up a whole new world of information and communication, helping to overcome the isolation faced by many disabled people, create online communities of visually impaired people and empowering them to participate on an equal basis with sighted people, as long as accessibility is guaranteed.

This website is the first attempt to create an interactive exchange across Europe focused on the experiences and dreams of blind and partially sighted people.

Site address www.ebuindigo.org

The site contains information pages with useful documents and links on EU disability policy and details of EBU members, as well as interactive pages designed to encourage blind people to express their views and react to others.

EBU members in the 15 member states + 4 candidate countries (Czech Republic, Cyprus, Poland, and Romania) are participating. Each country has a microsite in its own language linked to the main site, inviting blind and partially sighted people to contribute their views in the same way.

A summary of the views expressed will be published on the site at the end of the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003, and presented to EU level policy makers and press.

EBU would like to brief the press on this initiative during the course of a two day meeting (14-15 June) of EBU representatives from all EU member states. 
A demonstration of the website by a visually impaired user can be arranged, as well as the possibility to talk to the Chairman of the EBU EU Liaison Commission, representatives from other EU states as well as the project team.

European Blind Union (EBU)
The European Blind Union is one of the six regional bodies of the World Blind Union which has consultative status with the UN. It aims to protect and promote the interests of blind and partially-sighted people in Europe. It currently has 44 member countries, each represented by a national delegation. Its headquarters are in Paris.

EBU members from the 15 EU member states meet regularly as a formal Commission to monitor, influence and participate in EU policy and programmes. It has a strong track record in winning and managing EU grants from programmes such as TACIS, PHARE, DAPHNE, R+D as well as anti discrimination and social affairs budget lines. The next meeting of this Commission is on June 14-15th in Paris.

Meeting Venue ; Saturday June 14th : Fédération des Aveugles de France,
Avenue Bosquet 58,  Paris
Metro: Ecole Militaire