|
|
 | Press Release
| |
|
|
| Bahamas to Host World Blind Union North America
and Caribbean Division Meeting
|
| Llonella Gilbert
Bahamas Information Services
|
| 04/11/2008
|
NASSAU, Bahamas --- The Bahamas will host the World Blind Union (WBU) North America and Caribbean Division meeting April 17 and 18 at the Wyndham Nassau and Crystal Palace Resort, President of the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired Desmond Brown announced Friday.
Mr. Brown said leaders, policymakers, programme designers and providers of special services for the blind and visually impaired persons and groups in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean will meet to discuss pertinent issues that impact the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals in the region.
He explained that the WBU is a non-political, non-religious, non-governmental and non-profit organization representing over 160 million persons who are blind and partially sighted in over 170 countries.
It is internationally recognised as the organisation speaking on behalf of blind and partially sighted persons in the world.”
Mr. Brown said this is the second time in nine months that The Bahamas has been asked to host a regional meeting.
In July 2007, the Alliance and the Salvation Army hosted the Caribbean Council for the Blind’s annual general meeting where delegates charted the course of the organisation for the next 24 months.
In hosting these meetings and conferences the Alliance seeks and urges individuals, organisations and agencies to develop and forge stronger relationships with these international and regional partners promoting the sharing of ideas, information, technology, etc.
He said they discuss issues that will positively affect the lives of blind and visually impaired persons in our country.
The President said another important reason for hosting these meetings and seminars is the fact that by doing so, the Alliance is promoting the country as a tourist destination, contributing to the economical advancement of our country.
Mr. Brown also announced that the Alliance will be celebrating its 11th anniversary with a week of activities beginning Sunday, April 13.
There will be a church service at St. Marks Baptist Church, April 13, and the official opening of BABVI office/launch of programmes, Salvation Army Adult Blind Workshop Building, Ivanhoe Road, April 16.
Undersecretary in the Ministry of Social Development Alan Strachan said the Ministry welcomes the opportunity to join hands with the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind as it prepares to host the upcoming meeting of the WBU.
It is estimated,” Mr. Strachan noted, “that 600 million or 10 per cent of the world’s population are living with disabilities, and according to the World Health Organization over 45 million of these individuals are blind; 1.4 million are children, 124 million are categorised as low vision and 135 million are diagnosed as visually-impaired.
Every five seconds an individual in our world goes blind, every single minute a child goes blind, and every year the number of persons becoming totally blind rises by one to two million.
Mr. Strachan explained that these statistics are further complicated by the fact that over 90 per cent of the world’s blind and visually impaired reside in the poorest countries.
It is also estimated that without intervention the number of blind persons will increase to 75 million by the year 2020,” he said. “The good news however, is that 75 per cent of blindness is either treatable or preventable.
Mr. Strachan said in The Bahamas, it is impossible to provide the necessary and much needed programmes and services for the disabled in an efficient and effective manner without proper statistical data.
“Realising the urgency of correcting this deficiency, the Disability Affairs Division of the Department of Social Services has initiated a nationwide registration drive to develop a National Registry of all persons with Disabilities living in The Bahamas.
He said the information obtained will also assist non-governmental organisations such as the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind in accomplishing their objectives.
Also, the Undersecretary said The Bahamas is committed to ensuring equal access to and full participation in every aspect our society and in doing so enable every individual with a disability to reach their full potential by providing opportunities equal to that of their sighted brothers and sisters.
This can only be accomplished by establishing the necessary framework for legislative policies that will legally protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, he noted.
|