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The North America & Caribbean Region of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) includes the following countries: |
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Haiti Earthquake Haiti Earthquake - Message from President, ICEVI We have all been horrified by the death and destruction that has resulted from the recent earthquake in Haiti. We want friends and members of ICEVI to know what we have been doing all we can to monitor the situation during this initial phase of rescue and recovery. Dr. Kathy Huebner, ICEVI’s Regional Chair, North America/Caribbean (NA/C) is in regular communication with members of her committee and our friends and colleagues at the Caribbean Council for the Blind. Kathy has agreed to send any updates she receives to our Secretariat so they may be posted on the North America/Caribbean page of our website. www.icevi.org. We have learned that several children and two staff members at the St Vincent School died in the earthquake but we were relieved to learn that Dr. Michel Pean , whom many of you may have met at recent ICEVI World Conferences, is unharmed, although his home was badly damaged. During the early stages of such tragic disaster organizations such as ICEVI can do little other than encourage our members to contribute to reliable and well-known organizations that are working in Haiti during this rescue and relief phase. Many of you have expressed interest in making immediate contributions to organizations that are specifically working on the ground with blind and other disabled children and adults. In this case we suggest the two organizations associated with ICEVI that have an active presence in Haiti at this time are: CBM - P.O. Box 19000 – Greenville, South Carolina 29602 (800)937-2264 Haitian Society for the Blind – P.O. Box 555, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Contact: Michel Pean, E-Mail: shaveugles@yahoo.com) The members of the Vision Alliance, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), ICEVI and the World Blind Union (WBU) have been in communication and are in the process of developing a strategy for responding when the redevelopment phase begins. We are posting on the NA/C page of our website recommendations that have been drawn up by Dr. Jerry Vincent, Blindness Prevention Advisor, International Rescue Committee and Ms. Valerie Sherrer, Emergency Coordinator, CBM who is now on the ground in Haiti. These guidelines were developed for our Vision Alliance partner IAPB but the same basic recommendations apply to ICEVI. We will keep you informed through the ICEVI website and through the next issue of ICEVI E-News with hope that when the redevelopment phase of work in Haiti begins that you will respond to identified needs. We thank you for your concern and interest. Larry Campbell, President Concept Notes from CBM on Haiti We thought it would be useful to share with our members the following concept notes that were provided to us by CBM as a description of the priority areas they are focusing on in Haiti.
Haiti Earthquake - Recommendation to IAPB Agencies Recommendation to IAPB agencies regarding humanitarian responses in Haiti As members of IAPB, we all feel that eye care is crucial, but provision of eye care as part of the response to the earthquake in Haiti, is not indicated at this time. Here’s why:
This does not mean that there is never a place for eye agencies or that there is never a time for eye care services in humanitarian emergencies. Agencies that are operational and on the ground before the disaster, are often well placed to help in the general response. Vehicles and local staff with local knowledge are both vital in the initial general response. It will be a minimum of weeks, and more likely months, before it would be appropriate for eye agencies to consider undertaking new programs in the earthquake affected area. As that time come near, the decision to implement eye services or blindness rehabilitation projects should be done in consultation with, CBM and with the appropriate entities of the Haitian government. I have asked Valerie Sherrer, CBM Emergency Coordinator, to collaborate in this response. Valerie is now in Haiti and reports at this point in time, those individuals with vision impairment are in need of water, food and protection rather than specific rehabilitation. Valerie emphasized the lack of humanitarian space - “It is very important to underline the congestion of the logistics here, and that adding more people will endanger the Haitian population.” Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all that we are in the process of drafting standards and guidelines for eye care in humanitarian emergencies. These guidelines will be compliant with the SPHERE minimum standards in disaster response and will be submitted for Vision 2020 endorsement once finalized. After the initial draft is ready, we will be seeking substantial review and comment from both the eye community and from the humanitarian relief community. If you have experience with responding to conflict or disaster affected populations, we would like your input on this process. Questions are welcome. Jerry Vincent OD MPH Blindness Prevention Advisor International Rescue Committee Jerry.Vincent@theIRC.org Valerie Sherrer Emergency Coordinator Christoffel Blindenmission valerie.sherrer@cbm.org International Disability Alliance (IDA) Disabled Peoples' International, Inclusion International, International Federation of Hard of Hearing People, Rehabilitation International, World Blind Union, World Federation of the Deaf, World Federation of the DeafBlind, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, Arab Organization of Disabled People, European Disability Forum, Red Latinoamericana de Organizaciones no Gubernamentales de Personas con Discapacidad y sus familias (RIADIS) Persons with Disabilities Highlighted as Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution on Haiti Disaster Yesterday and today (January 27 and 28, 2010), the Human Rights Council held its 13th special session under the title "The support of the HRC for the recovery process in Haiti after the earthquake of January 12, 2010: a human rights approach," which has adopted a resolution that includes the following reference to persons with disabilities: "Expresses its concern about the present human rights situation in Haiti, in particular the vulnerable situation of children, women, internally displaced persons, the elderly, persons with disabilities and wounded." Many speakers during this special session, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti and the special representative of the Secretary General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, referred to persons with disabilities in their statements. The IDA also made a statement highlighting the special challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Haiti and the need to include their rights in all emergency and reconstruction efforts that are undertaken. “The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has a specific article focused on situations of risk, based on the experience suffered by persons with disabilities all over the world, forgotten in situations of natural or man-made disaster,” said Jan Peter Strömgren, Chair of the IDA. “This must be avoided at all cost this time by ensuring that persons with disabilities have access to emergency services and that the information on these services is accessible to all persons with disabilities.” The International Disability Alliance calls on the government of Haiti, the UN system, and all governments and humanitarian NGOs providing aide or assistance on the ground, to include a special focus on the inherent human rights of affected persons, especially those experiencing particular vulnerability, in their efforts in Haiti. The AER International Conference 2010 Featuring the Orientation & Mobility Division Conference Within a Conference - Registration Now Open The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired cordially invites you to join us for an exciting education and networking event – the AER International Conference 2010 Featuring the Orientation & Mobility Division Conference Within a Conference – set for July 21-25 in Little Rock, Arkansas. With an outstanding lineup of educational sessions and the opportunity to collaborate with friends old and new, this conference is a not-to-be missed event to add to your summer schedule! What you can expect:
The Peabody Little Rock is offering an attractive nightly rate of $149 single, double, triple or quad plus city and state tax. RESERVATIONS: Online at www.peabodylittlerock.com; Telephone 1-800-PEABODY (800-732-2639) or 501-906-4000. Use group code 290157 when making reservations. Register online today at www.aerbvi.org/2010conference. More Information: www.aerbvi.org/2010conference Questions? conference@aerbvi.org See you in Little Rock! AER International Conference 2010 Program Committee Sandy Ruconich, Chair, Utah Schools for the Deaf & the Blind Don Golembiewski, Hadley School for the Blind Debbie Sitar, Provincial Resource Center for the Visually Impaired Karen Wolffe, American Foundation for the Blind Marjie Wood, Austin Independent School District | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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