A review of the early history and development of any organization must begin with an examination of the conditions and circumstances, which led to the eventual establishment of the organization, before then considering the major projects and events with which the organization is associated. I have tried to accomplish both of these tasks on behalf of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) [From now on I will refer to the organization as ICEVI, the name adopted in1994], a world-wide organization comprised of local, regional, and national groups and individuals dedicated to improving and enhancing educational opportunities for blind and visually impaired people. Each decade in ICEVI’s history is presented in a single chapter, each of which begins with a timeline/synopsis of the chapter (ICEVI in Brief). It was hoped that all timelines submitted to me by the regional chairpersons could be included in this book, but lack of space has precluded this possibility.

Instead I have drawn extensive information from their reports and have used this information for a time outlines.While following the story of the ICEVI, it is very important to keep in mind the events which were taking place within the field of education and rehabilitation of the blind during this half century. Likewise, it is important to be aware of global developments – both political and technological – that shaped the times, as these naturally influenced the direction that ICEVI followed over time and are reflected in the way in which conferences, workshops, seminars and projects were organized and conducted. From its inception, ICEVI looked beyond the boundaries of the schools and organizations it represented to the world in general and to other areas of special education for inspiration and direction. The integration of technology into educational methodology has been the most notable example of this expansive view.

For many of the participants attending conferences or meetings the important issues at hand have been of a personal and immediate nature, such as the acquisition of conference materials in Braille and large print, their translation into the major languages, the availability of translators at individual sessions and events, communications accessibility, etc. In regard to political issues within the ICEVI, it is not my intention to avoid a topic that has caused a great deal of concern for members of the ICEVI board, but I feel this publication does not provide the broad scope to fully treat these complex issues at the level of detail they require.

Each of the presidents and executive board members serving ICEVI has had a major influence on the success of the organization (see a brief biographical sketch of each president in Appendix A). If you inquire about them at an international workshop or conference, or if you read the books, articles, papers or reports they wrote, you inevitably discover just how important they were, and continue to be. They represent an extraordinarily high level of leadership within the field of education of the blind. They are not names scribbled at the bottom of reports.

They were – and are – leaders of the highest caliber within this field. It is my hope that by reading this history you will come to understand the extent of their leadership and of the work they have performed over many long  hours, weeks, months and years, all on behalf of the people they serve. I hope that one day a more detailed history will be written about them, listing in full their many accomplishments.

In writing this history I was faced with the difficulty that up until this time there had been no central ICEVI office, nor permanent staff and officers. There was no one place or one person I could approach to review the historical records of the organization. Instead, these records are to be found mostly in the files of ICEVI’s former presidents and officers. In a number of cases their files have been destroyed or are stacked in boxes or on shelves, gathering dust; or they are located in the archives of the various organizations to which these people belonged; or they have been placed with family or friends. Fortunately, I was able to talk in person or by e-mail to many past and present ICEVI officers, to former presidents Jeanne Kenmore and William Brohier, and to current president Larry Campbell. They provided insight as well as crucial information about ICEVI’s history and the role they played in it.

My major source materials are the various conference proceedings and the ICEVI journal, The Educator. These are, in effect, the official records of ICEVI. Another important source is a group of responses to a questionnaire that I distributed to a large number of ICEVI members and participants at the conferences. The replies have helped me acquire background knowledge on the activities of ICEVI, and they have provided an insight into what ICEVI has meant to its members.