This strategic plan was adopted by the Executive Committee in February 2002.

The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) is a global association of individuals and organizations that promotes equal access to appropriate education for all visually impaired children and youth so that they may achieve their full potential.

We believe that all children and youth with visual impairment have a basic right to the following.

• quality education and full inclusion in their society.
• receive services from teachers and other professionals who are properly trained..
• quality early intervention services.
• the involvement and support of their parents in their education.
• ready availability of the most appropriate educational materials and methods to meet their individual needs.
• a full continuum of educational services, with emphasis on inclusion in the educational programs in their communities.
• be part of best standards and practices within their educational programs.
• an environment free of barriers, social stigmas and stereotypes.
• lead a productive life in line with their aspirations and capabilities.

Goal 1
To ensure access and full participation in the education for all visually impaired children and youth by 2015.

Objective 1.1
To influence legislative policy change amongst governments in the seven regions of ICEVI.

Objective 1.2
To support regional and country leaders to develop strategies to mobilize affinity groups, such as communities, parent organizations, teacher training colleges, unions, disability people organizations, religious groups, women’s groups and service clubs for advocacy.

Goal 2
To promote and assist in building local capacity to develop curricula, to provide training and to identify and provide equipment and materials to children and youth with visual impairments and their parents, teachers and others in their communities.

Objective 2.1
To promote and assist local capacity through the website.

Objective 2.2
To promote and assist local capacity through conferences, workshops and seminars.

Objective 2.3
To facilitate training in cooperation with universities and other training institution.

Objective 2.4
To facilitate access to equipment.

Objective 2.5
To serve as a resource for parents.

Objective 2.6
To explore and develop on-line courses offered by ICEVI to trainers in selected countries.

Goal 3
To ensure that ICEVI initiatives are based on current evidence of best practice.

Objective 3.1
To identify available literature, data and research related to the education of VI children and youth and to learn innovative practices going on in the field.

Objective 3.2
To consolidate models of best practice.

Objective 3.3
To identify key gaps in the evidence and promote research to address these.

Objective 3.4
To develop systems to access this identified evidence, data, contacts, etc.

Goal 4
To collaborate with and make use of networks to ensure that substantially more visually impaired children and youth receive quality and comprehensive education.

Objective 4.1
To make use of ICEVI strategic plan to plan systematic engagement with international agencies and networks, and to have a working group in place by mid-2002.

Objective 4.2
To ensure that ICEVI is represented at the `Reviewing CBR´ Conference in October 2002, in Helsinki, organized by WHO-DAR.

Objective 4.3
To clarify the position on inclusion/integration in different settings by promoting a meeting to address these issues, with the aim of producing a policy document, utilizing experts to define appropriate program policies (Under UNESCO, EFA, and by 2003).

Objective 4.4
To engage with the Vision 2020 activities of childhood blindness and low vision and with the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) in order to influence activities around education of children and youth with visual impairments by the end of 2002.

Objective 4.5
To develop a joint policy by mid-2003 and a framework for action endorsed by ICEVI and WBU.

Objective 4.6
To develop a joint policy statement between WBU and ICEVI.

Goal 5
To provide information on ICEVI and its services through all possible and appropriate media to all target groups.

Objective 5.1
To establish a central body of communication that interacts with similar regional bodies that will facilitate information about the needs of education of children and youth with visual impairments.

Objective 5.2
To launch an international campaign for education of children and youth with visual impairment.

Objective 5.3
To expand and improve the distribution of existing information materials with adaptation of language for various audiences.

Objective 5.4
To market and disseminate the ICEVI strategic plan.

Objective 5.5
To develop new public awareness materials, such as brochures, and an annual report and financial statement.

Objective 5.6
To market ICEVI and its activities at conferences, seminars and other professional gatherings.

Goal 6
To build an appropriate and sustainable organizational structure for ICEVI, to include the required financial basis.

Objective 6.1
To disseminate and market strategic plan.

Objective 6.2
To generate adequate funds for ICEVI activities.

Objective 6.3
To develop a global initiative for the educating of all VI children and youth.

Objective 6.4
To form regional Committees.

Objective 6.5
To appoint a Secretary General.

Objective 6.6
To appoint regional administrative staff.

Objective 6.7
To develop appropriate strategies for continuity of leadership at all levels.

Objective 6.8
To build an organizational structure as per the diagram in Appendix 1.