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I - OVERVIEW OF THE REGION
Latin America is a large
continent, where the native language of almost every country is Spanish.
This is beneficial because it favours communication among the people from
different countries; but there are many Indian communities in all the countries,
where people speak their own language, therefore communication with them
is not simple. Besides, the distances are often long, complex and
expensive. On the other hand, the economic situation is very difficult
in the whole region.
In addition, there are a lot of differences in the educational level in the diverse countries. There exist excellent services, where the people with visual impairment and their families have the possibility of participating in good programs on Early Intervention, Low Vision, Multiple-disabilities and Integrated Education. There are even Outreach Services and Community Based Education and Rehabilitation Programs too. But this situation is not general, it takes place only in some countries, and sometimes only in a city or state of these countries. "The reality is that there are a lot of children, young adults, and many men and women who have never received any support to improve their quality of life.
Thanks to the many International Organisations that are working in the region, the situation is slowly changing. There are a lot of projects being implemented, besides ICEVI, by HPP (Hilton/Perkins Program), HKI (Helen Keller International), ONCE (Blind Organization of Spain), CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission), ULAC (Latin America Union of Blind), DKBW (German Catholic Organization for the Blind), SENSE (National DeafBlind & Rubella Association) and others jointly with local organizations; however, we have a long way to go.
II - HIGHLIGHTS/SPECIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Partnership Meeting: We had three meetings in the region in which HPP, HKI, ULAC, ONCE, APEC, DKBW, SENSE and ICEVI participated. We interchanged information about the region, we coordinated actions to be carried out by each organization either independently or jointly, and we decided on our respective roles so as not to duplicate activities and waste limited economic and scientific resources.
Joint work with INGOs: We elaborated and carried out many projects jointly with other International Organizations such as: DARK & LIGHT, ULAC-ONCE, CBM, HPP and SIH. All of us worked together in the achievement of the objectives established.
Encouragement of the development of National Policies: The people who comprised the Regional Committee worked closely with organizations at governmental level in order to put forth the activities previously organized by us, all together. The Ministry of Education from Venezuela, from Costa Rica, from Guantemala, and from Ecuador participated in a very active way in the activities carried out. The government authorities and their delegates attended the courses. Their participation helped to implement, at national level, the changes proposed in these activities.
Cooperation with NGOs: In order to accomplish the aim of the region, ICEVI worked at national level jointly with organizations such as: "Mexican Director's Associations of Schools for Blind Children" (Mexico), Venezuelan Federation for Blind People - FEVIC (Venezuela), Committee Pro-Blind and Deaf from Guatemala (Guatemala), Argentine Association for the Study and Recovery of the Blind People - ASAERCA (Argentina).
Joint work with Local Governments: Ministry of Education of Campo Grande (Brasil), University of Sao Paulo (Brasil) and Ministry of Education of some states from Mexico (Saltillo, Merida, Celayo, Cuernavacay Culiacan).
Participation and Presentation of Papers of ICEVI in Seminars and Conferences in the region:
"XII ARGENTINE SEMINAR ON TIPHLOLOGY" (Salta-Argentina). People from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Paraguay, Uruguay and Spain participated.
"IV INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM IN MAPS AND DIAGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT". (San Pablo - Brasil). People from different countries of Latin America and Spain participated.
"INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LOW VISION" It was organized by the Regional Office of the World Health Organization in Colombia. Delegates from Europe, America and Latin America participated.
"XII ARGENTINE SEMINAR ON FULL INTEGRATION" organized by ASAERCA (Santa Fe - Argentina). People from countries of Latin America and Spain participated.
"WORLD FORUM ON LITERACY" organized by FBU (Braille Foundation from Uruguay) (Montevideo - Uruguay). People from Latin America, America, Europe, Africa and Asia participated. Besides, ICEVI's President, Bill Brohier, attended and presented a paper, and ICEVI's Vice-President, Larry Campbell presented the ICEVI and WBU Joint Statement on Educational Policy
"III LATIN AMERICAN CONGRESS OF BLIND" (Santiago - Cuba). People from every country from Latin America and Spain participated.
Promotion of national and regional seminars and workshops and training courses:
Early Intervention Courses:
A) National
Level: Celayo (Mexico), Caracas y Merida (Venezuela)
B) Regional
level (Brasil, Paraguay and Bolivia) in Campo Grande (Brasil)
Orientation and Mobility
Courses:
A) National
level: Caracas (Venezuela)
B) Regional
level (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras) in Nicaragua
Integrated Education Courses
A) National level:
Cordoba (Argentina), Saltillo (Mexico) and San Jose‚ (Costa Rica),
Quito (Ecuador)
B) Regional
level: (Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras) in Guatemala
Abacus Course
A) National
level: Merida (Mexico)
Low Vision Courses
A) National
level: Cordoba (Aragonite), Santa Cruz (Bolivia), Guatemala (Guatemala)
San Jose‚ (Costa Rica) and Merida (Mexico)
B) Regional
level: (Venezuela y Colombia) in Caracas (Venezuela)
Course on Use and
Preparation of Teaching Material
A) National
level: Culiacan (Mexico), San Jose (Costa Rica) Quito (Ecuador)
B) Regional
level: (Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras) in Guatemala
Daily Activities Courses:
A) National
level: Merida (Mexico) and San Jose (Costa Rica)
B) Regional
level: (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras) in Guatemala
Advice to Institutions, Outreach Services and Community Based Education and Rehabilitation Programs: in Paraguay (Asuncion and some villages near it), Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Tarija, Sucre and Cochabamba), Ecuador (Quito, Imbabura, Chimborazo, Vilcabamba, Yangana, Cariamanga, Azuay) and Peru (Lima, Cajamarca, Puno, Cusco, Arequipa, Trujillo, Ciclayo)
Pre-conference courses: Three courses on Early Intervention, Low Vision and Multiple disabilities were organised for the five days immediately before the Conference. The University of Sao Paulo, Hilton Perkins Program, SIH (Sweden) and ICEVI worked together to carry out these activities.
Regional Participation in Two Standing Committees: Graciela Ferioli (Argentina) and her collaborators from the region participated in the Committee on Multiple Disabilities and Marilda Bruno (Brasil) served on the Committee on Early Intervention.
Translation into Spanish of the "The Educator" and its distribution: The FBU (Braille Foundation of Uruguay) is in charge of the translation, printing and distribution of this publication to the institutions for and of blind people in the region.
III - PRIORITIES/CHALLENGES FOR STRENGTHENING REGIONAL ACTIVITIES
ICEVI Latin American Region should carry out the following in the next five years:
Translation into Spanish
of the Functional Curricula on Multiple Disabilities developed by
the Standing Committee
Implementation of the Functional
Curricula on Multiple Disabilities in the region. To give training
courses to the fieldworkers, based on this curricula.
Translation into Spanish
and distribution of the documents prepared by the Standing Committees on
Early Intervention and Technology. To give training courses to implement
this knowledge.
Follow-up of the process
of the Programs of Early Intervention, Integrated Education and Low Vision
created and improved due to the courses on these themes, through
visits to the important institutions.
Preparation and distribution
of two newsletter about concrete experiences on Use of the Abacus, Teaching
Material, Activities of Daily Living, and Orientation and Mobility which
have taken place after the courses given in the region.
Favouring the development
of national policies towards people with visual impairment
for them to have the best opportunities in order to improve their quality
of life, mainly in those countries where our organization worked weakly
during the last 5 years. To carry out the activities already
planned for Brazil and Cuba. To develop a plan of action for other
countries taking into account their needs.
Provision of professional
and technical advice to create services or programs on Education and Rehabilitation
of the people with visual impairment or improve those already existing
in the whole region.
Working jointly in coordination
with NGOs and INGOs which are in the region so as not to overlap economic
and scientific resources and in order to achieve the best results.
Acknowledgements
Our local committee was headed by one person in most of the countries, who worked in his/her own country organizing and coordinating actions. Without their participation, it would have been impossible to carry out the activities in the region. I would like to thank them: Mirna Navarro (Mexico), Marta Gross (Costa Rica), Annabela Morroquin y Georgina Jurado ( Guatemala), Mary Valera (Peru), Olmedo Zambrano (Ecuador), Gloria Peniza (Venezuela), Doris Botero (Colombia), Marilda Bruno (Brasil), Ingelore Tinmerman (Chile), Norma Pastoria (Argentina), and Angela Castillo (Nicaragua).
Besides, I would like to thank the people who were in charge of giving courses in different countries in the region and the Pre-Conference courses, dedicating their time and their expertise : Gricelda Callegaris (Argentina), Cecilia Calvo (Argentina), Graciela Ferioli (Argentina), Imelda Fernandez (Argentina), Norma Pastorina (Argentina), Maria de las Mercedes Rigo (Argentina), Gabriela Rovezzi (Argentina), Marilda Bruno and her team (Brasil), Elisa Bourroul Villela (Brasil), Maria Lucia Toledo Moraes (Brazil), Sonia Salomon (Brasil), Jose Nery Picado (Costa Rica), Maria Teresa Gonzalez (Mexico) and Johanna Enqvist (Sweden).
Finally, I wish to thank the treasurer of ICEVI, Johan Gerestein, and DARK & LIGHT Foundation. They gave financial support to implement many activities in the region. Some of them were assumed totally by this Foundation and others jointly with ULAC-ONCE and National Government and Non-governmental organizations from different countries.
Moreover, I would also like to thank CBM, HPP, and SIH because they supported activities too.