Ecuador: Only two of every 100 children with visual disabilities in poor countries attend school, says World Blind Union at Quito conference

Delegations from the 19 countries constituting the Latin American Union of the Blind (Unión Latinoamericana de Ciegos), meet last April 19 through 23 in Quito, held their V International Congress and VI General Assembly.

They had also organized a Technical Congress (April 19 to 21) on technology and access to information for persons with visual disabilities. The General Assembly of the Union was held on April 22 and 23 in order to present the reports of the Board of Directors and the appointed commissions and also to elect the new official for the 2004-2008 period.

The Latin American Union of the Blind is a branch of the World Union of the Blind. The World Union is presided by Kicki Nordström of Sweden, who participated in the productive activities organized by the Latin American Union in Ecuador.

Persistent exclusion

Kicki told the delegates: "An estimated 98% of the children with visual disabilities, particularly in the Third Word, lack access to school. Under these circumstances, only the educated blind would have opportunities at the job market. " The 200 participants (150 from Ecuador and 50 from other countries) welcomed her words, including Gloria Gutiérrez, a 43 year old Nicaraguan activist who is blind. Her attention was not directed to the front where the Conference table was, but to the loud speakers from which she was taping every word she was to take to the 150 members of her association in Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Gloria said: "The Nicaraguan State does not assume its obligation of rehabilitating persons who are blind. Our association provides its members with craft training so they can contribute to the family income. We teach them how to make hammocks, baskets, and we make artifacts to sell at fairs."

No jobs

The fact that 75% of persons with visual disabilities are unemployed, was part of the alarming information shared at the International Conference of the Latin American Union of the Blind. This serious situation was commented on by Luis Narváez, Director of the National Federation of the Blind of Ecuador, the host organization of the event: "Persons who are blind lack opportunities to find a job and even their families exclude them. We are working to gain our space in society, we are not something that is bad. There are many blind professionals in our country."

Luis Narváez is also in charge of the Department of Kioscos and Telephone Services (Departamento de Kioscos y Servicio Telefónico). This Department, supported by international cooperation, offers jobs to 360 blind workers in Ecuador.

The proposal of the National Institute of the Blind

The National Institute for the Blind (Instituto Nacional para Ciegos), proposed to the delegations of the V Technical Congress, the creation of a network of technological materials for blind persons, including the development of accessible software. This network could become an important link and exchange opportunity, in Spanish, for Open Source software developers, using the World Wide Web and the existing resources of several universities, research centers and the organizations of blind people in Latin America.

This proposal of the National Institute for the Blind emphasizes the concept of fostering the access of blind persons to digital information, by developing country based software, as a way of eliminating communication barriers. The Network will also contribute to creating educational and job opportunities for persons with visual disabilities. There is also the need for developing Open End Interfaces to foster the development of more accessible software by the industry, without additional cost and using any technological platform.

The Internet is the most efficient and economical tool for advancing this proposal. It would allow immediate information exchange in and from anyplace in the world. This type of accessibility oriented initiative will become an excellent form of interaction and cooperation towards improving the communication possibilities of persons with visual disabilities of Latin America.

At the end of the activities of the V Technical Congress and the VI General Assembly there was an exhibit of technological products developed by the Technical Assistance and Development Group of the National Institute, including materials in Braille and large type.

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