The International Conference brought together the most notable and significant deafblind representatives to discuss the challenges facing the community.
The conference’s objectives were to establish precise policy recommendations, identify the methods for further studies, and bring together the finest approaches to working with the deafblind.
The most recent international event concerning the deafblindness situation occurred on the 15th and 16th of April in Moscow. The international conference «Challenges of the deaf-blind: experience, objectives, perspectives”, was organized by the Deaf-blind Support Found.
There were representatives of the most relevant entities of deafblindness. Ricard López, president of EDbN participated as an invited speaker.
The inaugural session was undertaken by Dimitry Polikanov, President, Deaf-blind Support Found. Also present were Mikhail Terentyev (Russia), Vice-chairman, the State Duma for labour, social policy and veteran affairs (Russia), Frank Kat, Director, The Royal Dutch Kentalis, (Netherlands), James Thornberry, Director, Sense International (Great Britain) and Andrey Nikitin, General Director, Agency of Strategic initiatives (Russia).
A number of round tables were established. The round table «Adaptive Physical Education (APE)» was dedicated to show assistive practices that distinct Russian organizations regarding disability practice carry out.
The round table «Definition the Deaf-blindness Criteria: The Deaf-blind Census» involved international speakers. Of special interest was the speech made by Elena Geleskul conducting «Russia-wide deaf-blind census by Deaf-blind Support Fund». Ricard López conducted the conference, «Census of the Deafblind: EU and EEUU status» where the results of the recent project, «European Deafblind Indicators» were presented, as well as the differences with the EEUU census methodologies. The European census found an estimated 3 million deafblind people in Europe.
The program also included the round tables: «Rehabilitation through the Arts», «Training specialists for working with the deaf-blind» and «The medicine of the future», among others. All the interventions were carried out by prominent, international organizations, which were given the opportunity to put together the priorities of the deafblind and establish the basis for an international network. EDbN will look for ways of capitalizing on the potential of recent contacts.
The Deaf-blind Support Found is an NGO established by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) to assess the deaf-blind population in Russia, take into account their needs and provide for improving their quality of life, including their integration in social and professional activities.
Amid Amedi, neurobiologist, Ricard López, President of the European Deafblind Network, Albin Adam, Deputy Reagional Lead Hephata Fund, Pavel Osipov, Head Enabling Technologies Program of the Deaf-blind Support Found, James Thornberry, Director, Sense International, Frank Kat, Director of The Royal Dutch Kentalis