"Achieving Equality in Education: New Challenges and Strategies for Change": The 12th World Conference and General Assembly of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment.

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 youths so that they may achieve their full potential. ICEVI is a nonprofit organization structured through seven regions worldwide. The president of 1CEVI is Lawrence F. Campbell of the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States, and the secretary general is M. N. G. Mani of Tamil Nadu, India.

ICEVI held its 12th World Conference and General Assembly July 16-21,2006, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The organizing committee for the conference was led by Datuk Dr. Ismil Md. Salleh of the Malaysian Association for the Blind. The chairperson of the Scientific Program Committee was Heather Mason of the United Kingdom. The theme of the conference, "Achieving Equality in Education: New Challenges and Strategies for Change,"

reflects the rationale supporting ICEVI and the World Blind Union (WBU) Position Paper on Inclusive Education of Children with Visual Impairment (available online at: <www.icevi.org/publications/ICEVI-WBU_ joint_policy_paper on inclusive_education. html>). This important document affirms the human right of all children who are blind or have low vision to equal access to appropriate quality education as provided for in the following documents:

* Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989); available: <www.unhchr.ch/html/ menu3/b/k2crc.htm>

* World Declaration on Education for All (1990); available: <www.unesco.org/ education/efa/ed_for_all/background/ jomtien_declaration.shtml>

* Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disability (1993);available: <www.ohchr.org/english/ law/opportunities.htm>

* UNESCO Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action (1994); available: <www. ecdgroup.com/download/gn1ssfai.pdf>

* Dakar Framework for Action (2000); available: <www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_ for_all/dakfram_eng.shtml>

PARTICIPANTS, PRESENTATIONS, AND PRESENTERS

The ICEVI World Conference and General Assembly became a quadrennial event in 2002; whereas in the past it had been a quinquennial event. The 2006 conference was attended by 1,200 participants representing 96 countries. Each day began with plenary sessions that addressed one of the major threads of the conference. Plenary session presenters included Fred Schroeder of the United States and Charlotte McLain-Nhlap of the Republic of South Africa, who spoke on attitudes and policies; Gregorio Alonso of Spain and Bhushan Punani of India, on human resource development; Jill Keeffe of Australia, Wilfred Maina of Kenya, Lucia Picionne of Argentina, and Peng Zianguang of China, on strategies for change; and Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg of Tibet (Braille without Borders), on personnel. Stephen McCall of the United Kingdom presented a summation of the conference on the final day.

Plenary sessions were followed by a total of 100 concurrent sessions, most of which had two or three independent presenters; there were 76 poster sessions by representatives of all seven regions of the world as defined by ICEVI, and half-day workshops with specific objectives and outcomes, all of which focused on one or more of 17 topical areas, including equal access to education; multiple disabilities and visual impairment; service models; personnel preparation; assessment procedures; working with families; life skills, including orientation and mobility; early intervention; life-long learning; assistive technology; multidisciplinary professional collaboration; alternate education models for young adults; educational equity for women and girls; and rebuilding educational systems in countries affected by wars or natural disasters. The majority of the concurrent and poster sessions were research based. The poster sessions were presented in the exhibit hall, which had approximately 20 exhibitors.

Access

Materials, the program, book of abstracts, and descriptions of poster sessions were all provided for participants in accessible modes. The Malaysian Association for the Blind and other local agencies provided many well-trained volunteers who were available to assist all participants at all venues. Superior technical assistance was provided to all presenters, and participants were given a disk that included all plenary and concurrent session papers.

Dignitaries

An impressive number of Malaysian dignitaries attended the conference, including those from the Ministry of Education; the Kuala Lumpur Mayor's office; the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and Department of Social Welfare; the Malaysian National Council for the Blind; and many other organizations. Dignitaries did not just come to say a few words and then leave, they stayed and participated demonstrating their interest and support of the efforts of the Malaysian Association for the Blind and ICEVI.

Networking

The conference was rich in quality, motivating, and thought-provoking sessions. It was a conference filled with opportunities to meet colleagues from around the world and to network. Social events and dinners, almost all held in the Putra World Trade center within feet of sessions, were hosted by various organizations and served to keep participants together to exchange ideas and thoughts, and plan collaborative efforts. The social events offered the opportunity for participants to sit informally with professionals from around the world and learn about their efforts and strategies in providing educational opportunities to children who are blind or visually impaired. This was my fourth ICEVI conference, and I saw many acquaintances who have participated in past conferences and made many new ones.

THE GLOBAL VILLAGE

The world is changing, and the effects of technologies, governments, and policy changes are apparent as I compare the ICEVI conference of the early 1990s in Bangkok, Thailand, with the 2006 conference. There continues to be much to be learned from all the individuals who provide educational services to children who are blind or visually impaired throughout the world. This, I hope, will never change.

It is clear that progress is occurring in the smallest of villages and the most metropolitan of cities. The conference afforded me the opportunity to compare services for children with visual impairment through the experiences of colleagues who are fortunate enough to be living in countries where peace prevails and have opportunities to provide educational services with those who live in countries at war or those who are trying desperately to recover from the ravages of war in their hometowns. Presentations on abuse of children with visual impairments and the provision of services in war-ravaged countries brought new perspectives to the forefront for many of us in attendance. It was clear that progressive services are not related to economics; they rely, instead, on the creativity of dedicated professionals, parents, and consumers who work cooperatively.

Technology

Technology has helped to close some of the gaps between industrialized and non-industrialized nations. In areas where technology does not exist, the gap of isolation seems to have widened. In most cases, technology has helped to inform individuals around the world and provide access to known strategies for effective education of students with visual impairments. The unique opportunity to come face-to-face with far-flung colleagues made clear how knowledgeable and dedicated our colleagues from around the globe are, and how eager they are to learn more from fellow participants. This synergy created common ground for both casual and professional exchanges. In addition, there were many participants and presenters who were themselves blind or visually impaired. The number of blind or visually impaired individuals from around the world at this conference seems to have increased, and, for this observer, this phenomenon is most encouraging because it shows that progress is being made in integrating visually impaired people into society.

Parent groups

Countless seeds of future collaborations were sown in Kuala Lumpur, while the results of initiatives begun earlier bore fruit. At the 10th ICEVI World Conference, held in Brazil in 1999, the first international forum of parents of children who are blind and visually impaired was held. This year, a group of parents from Malaysia, the United States, and many other countries participated and presented at the ICEVI conference. Parents from around the world shared similar stories of successes and challenges, and established an International Parent Group. In addition, they plan to work together and to establish an international electronic discussion group.

GOALS OF ICEVI

Some of the formal goals of the 12th World ICEVI Conference and General Assembly were to:

* Promote dialogue at the highest level on international issues reflecting key issues of the theme of the conference.

* Facilitate an exchange of perceptions, experiences, practice, and research during formal and informal interactions.

* Provide a current international overview of the equality of access to education and rehabilitation for children and young people with a visual impairment.

* Enable participants to hear, question, and work alongside respected international experts in the field of visual impairment as they respond to the conference theme.

These goals were most assuredly achieved thanks to the organizers and the participants who gave so generously of themselves.

I would encourage all those interested in the topic of "Education for All" to go to the ICEVI web site, <www.icevi.org>, to learn more about the organization, read past and future issues of The Educator, (the official publication of ICEVI), and to join ICEVI to enjoy all the benefits membership has to offer.

Exciting things happened at the conference, and will continue to happen as a result of people coming together with common interests and commitments to children who are blind or visually impaired. It is wonderful to come away from a conference recharged and with more ideas and energized thoughts than one had prior to attendance.

Kathleen M. Huebner, Ph.D., professor, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, and chair, ICEVI North American Caribbean Region; e-mail: <kathyh@pco. edu>.