Deafblind International
Comment: Primary sources do not establish notability per WP:ORG. Also, sources which cover related subjects, such as deafblindness, but do not provide significant coverage of this organisation do not count toward ORG. DoubleGrazing (talk) 09:39, 11 October 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: This has clearly not (Special:Diff/1379686240) been "totally written by hand", this has been partly reworded. DoubleGrazing (talk) 09:36, 11 October 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: Please delete (not just rewrite) all text, while keeping the review templates, and start over without an LLM. See Help:Your first article for general advice. Helpful Raccoon (talk) 02:38, 10 October 2026 (UTC)
| Abbreviation | DbI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1976 |
| Type | International non-profit membership organization |
Region served | Worldwide |
Members | Members and organizations worldwide |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | International Association for the Education of the Deafblind (IAEDB) |
Deafblind International (DbI ) is an international organization that brings together professionals involved in deafblindness all over the world. It includes organizations of families of deafblind people, organizations of professionals related to deafblindness, and individuals involved in some way. It organizes international networks, conferences, research, and the development of protocols and reports. It promotes, together with other international organizations, the recognition and the rights of persons with deafblindness.[1] DbI members can be organizations (Corporate) or individuals. [2] [3]
History
The origins of DbI date back to the 1950s, to various international cooperation actions between educational centers and organizations working with children with deafblindness. The first institutions involved were Condover Hall, in the United Kingdom, the school for the blind in Hannover, institutions in the Netherlands, institutions in the Soviet Union, the Perkins School for the Blind in the USA, and schools in the Nordic countries.[4]
In 1962 there took place an international conference titled Teaching Deaf-Blind Children Condover Hall, England, which was attended by 41 participants, who constituted the nucleus of a group that continued organizing international meetings in the 1960s and 1970s.[4]
During those years, this group constituted a subcommittee on education in deafblindness within the International Council for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (current ICEVI). In 1976 they formally constituted the International Association for the Education of the Deafblind (IAEDB), electing Keith Watkins of Australia as first president.[4][5] [6] [7]
Although the first meetings focused on the education of children with deafblindness, from the 1970s onwards they progressively broadened the perspective, so that at present it covers all the stages of life of persons with deafblindness.[4]
The first constitution was approved in Madrid in 1997, during a European congress on deafblindness hosted by the organization ONCE, and in 1999 it adopted the current name of Deafblind International (DbI).[4]
Development of international deafblind education
DbI was from its origins the main driver of the international expansion of cooperation in specific educational programs in deafblindness and in the development of specialized services. [8] Enerstvedt records the historical legacy of this organization in a review of the history of the education of blind, deaf and deafblind people.[9]
A strategic point was the adoption of a universally accepted professional terminology. In 1990, a resolution of the group adopted the unification of the term deafblind , reflecting that deafblindness is a unique disability, and not the simple sum of visual and auditory difficulties. A 2009 document of the Australian Senate recognizes its role as international advocate for the rights of persons with deafblindness and for their recognition, as well as for the development of services in all countries. [10]. [11] [12]
Organization and networks
The management of DbI is organized into a board of directors, four committees (management, communication, fundraising and diversity-equality-inclusion), and various specialized networks. In 2026 it had 18 networks.[13]
The networks are constituted by groups of DbI members focused on the development and advocacy of various topics. Among them are the networks of education, families, research, technology, Usher syndrome, youth, CHARGE syndrome, acquired deafblindness, and others. According to its bylaws, each network must include participants from at least three countries, and focus either on a special topic or on a geographical region.[13][14]
Conferences
The central activity of DbI is the international conferences, since the first meeting of organizations in 1962. Since then, world, regional and international conferences focused on a topic have been held periodically.[15][16]
In 2022 there took place the first regional conference in Africa, in Nairobi, Kenia [17], and in 2025 the first one in Asia in the city of Pokhara, Nepal. The world conference of 2027 will take place in Davos, Switzerland, and will be held jointly with the corresponding one of the World Federation of the Deafblind.[18][19]
Research and professional collaboration
DbI provides international support and collaboration to research and to specialized professional practice in deafblindness. The research and education networks constitute international forums between researchers and professionals that promote the development of knowledge and new methodologies in deafblindness.[13] [20][21][22][23]
A central theme is the participation in the international project of the development of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) applied to the field of deafblindness. The project includes 4 stages: a systematic review, a qualitative investigation, a multicenter clinical study, and an international consensus.[24]. The project included systematic review, qualitative research, an international expert survey and a multicentre clinical study, followed by an international consensus process.[25][26] [27]
Another notable aspect is an initiative focused on the education of children with deafblindness in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.[28]
See also
- Deafblindness
- World Federation of the Deafblind
- Perkins School for the Blind
References
- ↑ "Interesse- og brukerorganisasjoner" (in norsk). Nasjonal behandlingstjeneste for sansetap og psykisk helse. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ "Publicaciones institucionales" (in español). ONCE. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ "Who We Are". Deafblind International. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "History". Deafblind International. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ "The Educator" (PDF). The Educator (in español). International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment. July 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ Legacy of the Past: Some Aspects of Deaf-Blind Education in the Last Half of the Twentieth Century (PDF). Retrieved 11 October 2026. Search this book on
- ↑ "Nordic definition on deafblindness". Nordic Welfare Centre. 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ "Journée mondiale de la surdicécité" (in français). Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ Enerstvedt, Regi Th. (1996). Legacy of the Past: Some Aspects of the History of Blind Education, Deaf Education, and Deaf-Blind Education. Forlaget Nord-Press. Search this book on
- ↑ "Surdicécité". Déficiences visuelles: dépistage et prise en charge chez le jeune enfant (in français). INSERM. Retrieved 9 October 2026. Search this book on
- ↑ Dammeyer, Jesper (2014). "Deafblindness: a review of the literature". Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 42 (7): 554–562. doi:10.1177/1403494814544399.
- ↑ Community Affairs References Committee hearing (Report). Parliament of Australia. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Networks". Deafblind International. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ "Nordiska och internationella nätverk" (in svenska). Nationellt kunskapscenter för dövblindfrågor. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ Martínez González, J. J. (2001). "5ª Conferencia Europea sobre Sordoceguera de la DbI: «La autodeterminación, un proceso que dura toda la vida»". Integración (in español). ONCE (36). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ Alba Martín, Raquel (2023). "18.ª Conferencia Mundial de la DbI: «Conexiones globales. El futuro en nuestras manos»". RED Visual: Revista Especializada en Discapacidad Visual (in español) (82): 133–144. doi:10.53094/MOBB5249.
- ↑ "Deafblind Reality in Africa". Sense International. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ "Conferences". Deafblind International. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Alba Martín, Raquel (2023). "18.ª Conferencia Mundial de la DbI: «Conexiones globales. El futuro en nuestras manos»". RED Visual: Revista Especializada en Discapacidad Visual (in español) (82): 133–144. doi:10.53094/MOBB5249.
- ↑ "How model programs in Latin America are strengthening educational communities". Perkins School for the Blind. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ "Mehr Teilhabe für taubblinde Menschen" (in Deutsch). Blindeninstitutsstiftung. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ "Deafblind International African Research Initiative". Able Australia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ Community Impact Report 2025 (PDF) (Report). Blind Low Vision NZ. 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- ↑ "18 areas for action for service providers and health and social care professionals, and 14 urgent improvements for deafblind people". Government of the United Kingdom. 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Paramasivam, A; Jaiswal, A; Minhas, R (2021). "The development of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets for deafblindness: a study protocol". PLOS ONE. 16 (12). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0261413. Unknown parameter
|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ "ICF Core Set for Deafblindness". Deafblind International. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Améliorer la vie des personnes sourdaveugles (PDF) (Report) (in français). Government of France. 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
- ↑ "Research". Deafblind International. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
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