Launch of ICEVI global campaign, EFA-VI

In July 2006, ICEVI, in partnership with the World Blind Union (WBU) launched the Education for All Children with Vision Impairment (EFA-VI) global campaign at the 12th ICEVI World Conference in Kuala Lumpur. This campaign and associated program will focus on ICEVI's vision and strategic goals, as well as three of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals: (a) achieving universal primary education, (b) promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, and (c) developing a global partnership for development.

Caption: EFA-VI workshop in Suva, Feb08
Caption: EFA-VI workshop in Suva, Feb08

The EFA-VI campaign commenced in 2006 and is being implemented at two levels:
(a) Policy formation by a Global Task Force (GTF), chaired by the President of ICEVI and consisting of leading umbrella organisations and international non-governmental development organisations, and
(b) Implementation by National Task Forces (NTF) established in each of the seven ICEVI regions. Four guiding principles have been identified for the campaign. These are as follows:

  • (i) Creation of a demand for educational services;
  • (ii) Implementation of the campaign in select countries in each of the seven ICEVI; regions. Delivery of the EFA-VI program will be within existing general and special education system frameworks;
  • (iii) Placement of girls and boys with vision impairment within the general education system, with appropriate support; and
  • (iv) Consideration of alternative educational approaches for children who require highly specialised services, including children with deafblindness and children with multiple disabilities.

The campaign's success will be measured against four performance indicators:

  1. Have education enrolment rates of children with vision impairment increased?
  2. Have drop-out rates among children with vision impairment decreased?
  3. Do children with vision impairment have access to the support services and learning materials they need (in the appropriate format) to allow them to compete on an equal basis with their sighted peers?
  4. Is the performance of children with vision impairment on a par with those of non-vision impaired children?

To learn more about the EFA-VI global campaign, please visit ICEVI.