Identify key messages that WBU wishes to convey for each international day Develop press releases and messages to commemorate the significant international days, placing on website and providing to WBU members to support their messaging efforts Support international day messaging efforts through social media STATUS: INITIATIVE # 5: Influencing the UN for the recognition of World Braille Day or White Cane Safety Day as international UN Day and motivating national members to lobby their governments to move/support the initiative at the appropriate UN forum. ACTION PLAN Studying the process related to recognition; Preparing strategic interventions and related documents; Identifying and preparing the country for presenting the demand; Identifying key contact persons both in UN and the presenting country STATUS: Strategic Objective 2: Ensuring that the WBU and its members are actively engaged in the implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at both the international and national levels Objective Leaders: Fernando Riaño and Lars Bosselmann INITIATIVE #1: Provide support to members from countries where the CRPD has not yet been ratified to work towards its ratification. ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN The committee will solicit information from WBU member countries about the persons who are engaged at political levels in their respective countries along with their contact details Develop a database and network to connect these political leaders at regional levels who may be able to assist with influencing processes as well as assisting the regions to help advocate for important human rights treaties and facilitate the exchange of best practice STATUS: Strategic Objective 5: Engaging with members, other stakeholders and international development organizations to protect the rights of blind and partially sighted persons in situations of disaster, humanitarian emergency or conflict and to ensure that all services and programs are accessible to them Objective Leader: Michiko Tabata INITIATIVE # 1: Develop strategy to support WBU’s role and engagement in situations of disaster, humanitarian emergency or conflict, using relevant resources ACTION PLAN Identification of resources, discussion on strategies, documentation Develop a MoU (or similar agreement) with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Adoption of a WBU Declaration on the situation of Blind and Partially sighted displaced and refugee people by the action of Disaster STATUS:
Work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the blind of the world are able to access accessible, electronic works regardless of income status STATUS: Strategic Objective 2: Promoting access to low and high technology solution for blind and partially sighted persons, including full access to consumer and household goods Objective Leader: Sachin Pavithran INITIATIVE # 1: Accessibility of autonomous and self driving vehicles (Note that this initiative to be undertaken in partnership with the Access to the Environment Working Group and Initiative # 3.3.2) ACTION PLAN Advancements in the development and production of highly autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles has increased rapidly in recent years. As blind and partially sighted persons could come to rely heavily on these vehicles, it is vitally important that we be included early in the policy and recommendation making process to ensure that we can fully utilize these vehicles when they become available. Blind and partially sighted persons need to be a big part of the conversation and development happening on this front Engage stakeholders in the auto industry who are currently developing these technologies Keep abreast of the policy initiatives happening in governments to ensure that accessibility is included as a priority when standards and regulations are being developed STATUS: