WBU Global Report – COVID-19, Amplifying Voices, Our Lives, Our Say

August 26, 2020 10:46 pm Published by Legacy Account

The World Blind Union (WBU) conducted a webinar on 4 September 2020 to launch a global report – “COVID-19, AMPLIFYING VOICES: OUR LIVES, OUR SAY” examining the extent to which COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some deep structural inequalities in society. Data gathered from the study is evidencing that persons with disabilities, older persons, and persons from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds are among those hardest hit by the pandemic. While this report puts a spotlight on the voices of blind and partially sighted persons, many of the experiences shared strongly resonate with numerous other studies that are also highlighting how marginalised groups have been affected by this crisis. Through this report, WBU hopes to raise awareness on the specifics of what those challenges have meant in reality for its constituents, as well as shed light on what have been effective resilience strategies for them. The study was made possible with the support of CBM Global. The report, in various accessible formats and different languages, is available on our special COVID-19 Section.

The virtual webinar was attended by a high level panel including Ms. Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, the UN Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility; Mr. David Bainbridge, the Executive Director of CBM Global; Mr. Danlami Umaru Basharu, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); Ms. Rosario Galarza, member of the Executive Committee of Latin American Union of the Blind and WBU President, Dr. Fred Schroeder.