Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Austria

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Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Austria
(BSVÖ)
The logo is landscape format and shows the abbreviation "BSVÖ" over the full width in the upper part. The font is sans serif (similar to Helvetica), the letters "BSV" are shown in very strong bold, while the Ö appears as a thin circle next to them. This clearly separates this letter from the abbreviation BSV; The same applies to the logos of the regional associations, which have an analogous structure (for example, the K is set off in this way in the logo of the regional association of Carinthia (BSVK)). The upper arch of the S and the adjacent left leg of the V seem to merge. The presumed connection point is, however, covered by a stylized armband (yellow with three black dots). Below the abbreviation is "BLINDEN- AND SEHBEHINDERTENVERBAND ÖSTERREICH" in much smaller font. The logo shown in the Wikipedia article is black (with a yellow armband) on white, on the BSVÖ homepage it appears black on a yellow background.
legal form Self-help organization
( ZVR : 903235877)
founding 1946
founder Erwin Horacek
Seat Vienna ( ⊙ coordinates: 48 ° 11 ′ 24 ″  N , 16 ° 17 ′ 29.5 ″  E )
precursor ÖBV / ÖBSV
motto See more together
main emphasis Blind and visually impaired
Action space Austria
Chair Markus Wolf
Website www.blindenverband.at

The Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Austria (BSVÖ) is a self-help organization by and for blind and visually impaired people. The seat is in Vienna.

task

The central task of the BSVÖ is to promote the interests and needs of blind and visually impaired people. In order to represent this in the public as possible, the president of the BSVÖ and the management officials are elected from this group of people. The seven state organizations that cover the entire federal territory are also members of the BSVÖ.

history

President
1946-1947 Erwin Horacek
1947-1956 Leopold Bick
1956-1966 Dr. Leopold Mayer
1967-1987 Councilor Matthias Bleier
1987-1999 Klaus Martini I.
1999-2004 Prof. Klaus Guggenberger
2004-2008 Klaus Martini II
2008–2012 Mag. Gerhard Höllerer
2012 - Dr. Markus Wolf

The association was founded on March 9, 1946 as the Austrian Association of the Blind (ÖBV), which bundled the interests of the then numerous associations for the blind. The first president was Erwin Horacek.

The first assembly of delegates took place on December 13, 1947, exactly 50 years after the foundation of the First Support Association for the Blind for Lower Austria, in the dining room of the L. Pawlik Inn in Vienna VII, Kaiserstraße 84. Leopold Bick was elected President. Numerous specialist groups and interest groups were launched: Concert Association of Blind Artists, Association of Blind Spiritual Workers, Blind Workers, Blind Church Musicians, Vienna Chess Round, Specialist Group Aids, Disabled Sports, etc.

An aid center was set up in the Austrian Association of the Blind in 1956 and the specialist group for blind Esperantists was founded in 1962.

The Dr. Karl Renner Prize in the amount of 10,000 Schillings (727 euros) was given by the chairman of the Association of War Blind Austria, Hans Hirsch, in 1957 to the establishment of the first hearing library for the blind in Austria, which could be used by all blind people. In 1990 the libraries of the audio library of the Association of War Blind Austria and the audio library of the ÖBV merged.

In 1999, the Austrian Association of the Blind (ÖBV) changed its name to the Austrian Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired (ÖBSV). This name change should allow the large group of the severely visually impaired people easier access to the association. In addition, an independent Salzburg regional group was founded.

The umbrella organization today consists of seven national organizations:

  • Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Carinthia (predecessor association founded in 1901),
  • Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Upper Austria (predecessor association founded in 1945),
  • Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Salzburg (founded in 1999),
  • Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Styria (predecessor association founded in the 1920s),
  • Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Tyrol (predecessor association founded in 1945),
  • Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Vorarlberg (predecessor association founded in 1949) and
  • Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland (predecessor association founded in 1945).

The Ministry of Social Affairs has been working closely with self-help organizations since 2000 - including the BSVÖ facilities, such as the former vocational training and research center for the blind and visually impaired (BBFZ), which is now the training facility for blind and visually impaired people (SEBUS).

In 2013, the Austrian Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired was renamed the Austrian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BSVÖ).

The BSVÖ is a member of the Austrian Disability Council (ÖBR) and the Klagsverband as well as the European Blind Union (EBU) and the World Blind Union (WBU).

organization

National organizations

The members are looked after directly on site in the individual federal states by the 7 regional organizations of the BSVÖ. The country organizations thus serve as service points directly on site:

The national organizations of the BSVÖ

  • offer the addressed group of people advice on social law, rehabilitation training as well as visual rehabilitation and advice
  • provide an overview of professional orientation and qualification
  • maintain an aid shop with various supporting utensils for everyday life, work and leisure activities
  • advocate early intervention and provide advice to parents
  • serve as a service point for rehabilitation (orientation, mobility, practical life skills, etc.)
  • raise public awareness and
  • offer a wide range of leisure activities.

Specialist groups

In the national organizations of the BSVÖ there are various committees and specialist groups, e. B. for art and culture, eye diseases, diabetes, guide dogs, traffic, etc., which represent the interests and needs of blind and visually impaired people in these areas. The BSVÖ itself has the following specialist groups:

  • Braille Commission
  • Section for Guide Dog Owners (FBH)
  • Committee for Mobility & Infrastructure (GMI)
  • Association of Blind Esperantists - Aústria Ligo de Blindaj Esperantistoj (ALBE)

Lectures and facilities in the BSVÖ

In order to be able to represent the interests of its target group nationwide and internationally, the following departments are located in the BSVÖ:

  • the federal secretariat is the contact point for those affected and the organizational center of the association
  • The department for barrier-free building is responsible for awareness-raising, planning advice, training and research, as well as mobility in public spaces in connection with barrier-free access
  • The Department for International Cooperation represents the concerns of the target group beyond national borders, in particular through close cooperation with the European Blind Union (EBU) and the World Blind Union (WBU)
  • the Presidium for the management of the BSVÖ (Markus Wolf has been President of the BSVÖ since May 4, 2012)
  • the department for press and public relations serves to inform the members and to present the association to the outside world

The audio library of the Austrian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired supplies its members with audio books and audio films throughout the whole of Germany.

The BSVÖ also maintains a value lottery, the proceeds of which benefit both the group of people to be supported and the various projects of the association.

Publications

Every six months the association publishes the association magazine Der Durchblick - Announcements of the Austrian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ National organizations of the BSVÖ. Retrieved July 1, 2013 .
  2. ↑ Specialist groups and committees in the BSVÖ. Retrieved July 1, 2013 .