Once every four years, the World Blind Union (WBU) hosts its General Assembly, which brings together organizations of and for the blind from all over the world to connect and learn from each other and we are very excited for this quadrennial’s assembly. The 2016 GA will be a special one as it is being held in the USA for the first time, in Orlando, Florida and our hosts, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), are very excited to welcome blind and partially sighted people from all over the world to their country.

Another special feature of the 2016 GA is that it will be jointly held with the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) for the second time. We have found holding the Assembly jointly with ICEVI to be very beneficial for our members as well as the educators and service providers from ICEVI who will have the opportunity to interact directly with blind and partially sighted individuals.

The WBU has to bring together a lot of elements to make such a complex and important event worthwhile for its members. We work hard to ensure geographic diversity, aiming for as many countries to be represented as possible. Our Sponsorship Committee has been hard at work selecting delegates to support from developing countries, with a specific focus on being inclusive of women and youth as well.

Another major piece of preparation is preparing the program, and ensuring that the topics and events offered will be relevant for our members worldwide. 2016 marks the 10^th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and this anniversary is reflected in the program with sessions focusing on human rights in the UN system, how the CRPD has benefited blind and partially sighted persons around the world, and what are the key remaining issues. We will also be covering other topics such as the Marrakesh Treaty, relevant technological advances, and priorities for youth engagement. 

The General Assembly also offers the chance for WBU staff and Officers to learn from its members about what it is like in their country for blind and partially sighted persons and what we can do to better support our members. Input from our members will also be crucial during the more organizational parts of our GA, where quadrennial reports will be presented, new leaders will be elected and we will begin our strategic planning for the next for years. Input from our global membership is absolutely essential to help guide our next four years of work.

Our hope is that our members, as well as the delegates from the ICEVI Assembly, will share knowledge of best practices, learn from their peers from around the world and bring that knowledge back to their home countries and communities. We look forward to having everyone from the global blindness community join us for what is sure to be a momentous and historic event for our community.