About CCB-Eye Care Caribbean

Our History

The Caribbean Council for the Blind [CCB], was established on September 24th, 1967

as a regional Not-for-Profit Organization comprising of Societies/Associations of and for

the Blind throughout the mainly English-speaking Caribbean.

However, CCB now includes Associations from two Francophone countries, Haiti and

Martinique. Initially, CCB operated out of Trinidad, but in 1980, the Secretariat or

Administrative Office was relocated to Antigua. This new location, geographically,

provided easier access to the territories of the Eastern Caribbean, Northern-Western

Caribbean, North America and Europe.

In 1998, the role of CCB was expanded with the establishment of a subsidiary, The

Foundation for Eye Care in the Caribbean, [Eye Care Caribbean], Incorporated. This

Agency was charged with the responsibility of pursuing income generation/cost

recovery ventures, which, in turn would provide additional resources for expansion and

sustainability of Council's programmes. Eventually, The Foundation was folded into the

Caribbean Council for the Blind, with the combined entity branded as CCB-Eye Care

Caribbean.

Our Mission, Purpose, Goal & Objectives

Mission

Promote effective measures for the preservation of sight and for the education and

training, rehabilitation, employment and well being, and to do all things to facilitate the

integration of persons with blindness or visual impairments in the societies of the

countries and territories of its Member Agencies/Organizations.

Purpose

Preventing blindness & visual impairment; while restoring sight and creating

opportunities for persons whose sight cannot be restored.

Our goal

A Caribbean, fully compliant with the objectives of: Vision 2020 (The right to Sight),

Education for all children with blindness & visual impairments (EFA) and the United

Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Broad Objectives

Our principal objectives are to:

Prevent avoidable blindness and visual impairments.

Help persons who are blind or visually impaired have their sight restored.

Advocate for universal access to inclusive education by children who are blind or

visually impaired.

Lobby for universal access to: counseling and adjustment to blindness services by

all persons who are blind and requiring such services.

Promotion of the rights of persons who are blind or visually impaired to: vocational

and tertiary level training; gainful employment; unemployment or pension benefits

and inclusive recreational activities.

Continuous improvement in the institutional capabilities of our members.

The use of all available media systems to advance public awareness and material

support for these objectives.

The acquisition of financial and other resources to support our work.

The advancement of social investment practices, as a means of achieving financial

sustainability for the: Mission, purpose and goal of CCB-Eye Care Caribbean.

Launch of V2020 in the Caribbean:

Vision 2020: The Right to Sight is a global partnership involving a number of

International Eye Care Agencies, and led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and

the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) with the aim to reduce

the main causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020. The initiative was launched

in the Caribbean in July of 2000. For the region, the five (5) Vision 2020 priority

diseases are: Cataract, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy; Conditions which cause

blindness or visual impairment in children; Refractive Errors, Low Vision & Education &

adjustment to blindness services.

The first regional strategy for the attainment of Vision 2020 objectives in the Caribbean

was developed by the Council (with technical assistance from PAHO-WHO). The

strategic plan ran from 2003 to Dec 2008. A successor plan is being implemented

(2009-2014). The 2014 meeting of Caribbean Vision 2020 Committees and Their

Representatives; (from 13 of the 15 member countries of CARICOM) agreed the inputs

for the successor to the 2 previous 5-year Vision 2020 Strategic Frame Work for the

Caribbean -2015-2019.

How we Work

We believe that persons with blindness or visual impairments, are entitled to some basic

services and opportunities, wherever they live. Therefore, our entire advocacy seeks to

assure the following:

Eye health services of: Good quality, which is available, accessible, affordable, and

equitable;

Inclusive education services which are (at least) on par with education opportunities

available to children and adults without blindness or visual impairments;

Viable employment; and where employment opportunities are not available,

unemployment or pension benefits, at or better than the national minimum wage.

A safe and physically secure environment.

We believe that a number of international conventions & initiatives, provide useful

impetus to our cause. These include:

The Global Initiative to Reduce avoidable blindness & visual impairment by 2020;

The Education For All (EFA) initiative;

The United Nations Convention on The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities.

Why CCB-Eye Care Caribbean

Since 1967, we have facilitated: Eye health services to more than1.5 million persons

across the Caribbean, helped more than a thousand children with blindness or visual

impairment gain access to formal education and supported-facilitated the training of

more than ten thousand adults who are blind, with training in adjustment to blindness

techniques.

Partnerships

V2020 initiatives:

Pursuant to our commitment to Vision 2020 (The Right To Sight) the CCB maintains

active partnerships with MOHs and more than 30 hospitals and other health facilities in

the public sector, across CARICOM.

Education Services:

In support of education services for children with blindness or visual impairments,

CCB engages with education authorities in: Antigua & Barbuda; Barbados, The

Bahamas, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines &

Trinidad & Tobago.

Our International Alliances & Associations:

CCB was established with direct financial and technical assistance from the Royal

Commonwealth Society For The Blind (Now Sight Savers International).

Over the years CCB has established relationships (at different levels with a number of

regional & International interests. Some of our networking involved: PAHO-WHO,

UNDP, UNIFEM, Unicef, Unesco, Christofel Blinden Mission; Helen Keller

International; Hilton Perkins International & Perkins School; The American Foundation

For The Blind; The American Council Of The Blind; The national Federation of The

Blind; The Canadian National Institute For The Blind; The Canadian Council Of The

Blind; The World Blind Union; ORBIS; CARICOM; The OECS; The Caribbean

Development Bank; CIDA; DEFID; Canada Fund; VSO; USAID; Several embassies

and high commissions; NGOS; National governments in 13 Caribbean states &

territories;UOG, UWI, Mico, & businesses interests across the Caribbean.