[mountainstate] Fw: [acb-l] News About blind in Haiti

[JRayl]

Jessie
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher P. Gray" <chris at bayareadigital.us>
To: <acb-l at acb.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:10 PM
Subject: [acb-l] News About blind in Haiti


Hello:

Many of you will remember Maryanne Diamond's excellent banquet
address to ACB last summer.  Below is a note from her about the
situation for the blind of Haiti.

Chris

  Dear WBU Members-:
We have been receiving many messages of concern regarding our
blind and partially sighted friends in Haiti following the
terrible earthquake there.  We wanted to provide you with an
update on what we know and what we are trying to do in this most
difficult situation.
We have heard from Dr.  Péan, the Director of the Haitian Society
of the Blind (SHAA) and have also heard news of the Principal of
the St.  Vincent School for the Disable in Haiti, which also
served as the School for the Blind.  We know that blind persons
have lost their lives as well as family members and also that the
premises of both SHAA and the school were damaged.
We have been in contact with our Vision Alliance colleagues at
IAPB and ICEVI in order to determine how we might coordinate our
efforts and support.  We have agreed that the most urgent need in
Haiti right now is for emergency aid.  This is not our expertise
but rather that of specialized agencies.  Once the immediate
emergency aid period is well underway, then the rebuilding work
will begin.  That is where we believe we can be of most
assistance, by providing help to the Haitian Society of the Blind
and through them to blind and partially sighted persons, to help
them rebuild their lives.  Some of our members are presently
collecting donations that will be used to help SHAA and blind and
partially sighted persons in Haiti rebuild their lives.  The WBU
has also been invited to serve on a World Bank Global Program on
Disability and Development working group that will focus on the
reconstruction efforts in Haiti.  We are just now finalizing our
representation to that group.
For those of you who would like more information about the St.
Vincent School and how to assist the, here is a website you can
visit: httpccwwwddfriendsof/vincentsddorgst We also have banking
information for the Haitian Society of the Blind should any of
our members wish to support them directly.  The WBU office will
be happy to provide you with the information needed for bank
transfers.
  I do hope that this update is helpful to you and I know that
our friends in Haiti appreciate very much your messages and
concern.
Warm regards
Maryanne Diamond




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