Bringing home half a century of global collaboration, what does it take to lead an international community dedicated to the deafblind movement into its next era? Closing out our celebratory 50th anniversary series, Amy Stevenson sits down with Deafblind International President and Tanne Foundation director Mirko Baur. From his background as a special education pedagogue, linguist, and NPO manager in Switzerland to guiding worldwide initiatives like the ICF Core Set and global definitions of deafblindness, Mirko reflects on a lifetime of championing connection, communication, and systems change.
About Mirko Baur
Mirko Baur is the President of Deafblind International (DbI) and the head of Tanne, the Swiss Foundation for People with Congenital Deafblindness. A trained special education pedagogue, linguist, literary scholar, and NPO manager, he has served on the DbI board since 2015, stepping into the role of Vice President in 2019 before being elected President in 2023. Alongside leading Tanne and chairing DbI’s Communication Committee, he is deeply passionate about bridging language regions, fostering global inclusion, and driving international campaigns for individuals with deafblindness.
Special thanks to the Deafblind Ontario Services team and Amy Stevenson for producing and hosting this 50th-anniversary podcast series.