Throughout 2026, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of DbI as an independent non-profit organisation, completely focused on the rights and needs of people with deafblindness, their families, specialised service organisations and relevant research.
DbI was founded after its first 11 years as part of, and in particular as a specialised subcommittee of, the then International Council for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (ICEVH) on 3 September 1976 during the 6th International Conference on Deafblindness in Sydney, Australia. Initially known as the International Association for the Education of the Deaf-Blind (IAEDB), the organisation became Deafblind International (DbI) in 1999.
Fifty years is an impressive number. They represent 50 years of growing diversity, a great deal of voluntary work, passion, expertise and collaboration across all borders to break down the many, many barriers in the lives of people with deafblindness. Let’s continue together on this path, thank all our predecessors warmly for their excellent contributions and commitment, and celebrate our peaceful, effective and fruitful diversity and the power of human connection.
To the next 50 years, hopefully with more and more deafblind awareness and inclusion around the world!
Mirko Baur, president, Deafblind International