The Norwegian Association of the Blind (

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

: ''Norges Blindeforbund'') is the

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...

for the blind and

visually impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It is Norway's oldest association of the

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

. It has ca. 11,000 members as of 2015. Its headquarters is in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, with regional offices in each

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

. Its general secretary has been Arnt Holte since January 1, 2016. It publishes its own

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

''Norges Blinde'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: "The Blind of Norway"), as well as ''Alt om syn'' (English: "All about sight") for external information.

Activities

Alongside advocacy, the Norwegian Association of the Blind also carries out charitable work and services, partially through government funds. It owns and runs several events for the visually impaired, and carries out various rehabilitation and well-being activities for all ages. In

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

the Norwegian Association of the Blind supports the Malawi Union of the Blind (MUB).

History

It was founded in 1909 by ''Nordenfjeldske Blindeforbund'' (

: "Northern Mountains' Association of the Blind")—in turn founded in 1900 as ''De Blindes Selvhjælperforening'' (

: "Self-help Association of the Blind")— as well as ''Vestlandske Blindeforbund'' (

: "Association of the Blind of Western Norway"; f. 1904) and ''Østlandske Blindeforbund'' (

: "Association of the Blind of Eastern Norway"; f. 1907). It was in 1975 reformed with county-based groups as its fundamental components; at this point the Association of the Blind of Western Norway broke out of the organization. Both re-merged January 1, 2008. The Norwegian Association of the Blind has been selected as a cause for the Norwegian TV campaign three times, in 1976, 1981 and 1991—although the two latest campaigns has been run in conjunction with other associations.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Medical and health organisations based in Norway 1909 establishments in Norway