MDVI Euronet Conference
“The School for the Visually Impaired has Changed – Challenges for a New Generation.”
This conference was held on 27th and 28th June 2011 and was attended by 65 delegates from 11 different countries. On this website you can now download copies of the presentations given along with the conference findings.
MDVI Euronet is staging its first conference for practioners and school leaders working with children and young people with multiple disabilities and a visual impairment.
Ten years ago, Eberhard Fuchs, Head of VBS in Wurzburg, Germany, presented a paper at the 5th ICEVI European Conference. Through his paper, ‘The School for the Visually Impaired is Changing’, Eberhard argued that change for these schools was normal and necessary. In a European context where inclusion was gathering pace, he noted how specialist schools were looking to develop and grow early intervention services as well as advisory and support systems. Innovations such as the open special school and welcoming able-bodied learners, were deemed worthy of consideration whilst the on-going expansion of the provision for a growing MDVI population was certainly required. He also suggested that working as part of an interdisciplinary team would become the norm.
MDVI Euronet would like to re-visit the issues raised in that paper now that ten years have passed since it was first presented. Through a small, low-budget two day conference aimed at those involved in the education of learners with MDVI, delegates will examine and debate four key themes relevant to MDVI education today.
Theme 1: Journeys to Inclusion from Across Europe
Theme 2. A Vision of MDVI Education
Theme 3. A Life Well Lived
Theme 4. Educating the Educators
Conference Facilitators
The conference will be facilitated by:
Dr Steve McCall
Senior Lecturer in Education (Visual Impairment)
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Dr Mike McLinden
Senior Lecturer in Education (Visual Impairment)
Joint- Director of Education (School of Education)
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Dr John Ravenscroft
Head of Institute for Education, Teaching & Leadership (ETL)
The Moray House School of Education
The University of Edinburgh
