H I S T O R Y

    Rehabilitation for the Blind Foundation /RFB/ is constituted on 13.02.1993 in the city of Plovdiv. Its constitutors are friends and relatives of blind, outstanding experts at rehabilitation of visually impaired, businessmen and journalists. With the establishment of the Foundation the tradition of engaging the general public with the problems of the blind was revived. From this same year on the Foundation is a member of the Union of the Bulgarian foundations and associations. From 1995 is an associated member of the Blind Union of Bulgaria.

    The aim of the Foundation is to help the rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired people in Bulgaria for achieving a full re – socialization from their part.

    The subject of activity of the Foundation is:

• Financial support of newly founded Centers for general and professional rehabilitation and other structural links for the rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired.
• Helping the provision of blind and visually impaired in our country with special technical devices for the everyday life, education and professional activity.
• Stimulating the development of special rehabilitation programs, literature, reference books and scientifically applicable research.
• Helping the rehabilitation of blind with heavy visual injuries of all ages through various forms and training of their relatives for full participating in the rehabilitation process.
• Taking care of the rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired with many injuries.

Rehabilitation for the Blind Foundation raises the funds necessary for financing its activities:

• Through charitable tills.
• Through target donations.
• Through developing and defending projects before native and foreign financing organizations. 13 projects have been realized up till now.
  15 textbooks, reference books and brochures in the sphere of the rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired have been worked up and issued.

    From the year 1994 the Rehabilitation for the Blind Foundation started a program for financing projects in the field of the rehabilitation and social integration of the visually impaired people in Bulgaria, represented by organizations and institutions of visually impaired and for visually impaired people. Up till now 99 projects have been financed through this program. Structures of Ministry of Labor and Social Politics, the Education ministry, the Blind Union of Bulgaria are among the supported ones.

    Thanks to the financial support and organizational help of the Rehabilitation for the Blind Foundation were conducted:

• National scientific- practical conference for rehabilitation of blind of the third age /1994/
• National symposium of problems of the present day connected with the professional realization of visually impaired in our country /1996/
• Seminar on the topic: “Modern rehabilitation and labor investigation of the visually disabled” /1998/.
• II National conference for Mobility /1998/

    The Foundation helps financially the conducting of scientifically- practical conference with international participation “Partnership in the education of visually impaired children” /1995/, as well as round table on the topic: “Integration of the blind in the civil society” /2000/

    While conducting its activities the Foundation maintains very good relations with the local and central state institutions mostly with Ministry of Labor and Social Politics, the Education ministry, Central Labor Expert Medical Commission, the Municipalities and others.

    The activity of the Rehabilitation for the Blind Foundation benefits from the social support and the volunteer labor of many collaborators.