About  >  ICEVI Europe

ICEVI Europe is a formally registered regional body working with 48 countries in its region to promote inclusive education and rehabilitation for people with visual impairment. The region maintains strong governance and organizational stability, supporting education and rehabilitation systems in diverse national contexts.

The network includes individuals with lived experience, families, educators, rehabilitation professionals, researchers, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and civil society. It is recognized for collaborations with universities and cross-border cooperation, bridging evidence, practice, and policy across varied systems. ICEVI Europe’s work supports learners of all ages and is grounded in innovation, shared leadership, and equity.

ICEVI Europe operates as a registered legal entity and has an established regional board that meets regularly to guide strategic planning and regional priorities. The region has developed mechanisms for membership fee collection, fundraising, and sustaining a network of professional sub-committees and focus groups. These efforts contribute to financial sustainability and a vibrant professional community.

Areas of Focus

  • Convening professionals, researchers, and OPD leaders to advance inclusive practice
  • Promoting cross-country collaboration in education and rehabilitation
  • Building capacity through conferences, focus groups, and peer learning
  • Elevating regional visibility through multilingual platforms, publications, and recognition
  • Responding to emerging needs and humanitarian crises through coordinated action
  • Contributing technical expertise to influence policy discussions and regional agendas on inclusive education and rehabilitation

Regional Highlights (2021–2024 and Current Quadrennium)

Between 2021 and 2024, ICEVI Europe contributed to advancing inclusive education and rehabilitation across the region. At the onset of the war in Ukraine, ICEVI Europe collaborated with partners to coordinate support for displaced learners with visual impairment. Members shared adapted learning materials, engaged in humanitarian response efforts, and worked to sustain educational continuity and service access. These activities reflected the region’s capacity to respond rapidly to crises and collaborate effectively within its networks.

ICEVI Europe co-led a collaborative research study with the LEGO Foundation exploring how play-based learning, including the use of LEGO Braille Bricks, supports braille literacy across Europe. This initiative highlighted the region’s role in connecting academic research with practical strategies, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted partner in knowledge generation and evidence-based practice.

The region expanded its communication channels, including the ICEVI Europe Digital Magazine—which has published multiple issues and reached readers in more than 40 countries—and a multilingual website designed to share innovations and amplify member voices across diverse professional and cultural contexts. This growth demonstrates ICEVI Europe’s commitment to transparency, member engagement, and knowledge sharing.

ICEVI Europe continued to support national conferences, focus groups, and professional sub-committees, contributing to local capacity building and fostering regional alignment among professional communities. These structured groups help advance regional plans and ensure diverse perspectives are included in strategic discussions.

ICEVI Europe sustained partnerships with organizations such as the European Coalition for Vision and the European Blind Union, contributing to joint advocacy, technical exchanges, and policy discussions that influence regional approaches to inclusive education and rehabilitation. Fundraising activities and local partnerships have contributed to sustainability and resource mobilization.

ICEVI Europe’s legal registration and established governance structure provide a solid foundation for regional operations, supporting sustained leadership and strategic planning. The region benefits from an effective secretariat that coordinates conferences, publications, and ongoing professional engagement.

Six delegates sit in a small circle at the ICEVI Europe conference, Padova 2025, studying tactile samples and notes during a breakout discussion.

Looking Ahead (2025–2028)

ICEVI Europe aims to:

  • Deepen cross-country collaboration to address inequality, displacement, and crisis
  • Promote system readiness and resilience in education and rehabilitation services
  • Expand engagement with national partners, OPDs, and academic institutions
  • Develop inclusive approaches that reflect the rights and needs of people of all ages
  • Strengthen regional knowledge exchange and continue co-producing resources
  • Support implementation of the region’s shared Key Principles framework in national systems
  • Contribute technical expertise to regional and European policy discussions to advance inclusive education and rehabilitation
Prof. John Ravenscroft delivering a speech at the 2025 European Regional Conference with panel speakers and participants in the background.

Impact

ICEVI Europe contributes to regional collaboration that bridges research, practice, and policy, helping ensure that people with visual impairment have access to inclusive education and rehabilitation services. Through its structured networks, partnerships, and collaborative projects, ICEVI Europe fosters a professional community committed to inclusion and equity, both in ordinary times and during humanitarian crises. Its ongoing work helps influence systems and practices across the region, contributing to broader efforts to advance rights and opportunities for learners with visual impairment.

Prof. John Ravenscroft delivering a speech at the 2025 European Regional Conference.

The Europe Region of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) includes the following countries:

Regional Leadership (2025–2028)

Regional Representative

Professor Judit Gombas, PhD.

Regional Representative, Europe, ICEVI; Associate professor, ELTE Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education.

Judit Gombás PhD is a full-time, associate professor at ELTE Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education (Budapest, Hungary). She earned her PhD in 2017. Her doctoral research focused on the leisure sport habits of Hungarian individuals with blindness or visual impairment. Since May 2025, She is regional coordinator for Central European countries of ICEVI-Europe. She is co-founder and former president and eversince active volunteer of Hungarian Sports and Leisure Association for the visually Impaired (LÁSS). The main fields of Dr. Gombas’ scientific interest are the challenges of adults with visual impairment (e.g. parenting and work),, re/habilitation, and adapted physical activity. As a blind person, she advocates for the full social inclusion of individuals with blindness or visual impairment, and strongly believes that people with disabilities have the potential to create unique value, to which their equitable education is the key.

President

Dr John Ravenscroft

Professor in Childhood Vision Impairment, Chair of Childhood Vision Impairment, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh (UK)

Vice-President

Dr. Andrea Hathazi

Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania.

Represents: Balkan Countries.

Secretary

Mrs. Kathleen Vandermaelen

Director, Centrum Ganspoel, Belgium.

Represents: Balkan Countries.

Treasurer

Dr. Steve McCall

Senior Lecturer, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Represents: English-speaking Countries.

Regional Representative

Dr. Nathalie Lewi-Dumont

France.

Represents: French-speaking Countries

Regional Representative

Dr. Torø Graven

Norway.

Represents: Baltic and Nordic Countries.

Regional Representative

Dr. Beáta Prónay

Hungary.

Represents: Central European Countries.

Regional Representative

Mrs. Virginia Castellano Gómez-Monedero

Spain. Represents: South European Countries.

Regional Representative

Dr. Vladimir Ruchin

Russia.

Represents: East European Countries.

Advisor

Mr. Francis Boé

Advisor to GPEAA, France.

Advisor

Mrs. Darija Udovicic Mahmuljin

Advisor, Perkins International, Croatia.

Immediate Past President

Dr. Hans Welling

Former Director, Royal Dutch Visio, Netherlands.

Executive Assistant to the Presidency

Martha Gyftakos

Greece.