Mr. Santosh Kumar Rungta
President
India
Mrs. Cristina Chamorro Muñoz
First Vice-President
Spain
Mr. Yaw Ofori-Debra
Second Vice-President, Ghana Blind Union
Ghana
Mr. Alejandro Paz
Treasurer
Guatemala
Mr. Moises Bauer
General Secretary
Brazil
Mrs. Martine Abel-Williamson
Past-President
New Zealand
Cristina Chamorro Muñoz is a professional with a diverse and committed career, combining expertise in law, public administration, communication, and social action.
She holds a Law degree from the National University of Distance Education (UNED), with additional language training from the Official School of Languages and international stays in France and the United Kingdom.
She has worked in media outlets such as Diario Cinco Días and Canal+, and since 2008 has held public positions, notably serving as a disability advisor in the Spanish Congress and as a city councillor in Madrid from 2011 to 2015. Currently, she is the Executive Director of General Resources and Sustainability at ONCE, where she leads strategic areas and has consolidated her profile as an expert in change management and institutional leadership.
Yaw Ofori-Debra, a Ghanaian national who has been blind since childhood, trained at the University of Cape Coast.
He worked with the Ghana Education Service, helping teachers support students’ psycho-emotional health. A leading disability activist, he has led major organizations in Ghana and Africa, advocated for the 2006 Disability Act, and promoted disability rights. Awarded the Martin Luther King Award for Peace and Social Justice in 2018, he is fluent in English and French and has organized impactful advocacy groups.
Moisés Bauer Luiz holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and has more than 25 years of experience in the public sector and in civil society organizations.
Moisés has served as President of the National Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Brazil (CONADE), the National Organization of the Blind of Brazil (ONCB), and the Brazilian Committee of Organizations Representing Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
He built his legal career within Brazil’s justice system, focusing on the defense of Human Rights, and also held leadership roles in government agencies, managing public policies for persons with disabilities.
With a consolidated international trajectory, he has taken part in negotiations at the United Nations and the World Intellectual Property Organization, where he made an effective contribution to the drafting of the Marrakesh Treaty.
Mrs. Martine Abel-Williamson of New Zealand, serves on the boards of the World Intellectual Property Organisation Accessible Books Consortium, Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind and Blind Citizens NZ.
She also holds pan-disability roles as a board member of Disability Connect, a pan-disability service provider in NZ. Martine is totally blind and is usually accompanied by her guide dog. She lives in Auckland, NZ.
Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui
Regional President – Africa – African Union of the Blind (AFUB), Organisation Alaouite pour la Protection des Aveugles au Maroc (OAPAM)
Morocco
Ms. Calister Chinyere Ugwuaneke
AFUB Vice President & Chairperson, AFUB Women’s Committee, Nigeria Association of the Blind
Nigeria
Mr. Lewis Nzimande
National Executive Director, South African National Council of the Blind
South Africa
Mrs. Nina Efedi Okoroafor
Youth Representative for AFUB, Ghana Blind Union
Ghana
Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui go to Mr. Mohammed Ez-zaoui page
Regional President – Africa – African Union of the Blind (AFUB), Organisation Alaouite pour la Protection des Aveugles au Maroc (OAPAM)
Morocco
Ms. Calister Chinyere Ugwuaneke go to Ms. Calister Chinyere Ugwuaneke page
AFUB Vice President & Chairperson, AFUB Women’s Committee, Nigeria Association of the Blind
Nigeria
Mr. Lewis Nzimande go to Mr. Lewis Nzimande page
National Executive Director, South African National Council of the Blind
South Africa
Mrs. Nina Efedi Okoroafor go to Mrs. Nina Efedi Okoroafor page
Youth Representative for AFUB, Ghana Blind Union
Ghana
Mr. Mansour Alanzi
Regional President, ABU, Kuwait Blind Association
Kuwait
Mr. Ergash Narpulatov
Second Vice President, ABU, Chairman, Society of the Blind of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Mr. Qari Saad Noor
First Vice President, ABU, President, Pakistan Association of the Blind
Pakistan
Dr. Vimal Dengla
India
Mr. Mansour Alanzi go to Mr. Mansour Alanzi page
Regional President, ABU, Kuwait Blind Association
Kuwait
Mr. Ergash Narpulatov go to Mr. Ergash Narpulatov page
Second Vice President, ABU, Chairman, Society of the Blind of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Mr. Qari Saad Noor go to Mr. Qari Saad Noor page
First Vice President, ABU, President, Pakistan Association of the Blind
Pakistan
Dr. Nantanoot Sawannawut (Apple)
Regional President – Asia Pacific (WBU-AP), Thailand Association of the Blind
Thailand
Mr. Tetsu Takei (Tony)
Japan Federation of the Visually Impaired (JFVI)
Japan
Mr. Wong Yoon Loong (Wong)
National Council for the Blind, Malaysia
Malaysia
Miss Dinh Viet Anh
Vietnam Blind Association
Vietnam
Dr. Nantanoot Sawannawut (Apple) go to Dr. Nantanoot Sawannawut (Apple) page
Regional President – Asia Pacific (WBU-AP), Thailand Association of the Blind
Thailand
Mr. Tetsu Takei (Tony) go to Mr. Tetsu Takei (Tony) page
Japan Federation of the Visually Impaired (JFVI)
Japan
Mr. Wong Yoon Loong (Wong) go to Mr. Wong Yoon Loong (Wong) page
National Council for the Blind, Malaysia
Malaysia
Ms. Tytti Matsinen
Regional President – Europe – European Blind Union (EBU), Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired
Finland
Ms. Maria Thorstensson
Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired/ Synkadades Riksforbund (SRF)
Sweden
Mr. Roland Studer
Swiss National Association of and for the Blind/ Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired/ Swiss Union of the Blind
Switzerland
Mr. Rodrigo Nuna Godinho Santos
Associaçao dos Cegos e Amblíopes de Portugal (ACAPO)
Portugal
Ms. Tytti Matsinen go to Ms. Tytti Matsinen page
Regional President – Europe – European Blind Union (EBU), Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired
Finland
Ms. Maria Thorstensson go to Ms. Maria Thorstensson page
Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired/ Synkadades Riksforbund (SRF)
Sweden
Mr. Roland Studer go to Mr. Roland Studer page
Swiss National Association of and for the Blind/ Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired/ Swiss Union of the Blind
Switzerland
Mr. Rodrigo Nuna Godinho Santos go to Mr. Rodrigo Nuna Godinho Santos page
Associaçao dos Cegos e Amblíopes de Portugal (ACAPO)
Portugal
Ms. Gladys Diaz
Regional President – Latin America – Union Latino Americana De Ciegos (ULAC), Unión Nacional De Ciegos De Honduras -UNCIH
Honduras
Ms. Marissa Martínez
Unión Nacional de Ciegos d Panamá, Vía Esteban Ysern Cervera
Panamá
Mr. Germán Bautista
Red Nacional para la Inclusión de Personas Ciegas y con Baja Visión (RENACBVI)
Mexico
Ms. Elizabeth Campos
Unión de Ciegos de la Región Inca (UCRI)
Peru
Ms. Gladys Diaz go to Ms. Gladys Diaz page
Regional President – Latin America – Union Latino Americana De Ciegos (ULAC), Unión Nacional De Ciegos De Honduras -UNCIH
Honduras
Ms. Marissa Martínez go to Ms. Marissa Martínez page
Unión Nacional de Ciegos d Panamá, Vía Esteban Ysern Cervera
Panamá
Mr. Germán Bautista go to Mr. Germán Bautista page
Red Nacional para la Inclusión de Personas Ciegas y con Baja Visión (RENACBVI)
Mexico
Mr. Mark Riccobono
Regional President – North America & the Caribbean (NAC), National Federation of the Blind
United States of America
Mr. Kenneth Suratt
Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association
Trinidad and Tobago
Ms. Kerryann Ifill
Barbados
Dr. Penny Hartin
Canadian Institute of the Blind
Canada
Mr. Mark Riccobono go to Mr. Mark Riccobono page
Regional President – North America & the Caribbean (NAC), National Federation of the Blind
United States of America
Mr. Kenneth Suratt go to Mr. Kenneth Suratt page
Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association
Trinidad and Tobago
Dr. Praveena Sukhraj-Ely
The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Mr. Peter Holland
Chief Executive Officer, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)
United Kingdom
Dr. Praveena Sukhraj-Ely go to Dr. Praveena Sukhraj-Ely page
The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
Mr. Peter Holland go to Mr. Peter Holland page
Chief Executive Officer, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)
United Kingdom