More Braille: More Empowerment is supported by a growing network of collaborating organisations and individuals. This page lists the campaign’s collaborating organisations, the Steering Committee, and the three Focus Area Working Groups.
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The Steering Committee provides strategic direction, ensures alignment across partners, and supports progress across the three Focus Area Working Groups.
Co-Chairs
– Santosh Kumar (SK) Rungta (India) – President, World Blind Union
– Frances Gentle (Australia) – Past President, ICEVI; Lecturer, Macquarie University and NextSense
Members
– Susan LaVenture (USA) – President, ICEVI; President, International Association of Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
– Praveena Sukhraj-Ely – Ph.D. (South Africa), Principal Officer and Treasurer, ICEVI global; Co-Chair, Accessible Books Consortium; Member, Executive Committee of World Blind Union; Member, International Disability Alliance Inclusive Education Task Team
– Mohammad Iqbal Adrali – Ph.D. (Pakistan), Co-Lead, Focus Area 1 Advocacy and Media
– Vimal Kumar Dengla (India) – Hon. Secretary General and Chairman (Trustee), National Association for the Blind, India; Hon. Secretary General, Asian Blind Union
– Akhil Paul (India) – Vice President, ICEVI; Chief Mentor, Sense International India
– Birendra Raj Pokharel, Ph.D. (Nepal) – Co-Lead; President, ICEVI West Asia region; ICEVI representative, World Braille Council; Member of Action on Disability Rights and Development-Nepal, Abilis Nepal Network, National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal, and Nepal Association of the Blind (NAB)
– Gladys Correa (Argentina) – President of ICEVI Latin America; Executive Director of the Mar del Plata Union of Social Action for the Rights of the Blind and Amblíope, UMASDECA
– Awais Alam (Pakistan) – Secretary Education, Pakistan Association of the Blind
– Samuel Foulkes (USA) – Director of Braille Production & Accessible Innovation, Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
WBU and ICEVI Secretariat Support
– Marc Workman (Canada) – CEO, World Blind Union
– Adam Ha (Canada) – Communications Specialist, World Blind Union
– Kevin D’Cruz (India) – ICEVI Secretariat Coordinator, Sense International India
This group advances campaign messaging and public-facing advocacy, supporting culturally relevant communications that promote braille as a right.
Co-Leads
– Gladys Correa (Argentina) – President of ICEVI Latin America; Executive Director of the Mar del Plata Union of Social Action for the Rights of the Blind and Amblíope, UMASDECA
– Frances Gentle AO, Ph.D., D. Litt (Hons) (Australia) – Past President, ICEVI; Lecturer, Macquarie University and NextSense
– Mohammad Iqbal, Ph.D. (Pakistan)
Members
– Akhil Paul (India) – Vice President, ICEVI; Chief Mentor, Sense International India
– Monica Halil, Head (Switzerland) – Accessible Books Consortium, World Intellectual Property Organization
– Nicholas Hoekstra (USA) – Program Management Consultant, Accessible Books Consortium, and doctoral candidate, University of Kansas
– Stuart Lawler (Ireland) – Executive Director/Chair, Irish National Braille and Alternative Formats Authority (INBAF); Public Relations Officer, International Council on English Braille
– Dipendra Minocha (India) – Director Developing Countries program, The DAISY Consortium
– Michal Tkáčik (Slovakia) – Representative of the Braile Working Group of European Blind Union and the Braille Authority of Slovakia; Head coordinator of the Braille Authority of Slovakia; Vice President of the Slovak Blind and Partially Sighted Union; Member of the Steering Committee of the Braille Working Group of European Blind Union
– Rudolf Volejnik (Czech Republic) – Co-author, Czech Braile National Standard 1995; National Optacon Program Manager 1I86-2002; Vice President Emeritus, Czech Blind United (SONS); Ordinary member of the EBU Braille Working Group Steering Committee.
– Peter Brass (Germany) – Representative of the Braille Working Group of European Blind Union, member of the Braille Authority of the German speaking countries.
– Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul Wahab (Malaysia) – Head, Strategic Planning and Communication Division, SEAMEO SEN
– Michael Schwinger (Germany) – Technical Advisory Lead, Community-Based Inclusive Development, CBM International
– Kristy Stichter (Australia)
– Pranitha Moodley (Australia) – Manager School Support Services and Specialist Teacher (B/LV), NextSense
– Leslie Heagney (Australia) – Fundraising and Business Development Manager, Braille House
– Margo Carwardine (Australia) – Special Projects Manager and Executive Assistant, Braille House
– Dinh Viet Anh (Vietnam) – Vice President, Vietnam Blind Association; Member, Board and Policy Council of World Blind Union Asia-Pacific (WBUAP); Representative of WBUAP to the World Blind Union
– Rachel Antoine (USA) – Senior Director, International Programs, Braille Institute
This group supports the development and sharing of practical resources for teachers, families, organisations, and policymakers.
Co-Chairs
– Susan LaVenture (USA) – Co-Lead; President, ICEVI; President, International Association of Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
– Samuel Foulkes (USA) – Co-Lead; Director of Braille Production & Accessible Innovation, Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
– Awais Alam (Pakistan) – Co-Lead; Secretary Education, Pakistan Association of the Blind
Members
– Martine Able-Williamson (New Zealand) – President, ICEVI Pacific; Immediate Past President, World Blind Union
– Akhil Paul (India) – Vice President, ICEVI; Chief Mentor, Sense International India
– Judith Dixon (USA) – President, International Council on English Braille
– Ana Gonzalez Arean (Spain) – Representative of the Braille Working Group of European Blind Union; Spanish National Organization for the Blind (ONCE),
– Reiner Delgado (Germany) – Representative of the Braille Working Group of European Blind Union; Head of Social Affairs, Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband, DBSV (German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted)
– Matthew Horspool (UK) – Braillists Foundation; Code Maintenance Officer, International Council on English Braille
– Dinh Viet Anh (Vietnam) – Vice President, Vietnam Blind Association; Member, Board and Policy Council of World Blind Union Asia-Pacific (WBUAP); Representative of WBUAP to the World Blind Union
– Sonali Marathe (Australia) – Manager Accessibility and Inclusion, NextSense; Immediate Past President, Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities; Member, ICEVI Publications Committee
– Bradley Nitins (Australia) – Librarian, Braille House
– Danny Olvera (USA) – Braille and Beyond
– Kristy Stichter (Australia)
– Blue Adams (USA) – Editorial Coordinator, Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
– Ben Clare (Australia) – Co-President, South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment
This group leads the campaign’s evidence-building work, including development of the global survey and related research activities.
Co-Leads
– Praveena Sukhraj-Ely, Ph.D. (South Africa) – Principal Officer and Treasurer, ICEVI global; Co-Chair, Accessible Books Consortium; Member, Executive Committee of World Blind Union; Member, International Disability Alliance Inclusive Education Task Team
– Birendra Raj Pokharel, Ph.D. (Nepal) – Co-Lead; President, ICEVI West Asia region; ICEVI representative on WBU World Braille Council; Member of Action on Disability Rights and Development-Nepal, Abilis Nepal Network, National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal, Nepal Association of the Blind, and Rainbow Club for the Blind-Nepal
– Vimal Kumar Dengla (India) – Honorary Secretary General and Chairman (Trustee), National Association for the Blind, India; Secretary General, Asian Blind Union
Members
– Santosh Kumar (SK) Rungta (India) – President, World Blind Union
– Monica Halil (Switzerland) – Head, Accessible Books Consortium, World Intellectual Property Organization
– Akhil Paul (India) – Vice President, ICEVI; Chief Mentor, Sense International India
– Frances Gentle (Australia) – Past President, ICEVI; Lecturer, Macquarie University and NextSense
– Richard Orme (UK) – Chief Executive Officer, The DAISY Consortium
– Dipendra Minocha (India) – Director Developing Countries program, The DAISY Consortium
– Hubert Perfler (Italy) – WBU representative on the ICEVI Executive Board; Board Member, European Blind Union
– Kristy Stichter (Australia)
– Leone Carroll (Australia) – Senior Officer Braille Production, VisAbility
Technical Working Group on Survey Development
– Nicholas Hoekstra (Lead) (USA), Program Management Consultant, Accessible Books Consortium, and doctoral candidate, University of Kansas
– Frances Mary D’Andrea, Ph.D., COMS (USA), Associate Professor of Practice, University of Pittsburgh; Representing the International Council on English Braille
– Judit Gombás, Ph.D. (Hungary), Representative of the Braille Working Group of European Blind Union; Associate Professor, ELTE Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education
– Matthew Horspool (UK), Braillists Foundation; Code Maintenance Officer, International Council on English Braille
– Aasha Rose (Australia), PhD Candidate, University of Southern Queensland
– Connor Scott-Gardner (UK), Braillists Foundation, Member of General Braille Group, UKAAF
Collaborating Organisations
The campaign is strengthened by collaborating organisations working across inclusive education, braille standards, accessible publishing, and innovation.
Last updated: 13 April 2026
Lists may be updated as the campaign evolves and new partners join.