The title of this blog explains how I am currently feeling after Paris and a recent visit to Morocco, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Is the title just a title or something else? I think its two things!

My sadness at the millions of blind and visually impaired people in the world yet unaware of the benefits of sport and an active life-style – people that IBSA does not even touch.

Yet on the other hand I am truly motivated following the continental and individual meetings at the Paralympic Games in Paris by the enthusiasm of the regional representatives there and the conversations I have with others around the world.

For years IBSA has had regional committees but provided little or zero support from the IBSA leadership: something I am determined to change! And what is the agenda of that support? Is IBSA just an organization of three Para sports and a few non-Para sports? Or is it an organization for sport at all levels in which blind and visually the world over might wish to participate? The Review will answer the questions –

What is IBSA? Who does it serve? What does it offer?

If IBSA’s future mandate is a ‘world organization’ bringing sport and active lifestyle opportunities to blind people around the world then it is a challenge it cannot do from the centre or alone – it will need partners. Partners such as national & local governments, the local sports communities of targeted countries and of course, sponsors to provide the regions with the resources to be successful.

This agenda of seeking partnerships should be the primary task of IBSA’s regional committees. Other aspects will be understanding the size of the blind and visually impaired people in a region and using whatever already exists as a shop window to encourage participation – Paralympians, successful blind soccer team, a school practicing goalball – all are examples of what can be used to fill that shopwindow.

In 2025 I am determined to organize a Forum of our regional representatives where we can look together at examples of good practice; join with other disability sport providers to examine their ideas and current ambition; bring specialists from the sports world, not just Para sport to learn from their successes. After two days the regional representatives should be able to go away inspired to draw up an action plan for their region with a list of desired outcomes specific to their area that can be assessed year on year.

Is it too ambition to dream of IBSA staffed regional offices dedicated to attract the partnerships with governments and sponsors to realize the potential for their areas? I think not!

The Review will give us strategic direction, but we need to act on the creation of its foundations now. This is just one further challenge in the reforms I promised in Fatima. We will do this together with you, our Member countries as part of our responsibility, indeed our obligation to all blind and visually impaired persons the world over.