IBSA and the World Blind Union in Baku opened the way toward a stronger institutional alliance
The International Blind Sports Federation, known as IBSA, and the World Blind Union, WBU, took an important step in Baku toward a possible new institutional alliance focused on inclusion, international cooperation, and strengthening the position of blind and partially sighted people. According to available information about the meeting held during the 13th United Nations World Urban Forum in the capital of Azerbaijan, the talks opened space for deeper and more structured cooperation between two organizations that already operate in the same global sphere of rights, accessibility, and participation. Although the final form of the future alliance has not been officially confirmed, the announcement of such a direction is important because it connects sports development, human rights advocacy, and the broader discussion on accessible cities. At the center of the talks was the idea that the experience of the sports movement for people with visual impairments should be more strongly connected with the global representation of blind and partially sighted people in public policies. Such an approach could have practical consequences for the members of both organizations, from the exchange of expert knowledge to coordinated action toward international institutions.
A meeting within a forum dedicated to safe and resilient communities
The meeting in Baku was held in the context of the 13th World Urban Forum, an international gathering which, according to information from UN-Habitat and the official WUF13 platform, lasted from 17 to 22 May 2026. The forum was organized in partnership between UN-Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan, and its theme was “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities”, meaning housing, safety, resilience, and sustainability of cities and communities. Such a framework gave the talks between IBSA and WBU additional importance because the accessibility of urban space is increasingly seen as a fundamental issue of equal participation, not as a narrow technical topic. According to information from the organizers, representatives of governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, local authorities, and other stakeholders in urban development took part in the forum discussions. It is precisely in such an environment that issues of mobility, access to public spaces, inclusive housing, sport, and social participation gain broader political and developmental significance.
With this forum, Baku became a meeting place of urban-planning, social, and international policies that directly concern persons with disabilities. According to WBU announcements regarding participation at WUF13, the discussions covered housing, accessibility, climate resilience, infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, public spaces, and equal access to services and opportunities in rapidly growing urban environments. This is especially important for blind and partially sighted people because barriers in the built environment often directly turn into barriers in education, work, sport, culture, and everyday life. When pedestrian areas, public transport, digital services, and sports infrastructure are not accessible, the consequences are not only practical but also social, because they limit the independence and visibility of people with visual impairments. That is why the rapprochement of IBSA and WBU in such an environment signals that sport and public policies can be viewed as interconnected parts of the same process of inclusion.
What the new partnership could mean for blind and partially sighted people
A possible institutional alliance between IBSA and WBU is still at an early stage, but the announcement itself opens several important questions. The first concerns the way in which the global representation of the rights of blind and partially sighted people will be connected with the development of sport, recreation, and competition systems. On its official website, IBSA states that it is responsible for developing sports for athletes who are blind or partially sighted and highlights sport as one of the ways of inclusion and integration into society. WBU, on the other hand, describes itself as a global advocacy organization that represents blind and partially sighted people in 190 countries and brings together a broad network of national and international organizations. If these two roles are connected within a more stable institutional framework, the result could be a stronger voice in discussions on accessibility, education, employment, mobility, and participation in the community.
The second question concerns leadership and representation. Organizations that represent persons with disabilities increasingly emphasize the principle that policies must not be adopted without the active participation of those to whom they apply. In that sense, a future alliance between IBSA and WBU could strengthen a model in which blind and partially sighted athletes, activists, experts, and local organizations have a clearer path toward international forums and decision-making processes. This is especially important in the field of sport, where success depends not only on competitions but also on access to sports halls, school programs, coaches, classification systems, safe transport, and funding. When these elements are poorly connected, individuals and clubs often depend on the enthusiasm of local communities rather than on stable support systems. Stronger coordination could help good practices from one region be transferred more quickly to other parts of the world.
Third, possible cooperation could have an impact on the international visibility of sports for people with visual impairments. According to official information, IBSA operates as an international federation for multiple sports, including sports that are part of the Paralympic program, and its governance structure includes regional representation and members from different parts of the world. In the sports system for blind and partially sighted people, classification, education of coaches and officials, competition rules, and safety standards are especially important. In this area, WBU can contribute with broader advocacy experience and connections with organizations dealing with rights, accessibility, and public policies. The combination of these competencies could help ensure that sport is not an isolated activity, but part of a broader approach to quality of life.
Urban accessibility as a common point of sport and rights
The importance of the meeting in Baku also stems from the fact that it was held at a forum dealing with cities, housing, and resilient communities. For people with visual impairments, city accessibility begins long before entering a sports hall or stadium. It includes safe pedestrian crossings, tactile surfaces, audible traffic lights, clearly marked spaces, accessible digital information, reliable public transport, and public services that understand the needs of different users. In its materials on inclusive and accessible urban development, WBU emphasizes that an urban environment designed with accessibility can increase the safety, independence, and participation of persons with disabilities, especially in crises and disasters. That emphasis is directly connected with the theme of WUF13, because the resilience of cities cannot be measured only by infrastructure, but also by the ability to protect and include all residents.
The sports sector has a dual role in such an environment. On the one hand, sport can be a means of rehabilitation, self-confidence, social connection, and professional development. On the other hand, sports infrastructure often reveals broader weaknesses in urban planning: inaccessible approaches, a lack of safe transport, insufficient information in accessible formats, or inadequate staff training. If IBSA and WBU develop a stronger joint framework, they could more systematically advocate for sports facilities, school programs, and local communities to be planned according to the principles of universal design. This would benefit not only elite athletes but also children, young people, recreational participants, older people, and everyone who faces barriers in movement and access to information. In that sense, sport becomes a practical test of a city’s inclusiveness.
Global context: from sports rules to public policies
IBSA and WBU operate at different but complementary levels. IBSA deals with sports development, international competitions, classification, and support for members, while WBU has a broader mandate in advocating for rights, accessibility, education, employment, and social inclusion. According to official IBSA information, its executive structure includes elected representatives and committees, and the organization supports more than one hundred members and operates through regional structures. WBU states that it was founded in 1984 and that it represents hundreds of millions of blind and partially sighted people through a network in 190 countries. The difference in mandates does not have to be an obstacle, but rather an advantage, because it enables the concrete experience of athletes to be connected with systematic advocacy before international institutions.
Such connection is especially important at a time when the issue of accessibility is increasingly considered in the context of climate change, urban growth, and crises. According to data and announcements from UN bodies related to WUF13, global discussions on housing and resilient communities also include the problem of inadequate housing, unequal access to basic services, and the vulnerability of the population in rapidly growing cities. For blind and partially sighted people, these problems can be further intensified if public systems are not designed to be accessible in crisis and everyday circumstances. In cases of evacuations, severe weather, infrastructure failures, or changes in traffic, accessible information and a safe physical environment can be crucial. That is why the possible alliance between IBSA and WBU is not only about administrative cooperation, but also about the ability to include the experience of people with visual impairments in the planning of more resilient communities.
Caution regarding the next steps and the need for a clear framework
Despite the positive tone of the meeting, it has not currently been publicly confirmed what exact form the future institutional alliance might take. It is not clear whether the cooperation will be arranged through a memorandum, a joint program, a coordinating body, a formal partnership, or some other model. A detailed timeline, a list of areas of cooperation, or any possible obligations of members have also not been published. For that reason, it is important to distinguish the political and strategic signal from Baku from a final institutional decision. According to available information, the talks opened the possibility of a new framework for cooperation, but further steps will depend on governing bodies, members, and the priorities of both organizations.
For members of IBSA and WBU, the key issue will be whether the future model brings measurable benefits on the ground. This may include joint training, better use of accessibility experts, harmonized guidelines for sports and public spaces, stronger support for local organizations, and coordinated action toward donors and international institutions. It is also important that any eventual alliance does not remain only at the level of declarations, but that it is understandable to athletes, parents, coaches, schools, cities, and national organizations. The success of such cooperation will be measured by whether people with visual impairments can more easily access sport, public services, and decision-making processes. If that goal remains at the center, the meeting in Baku could become the starting point of broader connection between the sports and advocacy movement for blind and partially sighted people.
Baku as a symbol of a broader change in the understanding of inclusion
The talks between IBSA and WBU fit into a broader trend in which the inclusion of persons with disabilities is no longer viewed as a separate social topic. In urban development, sport, and international cooperation, it is increasingly clear that accessibility must be built into planning from the beginning, not added afterward. According to official forum information, WUF13 was focused on housing and safe, resilient communities, which opened space for discussion on how cities can better respond to the needs of all residents. For blind and partially sighted people, this means that public space, information, transport, and sports and recreation facilities must be available as part of basic infrastructure. In this context, the announced direction of cooperation between IBSA and WBU can be interpreted as an attempt to connect the experience of everyday life with global policies.
If future talks lead to a more formal alliance, IBSA and WBU could jointly exert a stronger influence on accessibility standards, the development of sports programs, and the visibility of blind and partially sighted people in international processes. This would be especially important for countries and local communities that do not have sufficient expert capacity for developing inclusive sports and urban policies. In such cases, international organizations can provide guidelines, tools, education, and political support, but success depends on cooperation with local actors. For that reason, the real significance of the meeting in Baku will be seen only through concrete programs, decisions, and results in the coming period. For now, the most important message is that sport, accessibility, and the rights of blind and partially sighted people are increasingly viewed as connected parts of the same global inclusion agenda.
Sources:
- World Urban Forum 13 – official information on the theme, location, and dates of the forum in Baku (link)
- UN-Habitat / World Urban Forum – information on WUF13 and the role of the forum in discussions on sustainable urban development (link)
- World Blind Union – announcement and context of participation at WUF13, including topics of accessibility and urban development (link)
- World Blind Union – description of the organization, mandate, and global representation of blind and partially sighted people (link)
- International Blind Sports Federation – official information on IBSA’s role in developing sports for blind and partially sighted athletes (link)
- International Blind Sports Federation – information on the executive structure, members, and sports mandate of the organization (link)
- World Blind Union – materials on inclusive and accessible urban development (link)