Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs

The Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs, founded in 1935, is the oldest and largest self-help organization for the visually impaired in Austria. With around 6,200 members and a commitment to over 318,000 blind and visually impaired people, the association has been working for nearly 90 years to improve the living conditions of this group.

The main goal of the Hilfsgemeinschaft is to promote independence and autonomy in life design as well as a rising quality of life for all visually impaired and blind people in Austria. The association is religiously and politically independent and finances its activities almost exclusively through private donations, for which it has held the Austrian Donation Quality Seal since 2001[2].

• Consultation and Aids: The Hilfsgemeinschaft offers extensive consulting services in social law issues, aids consulting, low vision consulting, and free Braille courses. In addition, there is a low-cost rental of reading devices and an aids shop[2][5].
• Leisure Activities: A diverse leisure program for people of all ages, including children and youth groups, arts and cultural activities, courses, sports, and social events[5].
• Awareness Raising and Communication: The Hilfsgemeinschaft informs through its magazine "sichtweisen", press work, informational materials, newsletters, and social media about topics such as visual impairment, inclusion, and accessibility[5].
• Training and Workshops: Awareness training for various target groups, such as companies, public institutions, arts and cultural institutions, and nursing staff[5].

• Accessibility: A central goal is to eliminate existing barriers. The Hilfsgemeinschaft is involved in projects for barrier-free communication, architecture, tourism, and art education. It cooperates with other disability organizations, companies, universities of applied sciences, and universities and is a member of numerous working groups and committees[2][5].
• Access Austria: As a brand of the Hilfsgemeinschaft, Access Austria offers consulting, training and awareness raising, certification, and support for start-ups and innovative projects in the field of accessibility. The goal is an inclusive and barrier-free society[4].
• Eye Care: The Hilfsgemeinschaft raises awareness of the necessity of regular check-ups with an eye doctor and offers a free app and a barrier-free web platform on topics of eye health and prevention[2].

The Hilfsgemeinschaft works closely with national and international organizations, committees, and projects to achieve sustainable improvements for visually impaired people. It is engaged in areas such as people with disabilities, accessibility, inclusion, mobility and transport, aids and new technologies, as well as work and standardization[5].

The Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs is a vibrant example of the commitment and solidarity necessary to create a more inclusive and barrier-free society. Through its diverse services and initiatives, the association significantly contributes to improving the quality of life for blind and visually impaired people.

• 1 - https://www.hilfsgemeinschaft.at
• 2 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilfsgemeinschaft_der_Blinden_und_Sehschwachen_%C3%96sterreichs
• 3 - https://www.myability.jobs/at/unternehmen/hilfsgemeinschaft-der-blinden-und-sehschwachen-oesterreichs
• 4 - https://www.access-austria.at
• 5 - https://www.hilfsgemeinschaft.at/die-hilfsgemeinschaft/ziele-des-vereins