The Union of the Blind in Bulgaria (ССБ) was established in 1921.
It is a legal entity with a non-profit purpose, carrying out its activities for the public benefit. The mission of our organization is the protection of the human, civil, social, economic and other rights of people with visual impairments and their
integration into society. The SSB has over 10,000 citizens with reduced working capacity of 71-100% due to vision loss.
Our association carries out its activities on the territory of the whole country through 15 regional organizations uniting 96 territorial structures. In the clubs for
integration of visually impaired people, we offer a variety of social services, contributing to the removal of our members from social isolation and
improving the quality of their lives. SSB works actively in the following areas:

PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
By decision of the Council of Ministers, our association has the status of representative organization of disabled people. SSB is a member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, a body with advisory functions to the government. It holds consultations and adopts opinions on legal acts, national programs, strategies and other documents related to the social policy for people with specific abilities in Bulgaria. We actively work for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Our representatives are involved in the activities of the committees of the National Assembly, the government, the regional public budgets, the Monitoring Council under the Law on Persons with Disabilities, the Monitoring Committees under the operational programs and other institutions forming sector policies for the social inclusion of people with visual problems. We work to change public attitudes towards the blind and to stop existing discriminatory practices. SSB informs its members about their rights and supports them in the process of their realization.

SOCIAL REHABILITATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTS
SSB pays a lot of attention to social rehabilitation to people with impaired vision, giving the opportunity to learn skills for independent living. Our organization is registered with the Agency for the Quality of Social Services as a provider of social services in the community. The municipalities of Sofia, Ruse, Gabrovo and Pernik submitted to SSB the management of the centers for social rehabilitation and integration of people with visual disabilities through a competition. The association provides us free of charge or under preferential conditions a wide range of technical aids that compensate for the lack of vision and help the blind in everyday life, education and employment.

EMPLOYMENT< br>Our organization manages the activities of three specialized enterprises for the employment of people with impaired vision. The total number of personnel is 95 workers, of which 40 are visually impaired. We provide jobs under the National Program for Employment and Training of People with Disabilities. The association provides information on the professions practiced by people with visual problems in the country and Europe. We inform employers about the economic incentives for hiring visually impaired people.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION
The Society of the Blind in Bulgaria has long-standing traditions in the field of providing access to information to its members in an appropriate format. The printed organ of the association is "Zari" magazine. It is issued in flat-printed, Braille, audio and electronic versions. It reflects the diverse activities of the organization and its achievements in the field of protecting the rights of blind people. Our members receive information about advances in ophthalmology, social services, education, technical aids and more. The first appearances of talented blind poets and writers are also published on the pages of our publishing house.

The Society of the Blind in Bulgaria publishes:

Braille magazines:
1 .”Spectrum”
2. "Esperanta Ferrero"

Talking magazines:
1. "Knowledge"
2. "Modernity"
3. "Domestic adviser"
4. "Literary kaleidoscope"
5. "Observer"
6. "Bulgaro Esperantisto"

For more than 50 years ССБ has been publishing talking books of fiction and nonfiction. Our association manages a fund of over 4000 titles distributed free of charge through:

1. the central and seven basic sound libraries;
2. one hundred and eleven regional and territorial organizations;
Z. subscription to the personal music library;
4. individual orders of readers;
5. The centers for social rehabilitation and integration for people with visual
impairments;
6. on-lain, through a sample request on the SSB site;

In order to popularize the activity of SSB and providing useful information to our members, we administer two sites:
1. Sues of the Blind in Bulgaria - ssb-bg.net and its subsite for audio books -
https://webaudio.stackport.com/
2. "Zari" magazine - https://www.zari-bg. net/

The association provides us with a program for synthesized Bulgarian speech free of charge, allowing the blind to work with mobile devices. bolder;">ARTIC CREATION, CULTUROTHERAPY, SPORTS AND TOURISM
SSB pays great attention to artistic creativity and sports as a proven means of expressing the capabilities of our members and their splendid integration into society. More than ZOO blind people are systematically engaged in singing and instrumental art. They participate annually in 100-120 concerts, festivals, competitions and other cultural events. Over 3,000 of our members are actively involved in sports and tourism. They participate in more than 300 regional and national competitions, hikes and excursions. The adapted and specialized sports we develop for the blind are: athletics, chess, goalball, backgammon, Canadian wrestling, sport fishing, showdown (table tennis), archery and tandem cycling. Our activists organize collective visits to theaters, concerts and museums.

SOCIAL SUPPORT
SSB provides scholarships to students in colleges and HEIs. Our association provides assistants to blind intellectuals working in higher education institutions, state, municipal and judicial institutions and others. Our organization supports more than 2,000 of our low-income members with monetary and in-kind assistance. SSB manages rehabilitation centers in Obzor, Dryanovo and in Shipkovski mineral baths - Troyan municipality. In them, our members establish their physical and mental health, establish contacts in the community and acquire skills for independent living.

PROVIDING ACCESS TO ARCHITECTURAL, TRANSPORT AND< br>COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT
Our organization works together with municipalities to improve access to the architectural environment and the transport services offered. We make efforts to improve the use of the websites of state and municipal institutions, retail chains and others. in Bulgaria is a member of: the World Union of the Blind, the European Union of the Blind, the European Forum of People with Disabilities and the Balkan Advisory Council of National Organizations of the Blind.

Chairman of Susa of the Blind in Bulgaria:
Vasil Dolapchiev