You are cordially invited to the seventh ICEVI Eastern European Conference, which will be held at Tbilisi State University on December 14-17 2016 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The theme of the conference is Partnership : Parent professional cooperation in the process of education of visually impaired children.

The 7th ICEVI Eastern European Conference is organized by the International Council for Education and Rehabilitation of People with Visual Impairment, European Region (ICEVI-Europe) with the non-governmental organization Mariani and with the valuable support of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports and Youth in Georgia.

The conference offers the opportunity to share knowledge and expertise concerning the implications of the roles of parents and professionals on the education of visually impaired children and adolescents and in turn, their ability to actively participate as full members of society.

So join us at the 7th ICEVI Eastern European Conference where we will not only learn of recent research and share personal experiences, but also network with fellow colleagues and establish professional collaborations.

I look forward to meeting you in Tbilisi, Georgia!

Panagiota (Betty) Leotsakou
President of ICEVI-Europe

Welcome to the 7th ICEVI Eastern European Conference!
Evidence-based research shows that constructive and cooperative relationship between specialists and parents of children with visual impairment plays an enormously positive role in the development of children. Through this conference we would like to provide platform for empowerment of parents of children with visual impairment and support the specialists realize their role in supporting parents. We believe that the ways and approaches of partnership raised and discussed during the conference will provide firm basis for the future improvement of parent specialist cooperation in the process of education of children with visual impairment.

Hope to have a chance to welcome you as a participant of the conference and have an opportunity to exchange some very important experiences about the theme of the conference.

Sincerely yours,

Director of non-governmental organization Mariani
Mariam Mikiashvili
Chairman of the Host Committee

Keynote Speech presented by Dr. Hans Welling (ENG), pdf format, 342kb

Partnership : Parent professional cooperation in the process of education of visually impaired children

Partnership : Parent professional cooperation in the process of education of visually impaired children.

The presenters will outline how their thoughts and evidence-based research as expressed in their presentation, are shaped by the implication of parents’ and professionals’ cooperation in the process of education of visually impaired children and adolescents by considering one of the following:

1. 0-6 infancy and early childhood _ early intervention
2. 7-18 primary, secondary and high school,
3. 15 and above vocational education,
4. 18 and above higher education.

In the topic of interest;

1. Specialists role in empowering the parents,
2. Parents Participation in daily life of visually impaired children
3. Parents participation in academic life of visually impaired children,
4. Legislation and regulations regulating the role of specialists and involvement of parents in the process of education,
5. Environmental factors hampering and/or supporting parents involvement,
6. Personal factors.

The host committee would like to encourage you to send your abstracts through the 1st of November 2016 and later register for the conference. The registration form will open on the 1st of November 2016 on this webpage and will close on the 5th of December 2016.

You can download the abstract guidelines in English and Russian:

• ICEVI 2016 conference announcement and abstract guidelines (ENG), docx format, 24kb
• ICEVI 2016 conference announcement and abstract guidelines (RUS), docx format, 23kb
• ICEVI 2016 კონფერენციის აბსტრაქტის ინსტრუქცია, docx format, 28kb

English, Russian and Georgian are the official languages of the conference.

The 7th ICEVI Eastern European Conference is planned and organized by a host committee. The committee unites 8 members:

• Mariam Mikiashvili chairman of the committee, contact person of ICEVI in Georgia, director of non-governmental organization Mariani, special teacher, has visual impairment;
• Ana Mikiashvili director of non-governmental organization Mariani, psychologist, orientation and mobility trainer;
• Guranda Jamatashvili English language teacher at the school for blind in Tbilisi, PHD, has visual impairment;
• Zaza Adanaia PHD candidate, historian, has visual impairment;
• Ana Babunashvili head of residential department of the school for blind in Tbilisi, PHD candidate;
• Ana Edisherashvili Accountant at a private company, painter-designer, mother of a child with visual impairment;
• Mariam Samkharadze student of psychology early intervention specialist for children with multiple disabilities with visual impairment;
• Davit Bibileishvili student of law, has visual impairment.

Contact Information
Address: Mariam Mikiashvili
Vazha-Pshavela Ave., block #2, building #8, Apt. #14
Tbilisi, 0186 Georgia.
Mob.: +995 514 058 558
E-Mail: mariani.contact@gmail.com

The scientific committee is represented by four members:

1. Dr. Vladimir Ruchin-PhD, Associate Professor of Department of sociology, social anthropology and social work Saratov State Technical University (Saratov, Russia).
2. Assoc.Prof. Dr. Andrea Hathazi, Special Education Department, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Member of the ICEVI Europe Committee/Board.
3. Dr. Guranda Jamatashvili, PHD of teaching methods of foreign languages to blind children, teacher of English language at Tbilisi 202nd school for blind children, Georgia.
4. Zaza Adanaia, PHD candidate in professional education of blind persons, Tbilisi State University, Georgia.

The conference host committee has invited the President of Georgia, Minister of Education and Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs as special guests to the conference. The President of Georgia Mr. Giorgi Margvelashvili is invited to the conference with a special request to open the conference. Upon the official confirmation the information will be updated on the webpage.

The Tbilisi State University named after Ivane Javakhishvili was founded in 1918. The first rector of the university was Petre Melikishvili. Nowadays the university has 11 buildings, 6 out of which are located in Vake. The buildings are functionally devided by the faculties and departments.

The 7-th ICEVI Eastern European Conference will take place in the building #1 lcated at 1 I. Chavchavadze Ave., Vake.

Currency:

The official currency is Georgian Lari GEL. One Euro approximately equals to 2.60 Lari and 1 Lari is 100 Tetri. Banks and money exchange offices can be found almost anywhere and banks offer the same rate at the airport that is in the city. The money exchange offices usually offer better rates than banks.

Transportation:

Tbilisi is easily accessible by Metro, buss or minibus. The city center is easy to be reached on foot. One ride on the bus or Metro costs 50 Georgian Tetri and one ride on minibus costs 80 Tetri. The bus stops are equipped with special electric tables where passengers can read the bus schedule. However, this is not the option for the minibuses.

Weather:

Tbilisi has a mild climate. It goes through four seasons year round. December usually is cold with about 8 to 13 degrees CE. The weather for Tbilisi can be found at Foreca weather webpage or AccuWeather webpage. For more information the conference participants will be provided with maps of Tbilisi, guidebook and other interesting information.

History of Georgia and Tbilisi

Georgia

      

The state of Georgia is located in Caucasus, on the East cost of the Black Sea. It is situated at the border of Eastern Europpe and West Asia. However, socio-politically and culturally Georgia is a part of Europpe. It is a multicultural country, where many different religions, nations thus cultures coexist peacefully. Georgia is rich with a wide variety of landscape and fawn.

Georgian food is well-known by its variety and difference. It is one of the exceptional in the world.

The territory was always settled starting from the early stone age. Clear example of this are humans found in the East Georgia, in Dmanisi _ Zezva and Mzia.

In the classical antique era Georgia was known by the mith of Greek Argonauts. Georgia is a Christian country from the 4th century AD. In the XIX century Georgia was invaded by Russian empire and in 1922 it became part of Soviet Union. Georgia claimed independence in 1991.

Georgia is rich by its cultural heritage, part of which is listed among the cultural heritage of UNESCO. Some of them are: city-museum Mtskheta, monastery of Geltai and others.

Worldwide famous epic poem The Knight In The Panther’s Skin _ Vepkhvistkaosani by Shota Rustaveli was written in the 12th century. Georgian polyphony and original alphabet has deserved a status of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage.

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia from the fifth century. According to a legend the king Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting in the forest. His hunting bird flew up chasing another small bird, but did not return back. The king’s servants foundboth birds boiled in the hot spring. The water had great characteristics to cure various illnesses. The king Vakhtang decided to build a city there. HIS Son Dachi finished building the city and moved the capital from Mtskheta to Tbilisi. The name Tbilisi is derived from the word ‘Tbili’ meaning warm from the hot water discovered by the king and his servants. The historical place is called Abanotubani where beautiful and healthy baths can be found and enjoyed.

The weather for Georgia and Tbilisi can be found here:

• http://amindi.ge/
• http://www.accuweather.com
• http://www.foreca.com

The National Museum of Georgia named after S. Janashia, information can be found here:

Museum of Arts of Georgia - საქართველოს ხელოვნების მუზეუმი:

The National Cinema, Music and Theater Museum:

The Historical Ethnography Museum of Tbilisi:

Public transportation map of Tbilisi:

The seventh ICEVI Eastern European conference will take place at the Tbilisi State University in Tbilisi Georgia on December 14-17 2016.
December 14 Arrival and welcome party;
December 15 full day conference;
December 16 Half day conference, Excursion and Gala dinner;
December 17 Half day conference, closing and departure.

Experience and prospects of interaction between parents and teachers in the learning process and socialization of children with visual impairments, Zhytniak Elena, Sokolova Larisa, Trubenok Lena, format doc, 32kB
Parent Professional Cooperation In The Process Of Socialization Of Blind Student, Levan Tsalkalamanidze, format docx, 12kB
Excessive parental care for the blind child as a hindrance in the learning process, Guranda Jamatashvili, format docx, 15kB
The motivation of the child leads to successful cooperation of parents and teachers, Zaza Adanaia, format docx, 14kB
Empowering Parents, Viktoria Midelauri, format ppt, 6,1MB