UBL Summit Update and Call for Expressions of Interest
Dear Members,
The United Blind Leaders Board has endorsed in principle plans to hold the UBL Blind Leadership Summit in the first half of 2027. The exact date is yet to be confirmed, and the final scope will depend on funding and Board approval.
With the working title Building the Future of Blind Leadership, the Summit will be an Australian-hosted, internationally connected hybrid event. Online participation will be designed as an equal form of participation, not an add-on to the in-person event.
The Summit will bring together established and emerging blind leaders, UBL members, organisations and allies. It will build on UBL’s work to document the barriers to blind leadership and help people and organisations move from discussing those barriers to taking practical, collaborative action.
This will be a working summit rather than a traditional open conference. Its success will be measured through the relationships, solutions and commitments it generates, not simply by the number of people who attend.
What the Summit may include
The emerging program includes:
keynotes and stories from blind leaders;
discovery workshops focused on the major challenges facing blind leaders;
Leadership Labs where participants work together on practical challenges and solutions;
coaching, mentoring and curated leadership connections; and
organisational commitments and follow-up after the Summit.
Establishing a Summit Organising Committee
We are now inviting Ordinary UBL members to express interest in filling three positions on a time-limited Summit Organising Committee. The committee will work with the UBL Board to shape, plan and support delivery of the Summit.
The committee’s work is expected to include:
refining the Summit’s purpose, outcomes and program;
helping to design an accessible and genuinely inclusive hybrid experience;
supporting engagement with blind leaders, organisations, partners and international participants;
contributing to participant selection, communications, partnerships and fundraising;
supporting practical planning and delivery; and
helping to evaluate the Summit and follow up on commitments made.
What is involved
Steering Committee members will be expected to attend a monthly online meeting and contribute to practical work between meetings.
The current meeting date is the second Monday of each month.
The time commitment may increase as the Summit approaches.
UBL is currently an unfunded, volunteer-led organisation. Committee participation will therefore be voluntary and unpaid. We are not looking for people who can do everything. We are looking for members who can make a realistic commitment, work collaboratively and contribute their skills, experience and perspectives.
The Organising Committee will operate from appointment through the planning and delivery of the Summit and its initial follow-up, with support from a contractor with experience in event management.
Who can apply
You must be an ordinary member of United Blind Leaders, that is, identify as being blind or having low vision, to join the Summit Organising Committee.
International members are strongly encouraged to apply. The Summit is intended to be globally connected, and perspectives from different countries and regions will be important to its success.
If you are not currently a member but would like to get involved, you are welcome to join UBL before submitting your expression of interest. Membership information is available on the UBL website.
Join or learn more about United Blind Leaders
You do not need previous board, committee or event management experience. We welcome interest from members with relevant skills or perspectives, including leadership development, facilitation, accessibility, communications, partnerships, fundraising, event planning, evaluation or international engagement.
How to express your interest
We want to keep the process simple and accessible.
Please send us a short expression of interest telling us:
why you would like to join the Summit Steering Committee;
the skills, experience or perspectives you would bring; and
whether you can commit to monthly meetings and practical work between meetings.
If there are more expressions of interest than available places, the UBL Board will consider the mix of skills, experience, geographic perspectives and other contributions that will best support the committee’s work. We will aim for a fair and transparent process and will let everyone who expresses interest know the outcome.
Expressions of interest close Monday, 28 September 2026.
Please send your EOI to unitedblindleaders@gmail.com.
We are excited to take this next step and to involve UBL members directly in building a Summit led by blind people that is practical and internationally connected.