Annually on November 13, all over the world International Day of the Blind is marked. This memorial date is urged to draw attention of people to those who have for ever lost sight and have happened to be in a difficult life situation.
The date was chosen by the World Health Organization: this day in 1745 teacher Valentin Haüy, founder of the first educational institution for the blind and the author of the method of raised letters for the blind.
Symposiums are held on the International day of the blind, meetings, concerts in support of those who have for ever lost sight and those to whom, may, good luck will still smile and they can sometime see the world with their own eyes. For the first time this date was marked under the initiative of the WHO in 1984.
The civil service of intellectual property of Turkmenistan, created on the instructions of president Berdimuhamedov, expands cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and within the limits of partnership it is planned to facilitate an access of blind people to books.
In April, 2020 the theme of expansion of legal base of IP in Turkmenistan, and, in particular, joining of the state the Marrakesh Treaty was discussed. The given agreement defines realisation of general availability of printing products for the blind, persons with sight impairment and also other limited abilities.
In August, 2020 the Mejlis of Turkmenistan adopted decisions On joining the the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities.
In Turkmenistan since 1932 the Society of the Blind and Deaf functions. The organisation, mainly, helps Turkmen nationals with disability to join sports, cultural life, and work. Employees of the establishment also hold social rehabilitation of related persons.
The Society of the Blind and Deaf of Turkmenistan (SBDT) actively participates in the international movement of invalids and is a member of the Asian Blind Union and World Blind Union. SBDT is in partner relations with UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank, OSCE, EU and others.