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Who We Are (About Us)

Pontes is an association which was founded in November 2006 by a group of enthusiastic, visually impaired young people who wanted to make a difference in society, in the lives of both visually impaired and sighted people. We called it ‘Pontes’ because our objective is to build ‘bridges’ between people with visual impairment, who are often isolated and little involved in their communities, and the sighted people who don’t have too many chances to get acquainted with them and regard them, not as a separate, minority group, who constantly needs help, but as equal citizens.

Though Pontes is still a small NGO, we have already built bridges which have led to a better interaction between the visually impaired and the sighted, by promoting an open attitude towards those who are different and by giving them the chance to volunteer together. We have started various exciting projects, which are being developed by both visually impaired and sighted young people and are making a difference in our communities. All of us work as volunteers, for the development of each project. We do not regard our target group as a passive receiver of services, but constantly encourage and challenge them to become active participants within our projects. We believe that this is the best way to make a difference in the lives of people with visual disabilities and their communities, and, since the very beginning, have discovered that, when people have the opportunity to know and understand each other, and work as a team for a common goal, bridges are built naturally and they can achieve wonderful things together.