CONSTITUTION
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON ENGLISH BRAILLE
ADOPTED MAY 31, 1991
ARTICLE I: NAME AND LOCATION
The name of this organization shall be the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). ICEB shall be headquartered at The Canadian National Institute for the Blind in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization shall be to provide a medium for international cooperation among national standard setting bodies on English language braille. ICEB shall work toward:
A. the creation and development of national standard setting bodies in countries in which English is a major language and/or in which there is a substantial use of English language braille.
B. the development and adoption of internationally recognized minimum standards for the production and teaching of braille;
C. the provision for and the encouragement of an exchange of information, experiences, and braille materials among national standard setting bodies;
D. the encouragement and conducting of research studies related to the production, teaching and use of braille throughout the world; and,
E. the standardization of all English language braille codes.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. FOUNDING MEMBERS. The Founding Members are those nations which supported the establishment of ICEB at the International Conference on English Literary Braille held in London, England, September 1988: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Zambia.
SECTION 2. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP. Membership in ICEB shall be open to all nations in which English is a major language and/or in which there is a substantial use of English language braille, and which have a national standard setting body for English language braille. A nation seeking membership should forward, in writing, a request for membership to the Executive Committee of ICEB. The request must include the applicant’s authority for representing its nation’s interests in English language braille (such as its status as a recognized braille standard setting body) and its willingness to abide by the Constitution and Policies of ICEB. When a group of nations is represented by a single standard setting body, the group of nations may collectively seek membership in ICEB. After careful consideration, the Executive Committee of ICEB will formulate a recommendation for acceptance or rejection of the application. The Executive Committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the applicant and member nations no less than ninety days prior to the next General Assembly. The General Assembly shall take action on the application for membership as one of the first items of business at the General Assembly and, if the application is approved, will seat the delegation from the newly admitted member nation. Formal notification of the General Assembly’s action shall be made by the Secretary within sixty days following the meeting of the General Assembly at which the action was taken.
SECTION 3. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP. Nations which do not have English as a major language and/or do not make substantial use of English language braille, or nations which do not have a national standard setting body for English language braille, may apply for associate membership in ICEB. Associate members are entitled to observer status at all meetings of the ICEB General Assembly. Associate members do not have voting privileges in ICEB. However, associate members will be placed on the official ICEB mailing list to receive materials distributed to member nations. Applications for associate membership shall be made in writing to the ICEB Executive Committee which will make its recommendation for acceptance or rejection of the application to the next General Assembly.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
SECTION 1. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. This body shall meet once every four years at a time and place specified by the membership.
SECTION 2. CERTIFICATION OF DELEGATES. Each member nation may certify up to four delegates to each meeting of the General Assembly. No fewer than half of the nation’s delegates must be blind. Each delegate should be regarded by his/her standard setting body as knowledgeable of English language braille. Member nations should give serious consideration to selecting delegates who can represent the interests of blind consumers. Each member nation shall have one vote. Each member nation shall forward a list of its delegates to the President of ICEB at least sixty days prior to each General Assembly. Each member nation shall be responsible for the cost of its delegates to participate in the General Assembly.
SECTION 3. VOTING. Unless otherwise provided in this Constitution, all matters shall be decided by simple majority vote.
SECTION 4. OBSERVERS. Meetings of the General Assembly shall be open to interested individuals or organizational representatives. Such interested parties shall have observer status. Reasonable provisions shall be made to accommodate observers including provisions for observer questions and answers during meetings of the General Assembly. Observers shall not have a vote or otherwise be afforded privileges associated with membership.
ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. COMPOSITION. The Executive Committee shall consist of:
A. the President, Immediate Past President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Public Relations Officer; and,
B. three Members At‑Large to be elected by the General Assembly. Members At‑Large may not serve more than two consecutive terms and they may be succeeded by another individual from the same country.
SECTION 2. TERM OF OFFICE. The term of office shall be from the conclusion of a Regular Meeting of the General Assembly until the completion of the next Regular Meeting. The President shall hold office for one term, and thereafter serves a term as Immediate Past President. The President must be succeeded by a member from another nation. An individual may be elected President more than once, provided that terms are not successive. An officer (other than the President and the Immediate Past President) may be reelected to the same office for a successive term. No officer shall serve more than two successive terms. Officers (other than the President) may be succeeded by a member from the same nation.
SECTION 3. EXPULSION. Any member of the Executive Committee may be expelled for misconduct or for actions deemed inappropriate or harmful to ICEB. A two‑thirds vote is required to expel a member of the Executive Committee. Expulsion may only take place after an individual has had an opportunity to respond to the charges put forth as the basis for expulsion.
SECTION 4. VACANCIES.
A. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall complete the term of office.
B. A vacancy in the office of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer or Public Relations Officer, or in a Member At‑Large position, shall be filled by the Executive Committee. The individual selected to fill a vacancy may be from any member nation provided that the appointment has first been discussed with the standard setting body of the nation from which the selection has been made.
SECTION 5. QUORUM. At any face-to-face, telephonic or other realtime meeting of the Executive Committee a majority of its members shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business.
SECTION 6. POWERS AND DUTIES. The General Assembly is the final governing body of the organization. The Executive Committee shall have power of decision and shall be directly responsible to the General Assembly for interpreting and carrying out the general policies established by the General Assembly for the administration, management and control of the property and affairs of ICEB.
SECTION 7. MEETINGS. A meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held immediately prior to meetings of the General Assembly. Another meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held immediately following meetings of the General Assembly. At least one further meeting shall be held, at a time to be selected by the Executive Committee, between Regular Meetings of the General Assembly. The Executive Committee may elect to meet by conference telephone or by means of electronic mail to conduct business between meetings of the General Assembly. The Executive Committee shall, as a face-to-face meeting or at a meeting by conference telephone, determine the rules and procedures for meetings by electronic mail, which rules and procedures shall remain in effect until altered by the Executive Committee.
SECTION 8. EXPENSES. The Executive Committee shall develop a policy for the reimbursement of reasonable expenses for Executive Committee members to attend official meetings.
SECTION 9. VOTING. All questions before the Executive Committee shall be decided by a simple majority vote. When necessary, the President may call for a postal vote submitted to all members of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
SECTION 1. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The General Assembly shall elect a President, a Vice‑President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Public Relations Officer, who, together with the Immediate Past President, shall be the Officers of ICEB. When there are two or more candidates for an office, the vote shall be by secret ballot. Elections shall be by a simple majority vote.
SECTION 2. TERM OF OFFICE. The term of office shall be from the conclusion of one Regular Meeting of the General Assembly to the close of the next Regular Meeting. The President shall hold office for one term, and thereafter serves a term as Immediate Past President. The President must be succeeded by a member from another nation. An individual may be elected President more than once, provided that terms are not successive. No Officer shall be reelected to the same office for a successive term. Officers (other than the President) may be succeeded by a member from the same nation.
SECTION 3. DUTIES. The President shall preside over meetings of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee. The President shall be regarded as de‑territorialized and may not serve as a delegate to the General Assembly. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside. The Secretary shall maintain minutes of all meetings of the organization along with correspondence and other related records. The Treasurer shall, under the direction of the Executive Committee, maintain all necessary accounts for the organization. The Public Relations Officer, under the direction of the Executive committee, shall be responsible for making known to the outside world the policies, decisions and activities of the ICEB.
ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. APPOINTMENT. The President, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint chairpersons and members to, or remove them from, all committees except the Executive Committee. Each member nation shall be responsible for recommending members to serve on Technical Committees. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
SECTION 2. STANDING COMMITTEES. A Budget and Finance Committee, Bylaws Committee, and Nominating Committee shall be established as Standing Committees. The term of office for chairpersons and members shall be from the close of one Regular Meeting of the General Assembly to the close of the next Regular Meeting.
SECTION 3. TECHNICAL COMMITTEES. Technical Committees shall be established as necessary and desirable: to develop or review proposed changes and improvements in specific braille codes, formats, and techniques of producing and teaching braille; to conduct research and field tests; and to promote the production, teaching and use of braille. Each Technical Committee shall be governed by directions and guidelines developed by the Executive Committee. Members of Technical Committees need not be members of ICEB or its participating standard setting bodies. They shall be selected on the basis of background and experience relevant to the subject matter assigned to the committee. Recommendations for appointments to Technical Committees shall be made to the President. Committee Chairmen are required to send regular reports to the Secretary for distribution.
ARTICLE VIII. FINANCES
SECTION 1. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of ICEB shall coincide with the calendar year.
SECTION 2. MEMBERSHIP FEES. Membership fees shall be at a rate to be determined by the General Assembly. They shall be payable on the first day of January of each year. The Treasurer shall notify each member nation of the dues not less than sixty days prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. A second notice shall be sent to member nations whose annual fees have not been received within ninety days following the due date. Member nations whose annual fees have not been received within six months after the beginning of the fiscal year may be declared by the Executive Committee to have forfeited their membership.
SECTION 3. FUND RAISING. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to raise additional funds by any legitimate means, after consulting, wherever possible, and receiving approval from the member nation affected by fund raising activities.
SECTION 4. AUDIT. The accounts of ICEB shall be examined and audited each year by qualified auditors. A statement showing the fiscal position of ICEB shall be published and a copy sent to each member within six months after the close of the fiscal year.
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended at any meeting of the General Assembly. Amendments must be proposed in writing and signed by three or more delegates, representing no fewer than three member nations eligible to vote thereon. A proposed amendment to be considered at a meeting of the General Assembly must be distributed to member nations no less than ninety days prior to the scheduled opening date of the meeting. No fewer than two‑thirds of the voting members present must favor the amendment for it to be adopted.
ARTICLE X. DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of this organization, all assets shall be distributed in accordance with the wishes of the General Assembly provided these are compatible with the laws of the country in which ICEB is headquartered. A two‑thirds majority vote of member nations is required for the dissolution of this organization.