Director of Perkins International
As Director of Perkins International, Dr. W. Aubrey Webson oversees the global mission of Perkins by working with hundreds of partners in over 67 countries.
Since coming to Perkins in 1992, Webson has led initiatives to grow services in Africa and the Caribbean; helped shape educational services for children who are deafblind and those with multiple disabilities; supported government and service workers in policy development; and introduced and implemented the Institutional Development Program (IDP), a capacity building project for organizations of the blind in Africa and the Caribbean.
IDP is the organizing body for the quadrennial Africa Forum. The fifth Africa Forum conference was held in Accra, Ghana, July 3-8, 2011. Africa Forum, Webson’s concept, has grown six-fold since its inception in 1991. Webson formerly worked with SightSavers International, Helen Keller International, and was Executive Director of the Caribbean Council for the Blind. He holds a PhD. in Management from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH) and has published in the field, including his 1998 book, Empowerment of the Blind.
As a native of the Caribbean island of Antigua Barbuda and as person who is blind, Webson understands the developing world. Furthermore, he knows first-hand the importance of family support and access to education. He believes that all children have the capacity to learn, all families have love to share, and all people deserve the chance to develop to their potential.
That belief coincides with the Perkins International mission of improving the quality of life for children who are deafblind or blind with multiple disabilities throughout the world. Webson and his team of Perkins International regional coordinators work with policy makers, families, educators, and students to expand services; to bring resources and opportunities where none exist; and to join the world community in the social network of creating possibilities for all.