3rd edition of the “We Are Together” Application Competition
Invitation to Participate
Dear Sir or Madam,
On behalf of the organisation I founded – the Polish Chance Foundation – We Are Together, formerly the Chance for the Blind Foundation – I am launching the third edition of the “We Are Together” competition, sponsored by me and the Polish State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PFRON).
I invite organisations, institutions and individuals from outside Poland who work for the benefit of blind and partially sighted persons and their relatives to take part in the competition. We are looking for initiatives focused on a modern approach to rehabilitation, access to information and integration with non-disabled people.
The aim of the competition is to select winners who will present the best applications and, thanks to the financial support provided, will implement one or both of the activities described below.
Participants are expected to submit an application presenting proposed activities for the guests of REHA FOR THE BLIND IN POLAND 2026 and for the local community in their country.
Proposal 1: Active participation in the 24th International Conference REHA FOR THE BLIND IN POLAND, held on 15–16 September 2026, including:
- presentations during thematic sessions on modern methods of activation and integration of persons with visual impairments, sharing knowledge about the situation of blind and partially sighted communities in the country of origin, and presenting experiences related to the emancipation of this community in different countries;
- preparing and running, with the Foundation’s support, their own stand during Accessibility EXPO 2026, enabling meetings with Conference guests;
- readiness to meet with representatives of the media and public authorities;
- giving interviews;
- presenting their own achievements in the field of a modern approach to the rehabilitation process, activities supporting environmental accessibility and the use of IT solutions for blind and partially sighted persons.
The Foundation expects the winners to take an active part in:
- the REHA Conference, which will be held on 15–16 September 2026;
- the 4th edition of the “East-West” meeting, an accompanying event of the REHA Conference, which will be held on 16 September 2026;
- other events taking place on 13–16 September 2026.
The declared activities will provide additional value and attractions for the beneficiaries and guests of REHA.
Proposal 2: Activities activating and integrating the local blind and low-vision community in the participant’s country.
The application should include a plan of activities that the winners will undertake after returning from the REHA Conference. These activities should aim to activate persons with visual impairments, including children, young people and adults, with particular focus on people excluded from access to modern technologies, and to support the implementation of standards resulting from the UN Convention.
Schedule
Applications should be submitted by 30 June 2026 to the following e-mail address:
The results will be announced during a teleconference on 3 July 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central European Time.
The competition winners will sign an agreement including the Foundation’s obligation to provide the financial resources constituting the contest award, as well as the winners’ obligation to carry out the declared activities.
Participants will undertake to promote the Chance Foundation – We Are Together and Poland as a modern country open to the needs of persons with disabilities.
The total prize pool may amount to up to USD 20,000. The final amount of donations will depend on the number and quality of the applications submitted.
- The amounts of the awards will be determined independently by the Competition Jury.
- Winners may receive funds to finance the first objective, the second objective, or both objectives at the same time.
- Winners who receive an award intended to fully or partially co-finance their travel to Warsaw, as well as those who do not apply for such co-financing but are qualified to stay during REHA FOR THE BLIND IN POLAND, will receive co-financing for their stay in Warsaw, including accommodation and meals on the dates indicated by them and agreed with the Foundation. The number of sponsored days will be decided independently by the Competition Jury.
- Guests of the REHA Conference in Warsaw may count on interpreter support to a limited extent.
- Conference guests will be able to participate in all conference events free of charge. This also applies to any refreshments organised for participants of individual events.
Foundation President Marek Kalbarczyk allocates USD 20,000 for the awards. This amount will be distributed in an optimal way, to support the largest possible group of REHA participants while taking into account the winners who present the most valuable applications.
The Competition Jury may decide to finance 100% of the transport needs or only part of them. In each case, for guests who receive an invitation to Warsaw, hotel accommodation and meals will be financed in full.
