Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V

What Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V does

The Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V. (BVN) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein, VR 2220, Amtsgericht Hannover) serving blind and visually impaired individuals across the German state of Lower Saxony. The organization traces its earliest predecessor — the Blindenvereinigung Braunschweig — to February 13, 1913, and was broadened to include visually impaired members in 1996 before merging with the regional Süd-Ost association in 2003. It operates from a state headquarters in Hannover (Kühnsstraße 18) and is led by Geschäftsführer Gerd Schwesig with Vorsitzender Hans-Werner Lange heading the Landesvorstand.

The BVN's core services are delivered through seven regional offices (Elbe-Weser, Leine-Weser, Nord-Ost, Oldenburg, Osnabrück-Emsland-Bentheim, Ostfriesland, Süd-Ost) and the Blickpunkt Auge free counseling network spanning more than 30 locations staffed by 40+ voluntary counselors. Service lines include rehabilitation training (Orientierung und Mobilität for mobility, Lebenspraktische Fähigkeiten for daily living), assistive device consultation (Hilfsmittelberatung), Braille courses, legal advice on social law, self-help groups, cultural programs (BVN Kultur with audio description), adaptive sports, and accessible travel. Recent content additions include the Klangstock podcast (launched March 2025), the 'Sehende Begleitung – gewusst wie!' video series (June 2024), and the '200 Jahre Brailleschrift' inclusive reading tour (2026). Two associated operating entities — Anstalt für Blindenwerkstätten und Blindenhilfen and Deutsche Hilfsmittelvertrieb gem. GmbH — co-locate at the Hannover headquarters and provide workshop services and assistive device distribution respectively.

The BVN is funded by membership dues and donations (processed via Bank für Sozialwirtschaft), supplemented by grants from partners such as Aktion Mensch and ticket revenue from benefit events. It is governed by its affected members, with regional chairs and contact persons across each region, and has no external investors, parent company, or public listing. Technology use is limited to standard web, social media, podcast, analytics, and ticketing integrations (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Podigee, Matomo, Eventim); there is no proprietary technology product or AI capability.

Name

Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V

Legal name

Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V.

Website

https://blindenverband.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Non-profit self-help association for blind and visually impaired people in Lower Saxony, Germany. Operates seven regional offices, free Blickpunkt Auge counseling across 30+ locations, rehabilitation training, Braille courses, and assistive device guidance. Funded by membership dues and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Visual impairment counseling
• Orientation mobility training
• Assistive device consultation
• Self-help associations

Headquarters

HQ city

Hannover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Members pay dues to support the association's work in advocating for and supporting blind and visually impaired people in Lower Saxony.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support its charitable mission of enabling independent living for people with visual impairments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BVN is a non-profit self-help association providing counseling, rehabilitation training, and support services for blind and visually impaired people in Lower Saxony. Core offerings include Blickpunkt Auge counseling (free advice on eye diseases, rehabilitation, social rights), Orientierung und Mobilität (O&M) mobility training, Lebenspraktische Fähigkeiten (LPF) daily living skills training, assistive device guidance, Braille courses, self-help groups, cultural programs, sports, travel, and legal advice across seven regional offices.

Product overview

Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V. (BVN) is a non-profit self-help organization offering a comprehensive range of services for blind and visually impaired people in Lower Saxony. The core offerings include Blickpunkt Auge counseling services (free advice on eye diseases, rehabilitation, and social rights), rehabilitation training (Orientierung und Mobilität for mobility skills and Lebenspraktische Fähigkeiten for daily living skills), and assistive device consultations. The organization also provides cultural programs (BVN Kultur with audio-described events), sports activities, travel services, legal advice, Braille courses, and self-help groups across seven regions. Digital offerings include the 'Klangstock' podcast launched in March 2025, a regular newsletter, and the video series 'Sehende Begleitung – gewusst wie!' for teaching accompaniment techniques. The organization is not a technology product company but a social services provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blickpunkt Auge (BPA) Free counseling service for blind and visually impaired people and their relatives, offering advice on eye diseases, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and social rights. Available at over 30 locations across Lower Saxony with more than 40 voluntary counselors.
• Orientierung und Mobilität (O&M) Training Rehabilitation training for blind and visually impaired people teaching orientation and mobility skills, including white cane techniques and independent navigation. Delivered individually at the client's home, school, or workplace by Reha-Lehrer.
• Lebenspraktische Fähigkeiten (LPF) Rehabilitation training teaching practical daily living skills for blind and visually impaired people, including household management and self-care.
• Hilfsmittelberatung (Assistive Device Consultation) Consultation on assistive devices and aids for blind and visually impaired people, including demonstration of products like speaking clocks, liquid level indicators, and Daisy players.
• Punktschrift/Braille Courses Courses for learning Braille/Punktschrift writing and reading for blind and visually impaired individuals.
• BVN Kultur Cultural offerings including readings, concerts, and events, often with audio description for accessibility.
• Sportangebote (Sports Activities) Sports activities for blind and visually impaired people including blind football, goalball, tandem cycling, sailing, shooting, and showdown.
• Reisen und Urlaub (Travel and Leisure) Travel and leisure offerings adapted for blind and visually impaired travelers.
• Rechtsberatung (Legal Advice) Legal advice services for members on social law and disability-related legal matters.
• BVN-Newsletter Regular newsletter providing news on blindness, visual impairment, and self-help topics, delivered via email to subscribers.
• Klangstock – der BVN-Podcast Podcast format launched in March 2025, replacing the previous BVN-Radio. Features interviews with members and discussions on topics related to blindness and visual impairment.
• Magazin gemeinsam Magazine publication of the association providing articles on topics relevant to blind and visually impaired people.
• Sehende Begleitung – gewusst wie! (Video Series) Video series explaining techniques for sighted people to accompany blind or visually impaired persons, published on Sight Disability Day 2024.
• Selbsthilfegruppen (Self-Help Groups) Support groups for blind and visually impaired people across multiple regions of Lower Saxony, providing peer exchange, mutual support, and practical tips.
• BVN-Patientenforum (Patient Forum) Forum for patients related to eye diseases and visual impairment topics.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blinden- und Sehbehindertenstiftung Niedersachsen (BSTN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Blinden- und Sehbehindertenstiftung Niedersachsen (BSTN) provides practical financial support for blind and visually impaired individuals. BVN collaborates with BSTN on projects such as 'Blick für Kids' and refers members for BSTN funding programs that help with assistive devices and rehabilitation.
• Deutscher Hilfsmittelvertrieb gem. GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe BVN website is operated by Deutsche Hilfsmittelvertrieb gem. GmbH. This company specializes in assistive devices for blind and visually impaired people, and the BVN provides referrals to their products and services.
• Sozialverband DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation with Sozialverband Deutschland for advocacy and social policy alignment.
• Behindertenforum OsnabrückminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation for disability advocacy and accessibility initiatives.
• Staatstheater BraunschweigminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partnership for making theater accessible to blind and visually impaired audiences.
• Aktion MenschminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAktion Mensch funded the BVN-Region Nord-Ost's participation campaign for the European Protest Day for Equal Treatment of People with Disabilities, supporting awareness videos about discrimination and barriers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aktion Mensch e.V. Germany's largest private disability funding organization, supporting projects across disability inclusion including BVN's own projects. Operates as both a funder and advocacy incumbent that overlaps with BVN's inclusion mission at a larger national scale.
• VdK Deutschland: Germany-wide social association providing legal advice, social rights guidance, and benefits support to disabled and elderly members. Comparable operating model (membership + regional branches) but serving a broader constituency than visual impairment alone.
• Sozialverband Deutschland (SoVD): Major German social advocacy organization with regional offices that provides legal advice, benefits navigation, and disability advocacy overlapping BVN's Rechtsberatung and social rights offerings; explicitly partnered with BVN for regional advocacy cooperation.

Direct peers

• Pro Retina Deutschland e.V. Self-help association for people with retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. Serves a partially overlapping visual impairment population with similar self-help group, counseling, and research advocacy structures.
• Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband (DBSV): National umbrella organization for blind and visually impaired people in Germany with the same self-help mission and constituency as BVN. It is the federal body of which BVN's regional peers (and BVN itself) are constituent members, making it the most direct institutional peer.
• Bayerischer Blinden- und Sehbehindertenbund e.V. (BBSB): The Bavarian state-level equivalent of BVN, operating the same model of regional self-help offices, counseling, rehabilitation training, and assistive device advice for blind and visually impaired people in another German state.
• Nikolauspflege – Stiftung für blinde und sehbehinderte Menschen: Stuttgart-based nonprofit providing residential care, education, counseling, and rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired people in Baden-Württemberg. Highly comparable service portfolio to BVN (counseling, mobility training, Hilfsmittel) at similar regional scale.

Regional players

• Berufsförderungswerk Würzburg (bfw): Vocational rehabilitation provider specializing in training and reintegration of blind and visually impaired adults in Germany. Highly comparable rehabilitation function to BVN's O&M and LPF programs, though focused on employment outcomes rather than general community self-help.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BVN_ev
• Facebookfacebook.com/bvn.ev
• Instagraminstagram.com/bvn_e_v
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blinden--und-sehbehindertenverband-niedersachsen-e.v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e.V