On October 1, 2011, the formation of a new organization representing all parents who defend the rights of their deafblind multi-disabled sons and daughters was revealed. Thankfull for the presence and support of the Presidents of Deafblind International and World Federation of Deafblind, Ricard López, the representative of the DbI, European Deafblind Network (EDbN), announced the news at the closing ceremony of the XV Deafblind International World Conference in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This new world organization or confederation consists of the following regional federations: Federación Latino Americana de familiares de personas con Sordoceguera o Discapacidades Múltiples (15 countries comprising the Latin American Federation of families of the Deafblind and the Multi-disabled), 27 countries representing the DbI European Deafblind Network (EDbN), Canadian Deafblind Association (and its 6 Chapters) and the 3 countries that form the African Federation of Parents of the Deafblind.

The purpose of this new assembly is to serve a voice for all parents whose sons or daughters have this disability. Through this organizational network, parents will gain assistance from other parents to learn best practices towards working with their governments to ensure that their children live independent lives and receive adequate public health, education and financial support. The headquarters of this new Confederation has been established in Barcelona, Spain.

The World Federation of Parents of Deafblind and Multi-Disabled Persons (WFPDB) has taken its first steps and invites every organization of this field to join in.

Deafblindness is a conditon that combines in varying degrees both hearing and visual impairment. Two sensory impairments multiply and intensify the impact of each other creating a severe disability which is different and unique. Numerous studies indicate that the prevalence of deafblindness is around 40 per 100,000 people.