About Bengt Lindqvist

1982, elected Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party.

1985-1991, Minister for Social Services and Family Policy.

1992, consultant to United Nations in the preparation of a draft of Standard Rules for the Equalization ofOpportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

1993-1995, Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party

1994, appointed by UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to serve as Special Rapporteur on Disability to monitor the implementation of the Standard Rules for the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

1997, renewal of the mandate to serve as Special Rapporteur on Disability for the period 1997-2000.

1999, honorary doctorate at Stockholm University, Social Science Faculty

2000, renewal of the mandate to serve as Special Rapporteur on Disability for the period 2000 - 2002.

1967-1985, active in the movement of disabled persons.

1975-1985, president of the Swedish Federation of the Visually Handicapped.

1977-1985, elected chairman of the National Committee of Organizations of Disabled Persons.

1979-1982, member of the Swedish delegation to the UN Preparatory Committee for the IYDP.

1987, as Minister, host to the UN Expert Meeting on the midterm evaluation of the decade of the disabled

1970-1985, holder of different offices in the international organizations of and for the disabled.

1980-1982, founder member of Disabled People´s International

Mr Lindqvist was born 1936 in Helsingborg, in the southern part of Sweden. He lost his sight as a teenager. He is a graduated teacher in languages and became the first Swedish itinerent teacher in 1957. Mr Lindqvist was also the first blind Cabinet Minister in Europe.

Mr Lindqvist is married, has twin daughters and four grand children.