AFB eNews

June 2009

New Spanish Content on AFB's Web Sites

With 2.3 million Hispanic/Latino Americans (ages 18 and older) experiencing vision loss, there is a real, present need for more information to be available in Spanish. To reach this growing population, AFB has added updated content on its web sites to include more Spanish sections. Some of the newly translated information includes:

• The Living with Vision Loss section on AFB's home page, AFB.org.
  
  
• An "en español" section on AFB Senior Site®, including the Diabetes and Vision Loss Guide (La diabetes y la perdida de vision).
  
  
• FamilyConnect™ toolkits—Después del diagnóstico (After the Diagnosis), Profesionales del cuidado de la vista que pueden tratar a su hijo (Working with Medical Professionals), and Resumen del sistema de servicios para niños (Overview of the Service System for Visually Impaired Children).

In the next couple of months, we'll be adding more Spanish content to our web sites, including FamilyConnect, which will be fully translated this coming July. So check back often to see what's new in AFB's online communities.

News and Announcements

Support for AFB's Health Care Reform and Vision Loss Sign-On Letter
More than 100 international, national, and community-based organizations representing, serving, and advocating for the more than 20 million Americans experiencing vision loss signed on to support an AFB health care reform initiative. The letter urges Congress to exercise leadership to ensure that any comprehensive health reform legislation enacted by the 111th Congress adequately addresses the needs and rights of individuals living with vision loss.

Congress is currently weighing a variety of health care policy options that have the potential to fundamentally transform the scope and delivery of health care to all Americans. While many of these policy options could be of significant benefit to Americans with vision loss, AFB is concerned that proper attention is not being given in the policy debate to several basic health care needs experienced by people who are blind or visually impaired. This letter asks for the help of Congress to craft and enact policy solutions as part of health care reform to address these unmet needs.

New Video Series Now Available on AFB Senior Site®
The video series Better Lighting for Better Sight contains information about critical factors that can enhance vision—including different types of lighting, positioning of lights, contrast sensitivity, and control of glare. The videos provide suggestions on how to choose the right light for the person and the task. This series is available for purchase through AFB Press.

New Interviews Now Available on FamilyConnect
Five new Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) audio interviews have been added to the ECC Audio Library section of FamilyConnect. These messages—from June Downing, Jim Durkel, David Brown, Millie Smith, and Linda Mamer—are for parents and families and highlight the following ECC areas: Sensory Efficiency, Self-Determination, and Compensatory Skills/Communication. Dr. Downing discusses sensory efficiency and tactile communication skills for deafblind children; Mr. Durkel discusses sensory efficiency and effective listening skills for children who are blind or have low vision; Mr. Brown discusses self-determination skills for deafblind children; Ms. Smith discusses communication skills for children with visual and multiple impairments; and Ms. Mamer discusses compensatory skills and communication skills for deafblind children.

We are pleased to have these interviews available online. Participants' messages include what they think parents need to know and how parents can support their children's acquisition of these important disability-specific skills.

AFB Blog
Check out AFB's blog and read about a documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival, The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, the WCAG theme song, President Obama's disability team, audio description at Disney World, an accessible home makeover, and much more!