Reasons To Give

Why Give to AFB?

AFB touches the lives of 20 million people who are blind or visually impaired—more than any other organization in the country. The following is a brief list of our vital programs and services that need funding:

1. The FamilyConnect™ web site is a virtual lifeline to parents of children with visual impairments. We provide information and resources, and host an online community where families find support, comfort and help.
   
   
2. AFB TECH works with top companies to ensure that everyday products such as iPods, cell phones, and voting machines, and life-saving devices such as glucose monitors are accessible to those with low vision.
   
   
3. AFB Senior Site® contains helpful solutions and resources that help seniors and their family members cope with vision problems.
   
   
4. Helen Keller Archives: more than 2,000 artifacts donated by Helen Keller are preserved and housed at the American Foundation for the Blind in New York City and open for viewing by appointment. These treasures comprise Helen Keller's personal papers, manuscripts, photographs, art work, and her Academy Award.
   
   
5. Health Care Reform Advocacy: AFB's advocacy arm is working overtime to ensure that the needs of the visually impaired are considered in the creation of health care reform.
   
   
6. AFB CareerConnect® is a free resource that promotes employment for teenagers and adults who are blind or visually impaired. The site helps students exploring careers, job seekers investigating work options, employers planning to diversify their workforce, professionals working with visually impaired people, and friends or family members assisting someone who is blind or has low vision.
   
   
7. AFB Center on Vision Loss: located in Dallas, Texas, this facility is the first and only demonstration and information center specifically dedicated to helping people with vision loss make simple adaptations, learn new skills and regain the confidence needed for independent living.
   
   
8. AFB Scholarship Awards provide more than $25,000 each year to help deserving students with visual impairments attend college.
   
   
9. Braille Bug® and the Helen Keller Kids Museum Online are visited by millions of children and educators worldwide each year. This section of our web site was created to teach sighted children about braille and to encourage literacy among all children, sighted and visually impaired.
   
   
10. AFB Press is the only publisher of textbooks used by professionals in the field of blindness and visual impairment. We also produce journals, videos, and electronic materials for students, professionals, researchers, and blind and visually impaired people and their families.
    
    
11. AFB's Information Line responds to more than 100,000 inquiries each year from blind and visually impaired people, their families, and professionals in the field.