Creating Opportunities

As the pages that follow show, AFB employs a wide variety of means to fulfill its mission of eliminating the inequities faced by people who are blind or visually impaired. In addition to administering programs that address the critical issues of employment, independent living, literacy, and technology, AFB conducts research, produces books on tape, advocates for legislative change at our nation's capital, publishes books on blindness, and provides comprehensive information on all aspects of visual impairment to the general public.

All of AFB's initiatives bring about wide-ranging, systemic change to secure the full and equal participation of people who are blind or visually impaired in American life. Simply put, AFB strives to radically improve the way that society at large perceives, encounters, and interacts with the blind and visually impaired population. Whether the issue is, for instance, getting an education or finding a job, having a visual impairment should not be a barrier.

Operating nationwide as an interface between people who are blind or visually impaired; the organizations and individuals that provide services to them; federal, state, and local governments; the private sector; and the general public, AFB works to ensure that all people—sighted and visually impaired—have the opportunities they deserve. Working at the macro-level to dispel common misconceptions and secure equal rights for visually impaired people presents significant challenges—but also generates a considerable impact.

Two initiatives from this past year in particular exemplify AFB's approach: the "Vision Loss in the 21st Century—Everybody's Business" symposium and the first annual Livable Community Awards.

Vision Loss in the 21st Century—Everybody's Business

Over 800 people attended the "Vision Loss in the 21st Century—Everybody's Business" symposium, co-sponsored by AFB and the Foundation for the Junior Blind (FJB) in February 2003 in Beverly Hills, CA. Attendees from across the United States and throughout the world—including representatives from government, business, medicine, education, rehabilitation, technology, the media, the blind and visually impaired community, and the general public—participated in over 100 workshops that dealt with issues as varied as childhood development and transportation. The symposium generated a greater awareness and an improved understanding of vision loss and initiated a dialogue about how to effectively address the challenges that the visually impaired community will face in the future. Perhaps most important of all, people from a variety of backgrounds and professions were able to forge new partnerships. The real value of the symposium will manifest itself in the future projects and collaborations begun by the participants.

At the Vision Loss symposium (pictured left to right): Carl R. Augusto, FJB president Robert B. Ralls, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ray Charles, keynote speaker Maya Angelou, and award presenter Quincy Jones.

The Livable Community Awards

An estimated 10 million Americans are blind or have low vision. As Baby Boomers continue to age, the problem of visual impairment among older people will increase dramatically, affecting a projected 13 million individuals by 2030. Consequently, cities and towns across the country have an urgent need to develop programs and environments that enable visually impaired people to lead independent lives.

To address this critical need, AFB launched the Livable Communities Project in 2002 to document environmental features that create or limit access for blind or visually impaired people. The criteria used to evaluate communities—determined by the blind and visually impaired people who live in them—included the "walkability" of their streets, availability of public transportation, cost of living, and availability of jobs at various skill levels, among others. By drawing attention to everyday concerns from the perspective of people who are blind, the Livable Communities Project, which encapsulates all of AFB's efforts, communicates AFB's mission succinctly: daily life should offer a visually impaired person the same opportunities as anyone else.

To bring this message to the public, in 2003 Livable Community Awards were presented to cities that had developed solutions for facilitating the participation of blind or visually impaired people in community activities. By recognizing these towns at several media events, AFB raised awareness of the issues facing the visually impaired population and supplemented local advocacy efforts. The awards also highlighted the fact that much work still needs to be done to ensure that communities across the country allow all of their citizens to access resources equally. Sighted people also stand to benefit from their communities having, for instance, better public transportation, affordable housing, and increased employment opportunities, and the Livable Communities Project is an effective tool for enlisting their support.

At a press conference in April 2003 with Mayor Patrick McCrory (middle), visually impaired Charlotte resident Erin Mandell (left), and Carl R. Augusto, AFB named Charlotte, NC, the best place to live in the United States for people who are blind or visually impaired, and presented the city with the 2003 AFB Most Livable Community Award. Coming in second after Charlotte was Berkeley, CA, followed by Kalamazoo, MI, and New York City. La Crosse, WI, and Louisville, KY, tied for fifth place.