AFB Blog

[Editor's note: the following post comes from Deborah Kendrick, Senior Features Editor for AccessWorld.] It's the dreaded call we all have to make at some point: contacting technical support for a mainstream commercial company, where we know we'll talk to a technician who has no clue how people who or blind or have low vision use a computer. My own experience has run the gamut. There was the guy for my internet service provider, talking to me all the way from India, who kept saying upon…

Spring is in the air, and it is time to start thinking about upcoming vacation plans. Whether you will be traveling by plane, train, boat, or bus, there's a strong likelihood you'll be using travel websites and services to plan your trip. Online travel services, including travel aggregators such as Travelocity and Kayak, as well as hotel, airline, train, bus and ship websites, offer customers the convenience of comparison shopping, purchasing, and managing their travel from the convenience…

With the AFB Leadership Conference and Preconference, along with Florida AER, quickly approaching, we're busy packing our swim trunks and preparing for some amazing sessions. The reasons to attend are endless, but for fun, here are our top 10: You haven't been to the beach in a while and AFBLC will be held at the beautiful Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach, FL. Bring your sunglasses and sunscreen because it will be a hot conference packed with quality information—don't get burned! You…

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the field of Assistive Technology, I encourage you to check out the Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship offered by the National Industries for the Blind. As the deadline is drawing near, please read the information below and follow the links for further information. The Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship Application is due May 5, 2012 National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Joseph Roeder Assistive Technology Scholarship is…

This is part 2 of a 5-part series. Read the first entry, Egypt, here. Helen and Polly's next port of call was Lebanon. Here is how she described their visit in late April and early May 1952 to Georges Raverat, the director of the AFOB in Paris: "At Beirut I did my best to arouse the Lebanese people and their Government to a sense of responsibility in rehabilitating the blind. The School for the Armenian Blind under the management of Swiss Friends, ably directed by Mr. Karl Meyer, is…

On Thursday evening, March 8, Mark Richert and I were thrilled to join Bookshare at its celebration in Washington D.C., commemorating ten years of bringing books to people with print disabilities. The event featured remarks by Senator Tom Harkin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) who set the tone for the evening, noting that timely and affordable access to books is essential for truly equal opportunity. Donna McNear, a noted educator and leader in…

Earlier this week, we announced the launch of our new website (and if you're currently reading this blog post, perhaps you've noticed already). A lot of planning and work went into this project, and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the many people who gave us feedback along the way. People who were losing their vision, or had been blind for years, along with family members, professionals, and members of the general public—all participated in the early card-sorting exercises that…

With a number of AFB staff attending the 27th annual CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference this week, we've been keeping a close eye on the goings-on there. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., Congressman Markey (D-Mass) just introduced an important piece of legislation. In addition to these topics, here are a few stories that caught our attention this week: Congressman Ed Markey (press release): Markey Introduces Legislation to Improve Prescription Drug Labeling…

Here at AFB Headquarters, we like to keep up on important news related to vision loss. Here are some interesting news stories and blog posts from this past week: InnovationNewsDaily: New App Lets You Text Without Looking This article examines a forthcoming (free) app, Brailletouch, that would allow users to text without ever looking at their phones. (More information on this story via CNN's What's Next blog.) NorthJersey.com: Ramsey man collects for more than comics Think you can't be blind…