AFB's Public Policy and Research Institute strives to accurately and persuasively understand and describe the characteristics, experiences, needs, and capabilities of people who are blind or visually impaired.

Arlington, VA (Feb. 23, 2023) — The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced today a major bequest in excess of $2.2M made on behalf of Marilyn and Francine Gruder, which will support the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB). AFB’s flagship publication of scholarly research to the field of blindness and low vision, in perpetuity

“Children need to find images of themselves and their worlds, and also gain exposure to other cultures and experiences through the books that they read or have read to them,” write the authors of the lead article of a recent issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB). The article, “Cultural Diversity in Children’s Braille Books,” by Monique A.

GAAD logo.
Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day (#GAAD)! The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion. From podcasts and blog posts, to inclusive accessibility solutions, public policy, and resources, AFB has you covered. Global accessibility is more than a day for us, it's over 100 years of commitment.

As we pass the two-year mark since the start of COVID-19 restrictions, the American Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) recently released study, The Journey Forward: Impact of COVID-19 on Blind, Low Vision, and Deafblind U.S. Adults, captures reflections on experiences during a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the Summer of 2021.

Plain braille page, blue toned.

Why We Should Question What We Have Been Led to Believe

“To know that one knows what one knows, and to know that one doesn't know what one doesn't know, there lies true wisdom.”
—Confucius

When we read a statistic about blindness or low vision in the news media, how often do we think about the source of that data? Does it come from a census? A survey? An estimate? How recent are the data behind the statistics?

Study shows majority of blind and visually impaired schoolchildren have been significantly disadvantaged during pandemic remote learning; inadequate digital tools are leaving these children behind.

A Hispanic high school student sits at his desk using his iPad to take part in online education.

Each year on December 3rd we recognize International Day of Persons With Disabilities, to raise awareness about the civil rights of persons with disabilities, on every level of life, be it social, political, economic, or cultural. This day, first recognized by the United Nations in 1992 at its headquarters in New York, serves as a tool to mobilize support and advocacy efforts, and inform the public about issues related to disabilities.

As swathes of the United States continue to recover from the aftermath of recent hurricanes Henri and Ida—and as the nation tracks the movements of Hurricane Sam and Tropical Storm Victor—an article entitled, "The Value of Orientation and Mobility in the Preparation, Response, and Recovery of the 2017 Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico," by Kevin McCormack, in the upcoming September-October 2021 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), offers some reflections on the skills that help people who are blind or ha

 "A nurse draws blood from a young visually impaired African American man seated at a desk. Both are wearing masks."

The doors to a healthcare facility open and a man walks in, using a white cane. You’re working the information desk. Do you know what to do?

You’re a phlebotomist and you enter a patient’s room. The sign above the bed states the patient is blind. Do you know what to do?

Photo of Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum . She is a white woman with short hair wearing a white shirt and glasses smiling at the camera. On July 20, my inbox and Facebook feed were filled with posts about Paralympian swimmer Becca Meyers, who is deafblind due to Usher’s Syndrome. Her reasonable request to have a personal care assistant with her during the Paralympics was denied by the U.S.