AFB Blog

Between March 2010 and April 2020, Matt Kenney has brailled more than 48,600 pages for AFB. Because he does it strictly as a volunteer, it’s truly a labor of love — not because he knows anyone personally who is blind or visually impaired. He just wants to help, he says. His efforts are valued by AFB not just during National Volunteer Appreciation Month in April, but every day of the year. AFB isn’t Kenney’s first experience with brailling. It all began back in 1971, when he was on leave from…

** Editor's note: We will continue to update this post as we create and gather additional resources. Bookmark this page and check back often! ** As everyone adjusts to our new reality of working from home while simultaneously homeschooling our children, AFB staff have pulled together some online resources that may be helpful. AFB also offered a free webinar on how to provide Remote Instruction and Services for Blind and Low Vision Participants, as part of our Virtual AFB Leadership Conference…

(Read in English) Esperamos que participe en una encuesta que tiene como objetivo ayudarnos a entender mejor los retos y triunfos que están viviendo, a causa de la pandemia COVID-19, los estudiantes con impedimentos visuales, incluyendo a aquellos con discapacidades múltiples, y aquellos que son sordociegos. Deseamos escuchar la opinión de todas las familias, todos los maestros de estudiantes con impedimentos visuales, y todos los instructores de orientación y movilidad de los Estados Unidos…

(Leer en español) We hope you will participate in a survey to help us better understand the challenges and successes students with visual impairments, including those with multiple disabilities and deafblindness, are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to hear from all families, all teachers of students with visual impairments, and all Orientation & Mobility (O&M) instructors in the United States and Canada. We want to hear from families and professionals whose children…

Happy 154th Birthday, Anne Sullivan Macy! In light of this special occasion, we took a field trip deep into the digital Helen Keller Archive to unearth a lesser-known story of Helen's brilliant teacher... In the Fall of 1916, Anne Sullivan Macy, then 50, became ill with pleurisy. By the end of that year, Macy was recuperating in Puerto Rico, and Helen remained in her hometown of Tuscumbia, Alabama. This separation resulted in a correspondence between the two women. Relatively few letters…

As AFB continues its work to protect the rights of blind and low vision students during the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) and orientation and mobility (O&M) instructors to share their experiences, from what has worked for them to where their concerns lie in the education of our students with visual impairments. The following stories are being shared with the participants’ permission. The is the second of two posts; read the first here.…

As AFB continues its work to protect the rights of blind and low vision students during the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) and orientation and mobility (O&M) instructors to share their experiences, from what has worked for them to where their concerns lie in the education of their students with visual impairments. The following stories are being shared with the participants’ permission. This is the first of two posts; read the second post…

By Jamie Pauls, AccessWorld Author For many of us, attending regular religious services is an important part of our lives. Some of us have family or friends who take us to and from church, while others either walk, use public transportation, or avail themselves of transportation provided by their faith community. Some churches, mosques, or synagogues have access to a lot of resources and provide alternative online worship experiences for those who are, for whatever reason, unable to physically…

Editorial note: This survey closed on April 13, 2020. Please visit afb.org/FlattenInaccessibility for more information about the research findings. Participate in a study investigating experiences of adults who are blind or have low vision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the lives of adults with visual impairments and to identify solutions for these challenges. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences in the…