AFB Blog

Don't miss out: The early bird rate for conference registrations ends this Friday, so register today! We are also running low on hotel rooms at the group rate, so please book soon. Our group rate for hotel rooms expires on February 4. 2019 AFB Leadership Conference Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA February 28-March 1 Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program Managers Meeting - February 27 (Open to all conference attendees, but seating is limited) Early-bird rate until February 1: $…

The National Research and Training Center (NRTC) on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University will hold a State of the Science (SOS) research conference on employment throughout the AFB Leadership Conference. Sessions are sponsored by the NRTC, through funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grant #90RT5040). The SOS Conference is an excellent opportunity for professionals to learn about the latest research and…

*Special Note: Have you booked your hotel room yet? Rooms are going fast! Our room block expires on February 4 or whenever rooms sell out, so book soon to avoid disappointment: online reservations or call 888-236-2427 and reference our conference to get the group rate. Experts predict that by 2030, rates of vision loss will double along with the United States' aging population. Join us for the Aging and Vision Loss track to learn more about the unique needs and issues facing the older blind…

Thanks to generous support from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the 2019 AFBLC Leadership Track will provide attendees with fresh perspectives and the opportunity to learn new tactics for successful leadership from top speakers. The full program is now available online. Thursday LS15: Network Leadership by Jane Wei-Skillern, Senior Fellow, Center for Social Sector Leadership, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. This session introduces a set of four counterintuitive…

As a means of consuming literature, learning, and communicating, braille has remained the biggest game changer in the history of inventions for people who are blind. It is only fitting then, that we celebrate the United Nations' recent resolution designating January 4 of every year as World Braille Day. As a braille user myself, I can say firsthand that those tiny tactile dots represent so much more than the sum of their parts—they are a gateway to independence for people who are blind or…

As we close out 2018 and prepare for 2019, AFB would like to share our hopes and dreams for older people in this country: complete and timely access to vision rehabilitation services, including low vision, rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, and employment for older people who have vision loss; and a fundamental change in the public understanding and acceptance of low vision and blindness that promotes equal access to high quality, fully productive, and independent lives and overcomes…

AFB’s Huntington office has a holiday tradition dating back the last several years that allows us to better and more fully connect with our community. Every December, the staff throws a modest holiday party—either a catered lunch or a visit to a local restaurant. The party includes a gift exchange, where we previously all put our names into a hat and drew a colleague’s name, then that colleague receives the gift at the party. When you draw a person’s name, you think about what that person’s…

We are thrilled to announce that the moment you've been waiting for is here—registration is now open for the 2019 AFB Leadership Conference (#AFBLC19)! Join us at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA, as we bring together leaders in the field to share research and advocate for equal education and employment opportunities, as well as to address the needs of an aging population. The conference will have five primary areas of focus: leadership, aging and visual impairment, education,…

Photo: Helen Keller seated in an armchair next to Winifred Corbally (right). Keller's young grandniece Margot Keller and another child stand in front. Texas, 1961. Today we give thanks for all the wonderful things in our lives, and on this particular Thanksgiving, the American Foundation for the Blind has a special word of gratitude to the Texas Board of Education. On Friday, November 16, the board voted to keep Helen Keller (1880-1968) in the school curriculum. This decision has ensured…