AFB Blog

Thursday, May 17, marks the seventh Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the purpose of which is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities. Every year on this day, AFB takes this opportunity to share our own resources to get the public thinking about accessibility. This year, we put together a free webinar to commemorate the day, featuring presentations by Cristopher Broyles, Chief Consulting Solutions Officer;…

Editor's note: Every May, the Administration on Aging, part of the Administration for Community Living, leads our nation's observance of Older American's Month. The 2018 theme, "Engage at Every Age," emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in our communities. Creating a World With No Limits for Older Persons with Vision…

It can only be seen as a positive that W3C has made the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 an official Candidate Recommendation. The latest proposed recommendation adds helpful guidance on certain areas without being overly restrictive. The focus for WCAG 2.1 has been to more fully address the accessibility requirements for: People with cognitive and learning disabilities People with low vision Mobile accessibility W3C is also working to meet an ambitious timeline to publish…

April 25 is International Guide Dog Day, which recognizes and celebrates the crucial role that working dogs play in enabling and supporting people who are blind or visually impaired to get around safely and independently. To that end, here at AFB we asked some of our colleagues to share their thoughts about getting around as a blind individual, their own dog guides, and the special relationship they have with their canine counterparts. Neva Fairchild, National Independent Living and Employment…

Mark Richert, AFB's Director of Public Policy Every year on April 23, the world comes together to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors. World Book and Copyright Day was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to encourage everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading. The American Foundation for the Blind joins with the World Blind Union in highlighting the importance of books and promoting our shared…

Thank you to everyone who came out to Oakland for the 2018 AFB Leadership Conference. From the knowledgeable presenters, panelists, moderators, and attendees to our wonderful sponsors and exhibitors, your participation is what makes our conference a success year after year. This year was the first time we held the Helen Keller Achievement Awards on the eve of the conference, and it was wonderful to kick things off with a celebration of diversity and inclusion. That theme continued the next…

On Thursday April 4, 2018 AFB presented the Helen Keller Achievement Awards (HKAA) to three very impressive recipients. The awardees were Facebook and Microsoft, for their exemplary roles in creating accessible products or improving the accessibility of their already-popular products; and Haben Girma, for her advocacy and dedication to creating equal opportunities for people with disabilities. This is the first time AFB held this prestigious gala on the eve of the annual AFB Leadership…

The 2018 AFB Leadership Conference kicked off this week in Oakland, CA with a technology panel, moderated by Jennison Asuncion, Engineering Manager, Accessibility, LinkedIn. The panel consisted of Megan Lawrence, Accessibility Technical Evangelist for Microsoft; Mark Lapole, Lead Product Manager, Accessibility at eBay; Sarah Herrlinger, Director, Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple; and Jeffrey Wieland, Director of Accessibility at Facebook. Here are some shared insights on how…

The AFB Center on Vision Loss (CVL) was recently visited by the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) during their quarterly meeting. ASID members and CVL staff got acquainted with one another over a delicious baked potato bar provided by Dallas Sight and Sound. ASID Texas Chapter leaders, Karen Parks and Carrie Barron, kicked off the the day with opening remarks. Former Director of the CVL, Judy Scott, welcomed the group to the Center on Vision Loss. She…