CONTACT: Tony Stephens, Assistant Vice-President, Communications 212.502.7627 | tstephens@afb.org
ARLINGTON, VA (December 8, 2025) — The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announces Dr. Stacy Kelly, professor at Northern Illinois University, will join the AFB Board of Trustees. Dr. Kelly, who leads the visual disabilities program at NIU, brings two decades of experience as one of the nation’s leading scholars and practitioners in the education and rehabilitation of people who are blind or have low vision.
“We’re excited that Dr. Kelly has joined AFB’s board, offering her deep knowledge and leadership on the most pressing issues facing our community today,” said Eric Bridges, AFB president and CEO. “Stacy has long been a strong supporter of AFB’s research and programs, and we are honored that she shall be a trusted compass as we continue to strive toward creating a world of endless possibilities for people who are blind or have low vision.”
Dr. Kelly completed her doctoral degree in the area of visual disabilities at NIU as a National Center for Leadership in Visual Impairment (NCLVI) Doctoral fellow. Before coming to NIU and working as a faculty member in higher education, she worked as a disability policy researcher for AFB in Washington, DC. Additionally, Stacy has taught students who were blind or visually impaired as a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) in the metropolitan Chicago area. She is also a certified orientation and mobility specialist (COMS) and a certified school administrator.
Throughout her career, she has published over 100 works on blindness and visual disability and given over 100 presentations at national and regional conferences and symposiums. She has been appointed as the founding co-chair of the Assistive Technology Certification Subject Matter Expert (SME) working group by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP). She has served on the ACVREP board of directors, representing both the Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for People with Visual Impairments (CATIS) and COMS areas of certification. Dr. Kelly also serves as Associate Editor for both the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) and The New RE: view, a journal of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).
Founded in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind creates equal opportunities and expands possibilities for people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision through advocacy, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships. AFB publishes the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) and is the proud steward of the Helen Keller Archive, available at helenkellerarchive.afb.org.
