Thank you for your interest in the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)'s upcoming events, programs, and research activities!

Our goal is to improve the quality of programs, products, and services for children and adults who are blind or have low vision so they can live a life with no limits. We are excited about maintaining our focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility with you, our valued partners. Together, we will change the way the world sees blindness.

AFB’s Centennial Celebrations continue in 2022-2023 as we come together for a series of in-person and virtual events around the country to celebrate our legacy, current programs, and advocacy work along with strategies for our next 100 years. Events will include:

  • AFB Talent Lab Program Launch – Nationwide
  • Blind Leaders Graduation APH – Louisville, KY, August 3rd
  • Helen Keller Achievement Awards – November 3, 2022 in Dallas, Texas
  • "Worlds We Live In" Documentary Film Screening (exclusive to Friends and Partners)
    • Dallas, TX, Fall 2022
    • Japanese American National Museum, February 2023
    • Huntington, WV, May 2023
  • Helen Keller Dining with Friends – March 2023, Nationwide
  • AFB Leadership Conference – April 24-25, 2023, Arlington, VA
  • Digital Inclusion Research – AFB recognizes the need to better understand how digital inclusion barriers impact the lives of people who are blind or who have low vision. We are designing a research project to investigate these impacts from multiple perspectives. We look forward to further discussion of this project in the next few weeks!

Want to learn more about our work and how to become involved? Please write to us at RD@afb.org and we will be happy to start the conversation!

Learn More About AFB

1921–1924: AFB’s Early Years

Helen Keller, standing to the left, and Robert B. Irwin, seated to the right, using a Talking Book Machine.

Founded in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) was formed through the support of M.C. Migel, a philanthropist who wanted to help the large number of veterans blinded in World War I. Under his leadership, AFB began its mission to:

  • provide a national clearinghouse for information about vision loss
  • create a forum for blindness service professionals
  • generate new directions for research
  • represent the needs of people with vision loss in the creation of public policy

In 1924, Helen Keller—the world-famous author, activist, and advocate—helped to raise AFB's profile when she began working with the organization. In addition to serving as AFB's counselor on national and international relations, she made countless speeches and appearances at home and in more than 39 countries around the world on behalf of the organization. Keller remained active with AFB until her death in 1968, by which time she had radically changed perceptions of blindness and left a rich legacy upon which AFB continues to expand. Learn more about key milestones in AFB's history.

2022–2024: Preparing for Our Second Century

AFB has spent a century ensuring that individuals who are blind or have low vision have access to the information, technology, education, and resources they need to live independent and productive lives. From our earliest days, we have amplified the voices of people who are blind or have low vision and have been the engine of advancement and opportunity for every person affected by blindness or low vision.