The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Partner for a Future of No Limits for People Who Are Blind
APH to Provide Ongoing Stewardship for Key Programs Founded by AFB
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) recently announced a partnership with the mutual goal of generating substantial impact on the lives of children and adults who are blind or visually impaired. APH will become the steward of several key programs founded by AFB and assume responsibility for ensuring their continued impact. AFB will take the work to a new level by investing in policy and programs focused on creating stronger social systems, and ultimately a more inclusive, accessible society for people with vision loss. These complementary strategies will ensure that people who are blind or have low vision can live a life of no limits, recognizing that the future belongs to everyone.
This decision comes following extensive strategic planning by both organizations. The partnership gives APH the opportunity to expand its lifelong learning offerings and gives AFB the opportunity to expand its influence on the research and policies that impact the lives of people with vision loss.
APH will become the caretakers of:
AFB Press - a program that publishes textbooks for college and university programs and professional books for teachers, researchers and other professionals. The Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness will remain in the care of AFB.
VisionAware - an online program that helps adults who are losing their sight continue to live full and independent lives by providing timely information, step-by-step daily living techniques, and a supportive online community.
FamilyConnect - an online program that gives parents of children who are visually impaired a place to find resources and support each other.
CareerConnect - an online program that provides employment information, career-exploration tools, and job-seeking guidance for individuals with vision loss and professionals who work with them.
BrailleBug - an online program that teaches children about braille through games and activities and provides resources to teachers and parents.
Both organizations are committed to a smooth transition and will be working in close partnership for several months.
"We are proud of what we have accomplished in partnership with so many in the field. This work has brought us to this crossroads where it is necessary for AFB to assume a stronger and more active voice in decisions that impact the broader world, particularly in the areas of education, employment, and aging and vision loss," explains Kirk Adams, President and CEO of AFB. "We are excited about our new direction and optimistic about what the future holds for people who are blind or visually impaired. Our partnership with APH is a win-win for the people we serve."
"Learning is critical to improving the lives of everyone across the life spectrum. Quality information is key for providing opportunities for employment, education and ultimately, happiness," says Craig Meador, President of APH. "We are committed to continuing the standards of credibility and excellence established by AFB while evolving and growing these programs to keep them relevant in the 21st century knowledge economy."
Both organizations are realigning priorities in response to the growing needs of children and adults who are blind and visually impaired. There are more than 25 million Americans with vision loss and those numbers are expected to grow as the population ages. As more people become blind or visually impaired, as schools experience a shortage of teachers trained to teach students with vision loss, as the economy and workforce changes, and as accessibility becomes even more essential to workforce training and technologies, service organizations are relying on new partnerships and sharing resources to provide the necessary supports and systems for people to succeed today and in the future.
The mission of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is to create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired. AFB mobilizes leaders, advances understanding, and champions impactful policies and practices using research and data. Learn more atwww.afb.org.
The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) designs innovative lifelong learning solutions for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired. In this fast changing world, APH levels the learning playing field by providing specialized technology, materials, products, information, and services that are essential for education and life. Learn more atwww.aph.org
We invite you to visit AFB's YouTube page for "A Video Message From Kirk Adams and Craig Meador."
For more information, contact:
Adrianna Montague, American Foundation for the Blind
amontague@afb.net 1-212-502-7615
Anne Durham, American Printing House for the Blind
adurham@aph.org 1-502-593-2540
World Institute on Disabilitied (WID) and JP Morgan Chase Announce Scholarship
The World Institute on Disability (WID) and JPMorgan Chase are launching the third year of their Conference Accessibility Initiative in order to bring disability inclusion and accessibility to some of the most influential community development and economic empowerment conferences in America.
Applications are open now for the Disability Ambassador Scholarship. Disability Ambassadors will receive complimentary registration, travel, and hotel accommodations, as well as disability accommodations from the WID team.
Applicants should have disability inclusion experience and interest in community development or economic empowerment (depending on the conference they choose to apply for).
Apply to be a 2018 Disability Ambassador today!
Would you like to be a trailblazer for disability inclusion at some of the most influential civil rights and community development conferences in America? Would you like to do this while being supported by a generous scholarship and a team of fellow disability advocates? If so, apply to be a 2018 Disability Ambassador today!
Have a new business idea? Hadley can help!
Announcing Hadley's 2018 New Venture Competition
Submit your business plan and you could win up to $30,000 to turn your idea into a reality!
In its third year in 2018, Hadley's new venture competition is open to any visually impaired individual who completes at least one business course or module through our Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship and submits their business plan.
The deadline for submission is March 15, 2018.
VFO Group announces merger with Enhanced Vision
VFO Group has announced a merger with the assistive technology company Enhanced Vision. Enhanced vision is well known for their desktop, handheld, and wearable video magnifiers. with their ownership of the Freedom Scientific and Optelec brands, VFO has extended their portfolio significantly in this area through this merger. At this time VFO has stated that the Freedom Scientific, Optelec, and Enhanced Vision product lines will continue to be produced and distributed. Full details on the merger are here.
iOS Access for All (iOS 11 edition) by Shelly Brisbin Released
Shelly Brisbin has released the iOS 11 edition of her book "iOS Access for All". The book provides a comprehensive guide to the accessibility features found in iOS 11 for people with vision loss as well as other disabilities such as hearing loss. The book also includes reviews of stock iOS apps as well as accessible third party apps from the App Store. This edition contains over 700 pages and can be purchased from the iOS Access For All website or Apple's iBooks store for $19.50.
Mozilla Releases Firefox version 58 with Improved Support for the NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA ) Screen Reader
Due to significant underlying changes in Mozilla's Firefox version 57, the browser became slower when using a screen reader. With the release of version 58, Firefox reduced slowdowns for NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) users to pre version 57 levels. Slowing still occurs when using JAWS though it has been improved slightly. Marco Zehe of Mozilla has detailed the benefits of upgrading to version 58 when using NVDA here.
The American Foundation for the Blind Now Accepting Applications for its 2018 Scholarship Program
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) administers 4 post-secondary education scholarships for up to 8 deserving students who are legally blind. The available scholarships for 2018 are detailed below.
The Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship: Four scholarships of $2,500
Requirements:
Full-time Undergraduate or Graduate student
Studying rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind and/or visually impaired
The Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship: Two scholarships of $2,000
Requirements:
Full time Undergraduate or Graduate student
Studying engineering or computer, physical, or life sciences
The R.L. Gillette, Gladys C. Anderson, and Karen D. Carsel Memorial Scholarship: One scholarship of $3,500
Requirements:
Female undergraduate student
Studying music
The Delta Gamma Foundation Florence Margaret Harvey Memorial Scholarship: One scholarship of $1,000
Requirements:
Undergraduate or graduate student
Studying rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
Visit the AFB scholarships website for further information and to complete an application.
Please direct all scholarship questions to:
Aaron Preece, Scholarship Coordinator
Telephone: 304-710-3034
E-mail: apreece@afb.net
