AFB Staff

Come on in; the water's fine! AFB continues our summer recreation series with a look at swimming. Swimming can be an excellent activity for people who are blind or visually impaired. Whether you are looking to swim some serious laps, get a great workout, or just cool off on a sweltering day, get the latest on the quintessential summertime activity. Before you head to the beach or the pool, read up on VisionAware's Tips for Swimmers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. Children or beginning…

As we have traveled around the country talking with teachers, we have been amazed at how many of you told us that you catch up on your professional reading while on vacation, and even read AFB Press books and JVIB on the beach! So to recognize your amazing dedication, we are giving away 3 e-books that can be read on tablet devices while also enjoying sand, surf, and sun. To enter, simply enter a comment below, or on the AFB Press Facebook page, and let us know what AFB Press book you are…

On March 20, 2014, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) took an important step to make web content and applications more accessible to people with disabilities by publishing Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation. WAI-ARIA defines ways that developers of browsers, media players, mobile devices and assistive technologies, as well as content developers, can achieve greater cross-platform accessibility. Learn more about WAI-…

Perhaps AFB's most famous advocate said it best: "Cultivate love for love is the light that gives the eye to see great and noble things." With Valentine's Day right around the corner, Helen's wise words have never rung truer. In light of this upcoming special day, why not share the love with a Helen Keller eCard? Our Helen Keller eCards are high contrast and large-print, featuring beautiful photos, with quotes from Helen. These electronic cards are accessible for people who are blind or have…

Editor's note: the following post is authored by Mary Bellard, Information Technology Services Manager at AFB. On January 14, GW Micro announced, with support from Microsoft, they will make their Window-Eyes screen reader product available at no additional cost to any user with a license to Microsoft Office 2010 or newer (including users with a Microsoft Office 365 subscription). The only stipulation for using the full version of this product is that Office 2010 or newer needs to be…

Saturday, January 4, marks the 205th birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of his eponymous code for people with vision loss. In celebration of his birthday, as well as National Braille Literacy Month, we’ve assembled a roundup of braille-centric content throughout AFB's family of sites. Read up, reflect, and appreciate what braille has meant to so many. Braille continues to be a driving force for people with vision loss. Throughout January, we will be sharing information relevant to…

This January, AFB's Darren Burton, director of our AFB Tech labs in Huntington, WV, will be appearing on ACB Reports, the American Council of the Blind Radio Show hosted by Mike Duke. Darren will discuss AFB's app development work, including the AccessNote notetaker app and the AccessWorld magazine app, as well as our other app testing and development work being done at our AFB Tech labs. AccessNote has now been purchased by over 1000 people, and we just released version 1.2, which includes…

Editorial note: Visit our 2014 Gift Ideas for Friends and Family Members Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired roundup for fresh ideas! This time of year, we’re all searching for gift-giving inspiration. If you have a close friend or family member who is blind or visually impaired, here are some gift-giving guides you might want to check out. From young children to working-age adults to seniors who are gradually losing their vision, AFB has you covered: AccessWorld® has suggestions for all…

Tis' the season for giving. AFB is so very thankful to all of you who support our mission to remove barriers, create solutions, and expand possibilities so people with vision loss can achieve their full potential. This holiday season, consider participating in #GivingTuesday—a campaign to create a national day of giving on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday—by making a donation to AFB. Your simple gesture of generosity will make a huge difference to someone…