AFB Staff

Please visit the Helen Keller Archive today between 12:00 and 12:30pm U.S. Eastern time. Our goal is to have a large number of visitors test the site’s ability to handle heavy traffic. So we need as many of you out there as possible to take a few minutes and enjoy the treasure trove that is the Helen Keller digital archive! Learn something new! Check out her correspondence with Mark Twain and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Or read a letter she wrote to her good friend Nella Braddy Henney, describing…

On Wednesday May 29 at 12pm U.S. Eastern, we encourage you to explore all of the great things the archive has to offer, and help to test how well the archive handles heavy traffic. There are thousands of letters, photographs, maps, artifacts, and more just waiting to be discovered in the Helen Keller Archive. Here’s how you can help: Please visit the Helen Keller Facebook page for more information about this event (and give it a follow if you haven’t already!). Always been a fan of Eleanor…

Image Description: In the shipping department at the Library for the Blind, New York Public Library, Talking Book records are being mailed in their containers. In the foreground, a man pushes two trolleys full of Talking Book records. In the background a man stands on a ladder in front of one of the many large metal shelves housing the containers. Partnerships are powerful! Since its inception in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind has worked with blindness organizations, government…

Archival Innovators, a new blog series hosted by the Society of American Archivists, aims to raise awareness of "the individuals, institutions, and collaborations that are helping to boldly chart the future of the the archives profession and set new precedents for the role of the archivist in society." This week features an interview with Helen Selsdon, highlighting her work coordinating a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded project to digitize AFB’s Helen Keller Archive and make…

After many months of hard work, AFB has raised the curtains on its redesigned website, www.afb.org. The new site maintains our proud history of accessibility, while making it even easier to find the wealth of information that users expect, especially on mobile devices. It also reflects the organization’s new strategic direction and priorities, emphasizing aging, education, and employment. AFB has been a pioneer in developing accessible websites, long before it was common practice, dating back…

Education track sessions emphasize collaboration, research, and personnel preparation. Orientation and mobility readiness standards, preparing teachers to work with children who have neurological visual impairments, funding university programs, and encouraging research are just some of the topics addressed. Register for the AFB Leadership Conference Thursday, February 28 10:15 AM ED13: Orientation and Mobility Career, College, and Community Readiness Standards 11:30 AM ED23: Using…

Join us as we celebrate this year's award recipients at AFB Leadership Conference. Migel Medal Awards The Migel Medal is the highest honor in the blindness field. The 2019 Migel Medal recipients are Glinda Foster Hill and Dr. Elton Moore. Glinda Foster Hill is an Education Program Specialist at the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Division of Research to Practice. At the OSEP, Glinda is responsible for the development and management of programs…

Don't miss out: The early bird rate for conference registrations ends this Friday, so register today! We are also running low on hotel rooms at the group rate, so please book soon. Our group rate for hotel rooms expires on February 4. 2019 AFB Leadership Conference Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA February 28-March 1 Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program Managers Meeting - February 27 (Open to all conference attendees, but seating is limited) Early-bird rate until February 1: $…

*Special Note: Have you booked your hotel room yet? Rooms are going fast! Our room block expires on February 4 or whenever rooms sell out, so book soon to avoid disappointment: online reservations or call 888-236-2427 and reference our conference to get the group rate. Experts predict that by 2030, rates of vision loss will double along with the United States' aging population. Join us for the Aging and Vision Loss track to learn more about the unique needs and issues facing the older blind…