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 to the late 1990s. As with past versions, including the 2004 and 2012 redesigns, the new website carries this tradition forward. AFB decided to migrate to a new Drupal8 platform, which has a working group devoted to developing ongoing accessibility improvements. The system's structure gives AFB an opportunity to contribute to future accessibility developments, in keeping with our mission of being a leader in creating a world of no limits.
As with our previous content management systems, the site's accessibility extends to its back end as well, which only the developers and staff can access. This means all the programming, uploading, and editing functions are accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. In fact, AFB’s director of web services position has always been filled by an employee who was blind or visually impaired.
Visitors to the new and improved website will notice a fresh, clean look that uses high-contrast graphics and adheres to all accessibility guidelines, including well-labeled code for screen reader users. The content has been simplified and streamlined, maintaining the rich content users appreciate in the current site while making everything easier to find.
The new site was designed in partnership with Kalamuna, which specializes in creating websites for mission-driven organizations.
Going forward, we will continue to communicate regularly through our blog, and provide new information and notifications as developments occur in varying fields ranging from aging to public policy to research to technology, as they pertain to people with vision loss. Please let us know what you think about our new look! You can write to communications@afb.org with any question, comments, or concerns. We welcome your feedback, and will continue to make updates and improvements.
