Each year, the United States’ two national consumer groups of people who are blind and low vision come to Washington, DC, to meet with members of Congress and advocate for policy changes that would improve the lives of blind and low vision Americans. The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) held its annual Washington Seminar from February 10-13. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) will be hosting its annual DC Leadership Meetings from February 22-25. AFB is pleased to partner with both NFB and ACB throughout the year on various programs, events, and initiatives. We appreciate the important work their members do and we always look forward to them coming to DC each year from across the country.
This year, NFB focused its advocacy efforts around three important issues: making it more economically feasible for people who are blind to purchase access technology; ensuring that colleges and universities are using technology and instructional materials that are accessible to all students; and developing non-visual accessibility standards for home-use medical devices, home appliances, and fitness equipment. Aside from meeting with legislators over the course of three days, NFB also hosted a reception for members of Congress in the Russell Senate Office Building, where Senators and Representatives learned more about the NFB and got to mingle with and learn from the perspectives of blind people from across the country. NFB divisions such as the National Association of Blind Students, the National Association of Blind Merchants, and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children held seminars and a career fair for blind job-seekers that was hosted by the NFB Employment Committee.
Meanwhile, ACB will be advocating for Medicare coverage of low vision devices, increased funding for accessible pedestrian signals and improved paratransit services, and they will also be expressing support for the advent of autonomous vehicles and ensuring that autonomous vehicles are fully accessible to people who are blind and low vision. Besides meeting with members of Congress to discuss these issues, ACB will also be hosting a meeting of its National Board, a meeting for its state affiliate presidents, and a legislative seminar, where members will learn about current issues that the blind community is facing so that they can advocate effectively on these issues to their members of Congress.
In order to ensure that public policies, programs, and services aimed at improving the economic, social, and political status of blind people are relevant and effective, legislators must learn from the experience and expertise of blind and low vision people. AFB highly values our relationships with these two organizations of blind Americans who are working to create a world of no limits!
For more information on NFB and ACB’s advocacy efforts this year, please visit:
