The upcoming presidential debates have me thinking about what I might ask the candidates if I were a debate moderator. It isn’t often that disability issues get front-and-center attention during a nationally televised event like a presidential debate, let alone issues specific to people who are blind or visually impaired.
But what if they did?
Image: Left to right, William Reuschel stands with Aaron Preece, looking at an iPhone, while Aaron's guide dog, Joel, appears to look for a Pidgey.
By William Reuschel and Aaron Preece
Image: Aaron Preece stands with his guide dog Joel and a Pidgey Pokémon.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of actress and advocate Patty Duke. Ms. Duke immortalized the intelligent and rebellious spirit of the 6-year-old deaf and blind Helen Keller in her performance of William Gibson's play, The Miracle Worker. She starred in both the original Broadway production and went on to win an Academy Award in the 1962 film version with Anne Bancroft playing her teacher Anne Sullivan.
Twitter released a blog post today announcing Accessible Images for Everyone. The post explains, "Starting today, people using our iOS and Android apps can add descriptions — also known as alternative text (alt text) — to images in Tweets," and goes on to describe how to enable the new feature.
The AFB Leadership Conference (AFBLC) seeks to improve the quality of programs and services to blind and visually impaired children and adults. AFBLC provides a forum in which leadership personnel, in both education and rehabilitation, have the opportunity to increase their awareness of student and client needs, expand their knowledge, refine leadership skills, and share concerns and strategies.
