AFB Blog

Koala in a eucalyptus tree, courtesy of Harry Williamson By Maribel Steel and Helen Selsdon Helen Keller had an acute sense of smell. She loved being in nature and the fragrance of flowers. One scent she was particularly fond of was the fresh scent of eucalyptus leaves. "When I was in California, where the eucalyptus grows in magnificent groves, I used to stand among them with my fingers reveling, in the music of their leaves, inhaling their perfume with intense delight." Keller wrote this…

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…

You might be excited or just ecstatic that the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has just launched the CareerConnect App with some of your favorite features of the CareerConnect resource center. Hold your applause and high-pitched sounds of jubilation for the full deal on this momentous occasion. Am I hyping this app? Oh, yes! But I will tell you that this launch is just the beginning of more great things to come. AFB has worked hard to include some of the new and exciting features that…

Last night, I had the great opportunity to attend the American Foundation for the Blind's Helen Keller Achievement Awards fundraising gala at the Marriott Downtown in New York City. This was my first opportunity to attend the event, as I was in the area for work. I thought I would share with you my impression of this outstanding occasion. The Achievement Awards were initiated in 1994 to honor our long-time employee and internationally recognized icon, Helen Keller. I cannot begin to explain…

"Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." - Helen Keller In 1964 Helen Keller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Next week—on Tuesday June 17th—the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) will hold its annual Helen Keller Achievement Awards honoring those who continue Keller's extraordinary efforts to improve the lives of those…

Ike Presley, wearing a bioptic device, at the driver's wheel of a 1929 Model A Ford Roadster replica There was a recent NPR story (one of the many lately) on self-driving cars, and some of the profound impact this imagination-captivating technology might have on people's lives: Is There A Driverless Car In Your Future? As in most of these stories, the expert made no mention of the impact these cars will have on the current non-driver. Why? Maybe because non-drivers are invisible. On…

Image: Helen Keller with children in Adelaide, Australia, 1948 The American Foundation for the Blind is committed to promoting the life and legacy of Helen Keller. We are the proud caretakers of her archival collection of over 80,000 items including documents, photographs, photograph albums, press clippings, scrapbooks, architectural drawings, artifacts and audio-video materials. The archives were first made available to researchers during the 1970s. Since then, historians, writers, film…

Everybody who works with people who are blind or visually impaired knows those reluctant technology adopters, or complete non-technology adopters. When the Pew Research Center says 15% of Americans are not connected, who are these people? They're in my singing group. Since I love technology more than singing, I at first found this puzzling. Technology is a tool to let me do things. I can listen to the songs I want to learn, record lessons and practice sessions, and listen to the key parts…

I learned a lot at the 2014 AFB Leadership Conference, but overwhelmingly people tell me that the conversation on leadership between AFB's CEO, Carl Augusto, and the J.W. “Bill” Marriott, executive chairman and chairman of the board at Marriott International, stood out as the conference highlight. Personally, I walked away from that session with some new tools in my career toolbox. Most of you know what a big fan I am of Marriott International and the Marriott family, but this conversation…