AFB Blog

On July 20, my inbox and Facebook feed were filled with posts about Paralympian swimmer Becca Meyers, who is deafblind due to Usher’s Syndrome. Her reasonable request to have a personal care assistant with her during the Paralympics was denied by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which cited the strict protocols in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the denial, she withdrew from competing in Tokyo. The pandemic, and an inadequate institutional response to it,…

Celebrate the anniversary of the ADA by taking action! It's Disability Pride Month, in celebration of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. What better time than the anniversary of the ADA to commit to creating a more…

Throughout the American Foundation for the Blind's 100-year history, we have confronted challenges and overcome obstacles in the name of a singular, overarching goal: to create a world of no limits for people who are blind or have low vision. It has been an honor to present the Centennial Conversation series, underscoring the theme of inclusivity that we strive to make an everyday reality. We can’t tell you how much your engagement, thoughtful questions, and positive feedback have meant to…

Let's get Congress to pass the Disability Access to Transportation Act. In Washington, there’s a lot of talk about infrastructure. Over the last two years, AFB has been working hard to ensure that the next surface transportation reauthorization acknowledges and addresses some of the transportation needs facing people who are blind or have low vision. We started by bringing attention to some of the challenges of using paratransit services and were pleased that one of the reforms that we asked…

Happy Disability Pride Month! Have you not heard of Disability Pride Month? I am not surprised! Even in my work as a research specialist for the American Foundation for the Blind, I have found that most of my professional colleagues have not previously heard of this pride month, either. Disability Pride Month occurs in July each year since 1990. What major piece of legislation was passed on July 26, 1990? You got it, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), the landmark legislation that…

It is a packed and productive week for the American Foundation for the Blind. We are pleased to announce the launch of the new research study, The Journey Forward: Impact of COVID-19 on Blind, Low Vision, and Deafblind U.S. Adults. We also have several AFB staff experts sitting on interesting and informative panel discussions, and we are now accepting applications for the next cohort of the Blind Leaders Development Program – for both fellows and mentors, to name just a few of the many goings…

I recently picked up my container of Lysol wipes on our kitchen counter and stored it back under the sink. I couldn’t think of the last time I had wiped down groceries or a doorknob. As a person who has low vision, I feel my life is progressing back to how it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet there are other ways it is not. For example, I’m still not comfortable taking a rideshare service like Lyft. I also shudder each time I consider the challenges I had getting myself, my husband…

Since launching the Blind Leaders Development Program in 2020, we at the American Foundation for the Blind are pleased to have made great strides forward despite the unprecedented challenges of the last year and a half. The inaugural cohort not only successfully navigated the launch of a fledgling program, but did so during the tumultuous period of lockdowns and restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a testament to the professional drive and commitment of these…

Eighty years ago, in May 1941, seven months before the United States entered the Second World War, Helen Keller visited the Rochester School for the Deaf and was asked if she thought that democracies would triumph over totalitarian aggressors, Helen replied "Yes, definitely, after a long, hard fight. Justice and truth are embodied in human democratic institutions.” In a year filled with challenges, including a bizarre idea that circulated on social media questioning Helen Keller’s existence…