AFB's Public Policy and Research Institute (PPRI) generates knowledge and collaborates with policymakers in Congress and executive agencies to ensure that people who are blind or have low vision in the United States have equal rights and opportunities to participate fully in society. PPRI takes a systems-level approach to understanding and enacting change across the country. Typical priorities may include technological development, accessible transportation systems, and national educational and workforce policies.
AFB's advocacy strategy is backed by a team of experts who conduct and analyze research related to the experience of blindness and low vision. Through analysis of published research, interpretation of demographic and related data, and conducting quantitative and qualitative investigations, AFB's Public Policy and Research Institute strives to accurately and persuasively understand and describe the characteristics, experiences, needs, and capabilities of people who are blind or have low vision. When possible, PPRI partners with other organizations on research investigations that align with AFB’s mission.
AFB also publishes the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), the essential professional resource for information about visual impairment (that is, blindness or low vision). The international peer-reviewed journal of record in the field delivers current research and best practice information, commentary from authoritative experts on critical topics, news from the field, and a calendar of important events.
Practitioners and researchers, policymakers and administrators, counselors and advocates rely on JVIB for its delivery of cutting-edge research and the most up-to-date practices in the field of visual impairment and blindness. Available in print, e-book, and online 24/7, JVIB offers immediate access to information from the leading researchers, teachers of students with visual impairments (often referred to as TVIs), orientation and mobility (O&M) practitioners, vision rehabilitation therapists (often referred to as VRTs), early interventionists, and low vision therapists (often referred to as LVTs) in the field.
