American Foundation for the Blind
Encyclopedia
The American Foundation for the Blind is an American
non-profit organization
that expands possibilities for people with vision loss
. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. For more than 80 years, AFB has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of people who are blind
or visually impaired
.
, was formed in 1921 to provide a national clearing house for information about vision loss and a forum for discussion for the dispersed, yet burgeoning, community of blindness service professionals. Made official at the convention of the American Association of Workers for the Blind in Vinton, Iowa, AFB’s founding was also intended to generate new directions for research and represent the needs of people with vision loss in America’s corridors of power.
AFB’s early accomplishments include taking the lead to standardize the English braille
code and establishing the first professional publications program for teachers and administrators of programs for people with vision loss. In 1926, AFB’s Directory of Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons — marketed as the most convenient, comprehensive, and reliable source of information on vision loss available — first appeared. The fact that the contents of this publication, now in its 27th edition in print and online, have exponentially increased since its inception, shows how far services for people with vision loss have come. Today, AFB continues to conduct trailblazing research and to provide comprehensive information on all aspects of vision loss to the general public. AFB Press is the largest publisher of scholarly works and research for vision loss service professionals.
From its outset, AFB also demonstrated a commitment to enhancing access to information for people with vision loss. In 1933, AFB engineers developed the first long-playing record and player, and set up studios for the recording of talking books. AFB played a major role in persuading the federal government to include talking books in the National Library System for blind people operated by the Library of Congress
. Today, through Talking Book Productions, AFB remains the largest American producer of talking books, with state-of-the-art, fully digital recording studios in New York City. AFB has made significant forays into the commercial recording arena as well.
AFB's advocacy efforts have led to the passage of significant legislation for people with vision loss. AFB was instrumental in creating and passing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA) and more recently worked on the renewal of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) to ensure that it contained provisions to meet the specific needs of children with vision loss.
For many years, AFB designed, manufactured and sold products that were made specifically for people with vision loss, such as braille writers, magnifiers and audio blood pressure monitors. Currently, however, AFB devotes its energies to working with technology manufacturers at the design stage to develop products that can be used by everyone — sighted or visually impaired. Especially since the advent of digital technology, AFB believes that working to establish universal design
practices among technology producers is the most promising and cost effective option for making all products accessible in the long term.
, glaucoma
and diabetic retinopathy
are expected to double as the America's 78 million baby boomer
s reach retirement age.
Currently, 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65 have severe vision loss. While some are adapting successfully there are many others who do not know where to turn for help, or even if such help exists. AFB's web site is meant to address this knowledge gap.
Visitors to AFB Senior Site will find instructional videos and articles describing independent living
solutions geared specifically to people with age-related vision loss. The web site also connects seniors and their families to important resources in their own communities, such as vision loss specialists who can recommend solutions and instruct older adults with vision loss.
In conjunction with the launch of AFB Senior Site, AFB released the results of a national opinion poll that details people's fears about vision loss:
Visitors to FamilyConnect are able to create a personal profile and receive information on news and events geared toward their child's age, eye condition and location. Parents have access to message boards where they can talk to other parents, videos of real-life families, a mother-authored blog, parenting articles, a glossary of eye conditions and links to local resources. They can also find featured sections dedicated to multiple disabilities, technology, education and every age group from infants to teens.
devoted her life. Keller worked for AFB for more than 40 years, and was instrumental in the foundation of the Talking Books Program, among many others. She remained with AFB until her death in 1968 — lecturing, writing, fundraising, lobbying and providing an example of committed action for the public good. Under the terms of her will, Helen Keller selected AFB as the repository of her papers and memorabilia, which AFB has carefully preserved and arranged in the Helen Keller Archives located in New York City. Helen Keller was an important person that influenced the world.
's birth. Braille was the Frenchman who invented the raised dot code that bears his name, making it possible for blind and visually impaired people to read and write the same books and correspondence as their sighted counterparts. To commemorate the Louis Braille Bicentennial, AFB created an online gallery that includes pictures of Louis Braille, digitized books, articles, and more. AFB's Bicentennial page also showcases one of the first books printed in braille that was embossed in Paris in 1837, and one of only three copies in the world. Visitors to the gallery can also access digitized copies of "The War of the Dots," a chapter from Robert Irwin's As I Saw It, and The Reading Fingers by Jean Roblin.
, New York
. Other offices include the Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
, the AFB Center on Vision Loss in Dallas, Texas
, AFB TECH in Huntington, West Virginia
, and offices in San Francisco, California
, and Atlanta, Georgia
.
AFB's online bookstore is located at http://www.afb.org/store/.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that expands possibilities for people with vision loss
Vision loss
Vision loss or visual loss is the absence of vision where it existed before, which can happen either acutely or chronically .-Ranges of vision loss:...
. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. For more than 80 years, AFB has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of people who are blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
or visually impaired
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
.
History
AFB, with the support and leadership of M.C. Migel, a philanthropist who was moved to help the large number of veterans blinded in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was formed in 1921 to provide a national clearing house for information about vision loss and a forum for discussion for the dispersed, yet burgeoning, community of blindness service professionals. Made official at the convention of the American Association of Workers for the Blind in Vinton, Iowa, AFB’s founding was also intended to generate new directions for research and represent the needs of people with vision loss in America’s corridors of power.
AFB’s early accomplishments include taking the lead to standardize the English braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
code and establishing the first professional publications program for teachers and administrators of programs for people with vision loss. In 1926, AFB’s Directory of Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons — marketed as the most convenient, comprehensive, and reliable source of information on vision loss available — first appeared. The fact that the contents of this publication, now in its 27th edition in print and online, have exponentially increased since its inception, shows how far services for people with vision loss have come. Today, AFB continues to conduct trailblazing research and to provide comprehensive information on all aspects of vision loss to the general public. AFB Press is the largest publisher of scholarly works and research for vision loss service professionals.
From its outset, AFB also demonstrated a commitment to enhancing access to information for people with vision loss. In 1933, AFB engineers developed the first long-playing record and player, and set up studios for the recording of talking books. AFB played a major role in persuading the federal government to include talking books in the National Library System for blind people operated by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. Today, through Talking Book Productions, AFB remains the largest American producer of talking books, with state-of-the-art, fully digital recording studios in New York City. AFB has made significant forays into the commercial recording arena as well.
AFB's advocacy efforts have led to the passage of significant legislation for people with vision loss. AFB was instrumental in creating and passing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
(ADA) and more recently worked on the renewal of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities...
(IDEA) to ensure that it contained provisions to meet the specific needs of children with vision loss.
For many years, AFB designed, manufactured and sold products that were made specifically for people with vision loss, such as braille writers, magnifiers and audio blood pressure monitors. Currently, however, AFB devotes its energies to working with technology manufacturers at the design stage to develop products that can be used by everyone — sighted or visually impaired. Especially since the advent of digital technology, AFB believes that working to establish universal design
Universal design
Universal design refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to both people without disabilities and people with disabilities....
practices among technology producers is the most promising and cost effective option for making all products accessible in the long term.
AFB Senior Site
AFB maintains a strong online presence at www.afb.org. In April 2007, AFB further enhanced its site by launching AFB Senior Site to help older Americans and their family members cope with age-related eye diseases — a growing public health problem in the United States. According to research on vision problems in Americans over age 40, by the year 2030, rates of vision loss from diseases like age-related macular degenerationMacular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults...
, glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
and diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is retinopathy caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness....
are expected to double as the America's 78 million baby boomer
Baby boomer
A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom and who grew up during the period between 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even...
s reach retirement age.
Currently, 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65 have severe vision loss. While some are adapting successfully there are many others who do not know where to turn for help, or even if such help exists. AFB's web site is meant to address this knowledge gap.
Visitors to AFB Senior Site will find instructional videos and articles describing independent living
Independent living
Independent living, as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at disability and society, and a worldwide movement of people with disabilities working for self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunities...
solutions geared specifically to people with age-related vision loss. The web site also connects seniors and their families to important resources in their own communities, such as vision loss specialists who can recommend solutions and instruct older adults with vision loss.
In conjunction with the launch of AFB Senior Site, AFB released the results of a national opinion poll that details people's fears about vision loss:
- Losing one's sight and paralysis top the list of the public's health fears that were tested. Most feared are losing one's sight (21%) and paralysis (21%), followed by HIV/AIDS (16%), cancer (14%), stroke (11%), heart attacks/disease (6%) and diabetes (4%). The remaining 4% do not know.
- Americans say their biggest concerns about low vision are losing the ability to live independently (75%) and to read (68%).
- After physicians (56%), Americans would turn to web sites (29%) and organizations for the blind (20%) for information on blindness and severe vision loss.
FamilyConnect
In spring 2008, AFB, along with the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI), launched FamilyConnect an online community for parents and other caregivers of children with visual impairments. This site was created to help families connect with each other and to give busy parents, grandparents and other caregivers a place to find the comprehensive resources and support they need, 24 hours a day.Visitors to FamilyConnect are able to create a personal profile and receive information on news and events geared toward their child's age, eye condition and location. Parents have access to message boards where they can talk to other parents, videos of real-life families, a mother-authored blog, parenting articles, a glossary of eye conditions and links to local resources. They can also find featured sections dedicated to multiple disabilities, technology, education and every age group from infants to teens.
Helen Keller
AFB is recognized as the leading organization to which Helen KellerHelen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
devoted her life. Keller worked for AFB for more than 40 years, and was instrumental in the foundation of the Talking Books Program, among many others. She remained with AFB until her death in 1968 — lecturing, writing, fundraising, lobbying and providing an example of committed action for the public good. Under the terms of her will, Helen Keller selected AFB as the repository of her papers and memorabilia, which AFB has carefully preserved and arranged in the Helen Keller Archives located in New York City. Helen Keller was an important person that influenced the world.
Louis Braille Bicentennial
January 4, 2009, is the 200th anniversary of Louis BrailleLouis Braille
Louis Braille was the inventor of braille, a system of reading and writing used by people who are blind or visually impaired...
's birth. Braille was the Frenchman who invented the raised dot code that bears his name, making it possible for blind and visually impaired people to read and write the same books and correspondence as their sighted counterparts. To commemorate the Louis Braille Bicentennial, AFB created an online gallery that includes pictures of Louis Braille, digitized books, articles, and more. AFB's Bicentennial page also showcases one of the first books printed in braille that was embossed in Paris in 1837, and one of only three copies in the world. Visitors to the gallery can also access digitized copies of "The War of the Dots," a chapter from Robert Irwin's As I Saw It, and The Reading Fingers by Jean Roblin.
AFB Locations
AFB's main headquarters is in New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Other offices include the Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the AFB Center on Vision Loss in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, AFB TECH in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, and offices in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
AFB Publications
AFB produces a number of publications. Periodicals include, among others:- AccessWorld: Technology and People with Visual Impairments
- Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB)
AFB's online bookstore is located at http://www.afb.org/store/.