Close-up of a computer keyboard, with a blue key titled 'Latest News.'

With a number of AFB staff attending the 27th annual CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference this week, we've been keeping a close eye on the goings-on there. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., Congressman Markey (D-Mass) just introduced an important piece of legislation. In addition to these topics, here are a few stories that caught our attention this week:

a keyboard with Latest News on the enter key.

Here at AFB Headquarters, we like to keep up on important news related to vision loss. Here are some interesting news stories and blog posts from this past week:

Joe Stechay

Perhaps you know her as "M" from some of the James Bond films. With Oscar season upon us, maybe you recall she nabbed the Best Supporting Actress honor for 1998's "Shakespeare in Love." And at this point, you've probably read the headlines: Judi Dench has been diagnosed with, and is receiving treatment for, macular degeneration.

In the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, AFB works with many other agencies in the blindness and low vision fields. These other agencies often share information with us to reach a broader audience. Below are a few of the more recent announcements we've received. To view all announcements, you can visit AFB's Announcements page.

Photo of CupidAFB Puts Match.com, eHarmony, and Love is Blind to the Accessibility Test

By Adrianna Montague-Gray, AFB Communications, and Marc Grossman, AFB Consulting

Late last week Glenn Beck made some offensive comments on his CNN Headline News program about braille signs on walls. Media Matters has a clip on their site.

The reality is that braille signage is extremely important for information and orientation purposes just like signage for anyone. And though we wish Mr. Beck would have thought twice before making such stupid remarks on national television, it has given us the opportunity to address some of the questions people have about braille in public spaces.