AFB Blog

I heard Stevie Wonder was on recently on "The View," mentioning that he is working out, losing weight, and would like to be on Dancing with the Stars (which he also mentioned back in 2008). Personally, I love the idea; we can hopefully get rid of the image of Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Al Pacino's character is told the approximate dimensions of the dance floor, then tears it up without a missing a step. Yeah, I am not buying that! I am, however, buying Stevie Wonder ripping it up on…

Helen's travels through Japan, Part 2 [Read Part 1 of Helen Keller's Travels Through Japan] Helen's fame among the Japanese people was sealed as a result of her second trip to the country in 1948. She was sent as the United States' first Goodwill Ambassador by General Douglas MacArthur as well as the Mainichi Press, an English-language newspaper that sponsored her trip. Wonderful news footage taken during her visit shows streets lined with spectators and open-air theaters teeming with…

In early December, leaders from around the world gathered at the M-Enabling Summit held near Washington, DC to address access to mobile technologies for people with disabilities and seniors. The summit was sponsored by http://g3ict.com/. Check out the site in a couple days to find presentations and information. I'd like to share a couple points I made during a panel on the implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, (CVAA), the landmark access law enacted…

While attending a conference a few weeks ago, I attended a great session on self-employment, which really got me thinking. I have previously written about working from home, but haven't yet addressed starting your own business. I reached out to some friends who are self-employed, and all shared some common attributes and similar thoughts. Some things to consider: It requires working many more hours than you would in a typical 9-to-5 job. Most people (the ones I spoke with, at least) work…

World Usability Day (November 10, 2011) was founded in 2005 as an initiative of the Usability Professionals' Association to ensure that services and products important to human life are easier to access and simpler to use. Each year, on the second Thursday of November, over 200 events are organized in over 43 countries around the world to raise awareness for the general public, and train professionals in the tools and issues central to good usability research, development, and practice. The…

Helen's travels through Japan A fascinating and relatively unknown story is that of Helen and Japan. Helen Keller loved the Japanese people and culture and the Japanese people loved and still love her. Helen traveled to Japan on three occasions, in 1937, 1948 and 1955. The Helen Keller Archives contains over 300 artifacts, and a disproportionate number of these are beautiful gifts that she received during those trips—the image posted below* is an exquisite tiered ceramic incense burner,…

It may only be November, but I am already getting excited for the AFB Leadership Conference—formerly the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute—which is paired with Florida AER and partners this year. The conference will be in sunny St. Petersburg Beach, Florida in early May of 2012. The Sunshine State holds a special meaning in my heart, as I have lived, gone to graduate school, and worked in Florida. How can you not like the beach and the beautiful Gulf Coast? Beautiful weather aside,…

[Editor's note: The following post is authored by Marc Grossman, Accessibility Specialist, AFB Consulting.] A recent frustrating experience on NPR's website (and iPhone app) prompted the title of this blog post. Allow me to explain. A friend recently shared with me a link to the NPR story, "Blind Student Helps Make Denver Navigable For All." Sounded interesting, so I clicked on the link. The page was mostly accessible—but certainly could use some improvement. It had headings for navigation…

Doesn't everybody love a happy ending? For those who may be afraid of the work it takes to make a dream come true, read our latest CareerConnect Mentor Success Story. Choosing not to let the space between her dreams and reality get in the way, Canadian CareerConnect Mentor Becka deHaan prepared herself to follow her dream to become an award-nominated recording and performing artist. Read the full story here. By visiting CareerConnect Mentor Success Stories, you can learn about many other…