AFB Blog

Did you know that October 15 is White Cane Safety Day? If you said yes, you are correct. It has been observed on that date since 1964, with localities celebrating it throughout the country. White Cane Safety Day is about celebrating and creating awareness about the white cane and its use. I use a white cane, but I have also been an orientation and mobility (O&M) instructor. An orientation and mobility instructor is a professional who teaches persons who are blind or visually impaired how…

[Editor's Note: The following post comes from AFB Consulting Accessibility Specialist Marc Grossman.] In 2007, I was asked to join the selection committee to help sort through the nominations for the AFB Access Awards. This award recognizes individuals, corporations, and organizations that eliminate or substantially reduce inequities faced by people who are blind or visually impaired. The names on the list of past recipients is long and distinguished. It includes Apple, Inc., Canon USA, CBS…

[Editor's note: This is the first post in what will be an ongoing series showcasing the Helen Keller Archives, authored by AFB Archivist Helen Selsdon. Stay tuned for more to come.] My name is Helen Selsdon and I'm the archivist at the headquarters of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) in New York City. I came to AFB in April 2002 with the task of taking care of the Helen Keller archival collection. It's been an amazing journey for me, both professionally as an archivist and as a…

Two significant observances occur in October – Columbus Day (October 12), and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (all month long!). However, I have no clue if Columbus employed any persons with disabilities. If he didn't, he should have. Let's suppose for a moment Christopher Columbus was alive today. He would be smart to hire a visually impaired navigator—they would be using AccessWorld (AFB’s free online technology magazine) to find the best accessible GPS. AFB is setting sail…

AFB, and the vision loss community at large, will miss Steve Jobs. Needless to state, the world would be a very different place today were it not for him. AFB has been a longtime supporter of Apple products, which come fully accessible right out of the box, and presented the company with a 2009 Access Award in recognition. In light of his passing, some AFB staff shared their thoughts on the man and the indelible mark he left on us all. Carl R. Augusto, AFB President and CEO: "Steve Jobs, as a…

I have written several articles in AFB's AccessWorld Magazine chronicling the lack of accessibility of Amazon's Kindle electronic book reading devices as they have evolved over the last few years. The original Kindle was completely inaccessible to blind people, and our community protested loudly and clearly. Amazon responded by adding some text-to-speech functionality to the second and third versions. Although that still did not lead to what I would call an accessible Kindle, the incremental…

This week, AT&T announced the launch of AT&T Mobile Accessibility Lite, a suite of applications for Android smart phones designed to be intuitive and easier to use for people who are blind. While I have not yet had a chance to fully test the new release, I am impressed by four things: First, it is offered at no cost. Second, AT&T Mobile Accessibility Lite is designed by Code Factory, an internationally recognized company that has made a name for itself in developing excellent…

[Editor's note: the following post is co-authored by Darren Burton and Ricky Kirkendall.] Given AccessWorld's mission of keeping readers up to date on the latest in accessible technology, we are proud to announce that you can now download the AccessWorld app on your iPhone! This FREE app allows you to browse and read the entire AccessWorld collection up to the latest issue – it's like having 10 years' worth of AccessWorld at your fingertips! The app also allows you to locate the contact…

[Editor's note: The following blog comes from Paige, a Dog Guide here at AFB headquarters. Paige is here to share a few thoughts on what to do when you encounter a visually impaired person and his or her dog guide.] Hi! I'm Paige, and I'm a Dog Guide. You may also hear of us referred to as "Seeing Eye Dogs" and "Guide Dogs," but we do prefer Dog Guides - after all, we're dogs first! Since my master is currently occupied – she's a rather busy woman—I'd thought I'd use my down time to discuss…