American Foundation for the Blind

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is an American non-profit organization 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. Kirk Adams, formerly the first blind President and CEO of The Lighthouse for the Blind, has been the organization's president and CEO since May 2016.

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 I, was formed in 1921 to provide a national clearing house for information about vision loss and a forum for discussion for 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 spur research and represent the needs of people with vision loss in America's government.

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 was first published.

In 1932, AFB engineers developed the Talking Book and Talking Book Machine and set up studios for the recording these 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 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.

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