AFB – American Foundation for the Blind
Organization size: 51-200 employees
Key product/service items: Consulting services, Product evaluations, Research, Publications, Advocacy, Accessibility, Publishing
Accessibility website overview: The website offers good resources for people who are blind and living with any form of vision loss. From reading and writing, to everyday skills, getting around (navigation), to adapting your home, diabetes and vision loss and independent living resources and products, it’s all available under one section. It also offers resources under its Education and CareerConnect sections, useful for job seekers, employers, and service providers. The most important resource focuses on technology and accessibility and offers fact sheets on the assistive technology on which people who are blind or visually impaired depend. http://www.afb.org/site.asp
Key statements on ICT product and services accessibility:The American Foundation for the Blind is committed to improving accessibility in all aspects of life—from cell phones to ATMs, on web sites and in workplaces. Are you trying to make your products and services accessible to people with visual impairments? AFB offers expert consulting services. Trying to figure out what cell phone to buy? Or are you looking for objective evaluations of adaptive technologies? AFB's product evaluation lab publishes its reader-friendly reports in AccessWorld®, as well as other publications. AFB makes its product evaluations easy to find through its assistive technology product database. AFB's accessibility research ranges from web site usability studies to research on video description, and more.
Key areas of accessibility work: The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the organization to which Helen Keller dedicated her life, has been expanding possibilities for people with vision loss for nearly 90 years. AFB's programs are dedicated to creating opportunities and a better quality of life for the 25 million Americans with vision loss – a number that is expected to grow exponentially as the population ages. Through advocacy and public education, AFB provides blind and visually impaired people and their family members the resources needed to live independent, productive, healthy lives. AFB also provides training and tools to the education and rehabilitation professionals who work with people with vision loss. AFB is based in New York, and maintains the Public Policy Center in Washington, DC; the AFB Center on Vision Loss in Dallas, TX; and AFB Tech in Huntington, WV.
Organization website: http://www.afb.org
Contact information:
American Foundation for the Blind
2 Penn Plaza, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10121
Tel: +1-212-502-7600
Email: afbinfo@afb.net
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=42&TopicID=191