AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INC
1401 SOUTH CLARK STREET 730, ARLINGTON, VA 22202 www.afb.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: AFB WILL CULTIVATE IN-DEPTH AND ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE AND PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN, WORKING-AGE ADULTS, AND OLDER PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED. AFB WILL ACHIEVE THESE ENDS BY PROMOTING AND UNDERTAKING RESEARCH THAT HAS SCALABLE IMPACT, DEVELOPING AND EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING HIGH-QUALITY KNOWLEDGE, AND PURSUING STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS, POLICYMAKERS, EMPLOYERS, AND OTHER INFLUENCERS IN ORDER TO ENGENDER AND ACCELERATE SYSTEMATIC ADVANCEMENT. PRIORITY ISSUE AREAS MAY INCLUDE: EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION, VISION LOSS AND AGING, AND TECHNOLOGY.

THE MISSION OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND IS TO CREATE A WORLD OF NO LIMITS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

Knowledge Building and Information Dissemination: In FY2020, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) continued transitioning programs to reflect its new strategic plan. Through research and data, we understand complex problems and identify appropriate solutions. Prioritizing a consumer-centered approach with scalable impact, AFB is pursuing and catalyzing forward-looking knowledge generation on key issues facing people who are blind or have low vision by fostering collaborations with institutions of higher education and other research organizations and by conducting independent research. Priority issue areas may include (but are not limited to) policy research and applied research in education; meaningful employment and social and economic mobility; rehabilitation services; aging and vision loss; demographic trends; and technology. In FY2020, a significant research effort focused on understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people who are blind and have low-vision, including students. AFB's Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), the international peer-reviewed journal of record in the blindness field, which has been in continuous publication since 1907, delivers current research, best practice information, analysis, and commentary from authoritative experts on critical topics. The first issue of 2020 featured part two of a special issue that focused on employment and individuals with visual impairments that was guest edited by an expert in the field of visual impairment. Since 1921, AFB has been a leader in creating a world of no limits for the nearly 25 million Americans living with vision loss. A national nonprofit, we champion access and equality, and stand at the forefront of new technologies and evidence-based advocacy. We address the most pressing needs of people with vision loss and their families, breaking down societal barriers and promoting broad systemic change. A preferred partner for many multinational companies, AFB strives to achieve shared value in our programs. Each year, we host a Leadership Conference (AFBLC) that convenes a targeted audience of leaders in the blindness field-those who are the influencers, as well as the decision-makers for their organizations. Conference attendees include technology experts, corporate representatives, and university professors. They come from diverse organizations and institutions spanning the public and private sectors. In 2020, the Covid pandemic forced us to make our conference virtual. This Virtual AFBLC was a huge success, with nearly 4,500 people registered to attend the five virtual sessions (compared with our typical 400 conference attendees). In addition to the live attendance numbers, the archive pages (afb.org/VirtualAFBLC) have seen over 16,000 pageviews since the date of what would have been the in-person conference. And because we value and prioritize accessibility for all, we ensured everyone who wants to participate can always do so, with subtitles, transcription, and audio description available for each virtual event.

Advocacy and Public Policy: AFB is working to ensure that policymakers, business leaders, professional communities, and public interest advocates have a deep and nuanced understanding of the key trends, challenges, and opportunities facing people who are blind or have low vision, for the purposes of influencing attitudes and transforming institutional practice. The AFB Public Policy and Research Institute (PPRI), located in the metropolitan DC area, collaborates with policymakers in Congress and the Executive Branch to ensure Americans with vision loss have equal rights and opportunities to fully participate in society. AFB's advocacy strategy is backed by a team of experts who conduct and analyze research related to vision loss. In FY 2020, AFB focused on advocacy surrounding transportation, employment, and services to older adults with vision loss. This work included advocating in Congress for the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, for improvements to our nation's paratransit services, and necessary COVID-19 relief. Two major research projects on the impact of COVID-19 informed AFB's policy strategy for transportation, education, and employment. AFB engaged government agencies, private sector companies, and other nonprofit organizations in exploring innovative solutions and identifying barriers faced by people who are blind.

Technology Solutions: AccessWorld is AFB's free web-based, industry-leading monthly technology magazine which provides timely information on hardware, software, and technologies of interest to people with vision loss, their family and friends, rehabilitation professionals, and technology manufacturers. AccessWorld provides guidance to consumers and others about both mainstream and access technology products. AFB Consulting continued to provide accessibility services to organizations ranging from small nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies. Services range from web accessibility assessments, remediation, and best practices to usability reviews for telecommunications, entertainment systems and other technologies. Training on accessibility and disability-inclusion was also part of the services offered, as well.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202110609349300431_public.xml