AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INC

RESEARCH ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC SUPPORT - AFB IS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT POLICYMAKERS BUSINESS LEADERS PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES AND PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCATES UNDERSTAND THE KEY TRENDS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION FOR THE PURPOSES OF CHANGING ATTITUDES AND TRANSFORMING INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE. THE AFB PUBLIC POLICY AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE PPRI COLLABORATES WITH POLICYMAKERS IN CONGRESS AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AS WELL AS CORPORATE PARTNERS TO ENSURE AMERICANS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY. AFBS ADVOCACY STRATEGY IS BACKED BY RESEARCHERS AND EXPERTS WITH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH BLINDNESS. IN FY 2025 AFB FOCUSED ON ADVOCACY TO MAKE TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSPORTATION MORE ACCESSIBLE AND USABLE. WORKING CLOSELY WITH COALITION PARTNERS IN THE TRANSPORTATION SPACE PPRI RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ACCESSIBILITY AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AND PARTICIPATED IN EFFORTS TO PRODUCE ACCESSIBLE GUIDELINES AND DATA COLLECTION. PPRI CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ACCESSIBILITY THROUGH LEGISLATION AND RESPONDING TO FEDERAL RULEMAKING. PPRI ALSO SHARED PRINCIPLES ON INCLUSIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITH POLICYMAKERS AND TECH COMPANIES. AFBS RESEARCH ON WEB AND APPLICATION ACCESSIBILITY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCES DURING THE PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO INFORM AFBS ADVOCACY PRIORITIES. AFBS 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 PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH AND PEER-REVIEWED BEST PRACTICE INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS. THE JOURNAL ALSO FEATURES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND COMMENTARIES FROM AUTHORITATIVE EXPERTS ON CRITICAL TOPICS AS WELL AS BOOK REVIEWS OF CURRENT TITLES OF INTEREST TO THE BLINDNESS FIELD. IN 2025 VOLUME 119 THE FINAL ISSUE OF THE YEAR FEATURED PART ONE OF A TWO-PART SPECIAL ISSUE ON ADVANCEMENTS AND INNOVATIONS IN TECHNOLOGY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS.THE PUBLISHED ISSUE INCLUDED NUMEROUS PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH ARTICLES AND PRACTICE PIECES FROM UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD AS WELL AS BOOK REVIEWS AND COMMENTARIES FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION. THE ISSUE WAS GUEST EDITED BY STACY M. KELLY ED.D. TVI COMS CATIS PROFESSOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY.