Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB)

Our third #AFB100 centennial conversation, "The Power of Gratitude and Joy: A Conversation with Rebecca Alexander," is tomorrow, May 27th, at 2 pm Eastern. Join us as Rebecca shares her perspective on strength, courage, #Gratitude, and joy, especially in this difficult year. You won't want to miss this! If you haven’t already done so, register at http://ow.ly/khOI50EVX0O to get the link to join. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthMonth

Today, we are proud to announce the release of the second Access and Engagement research report which delves into the continued impact of #COVID19 on the #Education of students with visual impairments, their families, and the professionals who serve them. We do not yet know the short-term and long-term impacts of the pandemic on individual children nor do we know how to provide all children with visual impairments with an individualized and appropriate education while also ...ensuring students’ social-emotional well-being during a disruptive event such as this pandemic. "We do, however, know that until students have fully accessible, inclusive learning opportunities with the necessary support, their ability to learn and maximize their full potential is at risk. Together, policymakers, administrators, educators, family members, and students have the opportunity to take lessons learned during the first nine months of the pandemic to shape the future of education for students with visual impairments. ~Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum, AFB Director of Research #InclusionKnowsNoLimits http://ow.ly/2YxJ50EPNIi

Dear JVIB Reader: The latest issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) is now available on the Sage Publishing website. You may access the Table of Contents of the issue here: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/jvba/current...Continue reading

The latest issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) is now available on the Sage Publishing website. You may access the Table of Contents of the issue here: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/jvba/current Although the most recent issue of JVIB includes articles that cover the variety of disciplines within the field of visual impairment, readers who have a particular interest in access and access technology are in for a treat, with four articles that approach...Continue reading

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is proud to announce the release of the Flatten Inaccessibility research report, the culmination of survey findings from 1,921 U.S. participants who are blind or have low vision. Of those who participated, 65% of participants were blind and 35% had low vision. Forty-three-percent (43%) reported having an additional disability, with diabetes, hearing impairment, and significant psychiatric disorders being the most frequently reported.... The survey investigated the experiences of these participants during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine how they were affected in areas including transportation availability, healthcare, access to food and supplies, employment, education, and voting. While other research projects examine the risk to people with disabilities of contracting COVID-19, AFB and the other organizations behind this study had concerns about the quality of life for those most affected by community and public policy responses, such as reduced public transportation options, the quick transition mandating employees work from home, and school closings, Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum, AFB Director of Research said. The survey was made possible thanks to the collaboration among 16 organizations and companies concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on adults with visual impairments in the United States. We want to engage in dialogue about how individuals, organizations, and companies are using the results of the Flatten Inaccessibility study. Use the hashtag #FlattenInaccessibility to share your experiences and ideas. We are committed to conducting high-quality research related to blindness and low vision and sharing our findings broadly. If you would like to receive information about research opportunities, reports, webinars, and other ways we are sharing our research, please sign up. https://www.afb.org/researc/flatten-inaccessibility-survey

Penny Rosenblum, guest editor of the 2021 JVIB special issue that focuses on transition to adult life, has something to say to the journal's authors and readers: Adult life is a broad topic and I want to be sure we have lots of submissions to choose from for this issue. I know it is going to be an INFORMATIVE issue. Are you involved with a transition program for youth? Supporting teens with multiple disabilities to build life skills? Integrating technology into the life of a ...young adult with deafblindness? I bet you’re doing some cool things JVIB readers want to know about. Why don’t you pop me an email at [email protected] and we can talk about your ideas. First time authors are very welcome and I’ll be happy to support you as you consider submission. I just do want to say that submitting is no guarantee of publication, but it’s the first step in the process to seeing your name in lights and more importantly, your ideas and knowledge shared with JVIB’s readership. https://www.afb.org/publicatio//jvib-authors/calls-papers See more