National Family Association for DeafBlind

10/16/2025

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Teach your fingers to read through this series of interactive workshops. From labeling items in your home to identifying buttons on an elevator, you'll learn everyday uses for braille.

10/15/2025

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10/15/2025

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It’s officially October! 🍂 Along with crisp air and fall colors, this month brings opportunities to recognize and learn about several important causes. Check out what’s being celebrated and take a moment to engage with each.

10/15/2025

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10/15/2025

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10/15/2025

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Researchers with North Carolina Central University’s Special Education – Visual Impairment program are gathering data while using smart canes.

10/15/2025

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Happy ! 🦯🎉

Today is a day to celebrate and recognize this incredible tool that helps folks in the navigate safely, independently and with confidence.

Can we do it? Yes we can(e)! 🧑‍🦯‍➡️🙌

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Image: A digital illustration of a white cane over a background of very light sparkles. Text reads: "I can. You can. We can(e)! Happy White Cane Day!" The BlindNewWorld logo is at the bottom of the graphic.

10/14/2025

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The U.S. Department of Education (ED) made another round of layoffs this past weekend heavily impacting the Office of Special Education Programs, which oversees special education, further shrinking federal capacity for oversight under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Although most IDEA funding has already been released for the current fiscal year, ASHA members could see slower response times from the federal government. ASHA is extremely concerned that if staffing losses and the shutdown persist, states and districts could face prolonged delays in technical assistance requests, as well as uncertainty around future OSEP grant competitions.

Tomorrow (October 15), members of ASHA's Board of Directors will join ASHA Advocacy on Capitol Hill to discuss this and other pressing issues with their legislators. Join us in urging Congress to protect ED and ensure access to services and supports necessary for student achievement and success: https://at.asha.org/O7

10/14/2025

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10/14/2025

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We're excited to recognize Polara Enterprises as a 2025 AccessAbility Award recipient for nearly three decades of pioneering work making intersections safer, more accessible, and more equitable for all pedestrians.

With hundreds of thousands of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) and push buttons installed across North America, Polara's technologies incorporate audible, vibrotactile, and visual cues designed with universal access in mind, helping cities meet ADA and PROWAG compliance standards while ensuring critical crossing information is communicated clearly and reliably to all users.

Beyond hardware, Polara is expanding into digital accessibility solutions through their PedApp® mobile application, providing real-time access to pedestrian signal status. The company also recently acquired OKO, a trusted navigation app relied upon by many people who are blind or have low vision, and made the strategic decision to make it completely free for all users, eliminating barriers to access and ensuring this vital tool remains available to anyone who needs it.

Congratulations to the entire Polara team! Learn more about Polara Enterprises and all the 2025 Helen Keller Services AccessAbility Award recipients at https://www.helenkeller.org/helen-keller-services-announces-2025-accessability-awards.

Join us in celebrating Polara and all our 2025 recipients at the AccessAbility Awards ceremony on October 15th at 1:00 PM at Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, NY. The event is free and open to the public.

ID: A graphic announcing Helen Keller Services AccessAbility Award recipient, Polara Enterprises. The HKS logo appears in the top left corner and the text "ACCESSABILITY AWARD" is prominently displayed, with the “A” in "ABILITY" highlighted in blue. Below that reads "2025 RECIPIENT" with the Polara logo and tagline "A Synapse ITS company" in a white rounded rectangle. The background image shows a close-up of a person's hand pressing an accessible pedestrian signal push button.

10/14/2025

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It's a privilege to recognize The Heckscher Museum of Art as a 2025 AccessAbility Award recipient for their outstanding commitment to accessibility—building meaningful partnerships and creating innovative, multi-sensory experiences that make arts and culture welcoming to all.

The Long Island institution has made accessibility central to its mission across exhibitions, programs, and community engagement. They established an Accessibility Advisory Group to guide their accessibility planning shaped by foundational advocacy from Monica Ortiz-Menier during her work experience as a participant at Helen Keller National Center.

This collaborative approach has shaped accessible outdoor Soundwalks, a digital guide in the Bloomberg Connects App offering content in 40 languages with full transcripts and descriptions, and ASL interpretation at all public events with fifty or more participants.

Recent work includes multi-sensory touch stations for the Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History exhibition, where visitors can experience a replica of the sculpture Lotus Eater and sculpting materials through touch, with content available in audio, large print, and braille.

Congratulations to the entire Heckscher Museum team! Learn more at https://www.helenkeller.org/helen-keller-services-announces-2025-accessability-awards.

Join us at the AccessAbility Awards ceremony on Wednesday, October 15 at 1pm at Helen Keller National Center to celebrate The Heckscher Museum of Art and all of our 2025 recipients!

ID: A graphic announcing Helen Keller Services AccessAbility Award recipient, The Heckscher Museum of Art. The HKS logo appears in the top left corner and the text "ACCESSABILITY AWARD" is prominently displayed with the "A" in "ABILITY" highlighted in blue. Below that reads "2025 RECIPIENT" with The Heckscher Museum of Art logo beneath it. The background image features a visitor exploring through touch a replica of the sculpture Lotus Eater at the Emma Stebbins multi-sensory touch station exhibition.

| The Heckscher Museum of Art