"We say with great insistence, that the ordinary blind person can do the ordinary job in the ordinary place of business and do it as well as the ordinary sighted person, and we mean by that, that the extraordinary blind person can do the extraordinary job in the extraordinary place of business and do it as well as any extraordinary sighted person can..."

-- Marc Maurer, President Emmeritus of the National Federation of the Blind

Unfortunately, many people do not know enough about blindness to give blind people a fair chance in the job market. Among working-age blind adults 70 percent remain unemployed. In addition, too many people with low vision are not being taught Braille, a skill which has been found to be correlated with successful employment for the blind.

For Those Seeking Employment:

• Discussion Groups (Mailing Lists)
• Divisions, Groups, and Committees 
• Employment and Rehabilitation
• Networking 
• State and Local Organizations
• Training Centers
• Technology Center  

For Employers:

• Braille Signs Resource List
• The Courtesy Rules of Blindness
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Info About Vision Loss For...Employers
• Laws and Legislation
• Technology Center

Resources for Learning

Online Resources

National Center for Blind Youth in Science Web Portal — This site is a clearinghouse of information and resources regarding blind youth and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers. Users may find information about how to adapt science lessons, where to find accessible math programs, and what nonvisual techniques are most effective in the STEM areas. Users may also read biographies of successful blind scientists and hear interviews as these professionals discuss the challenges that they have faced and give advice to the next generation of blind explorers.

Programs

National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam — This five-day academy will not only provide hands-on experience with science, technology, engineering, and math, but also give you the chance to meet other blind and low vision youth and adults from all over the United States. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!

National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program — Each year at its national convention in July, the NFB gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. All applicants for these scholarships must be (1) legally blind and (2) pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary course of study in a degree program at a United States' institution in the fall of the year of application, except that one scholarship may be given to a full-time employee also attending school part-time.

Braille Reading Pals - Early Literacy Program — Is a non-competitive Braille literacy program for blind infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and older students with reading delays. The goal of this program is to expose the family and the child to Braille and to encourage parents (or other responsible adults) to read aloud to or with their children a minimum of fifteen minutes a day during the program period. We know that it may be difficult or impossible for many parents to read to their children every day, but we set the goal high to demonstrate the importance of literacy and to encourage parents early on to "reach for the stars."

NFB-NEWSLINE^® — An essential part of learning is having access to current news and information. NFB-NEWSLINE^® is now making it possible for blind individuals to gain access to the information in newspapers at the same time as their sighted colleagues, friends, and family members. This service brings the wealth of information primarily found in newspapers to blind people through the telephone, making access easy.  

For more information about blindness, please contact the Jacobus tenBroek Library of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute at 410-659-9314 or send an email to jtblibrary@nfb.org.