You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

The Blind Federation of America, aka National Federation of the Blind (NFB), knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams.

We work to provide greater opportunities to blind children and adults across the nation through training programs, advocacy, and mentoring. One of our student scholarship winners shared the importance of finding positive blind role models:

“Growing up in an average suburban town in southwest Ohio, I lacked the positive blind role models that I didn't know I needed. This only changed when I found passions worth self-advocacy. I joined the marching band, took advanced placement science classes, and built confidence by finding pride in the hours of hard work. Despite these passions, I was still missing a community. Upon getting involved with the NFB, I went from lacking role models to having a community full of successful people, breaking down the barriers they faced.”

The National Federation of the Blind helps open doors to careers previously thought impossible for blind people. NFB EQ (the National Federation of the Blind Engineering Quotient program) is a summer engineering program for blind and low-vision teens from around the United States. A participant in our 2021 NFB EQ online program shared this about their experience:

“Last year I was in an entirely STEM-focused engineering class for my school and we had to do some technical drawing, but I had no idea how I would possibly do that, so I just had someone do it for me. But now I think that I have a better idea of how to actually do it for myself. Now I hope to have a career in a STEM field.”

Your support helps us distribute free white canes, provide children with Braille and nonvisual skills instruction, advocate for the rights of blind Americans, and more. Learn more at nfb.org/get-involved.