About Us
The American Council of Blind Students (ACBS) is the student affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, the nation's leading consumer and advocacy organization of people who are blind or visually impaired. A group of students founded ACBS in 1974 to acquire a greater voice in the workings of this organization. ACBS works to advance the equal opportunity and excellence in education for all blind and visually impaired high school, college and university students in the United States. In so doing, we encourage leadership in our own communities, network students to discuss issues of concern, and act to promote equal access where it is lacking. Most of our work gets done through our committees. Visit our Committee Page to read about what each one is up to and how you can contribute your unique talents. We also have student affiliate organizations in several states that sponsor events and do advocacy work on a more local level. Check out our Resources Page to get connected.
What we do on the national level
- Coordinate an annual National Convention to focus on topics of interest to blind and visually impaired students via formal and informal programs.
- Build partnerships with disability organizations to realize our common goals of worldwide accessibility.
- Organize social conference calls to connect students with students.
- Host e-mail lists to provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of information about employment, scholarships, advocacy efforts, and more.
- Publish the Student Advocate, a biannual newsletter that features articles of interest to blind and visually impaired students.
- Serve as a resource for blind/visually impaired students, parents of blind/visually impaired students, DSS offices, and University disability organizations.
Keep in touch
You can stay up to date with us through any of the following:
You can also subscribe to the ACBS mailing list, which is an excellent resource for asking questions, as well as helping others with your experiences.
To join,
click here.