The National Federation of the Blind knows that blind parents are fully capable and have been successfully raising children for generations.
There are aspects of parenting as a blind person which take some thought, and there are specific alternative techniques blind parents use in order to keep their children safe, healthy, and happy.
Please explore the links below to some of our resources, and contact your state affiliate to ask about additional programs available in your local area. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at the national headquarters.
Through these resources, we strive to build a strong network for blind parents, grandparents, guardians, and caregivers where questions can be answered, experiences can be shared, and alternative techniques can be learned.
Blind Parents Connection Podcast
The Blind Parents Connection Podcast is a Blind Parent Education Initiative supported by the Gibney Family Foundation and brought to you by National Federation of the Blind. Subscribe and listen by searching for "Nation's Blind Podcast" in your podcast client.
NFB Blind Parents Group
Blind Parent Mentoring
- Blind Parent Mentoring Program
- "Join the National Federation of the Blind Parent Mentoring Program" (NFB Blog Post)
Blind Parent Advocacy
Leading the way in advancing equal rights and creating resource connections for blind parents and caregivers, our goal is to secure our model parental rights legislation across the country. There is parental rights legislation in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Nebraska, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.
To help advocate for blind parents rights in your affiliate, connect with your state affiliate leadership and help promote the Model Parental Rights Legislation.
Videos
Nation's Blind Podcast
The Nation's Blind Podcast highlights different themes related to blindness, independent living, and news from the National Federation of the Blind. Here are some episodes related to parenting. Subscribe and listen by searching for "Nation's Blind Podcast" in your podcast client.
- Bonus Episode, December 2017, Traveling with Children
- Bonus Episode 4, July 2017, Working Alongside Blind Parents
- Bonus Episode 3, May 2017, Working Alongside Blind Parents
Resources and Literature
- A Blind Parent’s Essential Guide to Effective Communication from Public and Private Schools
- "Parenting While Blind" (NFB Blog Post)
- Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children (National Council on Disability)
- Protecting the Rights of Parents and Prospective Parents with Disabilities: Technical Assistance for State and Local Child Welfare Agencies and Courts under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (U.S. Department of Health And Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice)
- "The Advantages of Being a Blind Parent" (NFB Blog Post)
- Parenting (NFB Blog Category)
- "Baby-Sitting" (Making Hay Article)
- "Independence: To Have and to Hold" (Braille Monitor Article)
- "It Takes More Than Love" (Future Reflections Article)
- "To Be a Parent" (Braille Monitor Article)
- Parenting without Sight: What Attorneys and Social Workers Should Know about Blindness (NFB Brochure)
- "It Takes More Than Love" (Future Reflections article)