As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in 2020, the College Board moved all its Advanced Placement (AP) tests online. But as a blind high school student discovered, they failed to provide access for blind test-takers. She took to social media to call on other blind students to join her in speaking out, and their protest resulted in changes to ensure all students could access the AP tests.
Blind people have organized to promote greater access, inclusion, and equity for centuries, ever since guilds of blind craftsmen banded together in medieval times.
In this gallery, you will explore the past, present, and future of collective action by blind people. You may hear stories of discrimination, such as blind people who were denied apartments or bank loans, blind students segregated in schools and denied equal educational opportunities, and even blind people who were forcibly sterilized.
Learn more about protests, such as the fake car accident staged to highlight the danger of silent electric vehicles, and how advocacy by blind people led to regulations promoting safety for all pedestrians. You’ll also learn about the diversity of the movement and its connections to other civil rights movements.
You’ll discover that there is still work to be done today, such as ensuring the right to vote privately and independently, advocating for equal employment opportunities, and guaranteeing the right to ride with guide dogs in rideshare vehicles.
The stories in this gallery will showcase the strength of collective action and how blind people have joined together to create a more equitable society.
NOTE: This gallery is under development, and the stories shared here are representative examples of the types of stories and objects that may be featured.
Ways to Give
Support the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement.
For more information about the museum or ways to give, reach out to [email protected] or call 410-659-9314, extension 2425.