September 4, 2024, Baltimore, MD: The National Federation of the Blind is excited to announce that we have engaged Jonathan Mosen to help advance our strategic priorities in technology, accessibility, and communications to build further capacity within the organized blind movement. Jonathan Mosen has been a well-known and trusted voice in the blind community for over a quarter of a century—his most recent work includes the Living Blindfully podcast and the internet radio station Mushroom FM. Along with podcasting and commercial radio experience, Jonathan is or has been a CEO, thought leader, advocate, change agent, government relations professional, author, information technology consultant, internet start-up founder, candidate for Parliament, IT product designer, and non-profit chair.

We commend and thank Mr. Mosen for the significant contributions to the global blind community, in acknowledgement of which we recognized his podcast with the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award this year. Indeed, it is this stellar work on Living Blindfully and throughout his career that makes Mosen an ideal fit for our mission.

Jonathan Mosen discovered the organized blind movement through access to the CompuServe Information Service in 1986. He credits this discovery that others had a similar outlook on blindness to his own with helping him combat significant depression and probably saving his life. He attended his first NFB National Convention in 1995 and has attended several since then.

“The success of our movement has always come from the talent and leadership of blind people innovating and advocating for themselves by contributing to a shared mission,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Jonathan Mosen is one of the everyday blind people who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to living the life he wants while making the world better for all blind people. We are excited to have him provide strategic leadership as part of our movement as we confront the challenges and opportunities faced by the global blind community in the second quarter of the twenty-first century.”

Jonathan Mosen shared: “Having the opportunity to work with the organized blind movement feels like coming home. For decades, the Federation has provided me with solidarity and solace. Now, it is my honor to participate in its important work. The Federation is the most successful advocacy organization of the blind anywhere in the world. One reason for that is that it is constantly assessing what is going on in wider society and how the Federation must respond. The increasingly complex area of technology continues to offer opportunities and challenges, so President Riccobono has made the call that we must take our advocacy to a new level.

“Gone are the days when the technology we used was developed by a handful of small companies dedicated to blindness. Now, many mainstream companies are access technology companies. We must ensure our issues are understood and given their rightful priority. If they are not, it directly affects the ability to live the lives we want. There is much to do, and I look forward to working with the Federation family and key players to deliver impactful change.”