About Us

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. The Museum of the Blind People’s Movement will center blind people, challenge expectations, awaken understanding, spark action, and shatter barriers.

“Our biggest dream is to eliminate the persistent misconceptions and low-expectations within the average person about blind people, our equality, and our capacity. We seek not merely to effect minor changes but to accelerate significant shifts in society. Thus, we have taken on a big dream—one that will not be easy, will demand resources and new talents, and that will stretch our aspirations for the future—a dream that needs to be pursued even as we do all of the other work needed in our movement. This is our dream of building the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement,” - President Mark Riccobono.

Importance of Preserving Our Stories

Since the founding of the National Federation of the Blind in 1940, Jacobus tenBroek diligently worked to preserve the history of the blind. Before that time, the narrative about blind people was, for the most part, defined and told by nonblind people. Since the beginning of the organized blind movement, we have preserved and told our own story – the real experience of blind people and the powerful impact when we come together as a movement.

In 2004, the Federation established the Jacobus tenBroek Research Library and Archives as a starting point to preserve the extensive archives of the movement, build exhibits to celebrate our progress, and engage researchers and the public in the stories of blind people who have changed society. 

One story, one recording, and one artifact at a time, the movement has been building towards a museum.

The Museum of the Blind People’s Movement takes the work of telling our own stories to the next level. This exhibit is a first look at how we will tell blind-centered stories in the Museum, as a way to share the history of the organized blind movement and the everyday blind people who have fueled it. Amplifying our stories to a wider audience will expand our impact, inspire collective action, and transform the future. 

Jacobus tenBroek Library

Visit Jacobus tenBroek Library webpage to explore other exhibits that showcase important historical events, NFB leadership, artwork, and technological and personal achievements by the blind.