Author Andrew Leland Receives 2025 Helen Keller Achievement Award
NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is pleased to announce author Andrew Leland will be among those to receive the prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Award, which AFB will present during a special evening ceremony on April 24th in Midtown Manhattan. Recognized for his outstanding contributions as a published author and journalist, Mr. Leland brings a body of published work that exemplifies Helen Keller's own artistry in crafting narratives with mass appeal.
'Mr. Leland's gift to wield words in a way that both informs and inspires us offers our generation a powerful voice capturing the blind experience in modern life,' said Eric Bridges, AFB president and CEO. 'Helen Keller knew well the power that personal narrative could play toward altering perceptions, and it's clear Andrew's craft as a storyteller carries on Keller's legacy of bridging culture and humanity through the power of words.
Mr. Leland's nonfiction book, The Country of the Blind, a Memoir at the End of Sight,' published in 2023 on Penguin/Random House, received strong praise from the literary community. The book chronicles his experience of losing sight due to retinitis pigmentosa while offering a deeper look into blind culture. Further published works through print, radio, and podcasting speak to the hearts of millions of people who are blind or have low vision.
For this collective body of work, Mr. Leland is quickly becoming one of the leading voices within the disability community. His memoir was a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize, and his audio works have reached tens of millions of listeners across the globe. He currently serves as the Koppel Fellow in Journalism at Wesleyan University.
Since 1994, the Helen Keller Achievement Award has recognized the finest thought leaders, change-makers, and performing artists committed to carrying on Keller's mission to create a world of full and equal inclusion for people with disabilities. For over 40 years, Helen Keller was AFB's leading ambassador, inspiring millions worldwide as she demonstrated all that can be accomplished through determination and perseverance.
AFB continues to honor Keller's legacy by recognizing exceptional individuals and organizations from industry, education, and the arts who have distinguished themselves in pursuit of expanding possibilities for those who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. Past honorees include author and advocate Haben Girma, tech leader and entrepreneur Bernard Newcomb, Chef Christine Ha, filmmaker Shawn Levy, and performing artists Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.
Founded in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind creates equal opportunities and expands possibilities for people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision through advocacy, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships. In addition to publishing the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), AFB is also the proud steward of the Helen Keller Archive, which is available on the AFB website at www.afb.org.
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