BALTIMORE, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United States, in partnership with the Sendero Group, will exhibit at the international Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held January 6-11, 2009, in Las Vegas. The CES, the largest technology showcase in the world, will feature a booth sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind and the Sendero Group that highlights "vision free" products -- mainstream products that blind people can use independently.
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The NFB and the Sendero Group will be manning the booth along with internationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. The Sendero Group is the developer of the first accessible GPS and talking map, and one of the products that will be featured at the booth is their new Mobile Geo, an accessible GPS program for cell phones and PDAs.
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Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Many new consumer electronics and home appliances are designed with visual displays and interfaces that make it extremely difficult and in some cases impossible for the blind to use them independently. It is critical that blind people have access to all features of mainstream products and technology with the same ease of use as the sighted. The Consumer Electronics Show is an important opportunity to reach out to manufacturers and encourage them to create accessible products. Creating technology that is accessible to and usable by blind people is not difficult, and it is essential if the blind are to be independent, productive citizens."
Representatives from the National Federation of the Blind and the Sendero Group, along with Stevie Wonder, will be at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, in booth 72044 during the Consumer Electronics Show. For more information about accessible technology or the National Federation of the Blind, please visit www.nfb.org.
About the National Federation of the Blind
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. Please visit our Web site: www.nfb.org.
SOURCE National Federation of the Blind
