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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">National Federation of the Blind Announces Staff Leadership Transition<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Anil Lewis to continue advancing opportunities for blind people in new executive leadership role.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">August 25, 2026: Baltimore, Maryland—The National Federation of the Blind announces that Anil Lewis, executive director of Blindness Initiatives, will<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">be retiring from his staff position to accept an executive leadership role with an agency serving blind people. Anil has been a dedicated leader in the<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">organized blind movement for nearly thirty years, and his contributions to the Federation and our members throughout the country have been significant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">We are deeply grateful for the leadership, commitment, perspective, and passion he has brought to our work over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">block quote<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">"We support this transition as an important opportunity for Anil to bring his experience, expertise, and Federation philosophy to this new professional<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">chapter," said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "We are confident that his commitment to the organized blind movement<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">remains strong in any role he serves. We fully expect him to remain active in the National Federation of the Blind and to continue advancing the lives<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">of our members and all blind people in the United States."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">block quote end<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">In 2010, Anil resigned his elected position as a member of the Federation’s board of directors to accept a position on the national staff. He has led major<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">initiatives focused on employment, accessibility, advocacy, and economic opportunity for blind people not only with his professional skills but by sharing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">his lived experience with retinitis pigmentosa and his journey to live the life he wants. Lewis holds degrees in computer information systems and public<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">administration from Georgia State University. He has also been a leading advocate for ending the payment of subminimum wages to workers with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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