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Progress. What Does it Look like? Is it Being Achieved?

The articles published in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) typically describe research and practice related to professionals who provide education and rehabilitation to people with visual impairments. In JVIB, interested professionals can become informed of new evidence-based practices, emerging technologies, innovative programs, and measures of the effectiveness of these activities for students and clients. Each of these projects is seen as advancing the purpose of the field of visual impairment—to reduce the effect of vision loss and enhance quality of life. These articles are the documentation of what many would agree is societal progress. In this issue, Hahn, Mueller, and Gorlewicz’s finding of no statistical differences in users’ interpretation of embossed tactile graphics and those produced using a multimodal tactile display moves the field towards the more rapid creation of tactile graphics that can be used in the classroom. The experiences described by Boey and Warren represent a different type of progress. Their valuable insights about the development, implementation, and assessment of a new low vision rehabilitation program will benefit those developing similar programs. Advancement, though incremental, occurs as lives are enhanced through improved service models. JVIB also publishes articles that facilitate a better understanding of the experiences of people with visual impairments. In this issue, readers can learn about injuries experienced by championship goalball players, cardiometabolic risk factors associated with people with visual impairments, or the changes older adults encounter through dog guide ownership. Although not in themselves a reflection of progress, professionals can use the information included in these articles to identify where services and supports might be targeted to create conditions through which individuals with visual impairments can reach their full potential. The most powerful contribution to this issue focuses on a situation that represents the epitome of a lack of progress. The horrifying treatment of individuals with albinism in Tanzania reported by de Groot highlights how largescale discrimination and stigma related to visual impairment continue unchecked in many parts of the world. She notes that societal attitudes in Tanzania create the greatest threat for people with albinism and that changing the way people think about the abilities of these individuals will be necessary before true progress can be made. Her thoughts mirror the philosophy of members of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), who argue that the low expectations of society limit the ability of people who are blind to achieve their dreams. The original motto of NFB was, “Security, Equality, Opportunity.” So often, researchers address the issues of equality and opportunity, but de Groot’s piece reminds readers that progress toward equality and opportunity can only occur after security is achieved. Work remains to be directed to affecting change in all these areas across the world.