Andrew Leibs is a longtime chronicler of the Disability Movement and an award-winning author of three books and over 3,000 articles with a particular interest in technology that makes communication and reading more accessible.
Leibs' first book, A Field Guide for the Sight-Impaired Reader (Greenwood Press) explored technologies that blind and visually impaired students can use to develop a world of reading. Many of the solutions Leibs profiled are becoming popular among readers with many types of learning and print disabilities. Leibs' writings on assistive technology, accessibility, and disability have appeared in: The Boston Globe,Careers & the DisABLED, Dialogue, Disability Studies Quarterly, Exceptional Parent, Learning Ally's Teacher's Aide, San Francisco Examiner, and on Suite101.com
Leibs earned a Bachelor's in English from St. John's University in Jamaica, New York. He attended graduate school at the University of New Hampshire, where he earned a Master of Arts in Writing. The difference-maker in Leibs' education was access to audiobooks. A membership in Recording for the Blind (now Learning Ally) turned Leibs into an honor student by making thousands of books accessible —a crucial aid for one who is visually impaired.
Most people don't realize the opportunities digital technology has created over the past 20 years for persons with disabilities. I'm constantly looking for products and services that make life easier. Yet technology moves so fast, new solutions often take me by surprise. There's nothing more satisfying than sharing discoveries with those who can benefit from them the most. There are innovative companies, generous foundations, proven programs, and a growing disability community online. The challenge—and joy—is finding ways to connect people with empowering solutions.
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