Helen Keller Services

10/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point for the 2026 AccessAbility Awards.

As the afternoon made clear, accessibility is not a privilege. It is a fundamental right.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees: Canon U.S.A., Dot Inc., The Indianapolis Public Library Michigan Road Branch, OXO, and Rylo. Through groundbreaking technology, universal design, and a library that puts accessibility into daily practice, each is making life more accessible for people who are blind, have low vision, or are DeafBlind, and for the broader disability community. Because no two people’s needs are the same, their work begins by listening to the people it serves.

We were honored to have Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and New York State Assemblyman Daniel Norber present citations to the honorees. Thank you as well to the honoree teams who traveled to be with us, and to the HKS staff and interpreters who made the afternoon possible.

Learn more about this year’s honorees: www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards

Image description:
A group photo at the 2026 AccessAbility Awards at the Helen Keller National Center. Two screens behind the group read “Welcome to the 2026 AccessAbility Awards: Celebrating organizations advancing accessibility for people who are blind, DeafBlind, or have low vision,” above the logos of Canon, Dot, The Indianapolis Public Library, OXO, and Rylo. From left: Helen Keller Services Accessibility Specialist Megan Dausch with her yellow Labrador guide dog; three representatives of the 2026 AccessAbility Award honorees; Sue Ruzenski, CEO of Helen Keller Services; Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena; two more honoree representatives; and New York State Assemblyman Daniel Norber.



Canon USA Dot Inc. Indianapolis Public Library Rylo OXO

10/08/2026

Rounding out this year's five AccessAbility Award recipients is Canon U.S.A., Inc., honored for printing technology that turns visual imagery into an experience people can explore through touch.

Photographs, illustrations, and other visual content usually reach people only through sight. Canon's technology produces finely detailed tactile renderings of that imagery, so people who are blind, have low vision, or are DeafBlind can engage with it meaningfully.

Large-format tactile prints let a person follow an image with their hands, from the outline of an animal to the texture of its skin. The work shows how print can make visual storytelling accessible to everyone.

Congratulations to our Long Island neighbors at Canon U.S.A. and the entire team behind this work. We look forward to celebrating with you at the AccessAbility Awards on October 9.

Meet all five 2026 recipients at www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards

Image description: A Helen Keller Services graphic announcing Canon U.S.A., Inc. as a 2026 AccessAbility Award recipient. The Helen Keller Services logo sits in the top left, above the words "AccessAbility Award" in large white text and "2026 Recipient." Below, a white panel holds the Canon logo in red lettering. On the right is a large tactile print of a rhinoceros head against a cloudy gray sky, its wrinkled skin rendered in raised texture. A child's hand in a sage green sleeve and an adult's hand with dark red nails and a ring rest on the print and explore its surface.

| Canon USA

10/07/2026

Among this year's five AccessAbility Award recipients is OXO, honored for a decades-long commitment to universal design in everyday household products.

It started with a peeler. Since then, OXO has designed tools to work for the widest range of people. Angled measuring cups, one-handed POP containers, locking tongs, and jar openers made for limited hand strength are all intuitive, comfortable, and low effort by design.

OXO tests its products with members of the disability community, including through Day Undefined, and has a long relationship with the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The result is design that serves people with arthritis, limited grip strength, or dexterity challenges, and works better for everyone.

Congratulations to everyone at OXO who has carried this commitment forward for more than 35 years. We look forward to celebrating with you at the AccessAbility Awards on October 9.

Meet all five 2026 recipients at www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards

Image description:
A graphic announcing OXO as a 2026 AccessAbility Award recipient, featuring a large black OXO vegetable peeler lying diagonally across a wooden tabletop. It has a ridged handle marked with the OXO logo, and its metal blade points toward the top right corner. The Helen Keller Services logo sits in the top left, above the words "AccessAbility Award" in large white text and "2026 Recipient." Below, a white panel holds the OXO logo, white letters inside a red oval.

| OXO

10/06/2026

Helen Keller Services is proud to recognize Rylo, formerly Nagish, as one of five 2026 AccessAbility Award recipients, honored for building private, real-time communication technology for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Rylo's AI-powered platform removes barriers to communication in personal, professional, and public settings, and it meets the highest regulatory and privacy standards.

What sets Rylo apart is who shapes the product. The team considers accessibility throughout design and development, tests and improves its products regularly, and builds in feedback from the Deaf, DeafBlind, hard-of-hearing, and speech-disabled communities it serves.

As Head of Community Matt Sherman put it, "the people who experience communication barriers firsthand should have a voice in shaping the solutions designed to address them."

Congratulations to Matt and the entire Rylo team. We look forward to celebrating with you at the AccessAbility Awards on October 9.

Meet all five 2026 recipients at www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards

Image description: A Helen Keller Services graphic set against a warm, softly lit photo of a tabletop. The Helen Keller Services logo sits in the top left, above the words "AccessAbility Award" in large white text and "2026 Recipient." Below, a white panel holds the Rylo logo, an orange symbol beside the word "Rylo." On the right, a smartphone in an orange case lies on a cream tablecloth. Its screen shows the Rylo app with a live caption reading "I'm so proud of you." An older person's hand rests on the table beside the phone, near a pair of round wooden salt and pepper shakers.

| Rylo

10/05/2026

The Michigan Road Branch of The Indianapolis Public Library is one of five 2026 Helen Keller Services AccessAbility Award recipients, recognized for showing what accessible employment and community access look like in practice.

At Michigan Road, DeafBlind employees and employees with disabilities have what they need to do their jobs and belong on the team. ASL interpretation covers trainings and team meetings, and social gatherings too. Everyday workplace technology is customized with its built-in accessibility features, and colleagues learn basic ASL so they can communicate directly.

That same commitment reaches patrons, with interpreters at a wide range of library events and staff ready to help with the accessibility features on the devices people use every day.

Congratulations to branch manager Bethany Allison and the entire Michigan Road team. We look forward to celebrating with you at the AccessAbility Awards on October 9.

Meet all five 2026 recipients at www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards

Image description: A graphic announcing The Indianapolis Public Library's Michigan Road Branch as a 2026 AccessAbility Award recipient. The Helen Keller Services logo sits in the top left, above the words "AccessAbility Award" in large white text and "2026 Recipient." Below, a white panel holds The Indianapolis Public Library logo in bright blue. In the background is the branch on a sunny day: a modern stone and glass building behind a lawn and trees, with a dark sign in the foreground reading "The Indianapolis Public Library, Michigan Road Branch.

10/02/2026

Helen Keller Services is proud to recognize Dot Inc. as one of five 2026 AccessAbility Award recipients, honored for advancing tactile access to digital information through Dot Pad X.

Maps, charts, diagrams, and images are often presented only visually. Dot Pad X combines multiline refreshable braille with tactile graphics in one portable device, so people who are blind and DeafBlind can explore that content through touch, from classroom materials and workplace documents to data visualizations.

With Dot Pad X, a person who is DeafBlind can explore what the icons on a smartphone look like, feel a tactile graph, or read a full page of braille without constantly panning a single-line display. The result is more independence in learning, work, and everyday life.

Members of our community have experienced the technology firsthand. The Dot team led a breakout session at Tech Blitz, the assistive technology showcase at Helen Keller National Center.

Congratulations to co-founders Eric Ju Yoon Kim and Ki Kwang Sung and the entire Dot team. We look forward to celebrating with you at the AccessAbility Awards on October 9.

Meet all five 2026 recipients at www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards

Image description: A Helen Keller Services graphic with a soft mauve background. White text reads "AccessAbility Award" and "2026 Recipient," with the Dot logo in a white box below. On the right, a young girl with dark braided pigtails and a white floral dress smiles broadly with her eyes squeezed shut. She holds up a Dot Pad, a black tablet with a large grid of tactile pins and a row of braille cells along the bottom.

09/30/2026

Helen Keller Services is proud to name the 2026 AccessAbility Award recipients. These five honorees are proving that accessibility is a decision about who belongs.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., for printing technology that turns visual imagery into tactile experiences.

Dot Inc., for Dot Pad X, which brings multiline refreshable braille and tactile graphics together in one portable device.

The Indianapolis Public Library's Michigan Road Branch, for a workplace where DeafBlind employees and employees with disabilities belong on the team.

OXO, for more than 35 years of universal design in everyday tools.

Rylo, for private, real-time communication technology shaped by the Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard-of-hearing communities.

Their work creates more inclusive experiences for people with disabilities, with particular impact for people who are blind, have low vision, or are DeafBlind.

Congratulations to all five of this year's honorees. We look forward to celebrating them in person at our AccessAbility Awards ceremony on October 9 at the Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, NY.

Press release: https://www.helenkeller.org/2026-accessability-awards/

Link image description:
A Helen Keller Services banner. The upper portion is deep navy blue, with the Helen Keller Services logo at top left. Below it, in large white letters: "Announcing the 2026 AccessAbility Award Recipients." Beneath that, in smaller type: "Celebrating organizations advancing accessibility for people who are blind, DeafBlind, or have low vision." Faint blue-toned photos sit behind the text: a man wearing a hearing aid, seated at a computer, and below him a person walking with a guide dog in harness and a white cane, the words GUIDE DOG visible on the harness. Two photos are stacked on the right: in the top photo, a man with a beard and a blue hoodie listens to a phone held close to his ear, smiling slightly; in the bottom photo, a woman with long hair and a purple fleece stands on a train platform holding a white cane, a blue and yellow train behind her. A white band across the bottom holds the five recipient logos, left to right: Canon, Dot, The Indianapolis Public Library, OXO, and Rylo.

Canon USA Dot Inc. Indianapolis Public Library OXO Rylo

Helen Keller Services names Canon U.S.A., Dot Inc., The Indianapolis Public Library, OXO, and Rylo as its 2026 AccessAbility Award recipients.

09/21/2026

That's a wrap on Helen's 5K Run/Walk 2026.

This morning at Sands Point, runners and walkers of all ages came out for communication access and independence for individuals who are DeafBlind, and a little rain didn't slow anyone down.

Thank you to everyone who ran, walked, volunteered, and cheered, and a big shout-out to our virtual participants completing their 5K in their own communities this week. Thank you to Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte and Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena for joining us, and to all the sponsors and community partners who made the day possible.

Every step today moves Helen Keller Services' mission forward: empowering individuals who are DeafBlind, blind, or have low vision to live, work, and thrive in the communities they call home.

News 12 was on the course. Full photo gallery and coverage coming soon. Stay tuned.

Image description: A crowd of runners and walkers fills the indoor staging area before Helen's 5K Run/Walk, many wearing race bibs, rain ponchos, and blue event shirts. Several participants hold white canes, and a black guide dog in a yellow harness rests on the floor at the left. A News 12 camera on a tripod stands in the center. Helen's 5K RunWalk 2026 and Helen Keller Services logos overlay the photo.

09/18/2026

The lineup is set. Four leaders shaping disability employment across the country join us for Helen Keller Services' 6th Annual NDEAM Webinar.

Dina Grilo, Deputy Head of the Office of Disability Affairs at JPMorganChase, where she helps drive one of corporate America's most established disability inclusion strategies.

Kirk Adams, PhD, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Diversity & Inclusion and former President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind.

Kathy West-Evans, MPA, CRC, Co-Owner of Abilities United Consulting, who spent 21 years leading business relations for the public Vocational Rehabilitation system nationwide.

Michael MacKillop, Executive Director of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind and Chair of the NCSAB Careers & Business Relations Committee.

They'll share their professional stories, along with practical strategies for hiring, retaining, and advancing employees with disabilities, including individuals who are DeafBlind, blind, or have low vision. Who can benefit? VR professionals, employers, service providers, educators, and the entire disability community.

Wednesday, October 14, 2026
2:00 to 3:30 PM ET
Free and fully accessible

Read their full bios and register: https://www.helenkeller.org/events/ndeam-webinar-2026

Image Description:
A graphic on a dark blue background announcing Helen Keller Services' 6th Annual NDEAM Webinar, October 14, 2026, 2:00-3:30 PM ET. Headshots of the four speakers appear in a grid with their names and titles: Dina Grilo, Kirk Adams, Kathy West-Evans, and Michael MacKillop. Text below reads "Spotlight conversations with national leaders on disability employment, plus live Q&A" and "Register at helenkeller.org/events/ndeam-webinar-2026."

09/11/2026

A few weeks ago, Andrew, a participant in HKNC's first three-week DeafBlind Immersion Experience, put on an apron at Jersey Mike's in Plainview, NY and got to work: prepping lettuce, wrapping subs, and bagging fresh-baked cookies alongside the crew.

The visit built on skills from earlier this summer, when the Jersey Mike's team came to our Sands Point campus for a two-day demo with participants in our Summer Youth Vocational Program.

The DeafBlind Immersion Experience provides intensive, person-centered experiences for individuals who are DeafBlind with complex support needs, delivered alongside their families and support teams. For youth participants, DBIE emphasizes hands-on exploration of vocational pathways, which is exactly what Andrew's time at Jersey Mike's put into practice.

On your next visit to Jersey Mike's Plainview, look for the tactual sub sandwich artwork hanging on the wall. HKNC participants created it as a thank-you to the team.

Thank you to Jersey Mike's Plainview for opening your doors, and to everyone who made this experience possible.

Image descriptions:

Image 1
This image shows Andrew behind the counter at Jersey Mike's in Plainview. He wears a Jersey Mike's cap, a blue shirt, a navy apron, and food-prep gloves, and holds a sub wrapped in branded paper. A Jersey Mike's team member in uniform stands beside him. Shelves of branded bags and kitchen equipment fill the background.

Image 2
This image shows Andrew in the Jersey Mike's kitchen wearing a cap, blue shirt, navy apron, and gloves. He lifts a head of lettuce from a large case of fresh lettuce in front of him. A team member works at a station to his right, and food-prep signage lines the walls.

Image 3
This image shows Andrew and a Jersey Mike's team member standing over a baking tray of cookies in the shop kitchen. Both wear gloves as they place cookies into small bags. Kitchen equipment, including a meat slicer, is visible behind them.

Image 4
This image shows Andrew wrapping a sub in Jersey Mike's paper at a long wooden table on the HKNC campus. A Jersey Mike's team member in uniform and apron wraps a sub beside him. Condiment bottles, wrapping paper, and branded bags cover the table.

Image 5
This image shows a large group of Summer Youth Vocational Program participants and staff posed behind two long tables in an HKNC campus space. Trays of bread, sandwich ingredients, and condiments cover the tables. At the center, a participant holds a colorful tactual artwork of a Jersey Mike's sub. Student artwork hangs on the brick walls behind the group.

Image 6
This image shows a framed tactual artwork of a Jersey Mike's sub hanging on a light green tiled wall inside the Plainview shop. The sub is built from layered materials, with raised seeds on the roll, and rests on crumpled Jersey Mike's wrapping paper over a red checkered cloth. The words Jersey Mike's appear above the sub in white lettering

| Jersey Mike's Subs