VRATE 2017
Vision Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Expo
Vision Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Expo
"Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things"
The 21st Annual VRATE Expo will be held on Friday, November 17th, 2017 at the Glendale Civic Center from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Mark your calendar now
VRATE 2017 is free to attend. Pre-Register On-Line to avoid the lines or you may register when you arrive at VRATE. Looking forward to seeing you there.
REGISTER TODAY!
Kirk Adams is the president and chief executive officer of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). A
preeminent leader in the field of blindness, Adams joined AFB in 2016 as its sixth chief executive. He is a
longtime champion of people who are blind or visually impaired and is committed to creating a more
inclusive, accessible world for the more than 20 million Americans with vision loss.
Before joining AFB, Adams served as president and CEO of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., which
provides independence and self-sufficiency through employment for people who are blind. Under
Adams’ management, the Lighthouse expanded to 11 different locations across the nation, increasing
both revenue and the number of its employees, many of whom are blind, deaf-blind, or blind with other
disabilities.
Prior to his chief executive role at the Lighthouse, Adams was general manager of administration and
director of public relations and resource development at the Lighthouse.
Active in his community, Adams was a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Disability Employment
and the Seattle Public Library’s Strategic Plan Advisory Committee. He served on the boards of the
Aerospace Futures Alliance and the Association of Washington Business. He was also the former
treasurer and member of the Board of the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are
Blind.
Adams graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Whitman College
in Walla Walla, Washington. He earned his master’s degree in not-for- profit leadership at Seattle
University in Washington, and is working toward his doctorate in leadership and change at Antioch
University in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Free parking is available.
Multiple dining options nearby