About Judith Dixon Writer. Advisor. Lover of braille.

For many years, Dr. Judith Dixon has promoted literacy for blind people in all its forms. She has ben a frequent pioneer in pushing the limits of technology and exploring its benefits for people who are blind. Diagnosed as legally blind at nine days old, she has devoted her life’s work cultivating space for the blind and visually impaired. Her involvement has spanned across decades.

She earned a B.A. from Stetson University, DeLand, Florida in 1974; an M.A. from Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, in 1976; and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology also from Adelphi in 1980.

For 42 years, she worked at the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled within the Library of Congress, working as the authoritative resource on providing equitable library and information services for the print disabled as the Consumer Relations Officer. When the internet exploded at the turn of the 21st century, she was ahead of the curve and quickly realized the need to highlight the importance of media access for tactile readers. Dr. Dixon is a major point of contact between established organizations, universities, libraries, and consumer environments regarding web and print accessibility. She is an expert in the field of braille literacy.

She served as Chair of the Braille Authority of North America from 2007 through 2011 and Secretary of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) from 2008 to 2016. She currently serves as President of ICEB.

She has published numerous professional articles, and edited the volume "Braille into the Next Millennium" published by NLS in 2000. One of her hobbies is writing books for National Braille Press about things that are important to her. These include braille and mobile devices. She has authored or co-authored seventeen titles. Topics include: iPhone photography, audio description, and GPS. She also writes articles for AccessWorld, the technology magazine of the American Foundation for the Blind. A complete list of her books and articles can be found on the Collected Works page of this website.

In her personal time, Dr. Dixon enjoys attending Ski For Light events, held by the non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the visually and mobility impaired how to cross-country ski. In the 1970s and 1980s, she was a competitive skier and participated in the 1980 Paralympic games in Geilo, Norway. In more recent years, she has been an active member of the Board of Directors, holding the office of President for four years, Treasurer for 12 years, and Secretary for 14 years, and has managed all the activities at 11 annual events.

Her love of braille and braille writing devices shines on her website, which showcases her vast collection of braille and tactile writing devices she’s collected from around the world. She is highly technologically savvy, and enjoys using the internet daily with a screen reader and braille display.