📅️ July 11, 2025
Unlocking Untapped Talent: Dr. Kirk Adams on the APEX Program and the Future of Inclusive Cybersecurity
GeoCyber Systems, LLC
In a field facing significant talent shortages, Dr. Kirk Adams brought a transformative perspective to our Cyber Connect audience with his session “Unlocking Untapped Talent: The APEX Program and the Future of Inclusive Cybersecurity.” As the immediate past president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind – Helen Keller’s organization – Dr. Adams has dedicated his career to creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. His presentation introduced the groundbreaking APEX program while challenging fundamental assumptions about ability, accessibility, and excellence in cybersecurity.
📅️ May 6, 2025
Unstoppable: How Dr Kirk Adams Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society With Total Blindness
Lucinda Koza | Authority Magazine
As part of our “Unstoppable” series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kirk Adams. Dr. Kirk Adams is a respected voice in the field of disability inclusion and a former CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind. Through his consulting work, he helps major companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft build cultures where accessibility is part of everyday business. As a recognized leader featured in the Apex Program, he brings decades of experience and a deep personal commitment to advancing equity through practical, lasting change.
📅️ January 28, 2025
Institute for Sustainable Diversity & Inclusion (ISDI) Welcomes Dr. Kirk Adams to Board of Directors
Institute for Sustainable Diversity & Inclusion (ISDI) | AT-Newswire.com
The Institute for Sustainable Diversity & Inclusion (ISDI) proudly welcomes Dr. Kirk Adams to its Board of Directors, strengthening its mission to advance workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). A nationally recognized leader in disability inclusion and workforce accessibility, Dr. Adams brings decades of expertise in organizational change, leadership development, and equitable employment strategies. As the former President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and founder of Innovative Impact LLC, he has worked with major corporations to integrate DEI into business strategy. His appointment enhances ISDI’s impact, particularly in expanding accessibility, fostering inclusive leadership, and ensuring sustainable DEI practices. Through initiatives like the Northwest Diversity Learning Series (NWDLS), ISDI continues to equip organizations with the tools to build equitable workplaces.
📅️ January 23, 2025
Dr. Kirk Adams Of Innovative Impact On How To Create More Inclusive Workplaces
Authority Magazine | Medium.com
Creating inclusive workplaces is crucial for any organization that wants to get the most out of its talent. This means creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong, has equal opportunities, is empowered to do their best work, and feels comfortable making requests and contributing ideas. In this series, we asked prominent HR and business leaders about the steps they take to create more inclusive workplaces. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kirk Adams.
📅️ January 7, 2025
Meet Kirk Adams
Bold Journey | BoldJourney.com
We were lucky to catch up with Kirk Adams recently and have shared our conversation below.
📅️ December 19, 2024
The Untapped Resource: How Corporate America Overlooks the Potential of Professionals with Disabilities
Diana Lammerts | TheBusinessInfluencer.co.uk
Corporate America has long championed diversity as a cornerstone of innovation and growth. Yet, despite these proclamations, one segment of the workforce remains conspicuously underrepresented: blind and visually impaired professionals. The exclusion of this group is not merely a social oversight — it is a missed business opportunity.
📅️ November 1, 2024
Dr. Kirk Adams Attends CSAVR and NCSAB 2024 Conferences to Advance Career Pathways for Blind Individuals in Cybersecurity
AT-Newswire.com
Dr. Kirk Adams attended the 2024 CSAVR and NCSAB conferences in Seattle, representing his roles with Novacoast and the Apex Program. While at the conferences, he highlighted the Apex Program’s mission to train blind individuals in cybersecurity, promoting new career pathways in a high-demand field. He also met with representatives from the Texas Workforce Commission and New York’s Commission for the Blind to discuss expanding cybersecurity training access, including recent vendor approval for Apex in New York. Dr. Adams continues to foster collaborations with organizations like Vibrant Works, aiming to transition more blind individuals into cybersecurity careers and enhance employment accessibility across the U.S.
📅️ October 10, 2024
Closing the Employment Gap — How Local Companies Are Missing Out on Disability Inclusion
Dianna Lammerts | MiamiShoot.com
Miami is known for its booming economy, vibrant culture, and diverse workforce, but there’s a silent issue plaguing many of its businesses: the failure to embrace disability inclusion. Professionals with disabilities represent an untapped talent pool that local companies continue to overlook, leaving these businesses at a competitive disadvantage. This oversight not only highlights a lack of inclusivity but also signifies an economic missed opportunity. However, Miami could lead the way in disability inclusion in the future.
📅️ July 22, 2024
Dr. Kirk Adams Supports Access Information News — World’s Leading Not-For-Profit Weekly Access Newsletter Reaches Over 30K Readers Each Week
Aaron Di Blasi, Publisher | AccessInformationNews.com
Dr. Kirk Adams is a visionary leader, transformative speaker, and lifelong advocate for disability inclusion. With over three decades of experience in advancing accessibility and creating opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, Dr. Adams has become a powerful force for change in the areas of leadership, accessibility, and inclusion. His journey — from navigating vision loss as a young child to becoming a recognized thought leader in disability empowerment — uniquely equips him to help organizations understand, integrate, and champion inclusive practices that benefit all. We are deeply honored that Dr. Adams has chosen to support Access Information News and its mission to provide free weekly news and trends to persons looking for information about living with a specific disability.
📅️ July 17, 2024
Kirk Adams Honored With Henry Viscardi Achievement Award
Antioch University
Kirk Adams ’19 (GSLC, PhD) was recently honored with the prestigious recognition of a 2024 Henry Viscardi Achievement Award. The international award recognizes individuals with disabilities who have demonstrated significant accomplishments and dedication to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities and the overall disability community.
📅️ May 16, 2024
Viscardi Bestows 2024 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards
The Viscardi Center
Dr. Kirk Adams is a professional speaker and the founder of Innovative Impact, focusing on groundbreaking, high-impact projects that accelerate the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce and supercharges a company’s bottom line. Dr. Adams earned his PhD in leadership and change. He is known as a master connector of key decision-makers in government, corporate America, the nonprofit sector, and disability advocates guiding them to create collaborative solutions that have a real impact in increasing the employment of people with disabilities. He was also the President and CEO of The Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle, as well as the American Foundation for the Blind.
📅️ July 2, 2020
Dr. Kirk Adams Ponders How Post-COVID-19 Workplaces Might Better Accommodate Workers with Disabilities
Kirk Adams, CEO, American Foundation for the Blind | AFB.org
In his June 30 HR Dive op-ed “‘A Moment Of Inclusion’: Will The Post-Pandemic Workplace Be More Friendly To People With Disabilities?” AFB’s President and CEO suggests that the work-from-home experience millions of Americans have faced in response to the novel coronavirus might lead to a more inclusive and accessible workplace — whether that be at office or home.
📅️ June 30, 2020
‘A Moment Of Inclusion’: Will The Post-Pandemic Workplace Be More Friendly To People With Disabilities?
Kirk Adams, CEO, American Foundation for the Blind | HRDive.com
The CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind weighs in on flexible work arrangements that have become the norm due to COVID-19.