Anil Lewis

Anil Lewis, blind at age 25 due to retinitis pigmentosa, is the executive director for Blindness Initiatives for the National Federation of the Blind, located in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been employed as a Braille and assistive technology instructor, a job development/placement specialist, developed and managed a job placement program for people with disabilities as the manager of the Disability Employment Initiative with Randstad Staffing, worked for the Georgia Client Assistance Program (CAP) as a counselor/advocate, and joined the national staff of the National Federation of the Blind in 2010. While serving as the director of Advocacy and Policy for the NFB, Lewis was responsible for a variety of public policy and strategic programs. Most notably, he was the legislative lead of the NFB’s efforts to repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, an obsolete provision that allows employers to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. Currently employed as the executive director of Blindness Initiatives for the National Federation of the Blind, Lewis leads a dynamic team of individuals responsible for the creation, development, implementation, and replication of innovative projects and programs throughout a nationwide network of affiliates that work to positively affect the education, employment, and quality of life of all blind people. Lewis has dedicated his life to serving as an advocate and mentor to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for all people with disabilities. He was appointed by Governor Barnes as a board member and served as president of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) of Georgia, elected president of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia, served as the founding chairman of the board of directors of the Disability Law and Policy Center (DLPC) of Georgia, elected to the NFB national board of directors, appointed by governor Hogan as a board member and served as chairperson of the Maryland Statewide Rehabilitation Council, served as a board member of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), and appointed by President Obama as a member of the Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled, known as the U.S. AbilityOne Commission.