by Janet Dickelman
Are you ready for the 2024 American Council of the Blind conference and convention?
This year’s convention theme, submitted by Tim Stone, is ACB – Where the Sun Shines Bright. Definitely appropriate for Florida, the sunshine state! Thanks to all of you who sent in theme suggestions.
Zoom-only sessions will be held Thursday, June 27 through Saturday, June 29. Then join us in Jacksonville in person or virtually, Friday, July 5 through Friday, July 12th. Opening general session is Sunday, July 7; the exhibit hall will also open that day. Tours will run from Friday through Friday. The banquet will be held on Thursday the 11th.
Continuing Education and Professional Development
Procuring continuing education units or professional development hours is easy.
Registration for the conference and convention will open in May. Discover an amazing array of programs that carry CE and PD hours by visiting acbconvention.org beginning in April. As convention registration approaches, CE and PD sessions will be updated frequently. CE sessions will also be listed in the official conference program or by subscribing to the acbconvention email list as they become available.
To earn continuing education units and professional development hours, you must register for the conference and convention by logging into your member account at members.acb.org and simply purchase the number of Flex Credits you think you will need. When you attend a CE session, a unique code will be announced at the beginning of each session, and another unique code will be announced at the end of the session. Make note of these codes, as well as the session title, date and time, as you will need to include this information when you submit your assessment. If you attend more programs and presentations than you anticipate, just submit reports for all sessions and we will contact you for any additional payment.
By logging into your member site (members.acb.org), you will complete an online assessment and evaluation form for each session or program you attend. There is no longer a deadline for submission of your assessments. Once ACB has validated your assessments, you can log into your member site to print your CE certificate. You are responsible for submitting your certificate to your employer for your professional development hours or to ACVREP for your continuing education credits.
Topics will include but are not limited to employment, technology, health and leisure, orientation and mobility, self-advocacy, braille, low vision, and much more.
Renting a Wheelchair in Jacksonville
If you would like to rent a wheelchair or scooter in Jacksonville, here is the information. They ask that you reserve as soon as possible to make sure your request can be honored.
Rental is for a week, Friday, July 5 through Friday, July 12th, and includes delivery and pick-up from the hotel.
Action Disability Resources, Inc.
(904) 777-1979
https://actiondisabilityresources.com/rental-price-list
Our contact person is Jared.
Wheelchairs:
16- or 18-inch, $100
20-inch, $115
22-inch, $125
Scooters:
3- or 4-wheeled, $125
You will need to pay for the rental with a credit card. Once you have done this, please email me directly so I can also keep a list to ensure everyone receives their items. The wheelchair or scooter will be at the hotel’s front desk under your name.
Upcoming Articles
In the April ACB Braille Forum, read about how to get certified for paratransit, order dog food delivered to your room, and find out all about convention registration.
May and June will feature overviews of what our special-interest affiliates, ACB committees, and business partners have planned in 2024.
Staying in Touch
The conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. If you received updates for the 2023 convention, you do not need to re-subscribe. If you are not subscribed to the list, send a blank e-mail to [email protected].
Hotel Details
Room rates at the Hyatt Riverfront in Jacksonville are $99 per night plus tax. To make reservations online, go to
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/JAXRJ/G-ACOB. If you prefer to make reservations by phone, call (800) 233-1234, and use Code G-ACOB.
For any convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, [email protected].