The Department of Energy has put out what is called a Direct Final Rule through the federal register. The rule will go into effect on July 15. However, we do have the opportunity to offer our thoughts and opinions. The process explains that if enough discourse is brought about the new rule, the agency will have to postpone the rule.

The rule will allow entities to make their own decisions when making their buildings 504 compliant. For instance, the rule states that entities should have more flexibility in choosing how to make their buildings accessible for people with disabilities.…

ACB thanks legal counsel, Matt Handley, for this new and exciting update to the Labcorp case.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the appeal brought by Labcorp in the long running case brought by ACB against Labcorp challenging Labcorp’s use of inaccessible check-in kiosks at patient service centers across the country. The case alleges that Labcorp has in recent years eliminated receptionists and now expects patients to sign in on inaccessible tablets. After a federal trial and appellate court permitted the…

The American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program was established in 1982. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) have partnered to offer educational scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for legally blind students attending a technical college or who are an entering freshman, undergraduate or a graduate student. This program awards students with scholarships to help with post-secondary education financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board and other additional costs associated with adaptive technology.…

On Monday, June 2, Claire Stanley, the Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs for ACB, attended a budget oversight hearing for the District of Columbia’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment. The City Council’s committee is discussing the 2026 budget. ACB and other blind advocacy groups previously spoke at a Council hearing to talk about the potential opportunities that can come from the introduction of autonomous vehicles in the District and other cities across the country. Claire attended this meeting to further emphasize this point;…

ACB is fortunate to interact with numerous advocacy coalitions to remain aware of advocacy occurring in Washington, D.C. at the federal level. Claire Stanley, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, often attends housing-related meetings to remain aware of what is happening in the fair housing space. Presently, fair housing groups are advocating to Congress to include appropriate language in the 2026 Congressional budget to ensure access to fair housing. This includes access for people with disabilities. If you would like…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Scott Thornhill

Executive Director

202-467-5081

sthornhill@acb.org

American Council of the Blind Endorses Legislation to Improve Early Childhood Vision Services

Alexandria, Va., May 29, 2025 — The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces its support for two critical pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening early detection and intervention for children with vision impairments: H…

ACB was made aware of a letter submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) this month by the American Council on Education and signed by other higher education associations. The letter asked OMB to delay or provide additional information regarding numerous regulations that were established in the last administration but that have not been fully implemented yet. This list included the Title II ADA regulations that cover website accessibility. Under the new regulations, the regulations are slotted to go into effect on…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Scott Thornhill

Executive Director

202-467-5081

sthornhill@acb.org

ACB Opens Registration for the 2025 Conference and Convention

In late April, oral arguments were heard before the Supreme Court for the Labcorp lawsuit that ACB has been involved in for multiple years now. Many members have asked where they can find a link to the oral argument recording. A link is pasted below. ACB will report out as soon as we learn anything about the Court’s decision.

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Under the new administration, President Trump is working to carry out numerous deregulatory actions. On May 14, a request for information (RFI) was published in the Federal Register inquiring about what regulations under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should be eliminated. It can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/…