American Council of the Blind
52nd Annual Conference and Convention
Theme: ACB: Discovering New Worlds
Audio-Visual Services Sponsored by Google
Saturday, July 6, Regency Ballroom
6:30 PM: Entertainment: Bob Allen Prahin, piano, Columbus, OH
7:00 PM: Call to Order: Mitch Pomerantz, President, American Council of the Blind, Pasadena, CA
Invocation: Laurie Clark, Pastor, St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Columbus, OH
- Presentation of Colors: Pack 488, Webelos Den 10, Delaware County, OH
- "The Star-Spangled Banner": Barbara Liszniewski, Cincinnati, OH
- Welcome to Columbus: Vicky Prahin, Chair, Local Host Committee, Columbus, OH; Linda Wyman, Immediate Past President, ACB of Ohio, Worthington, OH
7:20 PM: President's Report: Mitch Pomerantz, Pasadena, CA
7:45 PM: Welcome to Columbus: Michael Coleman, Mayor, Columbus, OH
7:55 PM: 75 Years Serving Blind Persons in Spain: Miguel Carballeda, President, Organizacion Nacional de Ciegos Espana (ONCE), Madrid, Spain
8:25 PM: Diamond Sponsor Presentation, Gabrielle Thibodeau, Vanda Pharmaceuticals
8:40 PM: ACB First-Timers: Allen Casey, Chair, Durward K. McDaniel First-timers' Committee, Graham, NC
8:50 PM: ACB Life Membership Presentations: Mitch Pomerantz
9:05 PM: Diamond Sponsor Presentation, Pratik Patel, Founder and CEO, EZ Fire
9:20 PM: First Credentials Committee Report: Jean Mann, Chair, Albany, NY
9:30 PM: Roll Call of Affiliates: Marlaina Lieberg, ACB Secretary, Burien, WA
Sunday, July 7, Regency Ballroom
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Lori Woodall, Felicity, OH; and Terry Olandese, Cincinnati, OH
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Rob Rogers, ACB life member, Cincinnati, OH
Invocation: Fr. John Sheehan, Xavier Society for the Blind, New York, NY
8:40 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
- Final Credentials Report: Jean Mann
- Adoption of Standing Rules and Program: Mitch Pomerantz
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Chair, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Indianapolis, IN
- Presiding Officer, Kim Charlson, ACB First Vice President, Watertown, MA
9:15 AM: Presentation of Affiliate Membership Growth Award: Cindy Van Winkle, Chair, Awards Committee, Bremerton, WA
Presentation of Ned E. Freeman, Vernon Henley and Hollis Liggett Awards: Paul Edwards, Chair, ACB Board of Publications, Miami, FL
9:40 AM: ACB and the World Blind Union, A New Partnership: Enrique Perez, Second Vice President, World Blind Union, Madrid, Spain
10:10 AM: Break
10:25 AM: Update on WIPO's Efforts to Address the Global Book Famine: Justin Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of Commerce, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, Washington, DC
10:55 AM: A Year of Progress at NLS: Karen Keninger, Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC
11:25 AM: All About Our Host City: Luke Stedke, Manager of Communications and Marketing, Ohio State House, Columbus, OH
11:45 AM: ACB Recreation Zone: Oral Miller, ACB Past President, Washington, DC
11:55 AM: Announcements
Monday July 8, Regency Ballroom
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band, Columbus, OH
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Visually Impaired Veterans of America
Invocation: Dan Turis, Pastor, Good Samaritan Reform Church, Gahanna, OH
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman
- Ruby Sponsor Presentation: Dominic Gagliano, Vice President, Sales USA, HumanWare
- ACB Nominating Committee Report: Patrick Sheehan, Chair, Silver Spring, MD
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman
- Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Resolutions Committee, Arlington, VA
- Presiding Officer: Brenda Dillon, ACB Second Vice President, Hermitage, TN
9:15 AM: 2013 ACB Scholarship Presentations: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, Scholarship Committee, Missouri City, TX
10:30 AM: Break
10:45 AM: Hearing From the New RSA Chief: Janet LaBreck, Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Washington, DC
11:10 AM: ACB's Influential Seat at the Table with the World's Largest Tech Companies: Eric Bridges, ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Arlington, VA
11:35 AM: The FCC's Deaf-Blind Equipment Program: Jerry Berrier, Manager, Rhode Island and Massachusetts National Deaf-Blind Equipment Program, Watertown, MA
11:55 AM: Announcements
Tuesday, July 9, Regency Ballroom
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Genene Blackwell, Westerville, OH
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Jenine and Kent Stanley, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Columbus, OH
Invocation: Rabbi Michael Ungar, Congregation Beth Israel, Columbus, OH
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman
- Constitution and Bylaws, Resolutions
- Presiding Officer: Marlaina Lieberg, ACB Secretary, Burien, WA
9:15 AM: The Voice Behind 600 Talking Books: Gregory Gorton, Potomac Talking Book Services, Inc., Bethesda, MD
9:45 AM: Accessible Prescription Drug Labels in Our Future: Panel Moderator, Mitch Pomerantz, Pasadena, CA; Mark Richert, Director of Public Policy, American Foundation for the Blind, Washington, DC; Annette Carter, Representative, Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, Clovis, CA; Susan Crawford, US Access Board Working Group Facilitator, US Access Board, Washington, DC
10:25 AM: Break
10:40 AM: Access to Television, A Reality: Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President, Comcast Accessibility, Philadelphia, PA
11:10 AM: Update on ACB's Audio Description Project: Joel Snyder, President, Audio Description Associates, Takoma Park, MD
11:40 AM: ACB Business
11:55 AM: Announcements
Wednesday, July 10, Regency Ballroom
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Bob Allen Prahin, Columbus, OH
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Frank Ventura, West Roxbury, MA; and Guillermo Robles, Los Angeles CA, 2013 DKM First-Timers
Invocation: Tim Mueller, Pastor, Ascension Lutheran Church, Columbus, OH
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman
- Constitution and Bylaws, Resolutions
- Presiding Officer: Carla Ruschival, ACB Treasurer, Louisville, KY
9:15 AM: Executive Director's Report: Melanie Brunson, Arlington, VA
9:45 AM: National Conference and Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, Chair, Convention Committee, Minneapolis, MN
10:15 AM: Break
10:30 AM: Treasurer's Report: Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY
10:50 AM: ACBES Report: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, ACB Enterprises and Services, Missouri City, TX
11:10 AM: Report on the ACB Walk and Auction: Dan Dillon, Co-chair, Resource Development Committee, Hermitage, TN; Leslie Spoone, Chair, Auction Subcommittee, Orlando, FL
11:35 AM: ACB Business
11:55 AM: Announcements
Thursday, July 11, Regency Ballroom
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Roger Bacus, Columbus, OH
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Carolyn Burley, ACB life member, Canton, OH
Invocation: Ron Willman, Chaplain, Mt. Carmel Medical Center, Columbus, OH
8:35 AM: ACB Business: ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman
9:00 AM: Resolutions
10:00 AM: Elections
10:30 AM: Break
10:45 AM: Elections (cont’d.)
12:00 Noon: Lunch Break
1:15 PM: ACB Business
2:45 PM: Break
3:00 PM: Old/New Business
5:00 PM: Adjourn
5:30 PM: ACB Life Member Reception, Taft C
6:30 PM: Pre-banquet entertainment; Franklin
Don Haines, piano, Columbus, OH
7:00 PM: ACB Banquet: $32 ($35), Franklin
Master of Ceremonies: Janet Dickelman, Minneapolis, MN
Invocation: Lynn Robinson, Pastoral Care Minister, Asbury Methodist Church North, Columbus, OH
Take a Walk on the Appalachian Trail: Mary Hiland, former executive director, ACB of Ohio, Columbus, OH
Presentation of Awards: Cindy Van Winkle, Bremerton, WA