American Council of the Blind
53rd Annual Conference and Convention
Theme: ACB: The Real Deal
Audio-Visual Services Sponsored by JP Morgan Chase
Notice: ACB business will be conducted during general sessions, which are held Sunday, July 13, from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM and Monday-Friday, July 14-18, from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. ACB has elected to proceed with such meetings under Section 29-405.20(f) of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporations Code.
Sunday, July 13, Grande Ballroom A
6:30 PM: Entertainment: Bell Choir, Blind Center of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
7:00 PM: Call to Order: Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind, Watertown, MA
- Invocation: Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ, Chairman/CEO, Xavier Society for the Blind, New York, NY
- Presentation of Colors: Scottish American Military Society, Commander Tim Dowd, Las Vegas, NV
- "The Star-Spangled Banner": Niki White, Las Vegas, NV
- Welcome to Las Vegas: Rick Kuhlmey, president, Nevada Council of the Blind, co-chair local host committee, Las Vegas, NV
7:25 PM: President's Report - Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind, Watertown, MA
7:45 PM: Double Diamond Sponsor Presentation, Kate Holland, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Washington, DC
8:00 PM: ACB Life Membership Presentations: Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind, Watertown, MA
8:20 PM: Tribute and Appreciation "On the Other Side": A Song of Thanks and Remembrance of Brenda Dillon, performed by Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN
8:35 PM: ACB First-Timers: Allen Casey, Chair, Durward K. McDaniel First-timers Committee, Graham, NC
8:50 PM: First Credentials Committee Report: Jean Mann, Chair, Albany, NY
9:00 PM: Resolutions Process: Mark Richert, Chair, ACB Resolutions Committee, Arlington, VA
9:05 PM: Roll Call of Affiliates: Ray Campbell, ACB Secretary, Glen Ellyn, IL
Monday, July 14, Grande Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Aarius White, Pianist, Las Vegas, NV
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: George Holliday, ACB Board of Directors, Philadelphia, PA
Invocation: Pastor Marvin Gant, Central Christian Church, Las Vegas, NV
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
- Ruby Sponsor Presentation: Patrick Wallace, Vice President, Global Sales, HumanWare
- Emerald Sponsor Presentation: Amy Furash, ADA National Coordinator, JPMorgan Chase
- Final Credentials Report: Jean Mann, Albany, NY.
- Adoption of Standing Rules and Program: Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind, Watertown, MA
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Chair, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Indianapolis, IN
- Presiding Officer, Jeff Thom, ACB First Vice President, Sacramento, CA
9:15 AM: Presentation of Affiliate Membership Growth Awards: Rochelle Hart, Sioux Falls, SD, Co-Chair, ACB Awards Committee.
Presentation of Ned E. Freeman, Vernon Henley and Hollis Liggett Awards: Denise Colley, Chair, ACB Board of Publications, Lacey, WA
9:40 AM: A Glimpse of the History of Nevada: Mark Hall-Patton, Administrator, Clark County Museum System, Las Vegas, NV
10:00 AM: Break
10:15 AM: Update Report on Accessible Tactile Currency: Dawn R. Haley, Senior Advisor to the Director, Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), Washington, DC
10:45 AM: Developments and Progress at NLS: Karen Keninger, Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC
11:20 AM: QuickBooks Accessibility: Albert J. Rizzi, Founder and CEO, My Blind Spot, Inc., New York, NY; and Lori Samuels, Accessibility Program Manager, Intuit Inc., Menlo Park, CA
11:45 AM: ACB Recreation Zone: Oral Miller, ACB Past President, Washington, DC
11:55 AM: Announcements
Tuesday July 15, Grande Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Guitars: Ivan Delgado, Arthur Jones, Tish Koch, Gary Lamph, Gustavo Covarrubias, Las Vegas, NV
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Visually Impaired Veterans of America
Invocation: Rev. Ian R. Riddell, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Las Vegas, NV
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
- Emerald Sponsor presentation: Eve Andersson, Google Accessibility Engineering and Product Manager—Core Team
- Ruby Sponsor presentation, Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President, Comcast Accessibility, Philadelphia, PA
- ACB Nominating Committee Report: Mike Godino, Chair, Malverne, NY
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Indianapolis, IN
- Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
- Presiding Officer: Marlaina Lieberg, ACB Second Vice President, Burien, WA
9:10 AM: 2014 ACB Scholarship Presentations: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, Scholarship Committee, Missouri City, TX
10:15 AM: Break
10:30 AM: Tuning in for What's New at Comcast: Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President, Comcast Accessibility, Philadelphia, PA
11:00 AM: Accessibility News from Microsoft: Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
11:30 AM: Update on ACB's Audio Description Project: Joel Snyder, Director, Audio Description Project and President, Audio Description Associates, Takoma Park, MD; and Dan Spoone, Chair, Audio Description Project Steering Committee, Orlando, FL
11:55 AM: Announcements
Wednesday, July 16, Grande Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: William Benjamin, Tallahassee, Florida, piano.
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Carol Ann Ewing, ACB Life Member, Las Vegas, NV
Invocation: Shadow Hills Baptist Church, Las Vegas, NV
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Indianapolis, IN
- Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
- Presiding Officer: Ray Campbell, ACB Secretary, Glen Ellyn, IL
9:15 AM: My Life in Books: From Thrones to Moans: The Voice Behind 800 Talking Books, Gabriella Cavallero, Talking Book Publishing Company, Denver, CO
9:45 AM: Cell Phone Technologies: Something for Everyone! Moderator: Brian Charlson, Chair, ACB Information Access Committee, Watertown, MA; Stephen J. McCormack, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Visus Technologies, Los Angeles, CA; Jennifer Crutchfield, Manager of Corporate Responsibility – Social Lead, Sprint, San Francisco, CA; Odin Mobile: Joseph A. Martini, Director of Assistive Technology, Perkins Products, Watertown, MA
10:15 AM: Break
10:30 AM: Accessibility to Prescription Drug Information: Devices and Approaches, Moderator: Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, Arlington, VA; Mitch Pomerantz, ACB Immediate Past President, Pasadena, CA; Lainey Feingold, Attorney for Structured Negotiations with CVS.COM and Walgreens, Berkeley, CA; En-Vision America, David Raistrick, Vice President, Normal, IL; AccessaMed Inc., Chad Hazen, Director of Community Outreach, Vancouver, WA; AudibleRx, Dr. Steve Leuck, Pharm. D., Owner/President, Santa Cruz, CA
11:00 AM: ACB Business
11:55 AM: Announcements
Thursday, July 17, Grande Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Nancy Pendegraph, Huntsville, AL, piano.
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: 2014 DKM First-Timers
Carol McGhee, Morgantown, WV, and Steve Fiksdal, Auburn, WA
Invocation: Janis Riceberg, Midhar Kodash Temple, Henderson, NV
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
- Ruby Sponsor Presentation: Randy Smith, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources Counsel, Regal Entertainment Group
- Ruby Sponsor Presentation: Jeffrey A. Kramer, Executive Director, Public Policy, Strategic Alliance, Verizon
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Indianapolis, IN
- Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
- 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, Saint Paul, MN
10:15 AM: Break
10:30 AM: Report on the ACB Walk and Auction: Dan Spoone, ACB Board of Directors, Orlando, FL; Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN, Co-chairs, ACB Resource Development Committee; and Leslie Spoone, Chair, ACB Auction Subcommittee, Orlando, FL
11:00 AM: Treasurer's Report: Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY
11:15 AM: ACBES Report: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, ACB Enterprises and Services, Missouri City, TX
11:35 AM: ACB Business
11:55 AM: Announcements
Friday, July 18, Grande Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Karen Eitel, Kingwood, TX, piano.
8:30 AM: Pledge of Allegiance: Janet Dickelman, Convention Coordinator and ACB Board of Directors, St. Paul, MN
Invocation: Rev. James Kasalo, American Catholic Iglesia Cristo Rey, Las Vegas, NV
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
- ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
- Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Indianapolis, IN
- Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
10:00 AM: Elections
10:30 AM: Break
10:45 AM: Elections (continued)
12:00 Noon: Lunch Break
1:30 PM: ACB Business
2:45 PM: Break
3:00 PM: Old/New Business
5:00 PM: Adjourn
5:30 PM: ACB Life Member Reception, Grande G
6:30 PM: Top of the Riv, Pre-banquet entertainment: Allison and Michael Smitherman, piano and voice, Jackson, MS
7:00 PM: ACB Banquet: Top of the Riv
- Master of Ceremonies: Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind, Watertown, MA
- Invocation: Rick Kuhlmey, Las Vegas, NV
- Banquet Speaker: “Waging the Battle for Accessibility –Lessons from the Front Lines in Canada,” David Lepofsky, Attorney, disability rights community organizer and advocate, Chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Presentation of Awards: Rochelle Hart, Co-Chair, Awards Committee, Sioux Falls, SD