Skip to main content
ACB Logo

Contrast Options:

black text on default contrast white text on black black text on white yellow text on blue

Text Size:

Text size increase Text size decrease

100%

 
  • Follow us on Facebook by clicking this link, it will redirect to a new page.
  • Follow us on Twitter by clicking this link. It will open in a new page.
  • Find more on our Youtube page. Clicking this link will open a new page.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Nike Air Jordan 1 Blancas y Negras por 64 , 95 € , air jordan 1 mid coconut milk particle grey ps UK 10, Oferta, Envío Gratis
    • Women's shoes - Tommy hilfiger rain boots - Sneakers - Adidas adizero takumi sen 8 shoes legacy indigo turbo sky rush gz0182 , IetpShops - Low shoes
    • nike jordans boys 9 inch shoe outlet list DZ4397 , SBD - 001 Release Date - nike shox swift black hair style 2019
    • adidas base layer tights for boys kids hair buns Black Orange FY3531 Release Date Info , adidas duramo slide g15890 shoes clearance women , IetpShops
    • Λογότυπο Jordan στο πλάι - Silver - IetpShops , Air Jordan 4 (IV) Pure Retro White / Metallic
    • Where To Buy The Off White Air Jordan 4 Sail
    • air jordan 4 black canvas
    • nike air jordan 4 white cement 2016 retro
    • air jordan 14 retro gg hyper pink 654969 028
    • nike sb dunk low green apple DM0807 300 release date
    • Board of Directors
    • Board of Publications
    • Committees & Task Forces
    • History
    • ACB Resolutions
    • Affiliates
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Events
  • Programs & Services
    • ACB Community Events
    • Scholarships
    • Audio Description Project
    • Advocacy & Governmental Affairs
    • ACB Media
    • Convention
    • Membership
  • Resources
    • Jobs
    • ACB Archives
    • Blind / Low Vision Resources
    • Affiliate Resources
    • Peer Support
    • Handbooks / Manuals
    • Products & Services
    • Professional Employment Associations
  • Publications & Media
    • Live Events
    • News
    • Braille Forum
    • Braille Forum Podcast
    • ACB Reports
    • Press Room
    • Videos
  • Support ACB
    • Donate
    • Mini Mall
    • ACB Thrift Stores
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
      • 2001 ACB Board Minutes
        • July 7, 2001, Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 20, 2001, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 6, 2001, Board Meeting Minutes
        • September 22 & 23, 2001, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2002 ACB Board Minutes
        • April 30, 2002, Board Meeting Minutes
        • February 17, 2002, Board Meeting Minutes
        • JUNE 30, JULY 5, 2002, GENERAL SESSION RECORD, 41ST ANNUAL CONVENTION, HOUSTON, TEXAS
        • July 6, 2002, Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • June 29, 2002, Pre-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • March 17, 2002, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 25, 2002, Board Meeting Minutes
        • September 21 & 22, 2002, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2003 ACB Board Minutes
        • April 15, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
        • February 11, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
        • February 16, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
        • February 2, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
        • JULY 5, JULY 11, 2003, GENERAL SESSION RECORD, 42nd ANNUAL CONVENTION, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
        • January 16, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 12, 2003, Post Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 5, 2003, Pre-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • March 4, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 25, 2003, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2004 ACB Board Minutes
        • April 1, 2004, Board Meeting Minutes
        • April 22, 2004, Board Meeting Minutes
        • August 11, September 1, October 6 & October 12, 2004, Board Meeting Minutes
        • February 15 & 16, 2004, Board Meeting Minutes
        • JULY 3, JULY 10, 2004, GENERAL SESSION RECORD, 43rd ANNUAL CONVENTION, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
        • January 14, 2004, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 10, 2004, Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 3, 2004, Pre-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • June 22, 2004, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2005 ACB Board Minutes
        • Convention Standing Rules, Adopted July 4, 2005
        • February 14, 2005, Board Meeting Minutes
        • JULY 2 - JULY 9, 2005, GENERAL SESSION RECORD, 44th ANNUAL CONVENTION, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
        • January 22, & 23, 2005, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 2, 2005, Pre-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 9, 2005, Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • May 11, 2005, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 22, 2005, Board Meeting Minutes
        • October 1 & 2, 2005, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2006 ACB Board Minutes
        • February 20 & 21, 2006, Board Meeting Minutes
        • JULY 8 - JULY 15, 2006, GENERAL SESSION RECORD, 45th ANNUAL CONVENTION, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
        • July 15, 2006, Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 8, 2006, Pre-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • March 30, 2006, Board Meeting Minutes
        • March 6, 2006, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 6, 2006, Board Meeting Minutes
        • September 23 & 24, 2006, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2007 ACB Board Minutes
        • August 2, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes
        • JUNE 30 – JULY 7, 2007, CONVENTION RECORD, 46th ANNUAL CONVENTION, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
        • January 4, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 7, 2007, Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • June 30, 2007, Pre-Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • March 10 – 11, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes
        • May 23, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes
        • October 13, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes
        • October 29, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2008 ACB Board Minutes
        • Convention Record of the 47th annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind
        • February 8 and 9, 2008, Board Meeting Minutes
        • January 2, 2008, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 12, 2008, Post-convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 5, 2008, Pre-convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • June 4, 2008, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 15 - 16, 2008, Board Meeting Minutes
        • October 1, 2008, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2009 ACB Board Minutes
        • December 15, 2009, Board Meeting Minutes
        • February 20, 2009, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 11, 2009, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 4, 2009, Board Meeting Minutes
        • May 21, 2009, Board Meeting Minutes
        • September 12 - 13, 2009, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2010 ACB Board Minutes
        • December 13,2010 Teleconference Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • February 19, 2010, Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 10, 2010, Pre-convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • July 17, 2010, Post Convention Board Meeting Minutes
        • June 9, 2010, Board Meeting Minutes
        • November 6, 2010, Board Meeting Minutes
        • September 22, 2010, Board Meeting Minutes
      • 2011 ACB Board Minutes
        • December 14, 2011 Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • January 11, 2011 Teleconference Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • Mid Year Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • October 1, 2011 Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • Post Convention Meeting of the American Council of the Blind Board of Directors
        • Pre convention Board of Directors Meeting, American Council of the Blind
        • Teleconference Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors, May 5th 2011
      • 2012 Meeting Minutes
        • December 12, 2012 Teleconference Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
        • February 23-24, 2012 Mid Year Board Of Directors Meeting
        • July 14, 2012 Board of Directors Meeting of the American Council of the Blind
        • July 7, 2012 Pre-Convention Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • June 7, 2012 Teleconference Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • May 9, 2012 Teleconference Meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind
        • September 15, 2012 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
      • 2013 Meeting Minutes
        • August 21, 2013 Teleconference Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
        • December 17, 2013 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • February 22, 2013 Mid Year ACB Board of Directors Meeting
        • January 3, 2013 Teleconference Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
        • July 5, 2013 Pre-Convention Board of Directors Meeting
        • Minutes of the American Council of the Blind 2013 Post Convention Board of Directors Meeting
        • October 30, 2013 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • September 28, 2013 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors Minutes
      • 2014 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • December 8th and 9th, 2014 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • February 21, 2014 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • January 30, 2014 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • July 12, 2014 Pre-Convention ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • July 19, 2014 Post-Convention ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • June 9, 2014 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • November 13, 2014 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • October 17 and 18, 2014 ACB Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
      • 2015 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • December 3 and 10, 2015 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
        • February 21, 2015, Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
        • July 4, 2015 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
        • October 30-31, 2015 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
      • 2016 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES
        • AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES
        • American Council of the Blind Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • February 27, 2016 Meeting of the ACB Board of Directors
      • 2017 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • Meeting Minutes Aug 22, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes Feb 25, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes Jun 30, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes Nov 27, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes Oct 27, 2017
      • 2018 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • American Council of the Blind Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
        • Board of Directors Meeting Minutes June 29, 2018
        • Board of Directors Minutes Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2018
        • Board of Directors Minutes Oct. 5-6, 2018
      • 2019 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • Meeting Minutes August 22, 2019
        • Meeting Minutes Feb. 23, 2019
        • Meeting Minutes July 5, 2019
        • Meeting Minutes Nov 11 and 18, 2019
        • Meeting Minutes: Oct. 18 and 19, 2019
      • 2020 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
        • Meeting Minutes Apr 23, 2020
        • Meeting Minutes Feb 22, 2020
        • Meeting Minutes Jan 23, 2020
        • Meeting Minutes Mar 30, 2020
      • 2021 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
      • 2022 ACB Board of Directors Minutes
      • John McCann for ACB Board of Directors
    • Board of Publications
      • 2009 Board of Publications Minutes
        • April 6, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • February 20, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • January 5, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • July 5, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • March 2, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • November 2, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • September 14, 2009, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • 2010 Board of Publications Minutes
        • April 5, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • August 2, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • December 6, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • February 19, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • January 4, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • July 11, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • June 7, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • March 1, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • May 3, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • November 1, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • October 4, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • September 6, 2010, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • 2011 Board of Publications Minutes
        • April 4, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • August 1, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • December 5, 2011, Board of Publications Meeting Minutes October 3, 2011
        • February 25, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • February 7, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • January 3, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • July 10, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • June 6, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • May 2, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • October 3, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
        • September 5, 2011, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • 2012 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • April 2, 2012 BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS MEETING MINUTES
        • August 6, 2012 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • December 10, 2012 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • February 24, 2012 BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS MEETING MINUTES
        • February 6, 2012 BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS MEETING MINUTES
        • January 2, 2012 BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS MEETING MINUTES
        • July 8, 2012 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • May 7, 2012 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
      • 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • April 1, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • August 13, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • December 2, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • February 22, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • February 4, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • January 7, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • May 6, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • November 4, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • October 7, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • September 9, 2013 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
      • 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • April 7, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • August 4, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • December 1, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • February 21, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • January 6, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • July 13, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • June 2, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • November 3, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • October 6, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • September 8, 2014 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
      • 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • April 6, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • February 2, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • July 5, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • June 1, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • March 2, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • May 4, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • November 9, 2015 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
      • 2016 BOP Meeting Minutes
        • BOP Minutes-Apr. 4, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Aug. 2, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Dec. 6, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Feb. 8, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Jan. 4, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-July 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Jun. 6, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Mar. 7, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-May 2, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Nov. 1, 2016
        • BOP Minutes-Oct. 4, 2016
        • Board of Publications Meeting Minutes for September 6, 2016
      • 2017 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • Meeting Minutes for April 4, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for August 1, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for December 5, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for February 7, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for January 3, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for July 1, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for June 6, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for March 7, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for November 7, 2017
        • Meeting Minutes for September 5, 2017
      • 2018 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • BOP Minutes - Jun. 30, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Apr. 3, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Aug. 7, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Jan. 9, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Jun. 5, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Mar. 7, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - May 1, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Nov. 13, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Oct. 9, 2018
        • BOP Minutes - Sept. 4, 2018
      • 2019 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • BOP Minutes - Apr. 2, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Aug. 13, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Dec. 3, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Feb. 5, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Jan. 8, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Jul. 6, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Jun. 4, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Mar. 12, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - May 7, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Nov. 5, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Oct. 1, 2019
        • BOP Minutes - Sept. 3, 2019
      • 2020 Board of Publications Meeting Minutes
        • BOP Minutes - Feb 4, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Apr 7, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Aug. 4, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Jan. 7, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Jun. 2, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Mar 3, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - May 5, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Nov 10, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Oct. 6, 2020
        • BOP Minutes - Sept. 1, 2020
      • 2021 BOP Meeting Minutes
        • BOP Minutes - Apr 6, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Aug 3, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Feb 2, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Jan 5, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Jun 1, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Mar 2, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - May 4, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Nov. 2, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Oct 12, 2021
        • BOP Minutes - Sept 7, 2021
      • 2022 BOP Meeting Minutes
        • BOP Minutes Feb 1, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Apr 5, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Aug 2, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Jun 7, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Mar 1, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - May 3, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Nov 1, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Nov 1, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Oct 4, 2022
        • BOP Minutes - Sept. 6, 2022
        • Bop Minutes - Jan 4, 2022
      • April 14, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • August 4, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • BOP Editorial Policy Manual, 2015
      • Board of Publications Hosts Internet Candidates' Page
      • Board of Publications Minutes
      • Charles Hodge for ACB Board of Publications
      • December 1, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of December 1, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • January 30, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • July 6, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • June 2, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • March 3, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • Marcia Dresser for ACB Board of Publications
      • May 5, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • November 3, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • October 6, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • September 1, 2008, Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Publications
      • Thomas Mitchell for ACB Board of Publications
    • Committees & Task Forces
      • ACB Radio Management Committee
      • ACB Store-Mini Mall Committee
      • Advocacy Services Committee
      • Audio Description Project (ADP) Committee
      • Audio Description Project Task Force
      • Awards Committee
      • Braille Authority of North America
      • Constitution and Bylaws Committee
      • Convention Coordinating Committee
      • Convention Program Committee
      • Credentials Committee
      • Employment Issues Committee
      • Environmental Access Committee
      • Fitness Equipment Equity Task Force
      • Information Access Committee
      • International Relations Committee
      • Investment Committee
      • Leadership Institute Training Committee
      • McDaniel Fund Committee
        • Recipients of the Durward K. McDaniel First Timer and J.P. Morgan Chase Leadership Fellow Awards Speak Out
      • Membership Committee
      • Monthly Monetary Support Committee
      • Multicultural Affairs Committee
      • National Library Service
      • Next Generation Committee
      • Nominating Committee
      • Other Representatives
      • PR Committee downloads
      • Rehabilitation Issues Task Force
      • Resolutions Committee
      • Resource Development Committee
      • Scholarship Grant Committee
      • Sight and Sound Impaired Committee
      • Special Education/Schools for the Blind Task Force
      • Transportation Committee
      • Voting Task Force
      • Women's Concerns Committee
      • World Blind Union Delegates
    • History
    • ACB Resolutions
      • 2009 Resolutions
      • 2010 Resolutions
      • 2011 Resolutions
      • 2012 Resolutions
      • 2013 Resolutions
      • 2014 Resolutions
      • 2015 Resolutions
      • 2016 Resolutions
      • 2017 Resolutions
      • 2018 Resolutions
      • 2019 Resolutions
      • 2020 Resolutions
      • 2021 Resolutions
      • 2022 Resolutions
      • Index
      • Resolution on Full Funding of Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
    • Affiliates
      • Special Interest Affiliates
        • ACB Diabetics in Action
        • ACB Families
        • ACB Government Employees
        • ACB Human Service Professionals
        • ACB Next Generation
        • ACB Radio Amateurs
        • ACB Students
        • Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss
        • American Association of Blind Teachers
        • American Association of Visually Impaired Attorneys
        • American Council of Blind Lions
        • Blind Information Technology Specialists
        • Blind LGBT Pride International
        • Braille Revival League
        • Council of Citizens with Low Vision International
        • Friends In Art of ACB, Inc.
        • Guide Dog Users, Inc.
        • Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers
        • Library Users of America
        • Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America
        • Visually Impaired Veterans of America
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Events
  • Programs & Services
    • ACB Community Events
      • Recurring Events
      • Weekly Events
    • Scholarships
    • Audio Description Project
    • Advocacy & Governmental Affairs
      • Advocacy
    • ACB Media
    • Convention
    • Membership
  • Resources
    • Jobs
    • ACB Archives
    • Blind / Low Vision Resources
      • Scholarship Program
      • ACB Leadership List Guidelines
      • ACB-Chat List Rules
      • ADA Signage
      • AFB: Be a Better Champion for Specialized Services
      • Banks with Talking ATM Machines
      • Best Practices and Guidelines for Large Print Documents used by the Low Vision Community authored by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International An Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind Arlington, VA
      • Best Practices for Large Print Documents
      • Braille Resources
        • Braille Business Cards
        • Braille Instruction
        • Braille Paper
        • Braille Writer Repair Services
        • Description and History of Braille
        • Producers of Braille Documents
      • Diabetic Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired
      • Filing a Video Description Complaint with the FCC
      • General Resources
      • Guide Dog Resources
      • Homes for the Blind
      • Low Vision Resources
      • Medical Information Resources
      • Microsoft Office Accessibility Resources
      • Music Resources
      • Outreach RE Requesting Alternate Formats From SSA
      • Religious Resources
      • Resources for Older Individuals Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
      • Resources for Parents and Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Children
      • Resources for Persons with Low Vision
      • Section 904
      • Sports, Recreational and Leisure Resources
      • Where Taxpayers With Disabilities Can Find Online Help from the IRS
      • White Cane Laws for States
    • Affiliate Resources
      • Encouraging Affiliates with Techniques to Reach More Members
      • Exploring How Affiliates Can Reach New Members
      • Fundraising for ACB Activities Including the National Convention
      • Gaining and Maintaining Membership
      • Growing a Great Convention
      • How Can We Complete Our Business During Meetings More Efficiently?
      • How Can We Reactivate Past Members and “Wow” Our Current Members to Retain Them?
      • How to Find Blindness Related Resources and Sharing Them
      • Ideas for Affiliates and Chapters
      • Ideas to Interest Students
      • Involving Youth in ACB
      • Leadership Materials
        • Board Member's Manual for State and Special Interest Affiliates
        • Creating a Media Kit for Your ACB Affiliate or Chapter
        • Simplified Parliamentary Procedure
        • The PSA Handbook for ACB Affiliates and Chapters
        • The Press Release Handbook for ACB Affiliates and Chapters
      • Membership Incentives
      • Networking, Communication and Contact
      • Officer’s and Board Member's Manual for State and Special Interest Affiliates
      • President's Manual for State and Special Interest Affiliates
      • Reaching Blind and Visually Impaired Seniors
      • Reaching Out to Your Community to Educate and Inform People About Blindness
      • Secretary's Manual for State and Special Interest Affiliates
      • Strategies for Enhancing Membership
      • Strategies for Member Renewal and Reactivation
      • Tips for Successful Membership Recruitment and Retention
      • Tips to Retain Members
      • Treasurer's Manual for State and Special Interest Affiliates
      • Vice President's Manual for State and Special Interest Affiliates
    • Peer Support
    • Handbooks / Manuals
      • Are You a Senior Citizen Struggling with Vision Loss?
      • Are You the Parents of A Blind Child?
      • Guide to Successful College Experience
      • Pedestrian Safety
      • Pedestrian Safety Handbook
        • "Modern" Signalized Intersections
        • APS
        • Acknowledgements
        • Advocacy
        • Afterword
        • Appendix A: Letter
        • Appendix B: Template
        • Appendix C: Case Studies
        • Appendix D: Glossary
        • Crossing Where No Traffic Control
        • Drivers’ Yielding Behavior
        • Finding Crosswalk: Part 1
        • Finding Crosswalk: Part 2
        • Finding the Crosswalk
        • Mitch's Message
        • Rights-of-Way Regulations
      • Rehabilitation Issues Task Force Revised Rehabilitation White Paper
      • Whitepaper On Rehabilitation and Training
    • Products & Services
      • Accessible Cards and Gifts
      • Computer Products, Publications, Training, and Information Sources
      • Funding Assistive Technology Resources
      • Magnifying Aids - Low Vision Center
      • Technology, Software, Related Resources
      • Travel Resources
      • Useful Products for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons
    • Professional Employment Associations
  • Publications & Media
    • Live Events
    • News
    • Braille Forum
      • 1997 Issues
        • BF Apr 1997
        • BF Aug 1997
        • BF Dec 1997
        • BF Feb 1997
        • BF Jan 1997
        • BF Jul 1997
        • BF Jun 1997
        • BF Mar 1997
        • BF May 1997
        • BF Nov 1997
        • BF Oct 1997
        • BF Sept 1997
      • 1998 Issues
        • BF Apr 1998
        • BF Aug 1998
        • BF Dec 1998
        • BF Feb 1998
        • BF Jan 1998
        • BF Jul 1998
        • BF Jun 1998
        • BF Mar 1998
        • BF May 1998
        • BF Nov 1998
        • BF Oct1998
        • BF Sept 1998
      • 1999 Issues
        • BF Apr 1999
        • BF Aug 1999
        • BF Dec 1999
        • BF Feb 1999
        • BF Jan 1999
        • BF Jul 1999
        • BF Jun 1999
        • BF Mar 1999
        • BF May 1999
        • BF Nov1999
        • BF Oct 1999
        • BF Sept 1999
      • 2000 Issues
        • BF Apr 2000
        • BF Aug 2000
        • BF Convention 2000
        • BF Dec 2000
        • BF Feb 2000
        • BF Jan 2000
        • BF Jul 2000
        • BF Jun 2000
        • BF Mar 2000
        • BF May 2000
        • BF Nov 2000
        • BF Oct 2000
        • BF Sept 2000
      • 2001 Issues
        • BF Apr 2001
        • BF Aug 2001
        • BF Dec 2001
        • BF Feb 2001
        • BF Jan 2001
        • BF Jul 2001
        • BF Jun 2001
        • BF Mar 2001
        • BF May 2001
        • BF Nov 2001
        • BF Oct 2001
        • BF Sept 2001
      • 2002 Issues
        • BF April 2002
        • BF Feb 2002
        • BF Jan 2002
        • BF Jul-Aug 2002
        • BF Jun 2002
        • BF Mar 2002
        • BF May 2002
        • BF Nov 2002
        • BF Oct 2002
        • BF Sept 2002
      • 2003 Issues
        • BF Apr 2003
        • BF Feb 2003
        • BF July-Aug 2003
        • BF Jun 2003
        • BF Mar 2003
        • BF May 2003
        • BF Nov 2003
        • BF Oct 2003
        • BF Sept 2003
        • BF Winter 2003
      • 2004 Issues
        • BF Apr-May 2004
        • BF Feb 2004
        • BF Jul-Aug 2004
        • BF Jun 2004
        • BF Mar 2004
        • BF Nov 2004
        • BF Sep-Oct 2004
        • BF Winter 2004
      • 2005 Issues
        • BF Apr 2005
        • BF Feb 2005
        • BF Jul-Aug 2005
        • BF Jun 2005
        • BF Mar 2005
        • BF May 2005
        • BF Oct 2005
        • BF Sept 2005
        • BF Winter 2005
        • BF Winter 2006
          • 2006 Convention Preview
          • ACB Scholarships Available to Blind Students
          • Affiliate News
          • Fall Board Meeting Summary
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Hurricane Katrina Check-In
          • IRIS Network
          • John Di Francesco
          • Legislative Seminar
          • Letters to the Editor
          • MMS "Two-for-One" Program
          • Membership Focus
          • Notes on a New Year
          • President's Message
          • Who Do You Admire?
          • Who Is Eligible for Drug Plan Costs?
      • 2006 Issues
        • BF April 2006
        • BF Feb 2006
        • BF Jul-Aug 2006
        • BF Jun 2006
        • BF Mar 2006
        • BF May 2006
        • BF Nov 2006
        • BF Oct 2006
        • BF Sept 2006
      • 2007 Issues
        • BF Apr 2007
        • BF Dec 2007
        • BF Feb 2007
        • BF Jul-Aug 2007
        • BF Jun 2007
        • BF Mar 2007
        • BF May 2007
        • BF Nov 2007
        • BF Oct 2007
        • BF Sept 2007
        • BF Winter 2007
      • 2008 Issues
        • BF Apr 2008
        • BF Aug 2008
        • BF Dec 2008
        • BF Feb 2008
        • BF Jan 2008
        • BF Jul 2008
        • BF Jun 2008
        • BF Mar 2008
        • BF May 2008
        • BF Nov 2008
        • BF Oct 2008
        • BF Sept 2008
      • 2009 Issues
        • BF Apr 2009
        • BF Aug 2009
        • BF Dec 2009
          • Class Action ACB v. SSA
          • President's Message
        • BF Feb 2009
        • BF Jan 2009
        • BF Jul 2009
        • BF Jun 2009
        • BF Mar 2009
        • BF May 2009
        • BF Nov 2009
        • BF Oct 2009
        • BF Sept 2009
      • 2010 Issues
        • BF Apr 2010
        • BF Aug 2010
        • BF Dec 2010
        • BF Feb 2010
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS AWARDS: THIS YEAR IT COULD BE YOU!
          • HERE AND THERE Edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • PASSINGS
          • SECOND ANNUAL ACB WALK by Dan Dillon
          • SPOTLIGHT YOUR AFFILIATE WITH A BOP AWARD!
          • THE MMS PROGRAM MAKES IT EASIER FOR YOU TO HELP ACB by Dena Wilson
          • THE SUNNY SOUTHWEST: ACB CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION 2010 by Carla Ruschival
        • BF Jan 2010
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
          • Here and There
        • BF Jul 2010
        • BF Jun 2010
        • BF Mar 2010
        • BF May 2010
        • BF Nov 2010
        • BF Oct 2010
        • BF Sept 2010
      • 2011 Issues
        • BF Dec 2011
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • In Memoriam: Lola Siren
        • The Braille Forum, April 2011
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, February 2011
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
          • YOU CAN SHOP ANYTIME AT THE ACB STORE by Carla Ruschival
        • The Braille Forum, July-August 2011
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, June 2011
          • Affiliate News: Convention Sneak Preview
        • The Braille Forum, March 2011
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
        • The Braille Forum, May 2011
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Library Users of America to Host Book Flea Market, by Peggy R. Garrett
        • The Braille Forum, October-November 2011
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, September 2011
          • Affiliate News
        • The Braille Forum, january 2011
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
      • 2012 Issues
        • Affiliate News
        • Here and There edited by Sue Lichtenfels
        • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, April 2012
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, December 2012
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, February 2012
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
        • The Braille Forum, January 2012
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
        • The Braille Forum, July-August 2012
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
        • The Braille Forum, June 2012
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • BOP with 2012 Candidate's Page
          • HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
        • The Braille Forum, March 2012
          • Affiliate News
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, May 2012
        • The Braille Forum, October-November 2012
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • HERE AND THERE
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
        • The Braille Forum, September 2012
          • AFFILIATE NEWS
          • HERE AND THERE
          • HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
      • 2013 Issues
        • ACB Braille Forum, February 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • An Update from GDUI
          • DKM First-Timer Program: A Tribute to an ACB Pioneer by Allen J. Casey
          • Here and There by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB Braille Forum, June 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB Braille Forum, March 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB Braille Forum, May 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB Braille Forum, September 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB E-Forum, April 2013
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB E-Forum, August 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB E-Forum, July 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum Nov 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum Dec 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB E-Forum, October 2013
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The Braille Forum, January 2013
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
      • 2014 Issues
        • ACB E-Forum, February 2014
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Affiliate News
        • BF January 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Shopping for Health Care: Comparing Hospitals Can Help Consumers Make Good Decisions by Ron Pollack
        • Braille Forum, July 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum, March 2014
          • ACB Braille Forum, March 2014 downloads
          • ACB Leadership Institute 2014
          • ACB's Legislative Priorities for 2014, by Melanie Brunson
          • Affiliate News
          • Board of Publications Awards Your Excellence in 2014
          • Come to Vegas and Hit the Jackpot!
          • Community Outreach Challenge, by Tristen Breitenfeldt
          • Conducting Business with Social Security: What You Should Know and How You Can Help, by Len Burns
          • DKM First-Timer Selection Nears
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • How to Get the Most Out of Rehab, Part III: Available Services, by Doug Powell
          • In Memoriam: Buddy Spivey, Dec. 31, 1941-Jan. 9, 2014
          • Las Vegas: Deal Us In!, by Janet Dickelman
          • Membership Focus: Creative Ways to Meet, Especially in Rural Areas, compiled by Ardis Bazyn
          • President's Message: Be Sure You Are Protected!, by Kim Charlson
          • Summary of the Fall 2013 ACB Board Meeting, by Denise Colley
        • Braille Forum, Sept 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
        • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
        • High Tech Swap Shop
        • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Snowflakes and Birthday Cake: It’s Holiday Auction Time, by Carla Ruschival
        • The ACB Braille Forum, May 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB Braille Forum, November 2014
        • The ACB Braille Forum, November 2014 downloads
        • The ACB E-Forum, April 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB E-Forum, August 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Your Options for Medicare Supplemental Coverage by Ron Pollack
        • The ACB E-Forum, December 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB E-Forum, June 2014
        • The ACB E-Forum, October 2014
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
      • 2015 Issues
        • Braille Forum January 2015
          • Accessing the ACB Forum and E-Forum: Let Me Count the Ways, by Judy Wilkinson
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum July 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum March 2015
          • A Telecommuting Job Could Be Just What You Are Looking For, by Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
          • ACB’s Stars Will Shine Bright in Dallas, by Janet Dickelman
          • Acknowledgement
          • Affiliate News
          • Best Audio Holiday Season Ever, by Susan Glass
          • Board of Publications Again Awards Your Excellence in Media and Writing in 2015
          • Call for Nominees for 2015 ACB Awards!, by Chelle Hart & Chip Hailey
          • Come to the Lone Star Loot Auction!
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • Last Call: The DKM Train Is Leaving the Station, by Allen Casey
          • Let the Stars Shine Bright on the ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk, by Donna Brown
          • President’s Message: More on Accessible Prescription Labels, by Kim Charlson
          • Tax Tips from the IRS, by Melanie Brunson
          • The Importance of Grassroots, by Kathy Brockman
        • Braille Forum May 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Convention Week Sneak Preview, by Janet Dickelman
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum November 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum September 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum April 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum August 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum December 2015
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum June 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum October 2015
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
        • E-Forum, February 2015
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
      • 2016 Issues
        • BF January 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • BF July 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • BF March 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • BF May 2016
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • BF November 2016
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • BF September 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • EF April 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • EF August 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • EF December 2016
          • ACB Fall Board Meeting Report, by Ron Brooks
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • EF February 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • EF June 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • EF October 2016
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
      • 2017 Issues
        • Affiliate News
        • Braille Forum January 2017
          • Affiliate News
            • Affiliate News
          • Here and There edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum March 2017
          • ACB Commends Access Board on 508 Refresh
          • Affiliate News
          • Awards Committee Seeks Nominees for 2017 ACB Awards
          • Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Durward K. McDaniel Support the DKM FirstTimer Program
          • Easy Fund Raiser for Your Affiliate
          • Helpful Hints for Attending the Convention
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Holiday Auction Thank Yous
          • Ida Schwerzel A Century of Memories Part 2
          • In Memoriam: Otis H. Stephens Jr. Sept. 20, 1936-Dec. 2, 2016
          • Presidents Message Planning for the Future
          • Readers Remembrances of Otis Stephens
          • Spotlight On ACB Students
        • Braille Forum September 2017
        • December 2017
          • Here and There
        • E-Forum June 2017
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Here and There
        • Here and There
        • High Tech Swap Shop
        • High Tech Swap Shop
        • November 2017
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • October 2017
        • The ACB Braille Forum July 2017
        • The ACB Braille Forum May 2017
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB E-Forum April 2017
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB E-Forum August 2017
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • The ACB E-Forum February 2017
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
      • 2018 Issues
        • ACB Braille Forum Feb 2018
          • ACB E-Forum February 2018 Downloads
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
        • ACB Braille Forum Jan 2018
          • Affiliate News
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB Braille Forum July 2018
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Passings
        • ACB Braille Forum March 2018
          • Affiliate News
        • ACB Braille Forum May 2018
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
        • ACB Braille Forum Nov 2018
        • ACB Braille Forum Sept 2018
        • ACB E-Forum April 2018
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB E-Forum Aug 2018
          • Here and There
        • ACB E-Forum Dec 2018
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Hot Toys for Holiday Gift-Giving
        • ACB E-Forum June 2018
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
        • ACB E-Forum Oct 2018
      • 2019 Issues
        • ACB E-Forum Aug 2019
        • ACB E-Forum Feb 2019
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • ACB E-Forum Jun 2019
        • Braille Forum Jan 2019
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum July 2019
        • Braille Forum Mar 2019
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • Braille Forum May 2019
          • President’s Message
        • Braille Forum Nov-2019
        • Braille Forum Sept 2019
        • E-Forum Apr 2019
          • High Tech Swap Shop
        • E-Forum Dec 2019
        • E-Forum Oct 2019
          • Rochester Convention Celebrated
      • 2020 Issues
        • BF Jan 2020
          • President’s Message
        • BF July 2020
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Belonging in ACB
          • Commentary
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • How to Access Virtual Convention
          • In Memoriam: Camille Caffarelli
          • Mouse Assisting Inclusive Technology
          • President’s Message: First Virtual Convention
          • Summary of Board of Dir. Meeting, April 23, 2020
          • The ADA at 30
          • The Only Moment
          • Tuesday Topics
        • BF Mar 2020
        • BF May 2020
          • President’s Message
        • BF Nov 2020
          • 2020 Resolutions Summary
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • Honesty
          • In Memoriam: Charlie Crawford
          • Include in Affiliate
          • Lies
          • MMS Future
          • Notice
          • Plans for 2021
          • President’s Message
          • Readers Remember
          • Revision to DKM
        • BF Sept 2020
          • 2020 Awards Winners
          • ACB 2020 Convention Thank-Yous
          • ACB 2020 Virtual Convention: That’s a Wrap!
          • ACB Membership Seminar
          • Here and There
          • Holiday Auction
          • In Memoriam: Berl Lynn Colley
          • Letter to the Editor
          • President’s Message: Finally Baseball!
          • Ski for Light 2021
          • Thank You
          • To Mobility and Beyond
          • Walked Virtual Path to Future
        • EF Apr 2020
        • EF Aug 2020
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Beginning Again
          • Book Review
          • COVID-19 Will Be Beat
          • COVID-19 and Blindness
          • Cavemen
          • Diaphragmatic Breathing
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Kindness of Neighbors
          • Pick a Peck
          • President’s Message
          • Virus or Victim
          • ‘End of Oct.’ Review
        • EF Dec 2020
          • Affiliate News
          • Apply to DKM First-Timers Award
          • BADIE
          • Board Meetings Summary
          • Celebrating CVAA
          • Chaplain’s Corner
          • Flexibility
          • Going Virtual Again
          • Here and There
          • Mini Mall Holiday
          • President’s Message
          • Qualifying for SSD
          • Retaining Members
          • Safe Cooking
          • Senator Markey Celebrates
        • EF Feb 2020
        • EF June 2020
          • ACB Easy Chair Auction
          • ACB –Path to Future
          • Affiliate and Committee News
          • Backyard Wedding
          • Book Review
          • Continuing Education
          • Conventions
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • MMS Going Virtual!
          • Memories of Lynn Hedl
          • Mini Mall Headlines
          • Passings
          • Performing Marriage Ceremonies
          • President’s Message
          • Walking up a Storm
          • Ways to Listen
          • Wine and Song
          • Wine and Song
        • EF Oct 2020
          • ADA Turns 30
          • ADA at Thirty
          • Affiliate News
          • DARE2TRI
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Involving Special-Interest Affiliates
          • Jeanne Sanders
          • Mini Mall Mega News
          • Passings
          • Perseverance in Martial Arts
          • Pre-Convention Board Meeting
          • President’s Message
          • Swimming Blind & Free
          • Triathlon Dare2tri
          • Vision Loss, Therapy, Weightlifting
      • 2021 Issues
        • BF Jan 2021
          • Apply to 2021 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellow
          • BOP to Award Excellence
          • Become a 2021 Recipient of DKM Award
          • Call for 2021 ACB Awards Nominees
          • Convention Dates
          • Help Revive Braille!
          • Here and There
          • In Memoriam: Larry Turnbull
          • Joys of Learning Braille
          • Mother Was a Braille Transcriber
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • That Stupid School!
        • BF Jul 2021
          • Accessing the Virtual Convention
          • Beyond
          • Continuing Ed
          • Don’t Forget MMS
          • Here and There
          • It’s Not Too Late
          • Learning
          • Let’s Go Fishing!
          • Meeting Summary
          • Mini Mall Minute
          • President’s Message
        • BF Mar 2021
          • Angels Memorial Program
          • Continuing Ed in 2021
          • Expanding Recruiting
          • Guide Dog If Low Vision?
          • Guide Dog Magnified
          • Here and There
          • Low Vision Story Bites
          • President’s Message
          • Summary - Nov 2020 Board Mtg.
          • Two Big Announcements!
          • Welcome to CCLVI
        • BF May 2021
          • Affiliate - Committee News
          • Book Review
          • Continuing Ed
          • Diamond Jubilee Auction
          • Get Moving Together
          • Here and There
          • In Memoriam
          • Mini Mall Headlines
          • President’s Message
          • Registration Q&A
          • Start a Chapter
          • Verizon Media Announces
          • Victor Reader Tip
          • Voting at Convention
          • Welcome New Employees
          • Your Vote Counts
        • BF Nov 2021
          • A Visit
          • Affiliate News
          • Brief Overview
          • Button Box?
          • Fun Facts about Nebraska
          • Greatest Fears
          • Here and There
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Holiday Shopping at Mini Mall
          • Karaoke Helps
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • Vision Loss Thoughts
        • BF Sept 2021
          • 2021 Convention
          • Affiliate News
          • Audio Description Achievement Awards
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Isolation to Inspiration
          • President’s Message
          • This Year’s Award Winners
          • Wrapping Up
        • EF Apr 2021
          • 13th Annual ADP Awards
          • 2021 Talking Book Narrator
          • 421 for ‘21
          • A Place at Table
          • Affiliate News
          • Connected in New Mexico
          • Heart of a Legacy
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • In Memoriam: Doc Bradley
          • Learning and Leading
          • Man Made Difference 
          • New Members Portal
          • People of Color
          • President’s Message
          • Smoke Signal
          • What Color Is the Dream?
          • What is IDC?
        • EF Aug 2021
          • Affiliate News
          • Blindness in United Arab Emirates
          • Bosnia and Herzegovina
          • Describing Diversity
          • Erasmus
          • Eye on USA
          • Furry Lifesaver
          • Get Moving Together
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • India
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • World Turned Inside Out
        • EF Dec 2021
          • 2021 Resolutions
          • Board Meeting Summaries
          • Christmas Wishes
          • Convention 2022 Preview
          • Here and There
          • Looking
          • Mother of Fundraisers
          • Notice of Proposed Settlement
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • Team Up
          • The New Year
        • EF Feb 2021
          • 2020 Convention Info
          • About ADP Website
          • Apply to 2021 Recipient of DKM Award
          • Audio Description Commercials
          • Audio Description Project
          • Audio Description Snobbery
          • Audio Description What it Means
          • Charlie Crawford on Wall of Angels
          • God’s Audio Description
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • In Memoriam: James Megivern
          • Paradigm Shift
          • President’s Message
        • EF Jun 2021
          • Affiliate News
          • Continuing Ed News
          • Convention Preview
          • Enjoy the Perks
          • Feb Board Meeting
          • Get Exercise
          • Get Up Get Moving
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Massage
          • Never Give Up
          • President’s Message
          • Review of Spark
          • The New $20
          • The Room
        • EF Oct 2021
          • Accessing Transit Services
          • Affiliate News
          • Here and There
          • Here and There
          • Letter to Dept of Trans
          • Moving Forward
          • Nearly Roadkill
          • On to Omaha
          • President’s Message
          • Reach People
          • Summary July 2021 Board Meeting
          • What About Paratransit?
          • Why Restructure?
      • 2022 Issues
        • BF Jan 2022
          • 10-9-21 Board Mtg Summary
          • ACB Diabetics in Action
          • Announcing 2022 Tours
          • BOP Awards Excellence
          • Blind LGBT Welcomes You
          • Braille Link to Literacy
          • Call for Nominees
          • Call for Nominees
          • Come One, Come All
          • Guide Dog Users
          • Happy New Year
          • IVIE
          • Not Your Father’s …
          • President’s Message
          • Reach Higher
          • Salutes Award Winners
          • Where Impaired Thrive
        • BF Jul 2022
          • Accessing ACB Info
          • Blind student
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Learning Better Leader
          • Passings
          • Pregnant Nun
          • President’s Message
          • Public Transportation
          • Recipes
          • Thank You
          • Tips for Convention
          • Wild Figs
          • Writers reimagine roles
        • BF Mar 2022
          • Affiliate News
          • Board Makes Virtual
          • Boxes
          • Dance with Cancer
          • Gifts of Mentorship
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • In Memoriam: Bill Spoone
          • Learn Hours
          • MMS March Madness
          • Motherhood
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • Removal
          • Time to Plan
          • Walk Here
        • BF May 2022
          • Accessibility for Some
          • Affiliate News
          • Convention Registration
          • Extra, Extra
          • Fix Computer Problems
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Initials Mean More
          • Kindness Taught Me
          • Notice of Proposed Settlement
          • President’s Message: Crisis
          • Volunteer at Omaha
          • Walking Everywhere
        • BF Nov 2022
          • ACBDA President’s Message
          • AIP Task Force
          • Accessibility of Tandem
          • Accessible Insulin Pumps
          • Cruising Experience
          • Describing While Blind
          • Here and There
          • I Remember
          • Join Us
          • Join Us at Auction
          • Land of Lincoln
          • New Lease on Life
          • President’s Message
          • Tune into the Gala
          • Tune into the Gala
          • Unwrapping the Sweetness
        • BF Sept 2022
          • 2022 AD Awards Gala
          • 2022 Convention Wrap-Up
          • ADP 2022 Awards
          • ADP Congratulates
          • Affiliate News
          • Audio Describer
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Notice of Proposed Settlement
          • President’s Message
          • Section 508 AD
          • Smart TV
          • Thank You
        • EF Apr 2022
          • Affiliate News
          • Armenian Connections
          • Blindness Culture
          • Calling Candidates
          • Convention Preview
          • Finding Our Way
          • Grandmother’s Culture
          • Growing Up
          • Hear from You
          • Here and There
          • Hispanic Culture
          • Italian-American
          • Love Letter
          • Media Music
          • Mother’s Story
          • No More Racism
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • Seeing Color
          • Six Weeks in Ghana
          • The Cabin
          • Where Voices Gone?
        • EF Aug 2022
          • Affiliate News
          • Entrepreneurship
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • How Virus Got Me
          • President’s Message
          • Respectfully Yours
          • Walk to Omaha
          • Wanted: A Fair Chance
          • Winning Disney
          • Year Filled with Memories
        • EF Dec 2022
          • A Preview
          • Furry Travels
          • Glimpses of Croatia
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • How I’ve Visited
          • International Adventure
          • Passings
          • Posh Gabriel Barcelona
          • President’s Message
          • Velvet Adventure
        • EF Feb 2022
          • Affiliate News
          • Aurora Borealis
          • Best Apps
          • Deadline Approaches 
          • Get on Fast Track
          • Giving Back in CA
          • Had It Wrong?
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Importance of Touch
          • In Memoriam
          • In-Person Plus Virtual
          • New Dependence?
          • Passings
          • Perkins Brailler Turns 70
          • President’s Message
          • Readers’ Memories
          • What Color Is Air?
        • EF Jun 2022
          • 2022 Hybrid Convention
          • 60 ‘Choice’ Years
          • Affiliate News
          • Being Proactive
          • Blind People Won
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • In Memoriam:
          • In-Person Convention Details
          • President’s Message
          • Walking for ACB
        • EF Oct 2022
          • 2022 Convention Summary
          • Affiliate News
          • Amendments
          • Awards Scholarships
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Membership 101
          • President’s Message
          • Raffle Story
          • Sleepless in Omaha
          • Summary 7-1-22 Meeting
          • Summary of 2022 Resolutions
          • Traveling
      • 2023 Issues
        • BF Jan 2023
          • 2022 in Rearview Mirror
          • Affiliate News
          • Announcing 2023 Tours
          • Call for Nominees
          • Embrace Possibilities
          • Here and There
          • Holiday Auction
          • How Can We Bring
          • In Memoriam
          • Passings
          • President’s Message: Humble
          • Summary
        • EF Feb 2023
          • 2023 Leadership Conf.
          • ACB Diabetics
          • Affiliate News
          • Artificial Sweeteners
          • Award Excellence
          • Build Membership
          • Convention Changes
          • Here and There
          • High Tech Swap Shop
          • Libre Link
          • Meeting Summary
          • Passings
          • President’s Message
          • Recipe Corner
          • Stimulate Your Potential
      • BF Issues 1990 - 1999
      • BF Issues 2000 - 2009
      • BF Past Issues
      • Berl Colley for ACB Board of Directors
      • Nutshell Report for March 2016
      • Posting Guidelines for Candidates for ACB, State, Special Interest and Local Chapter Offices
    • Braille Forum Podcast
    • ACB Reports
    • Press Room
      • ACB Announces Election of Its First Woman President
      • ACB Applauds FCC on Description Expansion
      • ACB Commends Congress on Introduction of H.R. 3457
      • ACB Commends Delta for Revising Its Service Animal Policy
      • ACB Commends Senate on WIPO Treaty Introduction
      • ACB Commends U.S. House of Representatives for Introducing Legislation to Cover Low Vision Aids under Medicare
      • ACB Condemns Discrimination by Airlines
      • ACB Lauds House for Introduction of Landmark Special Education Legislation
      • ACB Lauds U.S. Congress for Including Accessible Prescription Drug Labeling Language in FDA Bill That Now Moves to the President's Desk
      • ACB Praises U.S. House of Representatives for Reintroducing Legislation
      • ACB Reaches Agreement with DC Taxi Companies to Enhance Accessibility of Street-Hail Service
      • ACB Response to Berkeley Webcasts Removal
      • ACB Welcomes Reintroduction of Medicare Demonstration Bill
      • AMC Theaters Agrees to Improve Services for Blind Movie-Goers
      • American Cancer Society’s New Website Designed for Enhanced Accessibility
      • American Council of the Blind Denounces the Introduction of Amazon’s Inaccessible Kindle Fire
      • CVS/pharmacy Now Offers “Talking” Prescription Labels for Individuals with Vision Impairments Through its Online Pharmacy
      • Cisco Collaborates on Phones with American Council of the Blind
      • Eatsa Agrees to Make its Cutting-Edge Technology Accessible to Blind Customers
      • Eatsa, Restaurant of the Future, Excludes Blind Customers
      • Eric Bridges Appointed Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind
      • Further Currency Delays Raise Concerns
      • Guide Dog Users, Inc. Announces Position Statement on the Misrepresentation of Service Animals
      • Healthy Foods and Drinks Coming to Government Workplaces
      • Humana Offers Talking Prescription Labels for Members with Visual Impairments
      • National Parks in California Will Become More Accessible to The Blind or Visually Impaired
      • Nationwide Class Action Challenges Hulu’s Discrimination against Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals
      • USBLN and the American Council of the Blind form partnership
      • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Audio Described Tour
      • Walgreens Launches Nationwide Program Offering Talking Prescription Devices for Customers with Visual Impairments
    • Videos
  • Support ACB
    • Donate
    • Mini Mall
    • ACB Thrift Stores
  • Contact
  1. Home
  2. Convention Attendees Find ‘The Real Deal’ in Las Vegas

Convention Attendees Find ‘The Real Deal’ in Las Vegas

by Sharon Lovering

This year, the convention resumed its normal schedule, with the opening session on Sunday night. Convention-goers found triple-digit heat awaiting them when they arrived at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. It got so hot that ScoopMasters put mats out on the sidewalks near the relief areas so the dogs wouldn’t burn their paws!

Sunday

ACB president Kim Charlson greeted everyone, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 53rd annual convention of the American Council of the Blind!”  Rick Kuhlmey, president of the Nevada Council of the Blind, welcomed everyone to Las Vegas. After all the welcomes, Charlson presented her report. (For the full text, see the September and October issues, as well as this issue.)
 
Charlson and Lane Waters then introduced this year’s new ACB life members: Shelia Towns of Tennessee; Gretha McLamb of North Carolina; Ray Campbell of Illinois; Sandra Edwards of Arkansas; Eldon Cox of Missouri; Albert Pietrolungo of Maryland; and Eugene Spurrier of Maryland. 
 
Charlson thought that was all the life members, until Waters interrupted. “It was brought to my attention earlier this afternoon that there’s been a serious omission and someone has been forgotten that is going to be receiving one of these awards tonight,” he said. Then Brian Charlson spoke. “On behalf of the Bay State Council of the Blind … [we] would like to honor [Kim Charlson],” Brian said.
 
Afterward, Kim Charlson called on Dan Spoone to introduce the ACB Angels Memorial Tribute program. “The idea of this program is to honor individuals and guide dogs who have been a member of our family,” Spoone said. (For details, see “Special Ceremony Introduces ACB Angels Memorial Tribute at Opening Session” in the September issue.) He then introduced Dan Dillon, who sang “On the Other Side” as a tribute to Brenda. Several people came forward to donate in memory of their loved ones, both human and canine.
 
Allen Casey introduced this year’s Durward K. McDaniel First-Timers: Carol McGhee of West Virginia and Steve Fiksdal of Washington.
 
Charlson next called on Jean Mann to give the first credentials report.  “Now I know what you all go through, because I’m the membership chair of New York,” Mann quipped. There were some problems with the recertification process, and two affiliates would not be seated: Delaware and ACB Human Service Professionals.  Neither had the required 13 members as of the March 15th deadline.
 
The session wrapped up with the roll call of affiliates.

Monday

Charlson called the session to order. The convention then adopted the standing rules, and Jean Mann gave the final credentials report. “This year around March 14th, 15th, I started getting these panicked phone calls,” Mann said. She recommended affiliates set a deadline for their chapters to get information in, and that affiliates work on their changes, deletions and additions as they come in. Mann also reminded the audience to double-check their lists, and to count their paid members and send the check in on time. The convention adopted the credentials report.
 
Afterward, John Huffman gave the first reading of a proposed constitutional amendment.
 
Charlson turned the podium over to Jeff Thom, who called on Chelle Hart to present the affiliate membership growth awards. This year’s winners were: ACB of Colorado for the largest percentage of increase (82.6 percent), and the California Council of the Blind for the largest number of new members (242 people).
 
Thom then introduced Denise Colley, chair of the board of publications, to present awards. Colley first tackled the Ned E. Freeman Writing Award; it went to the author of “How Braille Changed My Life” (April 2013), Jan Lavine of Stillwater, Okla.
 
 “We don’t normally do this, but we have an honorable mention this year for this award,” Colley said. It went to Sara Conrad for her article, “Brenda Dillon: Keeping Her Spirit Alive.”
 
Colley presented the Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award to “The Houston Council of the Blind Beacon.” She then talked briefly about the Vernon Henley Media Award. “This one is also a surprise, and it took a little doing … to keep this a surprise,” Colley said. As she described the person, audience members looked around to find the winner. The winner was Joel Snyder.
 
Thom introduced Mark Hall-Patton, administrator for the Clark County Museum System, for a bit of Nevada history. “Some of you may be aware that this is the sesquicentennial of Nevada,” Hall-Patton stated.  But Las Vegas was not part of the state until 1867. Why did they change the state’s borders? “In the Civil War, the territory of Arizona leaned Confederate …” After the war ended, the government gave some of Arizona’s land to Nevada; Nevada took the land, but didn’t tell the residents of that area.
 
Because people thought their towns were still part of Arizona, that’s where they were sending their taxes.  A tax collector showed up in 1869, he said, “and he told the miners down in Eldorado Canyon, ‘Oh by the way, you’re in Nevada and you owe us three years of back taxes.’ And they said, ‘No we don’t, we’re in Arizona.’”  In 1870, the government finally sent surveyors to the area.
 
“It’s kind of hard to imagine just how far out in the middle of nowhere this area was in the 1860s, 1870s, 1880s,” Hall-Patton continued. “There was no way to get here except just going across the desert or coming up the river. … In the 1860s and 1870s and 1880s the river was actually navigable. You could take steamships all the way from Yuma … to where Hoover Dam is today.”
 
After the break, the convention got an update on accessible tactile currency from Dawn Haley, senior advisor to the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  Haley reminded everyone that making changes to currency was a slow process. The bureau developed the iNote application to allow individuals to scan and hear the denominations of U.S. currency. The app is free and runs on all iPhones 3g and later, iPads, and iPods. Version 2.0 was released in December 2013 with a feature that automatically identifies the bill.  BEP also has available an app for Android-based mobile devices, the Ideal Currency Identifier, which can be downloaded from Google Play. For more information, go to www.bep.gov.
 
“Of course these currency reader apps are not in lieu of other methods to provide meaningful access,” Haley noted. The bureau will roll out the currency reader nationally on Jan. 2, 2015. But first, there would be a four-month pilot program beginning Sept. 2, where NLS patrons can pre-order a currency reader. Convention attendees who were current NLS patrons were able to pick them up in the exhibit hall. For more information, call 1-844-815-9388 or visit ourmeaningful.access.bep.gov.
 
Haley discussed the tactile feature issue. “Bank note redesign is an extremely complex and technical process, and while I don’t want to get too bogged down in the scientific or technical aspects … I do think it would be helpful for me to illustrate why it takes so long,” she said. The government plans bill designs as “families,” where all denominations that are redesigned are considered a “family.” The new family of bills is already in the planning stages, and the $10 is scheduled to be the first in the family to contain a tactile feature, she stated. “However, if there is a threat against a different denomination, then the $10 could be pushed aside for something else, but whatever note comes out next will have a tactile feature.”
 
Mark Richert then read a resolution dealing with paper currency, which was adopted.
 
The next speaker was Karen Keninger, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She listed the priorities for the year. First on her list was expanding the NLS collection. “NLS has traditionally done about 2,000 talking books a year and maybe up to 500 braille books a year,” she said. “But that’s not enough. So we’re doing more.” NLS is accepting recordings from network libraries, and has opened up BARD to locally produced materials. Today there are about 23 new audio titles available on BARD, with more in the works. NLS has also added about 1,200 locally produced braille titles to Web-Braille.
 
NLS has been working with local audio producers, too, she said. The library has agreements with four major audio publishers to get their recordings at no cost to NLS. It has also been converting its analog titles to digital, at a rate of about 4,000 to 5,000 a year, and hopes to finish the process in the next three to four years.  Another thing NLS is trying is putting multiple titles on a cartridge when those titles are part of a series.
 
Her next priority was to use technology to make more books available sooner. Last fall NLS released BARD Mobile for iOS devices. NLS is working on the newest version of that app, which will include a sleep timer and an improved braille portion, she noted.  An Android app is also in development.  The library is currently working on the requirements for the next digital talking book machine, and seeking new braille producers, Keninger added. If there are things you want to see in the new machine, let NLS know.
 
The convention moved on to access to QuickBooks. Albert Rizzi, founder and CEO of My Blind Spot, Inc., spoke first.  “What My Blind Spot has achieved could not have been realized without my having joined this family,” Rizzi said. “What we’ve accomplished through a simple dialogue … is why we are here today to talk about the accessibility and usability that was built back into a 20-year program ...”
 
Rizzi presented a plaque to Ted Drake of Intuit. Drake, who manages accessibility for Intuit products, stated that QuickBooks Desktop is the fully accessible version, and that the company is working to get the online version accessible, too.

Tuesday

Charlson called the session to order. Mike Godino presented the nominating committee report.  Board nominees were: Allan Peterson, Horace, N.D.; Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, Md.; David Trott, Talladega, Ala.; and Katie Frederick, Columbus, Ohio. For the board of publications, nominees were: Doug Powell, Falls Church, Va., and Judy Wilkinson, San Leandro, Calif.
 
Charlson turned the microphone over to second vice president Marlaina Lieberg, who introduced Michael Garrett, chairman of the scholarship committee, to present the scholarship winners.  (For more information, watch for “And the 2014-2015 Scholarship Winners Are …” in December’s E-Forum.)
 
After the break, the convention heard from Tom Wlodkowski, vice president of Comcast Accessibility.  “It’s really nice to be working on products that people are interested in. I think there’s some interest in video description around here, correct? How about braille and large-print channel line-ups? … Accessible program guides, maybe?” Attendees applauded loudly.
 
Wlodkowski said that Charlie Herrin, senior vice president of product design and development, gave the team the mission of building the smart home for everyone. “A couple of years ago he said, ‘You think we need an [accessible] remote control, like something that’s targeted at folks with disabilities?’ And of course I said, ‘No, we don’t need that, Charlie.’ … Two years later I walked back into his office and said, ‘Charlie, you know what I’m doing at this convention? Creating a focus group so that we can figure out what that remote will look like that you talked about two years ago.’”
 
Comcast customers can order braille and large-print channel guides by calling the customer service center for people with disabilities at 1-855-270-0379 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern, or sending e-mail to [email protected]. For general information on Comcast’s accessibility efforts, visit www.comcast.com/accessibility.
 
The convention next heard from Rob Sinclair, chief accessibility officer of Microsoft Corporation. One of the new things at Microsoft is the CEO, Satya Nadella, who is “talking publicly about three things: … mobile, … cloud technologies, and … people-centric technologies. And that’s really where I think … accessibility directly aligns with where the company is heading.”
 
Microsoft is thinking about the economics of accessibility, Sinclair said, and mentioned the partnership with GW Micro and Microsoft Office. “That was directly in response to the feedback we’ve heard about the desire for having commercial-quality established screen readers at a different price point,” he added. Microsoft continues to work with other AT vendors, too, such as Freedom Scientific, Dolphin, and NVDA.
 
Microsoft is also working its own program, Windows Narrator. He asked for a show of hands of those who use an Apple product, and those who use Office, and got tremendous applause. “… We’re not just investing in technology. We’re also trying to think deeply about how do we raise awareness about accessibility and the power of technology to really be a benefit. Because there are still so many people today … that are amazed that somebody who’s blind can use a computer.”
 
Sinclair encouraged people to try the Disability Answer Desk; you can reach it by calling 1-800-936-5900.
 
After a tribute to Greg Brayton, one of the early DJs of ACB Radio, the convention heard an update on ACB’s Audio Description Project. Panelists were Dan Spoone and Joel Snyder. Spoone took his listeners back to 1999. He and Leslie had just married, and their state library was offering a program that users could join for $25, which would send subscribers one audio-described movie on VHS tape per month. “Look where we’ve come in 15 years! We now have over 1,000 parks and museums that are offering audio description tours. We have over 500 — soon to be thousands — of movie theaters offering audio description.”
 
Joel Snyder, director of the Audio Description Project, spoke next.  “I’m pleased that the Audio Description Project — and ACB — has been such a big part in all of those advancements,” he said. ADP created the audio-described tour of the White House, voiced by Ed Walker, with welcoming remarks from the First Lady. You can make a reservation for the tour through your Congressman.  For more information, visit www.acb.org/adp.

Wednesday

Wednesday was all about information access.  Charlson called on John Huffman for constitution and bylaws amendments. Huffman briefly described two proposed amendments that had been received and withdrawn. Following him was Mark Richert, chair of the resolutions committee. Richert read a resolution about fire codes and another about braille instruction; both were adopted.
 
Charlson turned the microphone over to Ray Campbell, the day’s presiding officer.  Campbell introduced Gabriella Cavallero, a narrator from Talking Book Publishing Company in Denver, Colo.  Cavallero reminisced about a night when her family went to a concert for children, and how the leading lady “led us … [in] a story that night, weaving it around all the instruments up on that stage, all those melodies, and I was totally mesmerized. And I thought, ‘Wow. That’s magic. I love how my worlds, music and words and stories, get to be woven together, how she does that. I want to do that!’”
 
She said that she had moved with her family to the United States when she was 8. “I had a nasal Puerto Rican accent, which I got rid of very fast because I got made fun of very badly,” she added. “But the feeling of being [on] a totally different planet was not as easily banished as losing my accent. I loved recording Julia Alvarez’s ‘How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents’ ...” She read a snippet from the book.
 
Cavallero said she always felt like an outsider, until she discovered theater. “I got a BA in theater … Then my MFA in acting in a conservatory in beautiful Denver, Colorado, led me to be a part of … the Denver Center Theater Company, and to find a home at Talking Book Publishers … Who would’ve thought that after that woman on stage with the great voice planting that seed, I would indeed become a narrator … for the National Library Service? Total dream come true!”
 
Cavallero has played a variety of parts, from queens to ladies of the court to ladies of the evening. The studio was abuzz when she recorded “Fifty Shades of Gray.” “I had quite an adventure for the next three weeks,” she said. “All the monitors seemed to want to at least have one shift with me to see why … these books were flying off the shelves and making billions.”  She wrapped up with a collage of some of her favorite writings.
 
The convention next heard about cell phone technology with a panel moderated by Brian Charlson. “It used to be that what we talked about in the blindness community was ‘We need choice,’” Charlson stated. “And then it started happening to us. And then we had to start to figure out, ‘So which one do I choose?’”
 
Charlson then introduced the panelists. Dr. Stephen McCormack of Visus Technologies spoke first.  “The iPhone is a wonderful tool, and it’s opened up a world of difference for people,” McCormack said. “Throughout the course of really working within the field I noted that there were some very gigantic gaps in the ability of the individuals to do a number of things. The three that came paramount to me were: the independence first and foremost, the ability to communicate with loved ones … and then, more broadly, the social networking that’s taking place right now …”
 
McCormack mentioned that he’d worked with students at the Carroll Center. “We were asking them point-blank, ‘OK, what is it that you want? What do you need? …’” He introduced the Velasense system, which connects an Android phone or tablet with a computer system that includes Cloud computing, social media, and much more.
 
Next was Jennifer Crutchfield from Sprint. Crutchfield informed the audience that Sprint began its journey into accessibility about four years ago, when Eric Bridges asked what Sprint was doing about it. The company realized that choice was important, and one device wasn’t enough. She asked her listeners to continue to send feedback.
 
The final panel member, Joseph Martini, director of assistive technology at Perkins Products, discussed the Odin VI phone. He said the phone had been introduced in the U.S. within the last six to eight months, and that it fits in the palm of your hand. The phone can make calls, send texts, and manage your contacts.
 
After the break, the convention heard about access to prescription medications. Melanie Brunson asked how many people took prescription medications, and how many had ever gotten their medications mixed up. The applause levels were about the same for both questions. She called on Mitch Pomerantz to discuss the best practices that were developed.
 
Pomerantz described how legislation mandated the creation of a working group composed of members of the blind community and the senior community, along with representatives from pharmacies. That group worked hard to craft a best practices document that included how braille, large print, and audio material should be provided. The document was adopted by the working group, then approved by the U.S. Access Board around convention time last year.
 
The next step was to involve the National Council on Disability, which was to develop an outreach and education campaign, he continued. NCD “really has not done its job. They’ve fallen flat on their prescription.”  Pomerantz asked attendees to get a copy of the best practices document off the ACB web site and take it to their pharmacies.
 
Brunson introduced Lainey Feingold, an attorney who has been working with pharmacies on structured negotiations; she joined the panel via phone. Feingold thanked ACB for its leadership on access to prescription information; CVS, Walgreens and Walmart for working through structured negotiations to be the first in the U.S. to offer accessible prescription information to their blind customers; and Rite-Aid, Caremark, Humana’s mail order pharmacy, and ExpressScripts.  Visit www.lflegal.com/2014/07/talking-prescription-labels/ for more information.
 
The next segment involved demonstrations of various devices, beginning with Walgreens’ Talking Pill Reminder.  Brunson purchased one at her local Walgreens; the device is round, about the same diameter as a pill bottle, comes with some adhesive tape, and affixes to the bottom of the bottle.  She played a recording of the device.
 
David Raistrick, vice president of En-Vision America, demonstrated the ScripTalk. He said his company began this kind of work in 2002 with the Veterans Administration. “It’s taken all this time to get pharmacies … to act upon that issue,” he added.
 
Then the convention heard about AccessaMed’s Digital Audio Label, demonstrated by Chad Hazen, director of community outreach. Hazen said the company started on the Digital Audio Label project about two and a half years ago. He invited people to check out the device at the exhibit booth and to visit www.accessamed.com for more information.
 
Brunson introduced AudibleRx.com, which gives consumers access to the printed information that comes with prescriptions, and Dr. Steve Leuck, the owner and president of the company. The information comes in digital audio form. “We like to call it medication information you listen to,” Leuck quipped. The information on the web site is also available via Android app and iTunes.
 
Following the panel, John Huffman gave the first reading of a proposed amendment.  Mark Richert then read two resolutions, one regarding orientation and mobility instruction and one dealing with Randolph-Sheppard vending facilities; both passed.

Thursday

Charlson called on Mark Richert for resolutions.  Richert read one that dealt with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and another that dealt with Section 508 and the U.S. Department of Justice; both passed. Afterward, John Huffman gave the second reading of a proposed constitutional amendment regarding non-discrimination, which passed.
 
Charlson then turned the microphone over to Carla Ruschival, who called on Melanie Brunson to give her report. Brunson read the “best of times, worst of times” passage from Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” to introduce her report. “As I reflected on the past year for ACB and for our community in general, it occurred to me that this passage pretty accurately describes the situation we face. As we have heard presentations throughout this past week, it’s been clear that ACB and the disability community in general face many challenges ... But we also have many opportunities to make a huge difference.”
 
Brunson’s example of a challenge was this year’s convention. “The number of companies that are represented here is incredible,” she noted. The other thing that impressed her was the sheer numbers of people those companies had brought with them; Google had 13 people, Amazon had quite a few, and Sprint had 10 people. She commended the companies for their involvement. “This is the result of work begun by your director of external relations and policy Eric Bridges … We have come a long way, and I believe that we have every reason to believe that we can continue to move forward with efforts to enhance accessibility to our society at all levels because of the reputation that ACB has achieved.”
 
It didn’t happen overnight, but it happened because ACB stuck to its guns and continued to work on the issues, she added. “… Sometimes advocacy work, whether it be advocacy with industry or government or other entities, begins with the behind-the-scenes work, work that sometimes seems routine and insignificant, but it is valuable work, and without it, the job doesn’t get done.” Such work involves people at all levels, including administrative and management staff from the office, and volunteers. She thanked the staff of both offices for all their work, as well as Larry Turnbull, Annette Carter, Tom Tobin, Jo Steigerwald, and Joel Snyder.
 
Next on the agenda was Janet Dickelman with the conference and convention report.  “For those of you who’ve heard my convention reports in the past, I’ve started out equating the convention to having a baby: pregnancy, labor, childbirth,” Dickelman said. “This year I’m kind of thinking our convention is a toddler, and anyone who’s a parent or grandparent or takes care of children knows all about toddlers and two-year-olds …” She thanked the host committee, the telephone registration crew, the convention committee members, the volunteers, the Minnesota office, and the Riviera staff.
 
The 2015 convention will be held July 3-11 in Dallas, Tex., at the Sheraton Downtown; the 2016 convention will be at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis, Minn., July 1-9. Room rates for Dallas and Minneapolis are $89 per night plus tax.
 
After the break, conventioneers heard a report on the walk and auction. Dan Spoone thanked all the affiliates for their contributions this year, and for their continued support of the MMS program. He said that ACB received $11,000 during the roll call, and $5,000 in donations to the Angels program Sunday night. The auction raised more than $20,000 for ACB. Dan Dillon said the walk had raised $33,738 as of July 17.  The top team was the Brenda Dillon Mall Walkers from Tennessee, which raised more than $3,600.
 
The next speaker was Michael Garrett, presenting the ACB Enterprises and Services report. ACBES operates five thrift stores across the country. “The thrift store business — and the key word in that phrase is ‘business’ — is a competitive and challenging business subject to the same challenges that any other business faces,” Garrett said. “Our mission at ACBES is to provide financial contributions to ACB to sustain its mission and its goals.”
 
Ruschival then presented her report. She gave the figures from the first 5 months of 2014. The total support and revenue budgeted for 2014 is $772,669. “When you divide that by 12 and multiply by 5 … the part of the budget that you would expect to have received by this time would be $321,945,” she stated. On the expense side, total budgeted $1,109,746 for 2014; through May, the amount actually expended was just $424,633.
 
ACB was very fortunate to receive a six-figure bequest in the spring, she said. “I want to caution you that in listening to these numbers, the bequest makes things look pretty good. … We need to remember that … we cannot depend on bequests, especially $400,000 bequests, just kind of happening all the time ...” Because of the bequest, ACB has a surplus at this point of $382,195. The board has put most of the bequest money into reserves.
 
Ruschival called on Richert for a few resolutions. He tackled a resolution dealing with 14(c) certificates, and another that dealt with the misrepresentation of service animals; both passed after discussion.

Friday

Mark Richert first read a resolution dealing with Lions replica canes, which passed.  He then tackled resolutions dealing with access to Medicare information, technology and library access, and identification of download-only BARD books; all passed. John Huffman then gave the second reading of the affiliate relations amendment, which passed after much discussion.
 
Before elections began, Mike Godino reviewed the nominating committee’s slate. Peterson, Sheehan, Trott and Frederick were elected by acclamation. Charlson called for nominations from the floor for the final seat. Martin Kuhn nominated George Holliday; Debra Wells nominated Kim Hebert.  While the voting crew distributed ballots, Richert read resolutions dealing with mail delivery and the vending stand program; both passed.
 
Following the roll call, Richert read a resolution dealing with taxis and ride-share companies, which passed. Charlson then announced that Holliday had won the election, 773 votes (90.15 percent) to 84.5 (9.85 percent).
 
Next up were elections for the board of publications.  Doug Powell and Judy Wilkinson were elected by acclamation.  Charlson then called for nominations from the floor for the remaining seat. Kathy Devin nominated Tom Mitchell. With no other nominations, Mitchell too was elected by acclamation.
 
After a few door prizes, Richert read the remaining resolutions, dealing with accessible set-top boxes and TV, plus expressions of thanks to the hotel, host committee and Nevada Council of the Blind, and the volunteers.  All passed.
 
After announcements, the convention adjourned.

Captions

Kim Charlson begins the life membership presentations. She is standing on stage speaking into a podium microphone, wearing a black-and-green-printed dress and dark sunglasses.
 
Dan Spoone talks about the ACB Angels Memorial Tribute program. He is wearing a red plaid shirt and speaking into the podium microphone. Dan Dillon is seated behind him, wearing a dark green shirt and holding a guitar.
 
Donna Pomerantz accepts the Affiliate Growth Award for California from Chelle Hart.  California had 242 new members in 2014. Donna is standing on stage behind the podium microphone, wearing a black shirt and a gold necklace. Chelle is standing beside her on the left, wearing a white knit vest over a dark dress.
 
Denise Colley, left, presents the Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award to “The Houston Council of the Blind Beacon.” Peggy Garrett, standing on the right behind the podium microphone, accepts on behalf of the newsletter editor.
 
Dawn Haley discusses the process of making currency accessible. She stands on stage behind the podium microphone; the podium has the word “Riviera” on the front. She is wearing an army green blouse under a golden-brown sweater, tortoiseshell glasses, gold hoop earrings, and a long gold necklace.
 
Karen Keninger discusses what’s new at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She’s standing on stage behind the podium, speaking into the microphone. She’s wearing a beige blouse, green suit jacket, and gold necklace with polished stones.
 
Tom Wlodkowski tells the audience about Comcast’s accessibility team, video description, braille and large-print channel guides, and the new customer support center for people with disabilities. He’s standing behind the podium microphone on stage, wearing a white pinstriped shirt and navy blue tie. Behind him, just visible, is the American Council of the Blind banner.
 
Gabriella Cavallero tells the audience how her dream of becoming a talking book narrator came true. She is standing behind the Riviera podium microphone, wearing a deep red sleeveless V-neck dress and a silver necklace.
 
David Raistrick, right, of En-Vision America demonstrates the ScripTalk device. He is wearing a white polo shirt, and speaking into a microphone at the head table on stage. On the left is Dr. Steve Leuck, wearing a dark shirt, paisley tie, and dark horn-rimmed glasses.
 
ACB’s executive director, Melanie Brunson, reads from “A Tale of Two Cities” at the start of her report. She is standing behind the podium microphone, wearing a periwinkle suit jacket, gray shirt, pearl necklace, and dark sunglasses.
 
The ACB board and officers. Top row: David Trott, John McCann, George Holliday, Michael Garrett, Dan Spoone, Ray Campbell, Jeff Thom, Allan Peterson, Berl Colley, Mitch Pomerantz and Pat Sheehan. Bottom row: Sara Conrad, Katie Frederick, Kim Charlson, Marlaina Lieberg, Melanie Brunson, Denise Colley and Carla Ruschival.

 

You can help! Make a secure online donation today

Donate

Become a Member

 

Need to reach us?

Call Toll-free (800) 424-8666

or (202) 467-5081 local

E-mail us at [email protected]

American Council of the Blind
1703 N Beauregard St, Suite 420
Alexandria, VA 22311

About Us

  • Board of Directors
  • Board of Publications
  • Committees & Task Forces
  • History
  • ACB Resolutions
  • Affiliates
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Programs & Services

  • ACB Community Events
  • Scholarships
  • Audio Description Project
  • Advocacy & Governmental Affairs
  • ACB Media
  • Convention
  • Membership

Publications & Media

  • Live Events
  • News
  • Braille Forum
  • Braille Forum Podcast
  • ACB Reports
  • Press Room
  • Videos

Resources

  • Jobs
  • ACB Archives
  • Blind / Low Vision Resources
  • Affiliate Resources
  • Peer Support
  • Handbooks / Manuals
  • Products & Services
  • Professional Employment Associations

Support ACB

  • Donate
  • Mini Mall
  • ACB Thrift Stores

Events

Contact Us

Website Design © 2023 American Council of the Blind

Guide Star Logo

  • RSS
  • Follow us on Facebook, clicking this link will open our Facebook page in a new browser window.
  • Follow us on Twitter, clicking this link will open our Twitter page in a new browser window.
  • Find us on Youtube. By clicking this link you will open the ACB Youtube account in a new browser window.
  • Powered by Azure

Privacy Notice