by Janet Dickelman
Correction: in the January issue of the Forum I stated that our tour to Horizons for the Blind would be on Tuesday, July 7th. The tour will actually take place on Wednesday, July 8th!
Announcing the 2020 Talking Book Narrator! Erin Jones, American Printing House for the Blind, will join us Tuesday morning during our general session and later that day for the LUA and BRL program. You won’t want to miss Erin’s presentation titled, “You Say puh-TAY-toe, I Say Whatever NLS Tells Me to Say.”
Special-interest affiliates and ACB committees are busily planning their workshops, seminars and meetings. The below listing is only a small snapshot of what you will find at the 2020 conference and convention in Schaumburg, Ill.
Convention dates are Friday, July 3rd through Friday, July 10th.
Special-Interest Affiliates
American Association of Blind Teachers (AABT): Teachers will hold their breakfast on Saturday with guest speaker Richie Zie, who tells stories about Chicago history in a very funny and entertaining way.
Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL) will host a luncheon and program on Monday. They are working on a presentation on 3-D models.
ACB Families (ACBF) will hold a sing-along Sunday evening in the hotel courtyard complete with camp songs, hot dogs and s’mores. They invite you to bring an instrument and play along! On Monday ACBF will hold a breakfast and their always popular Families Bingo.
ACB Lions (ACBL) will be roaring with Milly’s Place and their luncheon.
ACB Students (ACBS) will have a kickoff event Friday evening, host the scholarship luncheon on Saturday, and hold several other events, including salsa dancing, video games, various tech sessions and much more.
Blind Information Technology Specialists (BITS) will hold programming on Saturday and Sunday and is planning one-on-one sessions to assist attendees with their technology needs.
Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI) is celebrating their 20th anniversary! Join them for a luncheon on Tuesday which, thanks to a sponsorship, will be offered at a greatly reduced price!
Braille Revival League (BRL) will hold Braille Orienteering on Saturday, which is a scavenger hunt with braille clues and prizes. On Monday join BRL for their breakfast, an afternoon program and Games with Ralph, a chance to play games using braille. Tuesday they will hold a joint program with Library Users.
Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI): In addition to their mixer on Saturday, they will hold a luncheon, a Monday evening game night, and are considering hosting iPhone training sessions.
Friends-in-Art of ACB (FIA) will hold Showcase auditions on Saturday and Sunday. Prose and Poetry reading will be on Sunday. On Monday FIA will hold a luncheon in conjunction with Visually Impaired Veterans of America (VIVA). The luncheon will feature adventures with LEGOs. The Showcase of the Performing Arts will be Monday evening.
Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs (IVIE): Join IVIE Marketplace Day on Saturday; a luncheon and session on taxes plus their small business expo on Tuesday.
Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (RSVA) will host a luncheon, their ever-popular comedy night and karaoke on Sunday; they invite everyone to join them on a casino outing Monday evening.
ACB Committees
Reminder: there will be no cost for committee programming unless food will be served.
The auction committee will host the 2020 blowout auction on Tuesday evening. Cash-and-carry food line and bar will be available at the auction.
Durward K. McDaniel First-Timer (DKM) Committee: Lights, Camera, Action! 2020 DKM First-Timers will take a walk on the red carpet during the annual reception on Wednesday, July 8th.
Information Access Committee (IAC) will host 411 from the IAC on Saturday afternoon plus a special session on Sunday on accessibility in the home providing a deeper dive in the progress around home accessibility through the Internet of Things (IOT).
International Relations (IRC) will host the Voices from Around the World luncheon on Monday, where you will meet and hear from our international guests.
On Tuesday join MCAC for a tour to historic Hull House and the DuSable African-American History Museum.
Next Generation is planning a Google session on Monday and an evening meet and greet.
The Rehab Issues Task Force is planning a session about pre-employment transition programs.
Sight and Sound Impaired Committee (SASI) will hold their social on Sunday and a program on Monday.
Join the ACB Walk Committee for the Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk, “Walking up a Storm” on Saturday morning.
Women’s Concerns will hold Yogalates with Leslie Spoone on Monday and their Sister Power breakfast on Wednesday. They are working on other ideas for sessions on women’s health.
Join the Transportation and Environmental Access Committees as they travel “To Mobility and Beyond!”, where Saturday, they will cover how transportation works through games and interactive learning, followed by listening sessions on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, they will host a workshop facilitated by Carol Wright, Director, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, where all the previous days’ work will come together, and training will be provided on how to build local coalitions that can support transportation advocacy efforts.
Staying in Touch
Once again, this year the conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank email to
[email protected]. If you received updates for the 2019 convention, you do not need to re-subscribe to the list.
Hotel Details
Room rates at the Renaissance are $94 per night (for up to four people in a room), plus tax, which is currently 15%. For telephone reservations, call 1-800-468-3571. This is a central reservations number, so be sure to indicate that you are with the American Council of the Blind 2020 conference and convention at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Ill. Rooms must be reserved by June 10, 2020 to guarantee the convention rate.
Convention Contacts
2020 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, [email protected]
2020 advertising and sponsorships: Margarine Beaman, (512) 921-1625, [email protected]
For any other convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, (651) 428-5059 or via email, [email protected].