DC Leadership Conference Materials
This year’s DC Leadership Conference will be held virtually from February 21st-23rd, bringing together affiliate leaders and advocates from across the country. Visit https://acb.org/2021-leadership-conference to access the conference agendas, materials, legislative imperative documents, and legislative imperative community event podcasts. Register for the DC Leadership Conference by visiting http://weblink.donorperfect.com/2021DCLeadershipmtgs.
Legislative Imperative Podcasts
This week we held three community events to discuss our legislative imperatives. Use the links below to access the podcast recording for each legislative imperative:
- Legislative Imperative 1: Secure Independence for Seniors and Medicare Beneficiaries: https://tinyurl.com/2021-legislative-imperative-1
- Legislative Imperative 2: Disability Access to Transportation Act: https://tinyurl.com/2021-legislative-imperative-2
- Legislative Imperative 3: Exercise and Fitness for All Act: https://tinyurl.com/2021-legislative-imperative-3
ACB Scholarships
During this ACB Advocacy Update presentation available at https://youtu.be/hl31t5qzxP8, we discuss how ACB scholarships further our mission of increasing independence and economic opportunity for people who are blind and experiencing vision loss. ACB’s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, is joined by Rebecca Bridges, Chair of ACB’s Scholarship Committee, and two recent scholarship awardees - Amanda Lannan, and Mitchell Bridwell. The 2021 ACB Scholarships deadline is Monday, Feb. 15, and information about ACB Scholarships may be found at: https://acb.org/scholarships. To listen to this presentation via podcast, visit: https://tinyurl.com/2akkx4hv.
ACB’s New Membership Intern
Belinda Collins is a native North Carolinian and our most recent addition to the ACB staff. She began as Community Intern on Monday, February 8, 2021 and will be with us for twelve weeks, thanks to the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind. Belinda will report to Cindy Hollis, Membership Services Coordinator, providing support of our community events. Belinda’s first real connection with ACB was last summer at our 2020 virtual ACB Conference and convention. Soon after she became a regular attendee of community events and joined ACB through our special interest affiliate, BITS in August 2020. In her spare time, Belinda enjoys reading romance and mysteries, listening to 80’s and 90’s music, and cheering on her teams: North Carolina Tar Heels, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Braves. She recently graduated as a Certified Assistive Technology Instructor from World Services for the Blind, Little Rock AR and is certified in NVDA, Jaws, ZoomText, and SuperNova. She is also one of our Community Zoom Hosts. So many of you may recognize her name and voice. You can welcome her to the team by sending an email to [email protected].
ACB Students Leadership Conference Stipends
ACB Students is offering five stipends to any student enrolled in an educational program to attend the 2021 virtual ACB DC Leadership Conference. This event, taking place from Sunday 2/21- Tuesday 2/23, is a fantastic way for students to learn more about ACB while participating in advocacy efforts to better the lives of blind and visually impaired people. If you are selected to receive a stipend, ACB Students will cover registration and any associated costs. Students must attend the President's Meeting on Sunday, 2/21 in full, and as much as they can of the Legislative Seminar on Monday, 2/22 given their schooling schedules. In addition, ACB Students would love to hear about what you learned at the Leadership Conference afterwards through articles or blog posts. Please fill out the application at https://forms.gle/sKLcqdVjadwnA1op6, no later than 5:00 PM on Sunday, February 14th. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for any questions or concerns.
The Berl Colley Leadership Institute Presents: Diving into Development 101
Is your affiliate struggling to keep its head above water, or are you floundering for fund-raising ideas? Are you swimming against the current when seeking convention sponsorships? Surf into the Berl Coley Leadership Training webinar taking place Thursday, February 18 at 9pm ET/6pm PT, and join Tony Stephens, ACB’s Director of Development as he shares strategies for fund-raising and legal advertising. To receive up-to-date info on how to join our events, please subscribe to our ACB Community Events email list by filling out the subscription form at: https://acblists.org/g/ACB-Community-Events.
Ready, Set, Advocate: Standing Together for Kids who are Deaf, Blind, or Deaf Blind
On Tuesday evening, February 16, at 7:30pm Eastern, advocates in the deaf, blind, and deafblind education fields are hosting a community-wide virtual gathering to launch a comprehensive agenda for change with a new Congress and Administration. As the premier event of the Cogswell-Macy Action Network, this event will brief attendees on progress made to date to affect national legislative and regulatory improvements to America’s special education system. Attendees will learn about immediate next steps in Congress, including introduction of the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act, the strategies and tactics to be deployed in 2021 to support the goals of the Act, and how everyone can play a part in these critical efforts as we make the most of new opportunities to achieve results. Register by visiting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpdOGqrzwrH9EOc5zIOt0G6-IN2W7rJ1eG.
Children's Books That Feature Characters With Disabilities
It’s important for children to feel represented in the books they read. It’s also important for books to expose children to the beautiful diversity of our world. This includes the varying abilities and disabilities around the globe. To promote inclusivity and representation, HuffPost rounded up 53 books featuring characters with disabilities. Visit https://tinyurl.com/1vv8whgy to access the full list.
NSITE Connect: Where Talent Meets Opportunity
National Industries for the Blind (NIB) is excited to officially launch NSITE Connect, where blind and visually impaired job seekers, veterans and employers connect. If you are blind, visually impaired, or a veteran looking for employment, NSITE Connect is the place for you to start your job search. Create and complete your profile for free and you will be connected to companies looking to hire. Use NSITE Connect to tailor your job search with a partner that's equipped to understand your unique qualities and provide the best prospects for the right job fit. Create your profile today by visiting https://nsiteconnect.jobboard.io. The first 100 job seekers registered will be included on the preferred applicant listing and qualify to receive a free resume review by NIB employment experts.
Future Financial Planning for People with Disabilities Study
The National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities is conducting a national survey focused on future financial planning for people with disabilities and their families and want to hear from you. This survey is for people with disabilities, family members of people with disabilities, professionals in the disabilities service sector, professionals in the financial planning field, and financial, legal, and disability experts in financial planning and saving for people with disabilities and their families. Please respond to the survey before February 29 by visiting https://tinyurl.com/ytlwjcj5. For more information about the study, or for help with the survey, please contact Cory Gilden, the Principle Investigator on this project at [email protected].
FCC Seeks Outreach Partners for Emergency Broadband Benefit
On February 11, 2021, Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the FCC is seeking outreach partners to help share important consumer information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit – an FCC program being developed to provide relief to households that are struggling to pay for internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the effort to inform consumers about the upcoming Emergency Broadband Benefit, the FCC has established a new website where stakeholders can sign up to help promote this new program. The website can be found at fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit. As the program is developed, the website will also be a resource for consumers and stakeholders to get the latest information on the Emergency Broadband Benefit. On February 12, at 10 a.m. ET, Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel will convene a virtual roundtable discussion to gather public input on how to structure the new Emergency Broadband Benefit program. The roundtable will give interested parties an opportunity to share ideas on the important public policy and program administration decisions that will shape the Commission’s approach to implementing the program. Watch the webcast live at fcc.gov/live.