“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features information about Tony Stephens’ return to the ACB national office, information about Cathie Skivers’ memorial service (and other plans in the works), Advocacy Updates, and the winners of the Benefits of Audio Description in Education awards.
Welcome Back …
A familiar face has returned to the ACB national office. Tony Stephens is ACB’s new Director of Development.
Tony rejoins the organization after taking a year away from ACB, where he served as executive director for the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance (DBFA). This experience significantly strengthened his background in fundraising and development, ramping up to around 60% of Tony’s workload during the second half of his time with DBFA. This work included significant outreach to local corporate partners and foundations, in addition to developing new revenue streams to assure long-term sustainability for the organization.
His knowledge of ACB’s operations and key stakeholders is deep, with solid relationships still existing with many of our partners. Tony’s email is [email protected].
Cathie Skivers Memorial Service
On the early morning of December 12, 2019 Catherine Skivers passed away. The blindness community lost a giant that day. Usually, in the issues of “The Blind Californian” immediately following the death of such an important personage as Cathie, we would publish remembrances and tributes. But we have lots more plans to remember her which are laid out below.
Memorial Service
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 2, (Cathie’s 95th birthday) from 1 to 4 p.m. at the San Francisco Lighthouse, 1155 Market St., 10th floor, San Francisco. Seating is limited to 110 people, but we will be broadcasting over ACB Radio so that folks around the world can share in remembering Cathie. The Lighthouse has a state-of-the-art sound system so those wishing to be on the speakers’ list can participate in person or by phone. To be placed on the speakers’ list in person or by phone, or to get your name on the in-person seating list, call Connie Skeen at (510) 532-7687 (leave a message if necessary), or email her, [email protected].
Catherine Skivers: An ACB Angel
Bayview Chapter got the ball rolling to make Cathie an ACB Angel. If you would like to donate toward Cathie’s Angel status, call the Minnesota office at (612) 332-3242.
Memorial Issue of ‘The Blind Californian’
California will publish a special issue of “The Blind Californian” in print and braille as well as our current email and web formats. We plan to gather a number of Cathie’s writings, and this is where you come in. We will publish memories and tributes from anyone wishing to remember Cathie. Pieces may be edited because of space concerns. Please email all submissions to Mike Keithley, [email protected], by Sept. 1, 2020. The web and email versions will be distributed free; if you’d like a keepsake print or braille version, we are asking for a $20 donation.
To be placed on the print or braille list for the special BC issue, call Nicole Pacheco at the California office, (916) 441-2100.
Historic Recordings
In 2018 Steve Mendelsohn worked with Cathie to create some historic recordings. We plan to digitize them and make them available both on our website and the San Francisco Lighthouse archives. This is a magnificent treasure trove in Cathie’s own voice!
Advocacy Updates
On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, join Claire Stanley as she speaks with two ACB members about recently proposed amendments to the Department of Transportation’s Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) that will impact those who fly with their guide dogs. Listen via your favorite podcast player, or online at http://acbradio.org/acb-advocacy-update-3-12-20.
ACB encourages all guide dog users to submit comments regarding this proposed rulemaking. For instructions on how to file comments, go to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/02/05/2020-01546/traveling-by-air-with-service-animals.
The March 6th Advocacy Update features some of the people and presenters who attended the D.C. Leadership Meetings. Listeners will hear ACB members reflect on their experiences during the meetings, as well as the legislative seminar lunchtime presentation from managing director of the Signal Group, Charles Cooper. Listen via your favorite podcast player or online at http://acbradio.org/acb-advocacy-update-3-6-20.
On the Feb. 27th Advocacy Update, Clark, Claire and Eric speak to a very exciting guest - the one and only Tony Stephens! Tony is returning to ACB as our new Director of Development. Join them as they talk about his new position and what he will be bringing to ACB. Listen via your favorite podcast player, or online at http://acbradio.org/acb-advocacy-update-2-27-20. For a transcript of this podcast, go to https://acb.org/ACB-advocacy-update-2-27-20-transcript.
In the Feb. 20th edition, Claire and Clark speak with Karen Woon, Vice President of Marketing, Guide Dogs for the Blind, about the new docuseries “Pick of the Litter,” streaming now on Disney+. Karen shares the exciting work that went into filming and accurately representing the long journey for six puppies to become trained guide dogs. Included in this series is ACB’s own Claire Stanley, and her new guide dog, Tulane! Listen via your favorite podcast player, or online at: http://acbradio.org/acb-advocacy-update-2-20-20. To learn more about Disney+, including how to watch Pick of the Litter with audio description, check out the Audio Description Project’s website, https://acb.org/adp/disneyad.html.
BADIE Winners Announced
ACB is proud to announce the winners of the 2020 BADIE Awards (the Benefits of Audio Description In Education), a “Listening Is Learning” initiative of the Council’s Audio Description Project (ADP) in collaboration with the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). The winners of this year’s honors (all young people who are blind) are as follows.
Grand Prize Winner:
- Mina Lamarra – Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, CA - Review of “Curiosity Quest: Guide Dogs”
Senior Category (ages 16 to 21):
- First Place – Zacheriah Allen, West Virginia School for the Blind, Romney, WV – Review of “Drive Thru History: Kosciuszko, Von Steuben & The Revolutionary War”
- Second Place – Taylor Cox, Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, CA - Review of “Houdini”
- Third Place – Hunter Ruhl, West Virginia School for the Blind, Romney, WV – Review of “Career Connection: Sound Engineer”
Junior Category (ages 11 to 15):
- First Place – Mina Lamarra, Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, CA - Review of “Curiosity Quest: Guide Dogs”
- Second Place – Isabella Patterson, West Virginia School for the Blind, Romney, WV – Review of “Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks”
- Third Place – Eli McCalmont, Pacific Cascade Middle School, Issaquah, WA – Review of “Star Wars Episode Seven: The Force Awakens”
Sophomore Category (ages 7 to 10):
- First Place – Shaelin Shakespeare, Margaret Ross Elementary School, Aliquippa, PA – Review of “Guide Dog”
- Second Place – Hunter Knotts, West Virginia School for the Blind, Romney, WV – Review of “The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top”
- Third Place – Searra Kline, Mountainview Elementary School, Morgantown, WV – Review of “Space to Play Perimeter”