ACB Celebrates NATAD
ACB celebrated National Assistive Technology Awareness Day this week! ACB's advocacy team, Clark Rachfal and Swatha Nandhakumar, were joined by Matt Ater, Vice President of Vispero, and Don Barrett, ACB Member, to discuss assistive technology: what it is; why it is so important; and what role assistive technology will play in our lives going forward. Watch the presentation by visiting: https://youtu.be/-h3Jl3JjgvU. To listen to this presentation via podcast, visit: https://tinyurl.com/vh2rh9xt.
Meet Kolby Garrison
This week we interviewed the newest member of our team: Kolby Garrison! Kolby recently began her new role as Membership Services Administrative Assistant with ACB. Get to know Kolby in this week’s interview by visiting: https://youtu.be/SbzMBLQ7l24.
ACB’s Donor Update Call
Join us as we discuss all the amazing things underway at ACB, all possible due to the wonderful support of our donors. We share our past accomplishments and what is on the horizon, and most importantly give thanks to our supporters. Visit https://youtu.be/x88ZyoYQXrY to access the presentation.
Audio Description Awareness Day
Today is Audio Description Awareness Day! Celebrate the day by reading three articles featured in our ACB Voices blog:
- Paradigm Shift: Audio Description Your Way by Carl Richardson, Co-Chair of the Audio Description Project Committee: https://tinyurl.com/3nmd66bt
- Audio Description Snobbery by Acclaimed Audio Describer Roy Samuelson: https://tinyurl.com/5csw654h
- Audio Description: What It Means to Me by ACB Member Erika Wolf: https://tinyurl.com/3sae5rtz
Additionally, you can tune into Roy Samuelson’s fantastic presentation from our 2020 convention banquet by visiting: https://youtu.be/sYv52O1I6Mo.
Create Your ACB Account Now
We hope you will be joining us for our convention in July. To simplify our account process, we are asking you to create a new ACB account (whether you are a member or not). You will use this log in credential going forward. The first time you log in to https://members.acb.org/, you will be asked to create a new login, password, and provide your profile information. This will need to be done even if you have previously created other ACB accounts. If you registered for the 2020 holiday auction, no further action is needed. You can use the same credentials you selected for your previous ACB accounts if you wish. We are asking for your name and address (for your profile) to make sure our donor database has your current information, which will help ACB to communicate with you in the future. Please go to https://members.acb.org/ to create your ACB account by May 15th so you will be ready when convention registration opens on May 20. If you need assistance creating your ACB account please contact Janet Dickelman at (651) 428-5059.
OrCam Podcast
If you missed last week’s community event with OrCam featuring blind land speed racer, Dan Parker and Dr. Bryan Wolynski, low vision optometrist, you can still catch this event through the podcast, here: https://tinyurl.com/8msvczns. In this webinar, they discussed the technology of OrCam MyEye and how it provides independence and improves the lives of their users,. If Dan’s story inspires you, check out the OrCam MyEye and see what it can do for you. ACB members are entitled to a 10% discount off of any of the OrCam devices (cannot combine with other promotions) and payment plans are available. If you are interested to receive more information please go to this link, https://tinyurl.com/tbcfw6sc, and fill out your details or contact Oded Tsin from OrCam directly at [email protected].
Audio Description Awareness Challenge
Today, in recognition of Audio Description Awareness Day, Bold Blind Beauty launches the Audio Description Awareness Challenge. They invite you to find a friend to watch a TV episode or movie of your choice with audio description. By the end of the month, post your experiences on social media using the hashtags #TADAChallenge, #KevinsWay, and #BoldBlindBeauty. Learn more by visiting: BoldBlindBeauty.com/TADA.
Accessible Currency Petition
Do you agree that the US Treasury’s 20+ year delay in providing accessibility for the blind is unacceptable? Do you believe that we must redesign currency including the portraits of our chosen heroes like Tubman and the suffragists in this administration and that we cannot wait until 2026 and beyond for updated banknotes? Do you want our currency to have state of the art security features to protect us from counterfeiters? Well, right now we are stuck in a lose- lose-lose situation, a government gridlock that denies us accessibility, our Tubmans and counterfeit resistant bills. We must get government unstuck. Join us in telling Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Jerome Powell that blind and visually impaired people have waited long enough for accessible currency, the public has waited long enough for secure currency and we have waited long enough for currency that tells all our story. We can make this a win-win-win situation. Fill out the petition at: https://www.womenon20s.org/currency_petition.
M-Enabling Summit
Meet Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft on April 21 during the M-Enabling Virtual Leadership Briefing where she will be interviewed by Shilpi Kapoor, Founder and CEO of Barrier Break. Engage in conversation around the technology directions that matter for accessible work places. Register today! https://m-enabling.com/virtual-leadership-briefing-series