“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features articles on a new ACB employee, the JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows, the winners of the DKM First-Timers Awards, pre-registration information, Aira lowering hotel rates for ACB members, Facebook Live!, advocacy updates, and an announcement about Kim Charlson receiving the Campbell Award.
Get Ready to Pre-Register for Rochester
Pre-registration saves time and money. This year, ACB members can register before pre-registration opens to non-members. If you have registered online in the past, there is a simple way you can ensure that your registration processes smoothly.
Prior to the opening of registration on May 22nd, please do the following:
- Go to acb.org.
- Enter on the pre-registration link.
- Enter your username and password.
- You will receive a message that says, “Thank you for confirming that your login is linked to your member ID. You are ready for member pre-registration, which begins May 22nd at 7 a.m. EDT.”
- Log out of the system.
If you have difficulty, please contact the Minneapolis office at 1-800-866-3242.
Sneak Preview of Pre-Registration Form
The pre-registration form is now available for browsing! For your sneak preview, go to acbconvention.org. Select the heading that says Browse 2019 Sessions and Tours.
This is your chance to review the form and decide which activities you want to attend before pre-registration opens on May 22nd. The form will also be available on ACB Radio and NFB Newsline.
Convention registration will open on May 22nd for ACB members and on May 27th for non-members.
Aira Looks Forward to Welcoming You to Rochester!
As you know, the 2019 ACB conference and convention will be held in Rochester, N.Y. July 5th through 12th. What you may not know is that this year’s reduced room rates come courtesy of Aira. ACB members attending this year’s convention can enjoy a reduced hotel rate of $82 per night. This is applicable for ACB members only.
Aira will also be providing free service during the event, meaning you can explore and experience everything the convention has to offer with Aira at no cost to you – from the moment you get to Rochester Airport, to entering your reduced rate hotel, to visiting exhibit booths and reading menus while at dinner with friends.
Aira and ACB look forward to meeting you at this year’s ACB conference and convention. Come say “hi” to the Aira Team at their booth and attend their interactive talks. You can find all the details about Aira convention happenings at aira.io/acb.
To become a member of the American Council of the Blind, visit: http://acb.org/user/register by June 6th.
A New Employee in Minnesota
To read the full announcement, go to http://acb.org/membership-services-coordinator-announcement.
We are pleased to announce the hiring of Cindy Van Winkle to be ACB’s Membership Services Coordinator. Cindy’s first day at ACB will be June 10, and she will be working in the Minneapolis office. Her email address will be [email protected]. Please join us in welcoming her to the team!
This Year’s Leadership Fellows Are …
To read the full announcement online, go to http://acb.org/2019-leadership-fellows.
The DKM First-Timers Committee has made its selection of this year’s JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows. The winners are:
Donna K. Browning, Alexandria, Virginia
Rosemarie Facilla, Muskegon, Michigan
Donald L. Kalman, Medina, Ohio
Rachel Schroeder, Springfield, Illinois
Amanda Selm, Louisville, Kentucky
Introducing the 2019 DKM First-Timers!
To read the full announcement online, go to http://acb.org/2019-dkm-first-timers.
ACB and the DKM First-Timers Committee are pleased to announce this year’s first-timers. The DKM First-Timers Award is ACB's primary leadership development award and it is given in memory of Durward K. McDaniel, also known as the founding father of ACB.
The winning applicants are Ted Boardman of Indiana and Steven Salas of Texas.
Come join us at the DKM First-Timers Reception on Wednesday, July 10th, and meet Ted and Steven!
Facebook Live!
May 16th was Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Eric Bridges, Claire Stanley, and Clark Rachfal talked about ACB’s work to increase digital access and inclusion awareness to better the lives of all blind and visually impaired consumers. To view and hear the talk, go to https://tinyurl.com/y5wsvqey.
Advocacy Updates
On the May 6th ACB Advocacy Update, Claire Stanley and Clark Rachfal talk everything Amtrak. Topics covered include the accessibility of the Amtrak website, app and phone system; staffed and unstaffed Amtrak stations, and accessibility planning for new Amtrak trains. Listen via your favorite podcast player or online at: http://acbradio.org/content/acb-advocacy-update-may-3-2019.
Kim Charlson Receives Campbell Award
Kim Charlson, executive director of the Perkins Library, has won the Francis Joseph Campbell Award. Given by the Association of Specialized, Government, and Cooperative Library Agencies, the prestigious award honors leaders in library services for people with visual impairments who have made remarkable contributions to the field. The award will be presented at the ASGCLA Achievement Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
Please join us in congratulating Kim for this well-earned recognition!