2021 DKM First Timers
This year’s DKM First Timer award winners are Kaila Allen from Mesa, Arizona and Belinda Collins from St. Pauls, North Carolina. Learn more about Kaila and Belinda by visiting: https://acb.org/2021-dkm-first-timers-announcement.
ACB Expands Hours on Be My Eyes!
For the past year, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) has proudly been a part of the Specialized Help on the Be My Eyes platform. We receive calls from folks in search of blindness related resources, information on ACB and our affiliates and programs, and other varying topics. Up until now, and with the help of dedicated volunteers, we have been doing this on a part time basis. But starting this week, we are now open on Be My Eyes during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern time. The Be My Eyes app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android. Learn more about Be My Eyes here: www.bemyeyes.com.
ACB Advocacy Update: First 100 Days
On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha reconnect with Mark Richert, ACB First Vice President, and Paul Schroeder, Vice President of Government and Community Outreach, American Printing House for the Blind. We spoke with Mark and Paul at the beginning of the 117th Congress, and now we are checking in at the 100 days mark to ascertain whether the Administration and Congress are on-track with their policy priorities. Tune in as Mark rubs his crystal ball and shares what is in store for the rest of the Biden presidency! Listen via your podcast player or online at: https://tinyurl.com/teurb94h.
Stories for Mother’s Day
Have a story to tell? This coming Sunday, May 9th, is Mother’s Day, and the ACB Voices blog will be celebrating by featuring articles from the Braille Forum archives and sharing new posts from our community throughout the week. We would love to hear stories from a mother’s perspective or stories on how your own mother helped lift you up and foster your own freedom and independence. You can check out the ACB Voices blog at www.acbvoices.org. Stories can be submitted to [email protected]. And to all our moms out there, have a safe and wonderful weekend!
Clubhouse
Clubhouse is a free social networking app, only available on iOS, that provides a platform to interact with others and discuss various topics via audio in virtual chat rooms. To join you must receive an invitation from an existing user, or you may join and become a part of our ACB Club on Clubhouse by emailing [email protected]. ACB’s presence on this app further expands the reach our community. To learn more about ACB’s Clubhouse guidelines, visit: https://acb.org/Clubhouse.
Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible families and households who are struggling to stay connected during the #COVID19 pandemic. Qualifying households on Tribal lands can receive a discount of up to $75 per month for service. Eligible households can also receive a discount of up to $100 for the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. For more info, please visit: fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.
Access & Engagement Survey
A group of researchers at the University of South Carolina Upstate, the American Foundation for the Blind, and The Ohio State University are conducting focus groups and short surveys with families and professionals. This is an opportunity for a diverse group of stakeholders to share their experiences as they relate to the education of children with visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities and deafblindness. Learn more about how to participate at: https://tinyurl.com/2hxkrdn3.
Apprenticeship Program Input
Our friends at the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA) are seeking input from people with disabilities (ages 16 and older) about their views on apprenticeship programs. Their aim is to better understand how they can help design inclusive apprenticeship programs that enable people with disabilities to gain credentials and skills to succeed in growing industries. If you are interested in providing your input, complete PIA’s questionnaire by Friday, May 14th at 5 PM EST. We also encourage you to share this information with others who may want to complete the questionnaire. If you have questions, please reach out to Josh Christianson, Program Director at PIA [email protected]. You can also visit www.InclusiveApprenticeship.org.