60 Years of ACB
Join us tomorrow July 7th at 2pm ET for a live event to celebrate ACB’s 60th Anniversary! Help us kick-off our 60th year as an organization and community with a special donation drive to reach $60k in celebration of our 60th anniversary that we are calling “60 for 60”. Listen live on Facebook, YouTube, Clubhouse, or on ACB Media 1. To access ACB Media 1 online, visit: https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media1. To donate to our 60 for 60 campaign, visit: https://bit.ly/3dhK0Wz. Following this special live event, we will also have a two-hour community event. Whether you have been with us for six months, sixty years, or anywhere in between, here’s your opportunity to share what ACB means to you. ACB belongs to all of us, and we want to give everyone a platform to share on this very special day in ACB history. For information on how to join this community call through our community email list, visit https://acblists.org/g/ACB-Community-Events to join the list.
ACB 2021 Mock Election
In June, a unique voter code was sent out in large print and in braille to the members who don’t have a valid email address with ACB. On Tuesday July 6th, all members that have a valid email address will receive their unique voter code. Codes are in the process of being sent out now. The code you receive will be used for the mock election and for all contested elections during the ACB Conference and Convention.
On Wednesday, July 6th Members will receive a Zoom link to use for the individual vote during the July 9th mock election that will take place from 10am – 5:30pm EST. Delegates and alternates will receive a separate Zoom link to use for the affiliate roll call vote during that election. The Delegate roll call vote will be from 5pm–5:30pm EST.
Vote-Now System:
In the mock election, you will be able to cast your individual vote by accessing the Vote-Now system using any of the following methods:
- Online option: using your Mac, PC, Tablets, iPhone and Android using the link provided for the mock election.
- Telephonic option: using your cell or landline with a toll-free number, you may cast your vote either through an automated system or operator assistance.
If you choose to use the telephonic option, you will need to know your code. You will have to give it to the operator that is assisting you or punch it in to the automated system. If you choose to utilize the online options, you will just need to click on the link for the mock election.
It might be helpful to write down or record your unique voter code, so you have it handy. If you lose your code, you can reach out to the Minneapolis office or Vote-Now.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Koni Sims at: [email protected] or Pat Sheehan at: [email protected].
Candidates’ Forums
Members of ACB are responsible for electing a slate of individuals who will provide leadership in our organization as officers, members of the ACB Board of Directors, and members of the ACB Board of Publications, in coming months and years. Because ACB was unable to conduct elections at our virtual convention in 2020, we will be electing all five ACB officers, five members of the ACB Board of Directors and all three elected members of the Board of Publications at this year’s ACB convention. All candidates who posted information to the ACB Candidates’ Web Page participated in one of two ACB Candidates’ Forums on June 29 and 30. To watch the June 29th Candidates’ Forum, visit: https://youtu.be/KV3yc15RRWs. To watch the June 30th Candidates’ Forum, visit: https://youtu.be/PEQ7xA2grWY.
Accessible Fitness Equipment Event
The U.S. Access Board invites the public to a virtual meeting on advancing access to fitness equipment on July 14 from 1–3:15 (ET). The event, "Moving Forward: Access to Inclusive Fitness Equipment,” will feature panel presentations on the need for access to fitness equipment, initiatives to address equipment accessibility, and implementation of inclusive fitness equipment. ACB’s Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, will be a panelist at this event. To learn more and register, visit: https://tinyurl.com/4kyjbf8t.
ACB Media Network Launch
ACB is excited to announce that we have launched the ACB Media Network! Please take the time to visit www.acbmedia.org to browse, bookmark and stay up to date on the ACB Digital Media Library. Find what you are searching for quickly; whether it is our latest podcast, ACB’s 10 live streams, or issues and archives of the Braille Forum and ACB Blog. The Calendar will feature a program schedule of sessions and events including individual content tracks. ACB is excited to provide you with these important technological advances to help keep you up to date on how to access the ACB Media content that you need and enjoy!
ACB Convention Entertainment Track
ACB’s advocacy team, Clark and Swatha, highlighted the entertainment track of the 2021 ACB Conference and Convention on last week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update. ACB’s President, Dan Spoone, and ACB’s Convention Coordinator, Janet Dickelman also participated in this conversation. To access the video recording of this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/H7kE4YHSDe0. Whether in-person or virtual, the ACB Conference and Convention is an opportunity for family and community to come together in a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment. We want you to join us for this year’s conference and convention! If you missed our convention registration deadline, registration will reopen on July 14 and remain open until July 23, 2021. To register on and after July 14th, call the Minneapolis office at 612-332-3242, from 9am to 5pm ET. To learn more, visit www.acbconvention.org.
ACB Convention Technology Track
On the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha previewed the Technology Track of programming for the 2021 ACB Conference and Convention. They were joined by Jeff Bishop, Chair of ACB’s Information Access Committee. Visit https://youtu.be/NsXplT6SQqM to access the video recording.