by Janet Dickelman
It is hard to believe that, as you read this, that registration for the 2025 American Council of the Blind conference and convention is just around the corner! Read on to learn all about registration, plus ordering dog food, how to be certified for paratransit, renting a wheelchair or scooter, assistance at the airport, and some very important information to consider when taking a tour.
In-person/hybrid dates are July 4 - 11, with Zoom-only sessions June 26 through 28. Don’t miss the virtual-only ACB summer auction on June 21 (preceded by two days of appetizer auctions), and the official call to order via Zoom on June 23 with the reading of the convention standing rules and the first credentials report.
Registration Details
Registration will open for ACB members on Thursday, May 15, at 7 a.m. Central time. Registration cost will be $55. On May 22 registration will open for non-ACB members, that cost will be $70.
Registration will close on Tuesday, June 17 at 11:59 p.m. Central time. You may also register during the convention; however, the cost will be higher, $75 for ACB members and $90 for non-members.
What You Can Do Now to Prepare for Registration
- Make sure you can log in to your member account at https://members.acb.org/. If you do not remember your login and password, you may select “password reset” or call the Minneapolis office at (612) 332-3242.
- If you have not created a member account at https://members.acb.org/, select the link labeled “Create an Account” and provide the information requested. After creating an account, you can log in, but it may take up to 24 business hours before you will be able to complete a convention registration, as the Minneapolis office needs to link your member account to our database. Now is a good time to create your account!
When registration opens:
- If you are registering online, log into your member account. Once you have selected the “ACB Convention” link on the members main page, it will open on an introduction page. After reading this information, proceed to preferences to begin your registration.
- Please verify that your contact information is correct. On this page you will also select whether you will be attending the convention virtually or in person. If you choose to be a virtual attendee, you will not be shown sessions that are only available to in-person attendees such as tours, social events, etc.
- If you choose to be an in-person attendee, you will be shown all virtual and in-person sessions.
- If you need assistance in registering, telephone registration will be available by calling Janet Dickelman at (651) 428-5059.
Braille or Print Program Requests
If you are attending virtually and wish to receive the convention program in either braille or large print, it will be sent to your home address. If you are a virtual attendee requesting a print or braille program, you must register prior to June 1st in order to receive the program in print or braille.
If you will be joining us in Dallas, you will receive the program when you pick up your registration materials. All registrants will receive Zoom links for the Zoom-only events. If you are attending the convention in person, you can pick up your registration materials starting Thursday evening, July 3.
Planning to Take a Tour?
Please read very carefully the tour descriptions. Many of our tours require a lot of walking and/or standing. If this is difficult for you to do, please consider not taking the tour. Your health and comfort are very important to us. If you can’t keep up with the group, there aren’t options to stop or rest.
If you require the use of a wheelchair to attend a tour, you must bring someone with you who will push your chair. That person must also register for the tour; our volunteers are not able to assist as wheelchair pushers. If you use a wheelchair or walker, please make sure to indicate that on the registration form. Also, if you are more comfortable having your own guide, you might consider attending the tour with a friend or family member. We generally have one volunteer to assist 10 to 15 attendees, so cannot offer personal assistance.
Using Paratransit Service During the Convention
To obtain a visitor pass to use paratransit in Dallas, have your provider email or fax your information. This should be done at least two weeks in advance, but not prior to June 1. Email it to [email protected], or fax to (214) 828-6642.
You should then call (214) 515-7272, option 5, and you will be provided with a temporary ID number. (214) 515-7272 is also the number to call to book your rides. The fare is $3 each way, cash only. Rides must be booked 1 or 2 days in advance.
Wheelchair Rentals
If you would like to rent a wheelchair or scooter, call Andrew Fulton, Dallas Mobility Rentals, at (214) 506-0526. Weekly scooter rentals are $139; wheelchairs (any size) are $79. They will be delivered to the hotel on Thursday, July 3 and picked up on Friday, July 11th. Please call in advance to order your wheelchair or scooter. Once you have placed your order, call or email me so I can maintain a list to ensure all wheelchairs and scooters have been received.
Ordering Dog Food
Don’t want to weigh down your luggage with food for your dog? Keep it simple — order food from Scoop Masters!
Scoop Masters will provide and maintain our dog relief areas in Dallas; locations of the dog relief areas will be shared via email lists and posted in the convention newspaper as soon as they are set up.
If you would like to pre-order dog food to be delivered to your hotel room, call Tim Stone at (661) 714-0749, or order online at http://scoopmasters.com/acb. Tim says, “It’s a simple form that asks for your name, phone number, brand and type of food. I will call to get the details within 24 hours, and I will accept payments at the hotel.”
Food must be ordered by June 20th to ensure delivery.
Assistance at the Airport
To assist airline personnel and Margarine Beaman and her cadre of airport volunteers, if you would like assistance when you arrive at the airport, please submit the following information. Please remember there are two airports serving the Dallas area.
- Your name
- Whether you will be arriving at DFW or Love Field
- The name of the airline you will be arriving on
- The city you will be traveling from
- Your arrival flight number
- Your cell phone number
- Departure date
- Departure time
- Departure airport
- Departure airline
You can send Margarine Beaman an e-mail with "airline information" in the subject line at
[email protected] or call her at (512) 921-1625
Staying in Touch
The conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to [email protected]. If you received updates for the 2024 convention, you do not need to re-subscribe to the list.
Hotel Details
The cut-off date to make reservations is Monday, June 9. Don’t delay — make your reservations today!
Room rates at the Hyatt are $99 per night (single or double occupancy), $124 (triple occupancy) and $149 (quadruple occupancy), plus tax, which is currently 17.2%. To make reservations online, go to https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/DFWRD/G-AMCB. If you prefer to make reservations by phone, call (214) 651-1234, and use group code G-AMCB. The Hyatt is located at 300 Reunion Blvd.
For any convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, [email protected].