Alexandria, VA., Nov. 7th, 2024  – The 2025 American Council of the Blind (ACB) Leadership Conference will be a hybrid event. ACB’s Board Meeting, Presidents’ Meeting, Legislative Seminar, and Capitol Hill visits will take place March 14th-18th, at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA. Registration for the conference is currently closed and will open mid January. The room rate for the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel is $155 per night, plus tax. This rate applies to any night starting on Monday, March 10, 2025 till Tuesday, March 25th, 2025. The Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel is located at 900 S. Orme St., Arlington, VA 22204. To make a reservation at the Sheraton, click here: www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1722368237939&key=GRP&app=resvlink You can also make a reservation by calling 1-800-325-3535 and informing the Marriott representative that you will be attending the “ACB Leadership Seminar” to receive the group rate. The room block cutoff date is Monday, February 17, 2025. If you experience any issues booking a room, please email Hannah Park at [email protected]. The schedule of events is as follows: Friday, March 14: Afternoon Tour (TBD) Saturday, March 15: Board Meeting (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET) & Evening Welcome Reception Sunday, March 16: Presidents’ Meeting (including luncheon) & Evening Dine Around in Pentagon City Monday, March 17: Legislative Seminar (including luncheon) Tuesday, March 18: Attendees may visit Capitol Hill to meet with their representatives. Stay tuned for more details as they become available on our conference page.

Alexandria, Virginia -- El Consejo Americano de Ciegos (ACB, por sus siglas en inglés-American Council of the Blind) anuncia que la Gala de Premios de Audiodescripción ACB 2024 se transmitirá el 14 de noviembre a las 7:30 pm ET. Creada en el año 2021 para reconocer los logros sobresalientes en audiodescripción en medios de entretenimiento y educativos, la Gala cuenta con personalidades destacadas, clips de películas y doce premios. La transmisión del evento incluirá subtítulos, audiodescripción, interpretación en lengua de señas americana (ASL) y doblaje en español. Únase a las presentadoras Marilee Talkington y Alie B. Gorrie quienes dan la bienvenida a invitados del mundo de las artes, el entretenimiento y los deportes para celebrar películas, series, y videojuegos accesibles. Se entregarán premios en categorías como Innovación, Entretenimiento Popular, Eventos en Vivo, Medios en Español (EE. UU.) e Internacional. También se anunciarán los ganadores de los Premios de Audiodescripción elegidos por el público. Invitados especiales: Kathy Bates, actriz premiada Rebecca Alexander, autora y defensora de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad Molly Burke, creadora digital, autora y defensora Ross Minor, consultor de juegos accesibles Roy Samuelson, autor y productor y narrador de AD EJ Scott, actor y activista Trischa Zorn-Hudson, miembro del Salón de la Fama Paralímpico La Gala de Premios estará disponible en múltiples plataformas: ACB Media 1 (inglés) y ACB Media 8 (español) Canal de YouTube de ACB ACB Community evento para ver en grupo por Zoom y Clubhouse ADAwardsGala.org Peacock, cortesía de NBCUniversal (requiere suscripción) Visite ADAwardsGala.org para más información. Acerca del Consejo Americano de Ciegos- American Council of the Blind ACB es una organización nacional dirigida por sus miembros que representa a estadounidenses que son ciegos o tienen baja visión. Durante más de 60 años, ACB ha sido líder en esfuerzos de defensa a nivel nacional, estatal, local e internacional. Con 68 afiliados, ACB se esfuerza por aumentar la independencia, la seguridad, la igualdad de oportunidades y la calidad de vida para todas las personas que son ciegas o tienen baja visión. Para más información, visite www.acb.org. Acerca de Dicapta Dicapta se dedica a proporcionar soluciones innovadoras de accesibilidad que hacen que los medios sean accesibles para personas con discapacidades sensoriales. A través de nuestro trabajo, buscamos eliminar las barreras de comunicación, garantizando el acceso equitativo a la información para todos. Los servicios de Dicapta incluyen audiodescripción, subtitulado y doblaje, y nos enorgullece colaborar con organizaciones líderes para promover la inclusión. Visite www.dicapta.com para aprender más.

Alexandria, Virginia – The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala will air on November 14 at 7:30pm ET. Created in 2021 to recognize outstanding achievement in audio description in entertainment and educational media, the Awards Gala features celebrity guests, film clips, and a dozen awards. The broadcast of the show will include captions, audio description, ASL interpretation, and Spanish dubbing. Join hosts Marilee Talkington and Alie B. Gorrie as they welcome guests from the arts, entertainment, and sports worlds to celebrate accessible films, series, video games, and more. Awards will be presented in categories such as Innovation, Popular Entertainment, Live Events, Spanish Media (USA), and International. The winners of the Audio Description People’s Choice Awards will also be announced. Special guests include: Kathy Bates, award-winning actor Rebecca Alexander, author and disability rights advocate Molly Burke, digital creator, author, and advocate Ross Minor, accessible gaming consultant Roy Samuelson, author and AD producer and narrator EJ Scott, actor and activist Trischa Zorn-Hudson, Paralympics Hall of Famer The Awards Gala will be available on multiple platforms: ACB Media 1 (English) and ACB Media 8 (Spanish)     ACB’s YouTube channel ACB Community watch party on Zoom and Clubhouse ADAwardsGala.org Peacock, courtesy NBCUniversal (subscription required) Visit ADAwardsGala.org for more information. Haga clic aquí para la versión en Español. About the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind or have low vision. For more than 60 years, ACB has been a leader in national, state, local, and international advocacy efforts. With 68 affiliates, ACB strives to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and the quality of life for all people who are blind or have low vision. For more information, visit www.acb.org.

Exercise Your Creativity and Help Make National Park Brochures Accessible Join the 2025 Descriptathon and help make national parks more accessible! ACB, the National Park Service, and UniDescription (UniD) are recruiting volunteers to create audio descriptions for selected national park brochures. Teams are composed of people who are sighted and people on the blindness spectrum, all of whom will collaborate to describe maps, paintings, and visual images within park brochures. All meetings are held remotely, so you might find yourself learning about a park in your state or across the continent. The Descriptathon will be a full-day event, taking place February 25–27, 2025 (volunteers are expected to attend all three days). Participants will likely spend ten hours of prep time in the five weeks before the kick-off on February 25 (approximately two hours a week). During this prep time, team members will learn about audio description, how to use the UniD tool to describe their brochure, and get to know their teammates. Four to six hours might be needed to finalize the brochure description after the three-day event. Volunteers should have solid computer skills and be comfortable learning new technology. If this sounds great and you're ready to commit and join a team, email [email protected] or complete this short online form.

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is proud to be sending a representative to speak at the Rideshare Rally in San Francisco being organized by the National Federation of the Blind on October 15th. (Rideshare Rally link: https://tinyurl.com/2s3kc6su) The Rideshare Rally will draw attention to Uber’s and Lyft’s failures to stop discrimination against blind individuals, particularly those accompanied by guide dogs, which violates state and federal laws and the companies’ own stated policies. The rally, which is drawing blind people from across the nation, takes place on White Cane Awareness Day, which celebrates the ability of blind people to travel independently. “Blind riders with guide dogs are routinely refused service by Uber and Lyft drivers. The reasons for denials are plentiful, but they all violate the Americans with Disabilities Act,” says ACB’s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Claire Stanley. “It feels as if the problem is getting worse, not better. I’ve lost count of how many times I have been denied a ride because of my guide dog. Something has to change.” “This is not a local problem, it is a national and even an international problem,” stated Kim Charlson, ACB’s Immediate Past President and representative to the rally. “People who are blind or have low vision depend heavily on rideshare companies; it’s a game-changing transportation option for our community! But drivers continue to refuse to transport blind people traveling with guide dogs, taking this vital transportation and independence resource away from us. ACB will stand with the greater blind community on October 15th to express our great frustration with these companies. More must be done by rideshare companies to prevent such blatant discrimination and protect the civil rights of guide dog handlers.” About the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired. For more than 60 years, ACB has become a leader in national, state, local, and even international advocacy efforts. With over 60 affiliates, ACB strives to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve the quality of life for all people who are blind and visually impaired. For more information, visit www.acb.org.

Alexandria, Va., October 1, 2024 – During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), the American Council of the Blind (ACB) celebrates the value and talent employees with disabilities, including people who are blind or have low vision, add to America’s workplaces and economy. Observed each October, NDEAM’s purpose is to reinforce our commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have access to rewarding, upwardly mobile career opportunities. That’s the spirit behind this year’s theme from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): “Access to Good Jobs for All.”  ACB understands that access to quality employment helps people who are blind or have low vision live more independent lives. As we recognize NDEAM, we will highlight and share ways ACB is helping to improve employment in the blindness community, including job postings, advocacy efforts, community events, mentoring programs, and professional development resources. Visit ODEP’s NDEAM webpage at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/ndeam for more information about NDEAM, and follow ACB on social media for NDEAM-related posts throughout the month of October: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acbnational Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acbnational LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acbnational X: https://twitter.com/acbnational Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@ACBNational

Please take our survey! The ACB Community Platform began in March 2020 and has grown to include more than 400 events monthly held via Zoom and other platforms. Please take the time to help us gain a better understanding of our audience and your needs. This survey has just eight questions and will close at 11:59 pm on Monday, September 30, 2024. Take the survey here. If you need volunteer assistance taking the survey, email email [email protected] or call 612-345-9036 and leave a message.

Letter to Ms. Barbara Millicent Roberts, Willows, WI July 30, 2024 Dear Blind Barbie: Your recent debut has been an inspiration to individuals who are blind or living with vision challenges. The public perception of people who are blind is often that we are different in how we want to live or in some way “mysterious,” since many people do not have the opportunity to interact with someone who is blind. The stylish nature of your presentation, rocking those high heels and having snazzy sunglasses at the ready, helps people, young and seasoned, envision blindness from a new perspective. It is with tremendous joy that the American Council of the Blind (ACB) awards you an honorary membership. Our 8,000 members and many more supporters enthusiastically welcome you to our organization. In fact, we are busily planning which committees best fit your skillset. Your membership fee is covered for this year, and if any of your friends would like to support ACB’s ongoing work, they can visit www.acb.org to help us serve more individuals moving forward. We applaud Mattel and the American Foundation for the Blind for helping to make you a reality. Sincerely, T. Scott Thornhill Executive Director American Council of the Blind Download the letter here: https://www.acb.org/sites/default/files/Blind-Barbie-Letter.docx

Alexandria, Va., July 20, 2024 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the 2024 Audio Description People’s Choice Award finalist vote is open through August 4th. The winners will be revealed during the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on November 14th at 7:30 p.m. ET.  ACB’s Audio Description Awards Gala celebrates outstanding achievements in audio description in media and recognizes the commitment to accessible entertainment demonstrated by television networks, streaming services, and the film industry. The Audio Description People’s Choice Award, now in its third year, is a unique opportunity for fans to get involved by showing their support for the audio description they love the most.  Five Audio Description People’s Choice Award finalists in each category (films and series) have been chosen to compete for the 2024 award. The finalists represent the top titles selected through an open nomination process that took place in May.   The finalists are:  Films: Barbie Dune 2 Oppenheimer Poor Things Society of the Snow Series: All the Light We Cannot See Percy Jackson and the Olympians A Real Bug’s Life The Regime Star Wars: The Bad Batch Visit https://adawardsgala.org/2024-audio-description-peoples-choice-award-finalists/ for clips with audio description of each finalist. Voting for the Audio Description People’s Choice Award ends on Sunday, August 4th, at 11:59 PM ET. To cast your vote, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024-Peoples-Choice-Finalists. To vote by phone, call 202-559-2042.  Join us at the 2024 Audio Description Awards Gala for an exciting evening featuring celebrity guests as we applaud audio description! Learn more at www.ADAwardsGala.org. About the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind or have low vision. For more than 60 years, ACB has been a leader in national, state, local, and international advocacy efforts. With 68 affiliates, ACB strives to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and the quality of life for all people who are blind or have low vision. For more information, visit www.acb.org.