The Audio Description Project’s (ADP) People’s Choice Awards opens for nominations on April 12, 2025, and closes on April 27. The winners will be revealed during the 2025 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on Thursday, November 13th, at 7:30 PM ET.
All times listed are in Eastern.
Join your Community Morning Crew for the question of the day; reading of the daily schedule; and sharing time.
Alexandria, Va., March 25, 2025 — The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the National Football League (NFL) are pleased to announce that ACB will now provide advisory services to the NFL in support of its longstanding commitment to accessibility for people who are blind or have low vision. This collaboration underscores the NFL’s ongoing efforts to provide all fans with a full and equal experience when enjoying the excitement of the game of football.
Alexandria, Va., March 19, 2025 — This week, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) hosted nearly 200 members at its annual DC Leadership Conference, where attendees participated in educational sessions, engaged with keynote speakers from the disability community, and met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill.
The conference focused on advancing key legislative priorities to promote independence and improve the quality of life for people who are blind or have low vision. ACB and its membership call on Congress to:
On Tuesday, March 11, rumors about significant cuts to the Department of Education began to come out. ACB is still trying to learn which specific sections of the Department are being impacted. We will continue to track the announcements to know what programs are impacted and how it will directly impact blind and low vision people.
On March 6 at the quarterly meeting for the National Council on Disability (NCD), NCD put out a new report on tax classifications and their impact on the employee. Employees pay into a benefit system. However, depending on a worker’s status, for instance if they are classified as a rehabilitation client and not a full-time employee, they may not be eligible for all of the same employment benefits. Please check out the link to the NCD report below.
Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California affirmed ACB’s trial victory against Quest Diagnostics. In 2023, following a week long bench trial in Los Angeles, a federal court in California had found Quest Diagnostics in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and enjoined Quest from continuing to violate the ADA. Quest appealed that decision.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce has expunged three committees involved in the U.S. census process. The National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations (NAC), the 2030 Census Advisory Committee (CAC), and the Census Scientific Committee have been dismissed. Many advocates worry that such committees are still greatly needed with the next census being five years away.
In addition to our three legislative imperatives, ACB has developed a handout to highlight several laws and programs that ensure the rights of and access to services to people who are blind or low vision. The handout, which can be shared with congressional offices, explains how the protection of these services enable our community to contribute to our community as employees, tax payers, homeowners, seniors, and so much more. You can find the document and download the handout right below "Legislative Imperatives" on our D.C.
On Friday, February 28, a notice was published in the Federal Register brought by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). According to the notice, BEP desires to use a variety of new information collection activities as it explores ways to make paper currency accessible for blind and low-vision individuals. The mandate to make paper currency accessible is the result of a lawsuit brought by ACB numerous years ago and decided in 2008.