June 16, 2021 – WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the undersigned disability organizations express deep concerns over the paper ballot mandate included in the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1). Additionally, organizations offer proposed changes to reduce the harm of the mandate to voters with disabilities. The For the People Act in particular contains numerous provisions to expand voting access in the United States by addressing the many barriers to voting in America, such as onerous registration and vote by mail systems, and limited voting hours across the country. Further, the bill prohibits deceptive practices and prevents voter intimidation, prohibits voter caging, and restores federal voting rights to disenfranchised Americans. The legislation also includes specific provisions enhancing access for voters with disabilities. The For the People Act ensures drop boxes are fully accessible; and invests in the research and development of accessible voting machines. However, the bill also contains a mandate requiring paper ballots to be used in both in-person and remote voting, which undermines the goals of the bill by restricting access for many voters with disabilities. In recent years, several pieces of legislation have included a “voter-verified” paper ballot mandate. We have and will continue to advocate against any paper ballot mandate to prevent the disenfranchisement of voters with disabilities. In January 2021, twenty national disability organizations issued a joint statement expressing concerns over any federal paper ballot mandate and its impact on voters with print disabilities. Any mandate of a paper-based voting system will inevitably harm voters with print disabilities as it would: 1.) end all voting system innovation and advancement to produce a fully accessible voting system that provides enhanced security; 2.) limit voters with disabilities’ federal right to privately and independently verify and cast their ballots, and; 3.) ultimately segregate voters with disabilities. Although, paper-based ballot voting options have become the preferred voting system to people who believe mandating the use of paper ballots is necessary to ensure the security of elections, it must be made abundantly clear that the ability to privately and independently hand mark, verify, and cast a paper ballot is impossible for many voters with print disabilities. Earlier this spring the United States House of Representatives passed the For the People Act, and the legislation is now being considered in the U.S. Senate. In late March, the Senate held its first hearing on the bill and prior to the Senate’s May markup, national disability organizations once again outlinedtheir concerns and offered necessary improvements and changes to the bill’s paper ballot mandate. Unfortunately, the fears of disability advocates on how the paper mandate will impact voters with print disabilities have not been addressed and only minimal changes have been made to the mandate to protect the rights of voters with disabilities. We urge Congress to make changes to the For the People Act, excluding voters with disabilities, covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), from having to use a voter-verified paper ballot for both in-person and remote voting. Until fully accessible paper-ballot voting systems, ready for widespread use, are available, accessible in-person and vote-by-mail voting options must be offered to ensure all voters in America can receive, mark, verify, and cast a private and independent ballot. The For the People Act cannot eliminate the only accessible voting options for many voters with disabilities, including Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines and electronic absentee or vote-by-mail systems that make voting accessible to voters with disabilities as many states have already tried to expand access to voters with disabilities during the 2020 elections. While the For the People Act will remove significant barriers to voting for people with disabilities, without addressing the unintended consequences of the paper ballot mandate, this important voting legislation will disenfranchise many voters with disabilities. Simply put, the current paper ballot mandate in the For the People Act will exclude many voters from the ballot box, counteracting the purpose of this well-intended and important legislation. Before paper-based voting systems become the law of the land, the concerns of voters with disabilities must be addressed. For questions, please contact Lilian Aluri at [email protected] or Erika Hudson at [email protected]. Signed, American Association of People with Disabilities American Council of the Blind American Foundation for the Blind American Network of Community Options & Resources Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living Association of University Centers on Disabilities Autistic Self Advocacy Network Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law CommunicationFIRST Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Epilepsy Foundation Little People of America National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities National Association of the Deaf National Council on Independent Living National Disability Rights Network National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse Not Dead Yet Paralyzed Veterans of America RespectAbility Self Advocates Becoming Empowered The Arc of the United States The Viscardi Center United Cerebral Palsy

On Tuesday, June 8, AT 3pm EDT, ACB’s advocacy team members, Clark and Swatha, hosted an event about the interactive transportation programming on offer at this year’s virtual ACB Conference and Convention. Clark and Swatha were joined by leaders of ACB’s Transportation and Environmental Access Committees. In addition to the conference and convention programming, they discussed several transportation-related advocacy issues important to ACB and our members. Watch the recording of this event by visiting: https://youtu.be/2AakR2RpG-Y For details on how to register for our 2021 convention, visit: https://acb.org/2021-convention-registration. 

The American Council of the Blind is excited to announce the inaugural ACB Audio Description Awards Gala. This event will celebrate the best-of-the best in the field of audio description and educate the larger community to the value of inclusive and accessible media. Join us November 18th at 7pm ET for this special virtual event. To learn more about the event, visit our YouTube channel for the live stream announcement. You can also check out the AD Gala News Release here. And the June 3rd episode of the ACB Advocacy Update has a breakdown on the gala as well as a complete run-through on the audio description track of programming available during the 2021 ACB National Conference & Convention. For information on becoming a sponsor for the inaugural ACB AD Gala, email Anthony Stephens, [email protected].

ALEXANDRIA, VA (JUNE 3, 2021) — The American Council of the Blind proudly announces the inaugural launch of the ACB Audio Description (AD) Awards Gala on November 18, 2021. The AD Gala will celebrate audio description through recognition of leaders in the industry and by expanding awareness of the benefits of audio description:  “The goal is to elevate high achievement and bring attention to the importance of inclusive media, by recognizing those who lead in the craft of audio description,” said gala chair Will Butler, Vice President at Be My Eyes.  Consumption of media and entertainment over the past year has been nothing short of historic. With more on-demand and streaming options being released each day, audiences have moved from a golden to a platinum age of media-rich with compelling stories available at the push of a button. Along with this never-ending growth of entertainment has come a watershed of accessible media for consumers who are blind and visually impaired.  Founded in 2009, the ACB Audio Description Project (ADP) works with stakeholders and industry leaders to provide accessible video entertainment through the delivery of audio-described content. As the ADP continues to educate the community on the value and needs for audio description, “While the number of individuals who are blind and visually impaired increases significantly over the coming decade, it is crucial we recognize the needs of this growing audience in the media landscape,” said ACB Past President and ADP Co-Chair Kim Charlson. “The ACB AD Gala will not only help educate as to the value but celebrate the successes practitioners have made in the field.” The evening highlight will take place as the event bestows the newly created ACB Barry Award, recognizing the best-of-the-best in the field of audio description. Created to honor the memory and legacy of two industry leaders, Barry Cronin and Barry Levine.  "We hope one day receiving a Barry from ACB will be the highest achievement in audio description – it will mean you've committed to creating and distributing accessible media at the highest level,” added Butler.  We are excited to be pulling together a wonderful slate of sponsors, for information on becoming a sponsor please contact Tony Stephens at [email protected]. For more information, please visit www.acb.org/AD-Gala or contact ACB Media Relations at [email protected]. The American Council of the Blind is a national grassroots consumer organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired. With 68 affiliates, ACB strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve the quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Learn more by visiting  www.acb.org. 

If you have not already registered for the 2021 Conference and Convention of the American Council of the Blind please read on for important information. This year registration involves two steps: Step 1: Creating a Member Account If you didn’t register for the ACB radio holiday auction you may not have a member account. To create a member account, go to https://members.acb.org and click on create an account. Please fill in all the fields. Once you create your account you will be back to the login screen. You will need to wait two days before you take any additional action to give our computer system time to authenticate your account. Step 2: Registering for the Convention If you have an account or have waited two days after creating your account you are ready to register. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are completing your registration form: The fastest way to access convention registration is to visit https://members.acb.org. You will enter your username and password to log in, and will then go to the convention registration link. After reading the introductory information click on the button that says “begin with preferences”. There are two sections in the registration where you need to enter on accept to proceed. On the merchandise screen you will accept that you understand that there will be an additional shipping charge on any merchandise. Once you have reviewed your shopping cart and are ready to proceed to checkout, you will need to read and accept ACB’s code of conduct. If you need assistance creating your account, have forgotten your username and/or password or need assistance registering call Janet Dickelman at (651) 428-5059 or email her at [email protected].

The Dots and Dashes newsletter will be moving to bi-weekly schedule and will be distributed on Mondays starting in June. The next edition of Dots and Dashes you will will be released on Monday, June 7. Meet ACB Team Member Jennifer Flatt This week during a live presentation we welcomed our newest team member, Jennifer Flatt. Jennifer took on the role of ACB’s Communications Manager two weeks ago, and we’re excited to share more about what great news is on the horizon for ACB and our affiliates as we work to expand the national narrative of opportunity and equality for Americans who are blind and visually impaired. Watch the presentation by visiting: https://youtu.be/30nf_ZzdOP8.   ACB Convention Registration ACB’s 2021 Conference and Convention registration is now open! This year’s virtual convention will be held from July 16 through July 23, 2021. For details on how to register, visit: https://acb.org/2021-convention-registration. To make sure you receive the most up to date convention information, subscribe to our convention announce list by sending a blank email to [email protected]. 2021 BADIE Award Winners The premise of the BADIE (Benefits of Audio Description In Education) program is simple: kids love movies. If a young person can’t see or can’t see well, audio description provides access to all the visual images of the movies that their sighted peers enjoy. Description benefits children who are blind and others who have learning disabilities and it has been shown to boost literacy for all children. The BADIE program asked young people who are blind or have low vision to submit short reviews of any described movie. ACB is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 BADIE Awards, a “Listening Is Learning” initiative of the ACB’s Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). Learn more by visiting: https://acb.org/2021-BADIE-awards.   The ACB Family Table Memorial Day Virtual Picnic  On Monday May 31 from 2-4pm ET, Anthony Corona and Debbie Hazelton will host a community event to commemorate Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a Federal Holiday that commemorates the lives lost by service members while serving in the military. It has morphed into a celebration of all persons who have bravely served our nation with military service. Our beautiful ACB Family will come together to honor those who have served with stories, testimonials and great conversation. After the picnic, a Star Spangled Banner exhibit from the Smithsonian will air so all of us can learn and enjoy the history of our beautiful symbol of freedom. To get information on how to connect to this call, join our community event list by sending an email to [email protected]. ACB Advocacy Update: GAAD Celebration On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, we revisit the ACB special event celebrating the 10th-anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). ACB's Executive Director Eric Bridges led a conversation with digital accessibility leaders Jennison Asuncion (Co-founder of GAAD and Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn) and Mike Shebanek (Head of Accessibility at Facebook). Together, Eric, Jennison and Mike took a look back at the growth taken place over the past decade in digital accessibility and forecast what new challenges and opportunities rest just beyond the horizon. Listen via your favorite podcast player or online at: https://tinyurl.com/ym8cwes7. A video recording of this live event is available at https://youtu.be/EcUy3HT6bRY. Please check-out https://acb.org/GAAD-2021 for a message from ACB’s Executive Director Eric Bridges on the 10th Anniversary of GAAD. Health Care Access for Patients and Companions that are Blind or Experiencing Vision Loss Webinar On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 2pm ET, the Great Lakes ADA Center in collaboration with the ADA National Network is hosting a webinar featuring Katie Frederick, Community Manager and Accessibility Lead, International Association of Accessibility Professionals and Peter Berg, Project Coordinator of Technical Assistance, Great Lakes ADA Center. This session will explore ways in which critical health information can be provided in accessible formats. The presenters will also discuss their personal experiences as blind individuals and the best ways health care staff can offer and provide assistance to patients and companions. Register by visiting https://tinyurl.com/44cmxz8. Questions can be directed to [email protected] Henry Ford Museum Virtual Program Join the Henry Ford Museum for a virtual verbal description program, highlighting the “Fully Furnished” exhibit at The Henry Ford. This exhibit includes examples of American furniture dating from 1670 to the present, displayed to encourage you to think of furnishings in a variety of new ways. This free program will be held via Zoom and will be accessible by web link and call-in phone number, depending on your preference. Reservations are required and space is limited. Please email [email protected] to register and with any questions. Access and Engagement The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced the release of the second Access and Engagement research report, based on the November 2020 survey that delved into the continued impact of COVID-19 on the education of students with visual impairments, their families, and the professionals who serve them. The report is a detailed and expanded follow-up to the first Access and Engagement study, published in October 2020 based on data from 1,432 participants collected in spring 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. Learn more by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/24dbsm7b.   Braille Institute Offers 110 Free Online Spring/Summer Courses The Braille Institute is offering more than 110 Spring/Summer courses that are available for free to anyone who is blind or visually impaired, worldwide. Classes and workshops are "live classes" allowing for students to speak with the instructor and socialize with fellow classmates. For certain classes, activity kits are mailed to students in advance so they can work on specific skills to keep them active and independent. Class offerings range from mindful courses such as Laughing Yoga to technology classes on helpful apps like Instacart for grocery delivery to outside speakers discussing timely topics like COVID-19 scams. Select classes and workshops are also offered in Spanish. The Spring/Summer semester runs from May 3 – August 13, 2021. Participants can join anytime throughout the semester. Call 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553) to receive a free class catalog or visit brailleinstitute.org/classes-events for a full listing of available workshops. National Braille Press Produces Large Print and Braille Menus For Starbucks Stores National Braille Press (NBP) produced 35,000 braille and large print menus for all Starbucks company-operated and licensed store locations in the U.S. and Canada as part of the company’s efforts to create a more accessible experience for blind and low-vision customers. Starbucks first began offering braille and large print menus in 2012. The updated menus were commissioned this year as part of the company’s ongoing work to improve and enhance the accessibility of physical and digital experiences for Starbucks partners (employees) and customers through inclusive design. The new braille and large print menus now feature an expanded assortment of Starbucks core food and beverage items so that low vision and blind customers can have access to a wider variety of Starbucks offerings. Learn more by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/5muwzvtt.  

Held Virtually Monday, August 2 to Friday, August 6, 2021 from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm Eastern each day Audio Description (AD) makes visual images accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. Using words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative, media describers convey the visual image from television and film that is not fully accessible to a significant segment of the population (more than 32 million Americans experience significant vision loss). The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has spawned a virtual cottage industry for the development of description for broadcast television. Be a part fo it! View the agenda by visiting: https://acb.org/AD-institute-agenda-2021 Register: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/2021AudioDescriptionInstitute Details This should interest you if you are: Working as freelance description writers for broadcast television Working as a describer in a local performing arts program Working as a describer for visual art exhibitions and/or Experienced audio describers desiring an updated refresher course. Institute topics include: Audio description history and theory The "Four Fundamentals of Audio Description" © Active seeing/visual literacy-developing skills in concentration and observation The art of "editing" what you see Vivid language: "The Visual Made Verbal"™  "Speak the speech, I pray you"-using the spoken word to make meaning    Program Five afternoons of intensive, interactive training Each registrant will receive a PDF copy of Dr. Joel Snyder's ACB-published The Visual Made Verbal: A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description. The interactive sessions (limited use of lecture, questions/discussion throughout, generous use of media, and individual and group writing exercises) are designed to provide immediate feedback and "give and take," allowing for adaptation according to a sense of participants' grasp of the material.  In addition, experienced users of description are a part of the Institute's faculty, providing an important perspective throughout the sessions. This Institute will begin at 1:00 pm Eastern on Monday, August 2, 2021 and conclude at 5:00 pm on Friday, August 6, 2021. Participation is strictly limited. The Institute will issue ACB-sponsored certificates to all successful participants confirming completion of this professional description training program. NOTE: Freelance writers for broadcast television projects can often be based anywhere in the world—computer equipment capable of accommodating high-speed downloads is a must. Institute Director/Staff Joel Snyder, Ph.D. One of the first audio describers, Dr. Snyder began describing theater events and media in 1981; he is the President of Audio Description Associates, LLC with clients world-wide (see www.audiodescribe.com for more information) and Director of ACB's Audio Description Project (www.acb.org/adp) an initiative he founded in 2009. For six years, he led a staff that produced description for nationally broadcast films and network series including "Sesame Street" broadcasts and DVDs. Snyder has worked with description and trained describers in more than 40 states and in over 60 countries. Faculty Joyce Adams Joyce has been producing/writing AD scripts for media and museum tours since 2002.  She supervised AD script writers for the Described Media program at the National Captioning Institute, is the author of audio described tours for National Park Service visitor centers throughout the U.S. and regularly pens description for promotional videos produced by Microsoft.  Both Ms. Adams and Dr. Snyder serve on the ACVREP Subject Matter Expert Committee developing a certification program for audio describers. Elisa Jansen Elisa is a graduate of the ADP Audio Description Institute. She has written audio description for network and Internet broadcast, such as NBC, CBS, Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix—and for the classic film, Citizen Kane. Her work on promotional content includes Walmart, Kimberly-Clark, and over 700 Microsoft videos. Elisa has provided audio description for museum tours and exhibits, including the Smithsonian, the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. In addition, audio description consumer consultants (audio description enthusiasts who are blind or have low vision) will offer their perspectives. Susan Glass Susan Glass is a free-lance writer and poet whose forthcoming chapbook The Wild Language of Deer, will be released by Slate Roof Press later this spring. A retired English professor from San Jose State University and West Valley Community College, Susan taught English Composition, American Multicultural Literature, Creative Writing, and interdisciplinary courses with a Disability Studies emphasis. An active member of the American Council of the Blind since 2013, she advocates passionately for audio description, especially in live venues such as theaters, museums, and parks. She loves hiking with her guide dog Omni and riding her horse, Travis. Chris Snyder Chris has been in the video description industry for over 12 years and is the chief engineer at Audio Eyes. He has produced hundreds of hours of description for network television, cinema, DVDs and independent film. He is also an award-winning producer of audio drama including Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and "The Halloween Tree". As a voiceover artist, he has voiced many hours of description and he is also a character voice actor for audio dramas and animation. Institute registration is $400 (registration is limited).  Registration will close on July 26, 2021 and the invitation to attend the institute will be emailed on July 28, 2021.  Your invitation to attend the institute will be sent to the email address provided on the form. NOTE: Two full scholarships are available; priority will be given to people with disabilities. To be considered for a scholarship, please send an email outlining how and why you are a strong candidate and include your reason for needing financial assistance at this time. Please send an email requesting consideration to [email protected] by July 5, 2021. The scholarship awardees will be notified July 16, 2021. Scholarships are courtesy of Michele Spitz-Woman of Her Word. www.womanofherword.com     Register now by visiting: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/2021AudioDescriptionInstitute Note: You’ll be asked to create a login for the ACB database and continue to register for the Institute. For questions or additional information, contact:  JOEL SNYDER, PhD Director, Audio Description Project American Council of the Blind [email protected] -- 202 467-5083 For more information about audio description, please visit: www.acb.org/adp.

Held Virtually Monday, August 2 to Friday, August 6, 2021 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Eastern each day Agenda Day 1 - Monday, August 2, 2021 1:00 pm-3:00 pm: Opening Workshop The visually impaired user Audio description history and theory Overview of fundamentals of audio description ( a. Concentration/observation, b. Editing what you see, c. Language, d. Vocal skills: Speech and oral interpretation fundamentals) 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Break 3:15 pm-5:00 pm: Opening Workshop (continued) Viewing / analysis of audio described excerpts Day 2 - Tuesday, August 3, 2021 1:00 pm-3:00 pm: Viewing / analysis of audio described excerpts 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Break 3:15 pm-5:00 pm: Viewing / analysis of audio described excerpts Day 3 - Wednesday, August 4, 2021 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Audio Description practicum—Individual description sessions with selected video scenes 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Break 3:15 pm - 5:00 pm:  Audio Description practicum—Individual description sessions with selected video scenes Day 4 - Thursday, August 5, 2021  1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Audio Description practicum--Individual description sessions with selected video scenes 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Break 3:15 pm - 5:00 pm:  Audio Description practicum—Individual description sessions with selected video scenes Day 5 - Friday, August 6, 2021 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Audio Description practicum—Individual description sessions with selected video scenes 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Break 3:15 pm - 5:00 pm: Audio Description in the U.S. and around the world The Mechanics of Audio Description Audio Description Writing Software Audio Description Producers How to Get Work as a Describer Review / Discussion Graduation!

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 BADIE Awards (Benefits of Audio Description In Education), a “Listening Is Learning” initiative of the Council’s Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP).   BADIE Award Winners The winners of this year’s honors (all young people who are blind) are: Grand Prize Winner Bennett Lehman – Home schooled, Jefferson, Wisconsin – Review of Science Nation: Virtual Reality Fires Senior Category (ages 16 to 21) First Place – Nicky Lentz – Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA – Review of Algebra: A Piece of Cake, Part 1 Second Place – Kiley McClain – Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA –  Review of Cotton Third Place – Angie Rodriguez – Washington State School for the Blind, Vancouver, WA – Review of Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom Junior Category (ages 11 to 15) First Place – Bennett Lehman – Home schooled, Jefferson, WI, – Review of Science Nation: Virtual Reality Fires Second Place – Nawal Mohamud – Washington Technology Magnet School, St. Paul, MN – Review of Bee Movie Third Place – Mari Maxon – The New School, Syracuse, NY – Review of Mayans: Deception by Temple Rituals Sophomore Category (ages 7 to 10) First Place – Keaton Hamilton, Stonehaven Elementary School, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada – Review of The Mandalorian: Chapter 2, “The Child” The premise of the BADIE program is simple: kids love movies. If a young person can’t see or can’t see well, audio description provides access to all the visual images of the movies that their sighted peers enjoy.  Description benefits children who are blind and others who have learning disabilities and it has been shown to boost literacy for all children. The BADIE program asked young people who are blind or have low vision to submit short reviews of any described movie.  “Audio Description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings,” stated Dan Spoone, president of the American Council of the Blind.  "The young people honored with these awards not only appreciate the ability to enjoy films and television right along with their peers—description helps them, and their sighted friends, develop language skills through exposure to varied word choice, synonyms, metaphors and similes.  I love audio description, and wish I’d had access to it when I was growing up!” Additional information about ACB’s Audio Description Project is available at: www.acb.org/adp; more information about the Described and Captioned Media Program is at:  www.dcmp.org. About the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind is a national membership organization. Its members are blind, visually impaired, and fully sighted individuals who are concerned about the dignity and well-being of blind people throughout the nation. Formed in 1961, the ACB is one of the largest organizations of blind people in the world, with more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates and a nationwide network of chapters and members spanning the globe. For more information about the American Council of the Blind, contact:  Eric Bridges, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind, 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420  Alexandria, VA 22311;  phone (202) 467-5081 or toll-free, 1-800-424-8666; or  visit the web site, www.acb.org. About the Described and Captioned Media Program The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) provides premium media designed for students with disabilities and leads as a resource for families and teachers, supported by the Department of Education. Originally known as Captioned Films for the Deaf, Inc. and later known as Captioned Films and Videos and the Captioned Media Program, DCMP is a national nonprofit founded in 1950 and is managed by the National Association of the Deaf.  The DCMP provides services designed to support and improve the academic achievement of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.  For more information about the Described and Captioned Media Program, contact:  Jason Stark, Director, 1447 E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29307  Voice: 864-585-1778 visit the web site, www.dcmp.org.

ACB Convention Registration ACB’s 2021 Conference and Convention registration is now open! This year’s virtual convention will be held from July 16 through July 23, 2021. For details on how to register, visit: https://acb.org/2021-convention-registration. To make sure you receive the most up to date convention information, subscribe to our convention announce list by sending a blank email to [email protected]. Celebrating 10 Years of Global Accessibility Awareness Day On Thursday, May 20th, at 1pm EST, the American Council of the Blind hosted a special 10th-anniversary celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). ACB's Executive Director Eric Bridges led a conversation with digital accessibility leaders Jennison Asuncion (Co-founder of GAAD and Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn) and Mike Shebanek (Head of Accessibility at Facebook). Together, Eric, Jennison and Mike took a look back at the growth taken place over the past decade in digital accessibility and forecast what new challenges and opportunities rest just beyond the horizon. A recording of this live event is available at https://youtu.be/EcUy3HT6bRY. Please check-out https://acb.org/GAAD-2021 for a message from ACB’s Executive Director Eric Bridges on the 10th Anniversary of GAAD. ACB Advocacy Update: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha celebrate the 10th anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD began ten years ago to recognize, celebrate, and increase awareness of digital access and inclusion. We are joined by Audrey Bush from the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, who shares the technology and training available through the state assistive technology programs, and Larry Goldberg from Verizon Media and Teach Access, who shares about innovations in accessible technology spurred on by advocacy, regulation, and corporate ingenuity. Listen via your favorite podcast player or online at https://tinyurl.com/n95rs6ns. To learn more about the assistive technology program in your state or territory, visit: www.at3center.net. To learn more about Teach Access, visit: www.teachaccess.org. To learn more about the Valuable 500, visit: www.thevaluable500.com. 2021 Scholarship Award Recipients The American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program was established in 1982. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) have partnered together to offer educational scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500 for legally blind students attending a technical college or who are an entering freshman, undergraduate or a graduate student. This program awards students with scholarships to help with post-secondary education financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board and other additional costs associated with adaptive technology. Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship recipients! Visit https://acb.org/2021-scholarship-recipients to view this year’s recipients. ACB En Español Community Event Join us on Wednesday, May 26 for a community event sponsored by ACB’s Multi-Cultural Affairs & Membership Committees. This is a call you don’t want to miss, facilitated by Guillermo Robles, where only Spanish will be spoken the entire time! Come find out about ACB where there is always something for everybody! No computer, no problem! Call using a landline as well. For questions, email us at [email protected]. To get information on how to connect to this call, join our community event list by sending an email to [email protected].  Attention All ACB Walkers! If you haven’t signed up your team for the ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk, please do so now! This year’s walk is going to be the best ever. We already have 20 teams signed up, but we want more. Just go to the ACB Walk page at:  https://secure.qgiv.com/event/acbwalk2021/  pay your $25 entry fee, name your team and choose a captain for your team. Remember that you can designate up to 50 percent of the money your team raises to come back to your state affiliate, your special interest affiliate or chapter. Our goal this year is to raise over $95,000. Let’s get up and get moving together! If you have any questions, please email Dan Dillon at [email protected]. Deadline Quickly Approaches: 2021 AD Awards Call for Nominations The Audio Description Project recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of audio description through the Audio Description Awards. The call for nominations ends this Sunday, May 23, 2021, with winners announced during a plenary general session of the American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention in July 2021. To learn more about the award categories and how to submit nominations, visit: https://acb.org/2021-adp-awards-nominations.   Video for Airlines and Airports to Assist Travelers Who Are Visually Impaired The Seeing Eye and Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) have partnered with United Airlines and Alaska Airlines on the production of a training video for airport and airline employees around the country. Now that summer travel is picking up for the first time since the pandemic, the information in this video is particularly important for airport personnel. The purpose of the video is to demonstrate best practices for assisting blind and visually impaired people, in particular guide dog handlers, as they navigate each step of the air travel process. The video places special emphasis on how to maintain social distancing protocols while assisting travelers who are blind or visually impaired. You can view an audio described version of the video here: https://vimeo.com/547734281. To read the press release about this initiative, visit https://tinyurl.com/5frs3647.   Apple Accessibility Features Apple celebrated Global Accessibility Day this year by announcing several new accessibility features and services for customers with disabilities. One of these new features builds on recent updates that brought Image Descriptions to VoiceOver, which allows users to explore even more details about the people, text, table data, and other objects within images. Users can navigate a photo of a receipt like a table: by row and column, complete with table headers. VoiceOver can also describe a person’s position along with other objects within images — so people can relive memories in detail, and with Markup, users can add their own image descriptions to personalize family photos. To learn more about all of the new accessibility features Apple announced, visit: https://tinyurl.com/3nu2ksff.