ACB En Español: 7pm Hora del Este, 4pm Hora del Pacífico, 1pm Hora de Hawaii Acompañanos el Miércoles, 26 de Mayo. Patrocinado por el Comité de Asuntos Multiculturales y el Comité de Membresía del Consejo Americano de Invidentes. Esta es una llamada que no debes de faltar. La llamada se llevará acabo el cuarto Miércoles del mes, facilitado por Guillermo Robles. Este grupo será conducido totalmente en Español. Ven e infórmate sobre el Consejo Americano de Invidentes, donde siempre hay algo para todos. No tienes computodora no hay ningun problema! Llamanos por telefono. Si deseas saber mas, manda un correo electronico a [email protected]. Para informacion sobre como conectarte a esta llamada, subscribete a nuestra lista de eventos comunitarioss mandando un correo electronico a [email protected]. ACB In Spanish: 7pm ET, 4pm PT, 1pm HT Join us 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, on the 4th Wednesday, 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].

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! 2021 Scholarship Award Recipients: Specialized Studies & States Qualls - $4,500 - John Geraci Corey - PA Resident - $2,000 - Adison Lemmon Hebner - $4,000 - Abigail Shaw Schecter/Buckley - $4,750 - Breanne Kisselstein Oregon - $2,500 - Cassie Trosper Gillette, Anderson & Carsel - $3,500 - Meghan Downing Social Work, Rehabilitation & Teaching Sadler & Dillman - $4,000 - Jordana Hozman Fiorito & Dillman - $5,000 - Zachary Thibodeaux Qualls - $4,500 -Kaleigh Brendie Dillman - $5,000 - Zachary Fox Dillman - $5,000 - Syed Rizvi Dillman - $5,000 - Olivia O'Connell Business & Accounting Olsen - $2,000 - Brielle Cayer Pangere - $7,500 - Chantale Zuzi Qualls - $4,500 - Kevin Cohen Qualls - $4,500 - Ryan Thomas Engineering, Science & Technology Cannon & Ruckes - $3,500 - Matthew Turner Qualls - $4,500 - Elizabeth "Liza" Corso Ruckes & Burson - $2,500 - Sarah Panek Pangere - $7,500 - Bhavya Shah Pangere - $7,500 - Isaac Heiman

ACB’s 2021 Conference and Convention registration is now open! You must create your new ACB account before registering for convention. Learn more by visiting www.acb.org/create-member-account-2021-convention. To register, go to www.acbconvention.org and open the registration link. On the registration form you can choose to become an individual sponsor, purchase an ACB Braille Forum raffle ticket, subscribe to the convention newspaper, and purchase your 2021 convention t-shirt or pin. You can also support your favorite special-interest affiliates by paying affiliate registration fees. There will be several items to choose from featured by the ACB Mini Mall. Select your convention program in the format of your choice: braille, large print, NLS cartridge or electronic format. If you register for the convention you will be automatically eligible to bid at our Diamond Jubilee ACB auction on Tuesday, July 20th. All convention registrants will receive daily Zoom links which will enable you to participate in all sessions via Zoom. As a convention registrant you will be eligible for door prizes. Names will only be drawn from convention registrants. If your name is announced you automatically win! If you would like assistance registering by phone please call Janet Dickelman at (651) 428-5059. Leave your phone number, name (including the spelling of your last name), and your time zone. It is not necessary to leave the date or time of your call. One of our telephone registrants will call to complete your form. Although all convention sessions are listed on the registration form, you will not be choosing individual sessions. By registering for the convention you may attend any session. 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].

On behalf of ACB, I would like to thank both Jennison and Mike for sharing their time, experience, and wisdom with us.  Jennison Asuncion is not only the co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) he is also currently the head of accessibility for LinkedIn. And Mike Shebanek is a long-time pioneer in the space of digital accessibility and currently leads Accessibility for Facebook.  Today (May 20th, 2021) is GAAD's 10th anniversary and I would like to share with you the discussion we had today during our live event.  Please use this link if you were unable to attend and participate during our live broadcast, I would appreciate it if you would check it out and share it with your networks, collaborators and friends, and family. I was asked earlier this week what GAAD means to me and what my hope is for the work that we do on this day to bring awareness to the need for more accessible inclusion for our community. I answered that I want it all. I want those who are blind or visually impaired to be able to have equal standing and access to information, products, and experiences in our daily life. I want organizations, product developers, and city planners to include our needs and requirements as they create, plan and launch all improvements within their scope.  So please, join me and the members of the ACB community as we re-commit to advocating for accessibility and raise awareness about the very timely importance of GAAD after 10 years to our organization. Today the registration for the 2021 ACB Convention is now open at https://acbconvention.org, we will be coming together virtually from July 16 through July 23, 2021. This year's convention will include a robust conference agenda to provide our attendees and members with carefully curated topics, speakers and networking sessions from our affiliates and industry experts from across the country to capture the highlights and achievements of the past year and plan for the goals of tomorrow together. We hope that you will register and join us to be a part of the conversation. To learn more about ACB, to donate or to become a member, please visit  www.acb.org.  Thank you, Eric Bridges, Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind GAAD is an annual, grassroots effort inviting the broader, high-tech community around the world to participate in in-person and virtual activities intended to raise awareness of digital accessibility issues that people with different disabilities encounter.  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 quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people.  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 and Mike Shebanek. 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. Co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Jennison Asuncion, currently serves as the Head of Accessibility for LinkedIn. GAAD is an annual, grassroots effort inviting the broader, high-tech community around the world to participate in in-person and virtual activities intended to raise awareness of digital accessibility issues that people with different disabilities encounter.  A long-time pioneer in the space of digital accessibility, Mike Shebanek currently leads Accessibility for Facebook. A co-founder of the Teach-Access movement while at Yahoo, Mike revolutionized the field earlier when he introduced while at Apple the Voiceover text-to-speech application, which was included for free in Mac OS and IOS devices.  A recording of this live event is available on ACB's Facebook Page and on YouTube. Host:  Eric Bridges: Executive Director of American Council of the Blind  Participants:  Jennison Asuncion: Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn  Mike Shebanek: Head of Accessibility at Facebook 

2021 ACB Elections Members of the American Council of the Blind 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. With so many elections underway during the week of convention, there are likely to be a few vacated positions up for grabs, as well. To access important information about the upcoming elections, including important dates to remember, the candidates’ webpage, and candidates’ forums, visit: https://acb.org/2021-elections. To learn more about the voting process for the 2021 ACB Convention, please visit: https://acb.org/2021-voting-process.   Create Your ACB Account Now We hope you will be joining us for our convention in July. To simplify our account process, we are asking you to create a new ACB account (whether you are a member or not). You will use this log in credential going forward. The first time you log in to https://members.acb.org/, you will be asked to create a new login, password, and provide your profile information. This will need to be done even if you have previously created other ACB accounts. If you registered for the 2020 holiday auction, no further action is needed. You can use the same credentials you selected for your previous ACB accounts if you wish. We are asking for your name and address (for your profile) to make sure our donor database has your current information, which will help ACB to communicate with you in the future. Please go to https://members.acb.org/ to create your ACB account by May 15th so you will be ready when convention registration opens on May 20.  If you need assistance creating your ACB account please contact Janet Dickelman at (651) 428-5059. 2021 Leadership Fellows The Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) Fund Committee proudly presents the Class of 2021 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows. Each applicant met all requirements to be honored with this annual award in which 5 recipients are interviewed by the committee and selected by the ACB Executive Director and ACB President. Congratulations to Winter Renfrow, Anthony Corona, Greg Lindberg, Natalie Couch, and Becky Dunkerson! Learn more about our 2021 class of Leadership Fellows by visiting: https://acb.org/2021-leadership-fellows-announcement. 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 on 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.   Digital Accessibility and the ADA National Network On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha revisit our conversation from November 2020, with a returning guest, Rachel Weisberg from Equip for Equality. Rachel shares her impressions of the Winn-Dixie appeals court ruling and how it will impact digital accessibility. Then, we speak with Peter Berg from the Great Lakes ADA Center about the technical assistance and resources available to individuals and businesses regarding how the ADA and other disability rights laws apply to digital access and inclusion. Listen via your favorite podcast player or online at: https://tinyurl.com/4uxtnsf5. To learn more about the digital access resources available from the Great Lakes ADA Center, please visit: www.accessibilityonline.org. AAA Project Follow-up The Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL) has been running a project to contact local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to find out how they are serving blind and low vision seniors, and how we can help them improve. We have a bunch of people who are in various stages of getting in contact with the agency serving their community. And it’s not too late to join the fun! If you’d like to check them out, or give them an update on how your contact is going, they’d love to hear from you this Sunday, May 16 at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT/1:30pm HT, and add to the list of communities who are on the road to improving services to blind seniors around the country. Plus, they’ll have a mystery guest who’s been working with their AAA for over a decade talking about their experiences. To get information on how to connect to this call, join our community event list by sending an email to [email protected]. Read to Lead: Participation and Inspiration in May The Berl Colley Leadership Training folks are opening it up this month. They want to share some books that have turned them on to leadership possibilities, and they’re inviting you to join in. On Thursday, May 20, at 9pm ET/6pm PT/3pm HT, come and listen, or even better, bring a short review of a book that has inspired you in some aspect of leadership to share. Have the title, author, where it can be found, a short review of what it covers, and most of all, what made it memorable for you. To get information on how to connect to this call, join our community event list by sending an email to [email protected].

The information below outlines the voting process for all ACB members for our 2021 convention. If you have any questions, please email Koni Sims at [email protected]. Recommendations: All Vote-Now procedures apply to the 2021 Conference and Convention only. ACB will use Vote-Now for Officers, Board, and BOP elections (13 positions) only. ACB plans to adhere to our current voting process as close as possible. Anyone registered with the National office as an ACB member before June 16th is eligible to vote; the right to vote is not tied to registering for the convention. Vote-Now System: You will be able to access Vote-Now using any of the following methods: Mac, PC, Tablets, iPhone, Android, and Landline Phone By phone with a toll-free number with two voting options: Automated system Operator assistance Each member can choose which method they want to use for each election throughout the week and the voting method can vary each time. We are asking all members to please share a valid email address with ACB so Vote-Now can email your unique voter code to you. This voter code can only be used once per election, but you will use this unique code for all elections throughout the week. If you don’t have a valid email address, your information and code will be mailed to you in both braille and large print.  No digital cartridges will be sent out.  About June 1st a unique voter code will be mailed to those who do not have an email address and those with email addresses will receive their code around July 6th. Vote-Now will provide you the information you will need to know for voting. You will receive a log in link which can be used for voting using the internet and phone instructions for voting by phone;  the same unique voter code will be used for both voting methods. If you misplace your unique voter code, you can receive help from the Vote-Now operators to obtain your code or the Minneapolis office can assist you also.  This code can only be provided to the intended ACB member. Voting Process: July 1st is the deadline for affiliate Presidents to submit their delegate, alternate, and representative for nominating committee to Secretary Denise Colley. Please provide name, phone number and email. The Nominating Committee will meet Monday July 12th at 8:00 PM EDT to pick the slate of Officers, Board and BOP representatives. The nominating committee selections will be presented on Sunday night, July 18th at opening general session of ACB’s Conference and Convention. The voting process will begin on Sunday night with the office of the President and continue through each successive office until a contested election occurs. If an election is not contested, then the candidate submitted by the nominating committee will be elected by acclamation. If candidates are nominated from the floor for an election, ACB will have a contested election and the following process will be used. The next day, each candidate will be allowed a total of five minutes to have up to two speakers endorse their candidate and explain why their candidate should be elected for the position. Following these speeches, voting will commence. The vote count is comprised of two parts: the individual vote and the affiliate vote. Each ACB member who received a unique voter code from Vote-Now will be eligible to vote.  The voting period will be announced on ACB Radio during general session in the morning.  There will not be the ability to write in candidates when voting. Simultaneously the “affiliate vote” will commence.  It is the responsibility of each affiliate to determine how a member can communicate to their affiliate delegate/alternate how they wish their affiliate to vote. The delegates will announce their votes from a separate Zoom room that will be heard during general session at the convention. A candidate will need to receive a majority of the vote, 50 percent plus 1, to be declared the winner. If this does not happen the top two candidates will need to have a run-off election. Only one election will be held each day Monday through Thursday. If a run-off is necessary, it will be delayed until the following day. This process will continue for all 13 positions. Assumptions: As the week progresses ACB expects voting to become more efficient. By the time Friday comes, ACB expects each election process to take less time. If ACB has a lot of contested elections, then elections will continue on Saturday. On Friday and Saturday, the candidates will need to have their speakers identified and ready to present on their behalf. By Friday and Saturday (if needed) the affiliates will need to have a streamlined process in place to identify how they will apportion their votes.

From the ACB Board of Publications Attention ACB Candidates and All ACB Members:  As members of the American Council of the Blind, we 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. With so many elections underway during the week of convention, there are likely to be a few vacated positions up for grabs, as well. About the Candidates for the 2021 ACB Elections Here are important dates to remember with an explanation following: May 31: Submissions for ACB Candidates’ web page are due. June 15: ACB Candidates’ web pages are posted and announced. Candidates radio promos (optional) are due. June 29: (5th Tuesday) first Candidates’ Forum on Zoom and ACB Radio. June 30: (5th Wednesday) second Candidates’ Forum on Zoom and ACB Radio.   ACB Candidates’ Web Page If you plan to run for any ACB elected position, the ACB Candidates’ Web Page is where you can introduce yourself, post links to your social media pages, and provide responses to the following questions. (Please note: Your response to each question will be cut off at 300 words; the BOP will not edit your responses for spelling or grammar.) Content of ACB Candidate’s Web Page Introduce yourself, indicate which position you seek, and explain why you wish to serve in this position. What do you consider to be your strongest contribution to ACB at either the national, state, special-interest affiliate, or local chapter level and why? What do you consider to be the most important challenge facing ACB? How will you work to address it? Instructions for ACB Candidates’ Web Page Submissions You must be an ACB member in good standing. Submissions must be in hardcopy braille, hardcopy print, Word document, text file, or in the body of an email. Email electronic submissions to [email protected] with the subject line “Candidates’ Page Submission” or mail print, braille, and electronic submissions on a thumb drive to: American Council of the Blind, Attn: Candidates’ Page, 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311. The deadline for all Candidates’ Page submissions is May 31, 2021 at 4 p.m. Eastern. Late submissions will NOT be accepted. All candidates who submit information will also be invited to produce a promotional announcement to air on ACB Radio. Details will be shared as we receive your submission.   Meet the Candidates at ACB Candidates’ Forums This year, because we expect so many candidates, the Board of Publications will be hosting two Candidates’ Forums. All candidates who post information to the ACB Candidates’ Web Page will be invited to participate in one of two ACB Candidates’ Forums to be held June 29 and 30 at 9:00 PM ET (6:00 PM PT) via Zoom, ACB Radio, YouTube, and Facebook Live. Join us at both sessions to meet the candidates, to ask questions and hear their responses. Both forums will be available as podcasts shortly after completion. Please note: You must be registered as a candidate on the ACB Candidates’ Web Page to participate in the ACB Candidates’ Forum as a candidate. Remember that every ACB member will be able to vote remotely during this year’s conference and convention. Participating in the Candidates’ Web Page and Candidates’ Forums is an effective way for candidates to reach out to our members, many of whom have joined ACB in just the last year. Likewise, reading the Candidates’ Pages and attending the Candidates’ Forums is a great way for members to get acquainted with and learn about our candidates. We hope you will all take advantage of these opportunities to let our members get to know you better if you are one who intends to run for office, and to become well informed about all our candidates in advance of our elections. Let’s all help shape an even better future for our ACB! If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Sharon Lovering in the national office or Deb Cook Lewis, BOP Chair, [email protected].

2021 DKM First Timers This year’s DKM First Timer award winners are Kaila Allen from Mesa, Arizona and Belinda Collins from St. Pauls, North Carolina. Learn more about Kaila and Belinda by visiting: https://acb.org/2021-dkm-first-timers-announcement.   ACB Expands Hours on Be My Eyes! For the past year, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) has proudly been a part of the Specialized Help on the Be My Eyes platform. We receive calls from folks in search of blindness related resources, information on ACB and our affiliates and programs, and other varying topics. Up until now, and with the help of dedicated volunteers, we have been doing this on a part time basis. But starting this week, we are now open on Be My Eyes during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern time. The Be My Eyes app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android. Learn more about Be My Eyes here: www.bemyeyes.com. ACB Advocacy Update: First 100 Days On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha reconnect with Mark Richert, ACB First Vice President, and Paul Schroeder, Vice President of Government and Community Outreach, American Printing House for the Blind. We spoke with Mark and Paul at the beginning of the 117th Congress, and now we are checking in at the 100 days mark to ascertain whether the Administration and Congress are on-track with their policy priorities. Tune in as Mark rubs his crystal ball and shares what is in store for the rest of the Biden presidency! Listen via your podcast player or online at: https://tinyurl.com/teurb94h.   Stories for Mother’s Day Have a story to tell? This coming Sunday, May 9th, is Mother’s Day, and the ACB Voices blog will be celebrating by featuring articles from the Braille Forum archives and sharing new posts from our community throughout the week. We would love to hear stories from a mother’s perspective or stories on how your own mother helped lift you up and foster your own freedom and independence. You can check out the ACB Voices blog at www.acbvoices.org. Stories can be submitted to [email protected]. And to all our moms out there, have a safe and wonderful weekend! Clubhouse Clubhouse is a free social networking app, only available on iOS, that provides a platform to interact with others and discuss various topics via audio in virtual chat rooms. To join you must receive an invitation from an existing user, or you may join and become a part of our ACB Club on Clubhouse by emailing [email protected]. ACB’s presence on this app further expands the reach our community. To learn more about ACB’s Clubhouse guidelines, visit: https://acb.org/Clubhouse.   Emergency Broadband Benefit The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible families and households who are struggling to stay connected during the #COVID19 pandemic. Qualifying households on Tribal lands can receive a discount of up to $75 per month for service. Eligible households can also receive a discount of up to $100 for the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. For more info, please visit: fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit. Access & Engagement Survey A group of researchers at the University of South Carolina Upstate, the American Foundation for the Blind, and The Ohio State University are conducting focus groups and short surveys with families and professionals. This is an opportunity for a diverse group of stakeholders to share their experiences as they relate to the education of children with visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities and deafblindness.  Learn more about how to participate at: https://tinyurl.com/2hxkrdn3.   Apprenticeship Program Input Our friends at the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA) are seeking input from people with disabilities (ages 16 and older) about their views on apprenticeship programs. Their aim is to better understand how they can help design inclusive apprenticeship programs that enable people with disabilities to gain credentials and skills to succeed in growing industries. If you are interested in providing your input, complete PIA’s questionnaire by Friday, May 14th at 5 PM EST. We also encourage you to share this information with others who may want to complete the questionnaire. If you have questions, please reach out to Josh Christianson, Program Director at PIA [email protected]. You can also visit www.InclusiveApprenticeship.org. 

The Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) Fund Committee proudly presents the Class of 2021 DKM First-Timers. Each applicant met all requirements to be honored with this annual award in which we select one recipient from east of the Mississippi River and one recipient from the west. Requirements include: Age 18 or above Blind or Visually Impaired An ACB Member in good standing (Current with membership dues) Never attended an in-person ACB Conference and Convention Agree to attend the ACB Conference and Convention from July 16-23, 2021 and participate in all required sessions and activities. Recipients will have their general registration fee paid for the 2021 Virtual ACB Conference and Convention and be given the privilege of attending the 2022 ACB Conference and Convention in Omaha, Nebraska with general registration fee paid; travel expenses; lodging (double occupancy); Stipend for designated special events and incidentals.    2021 DKM First-Timers Kaila Allen Kaila Allen has been selected as the 2021 DKM First-Timer from the West. She resides in Mesa, Arizona as a wife and mother of two. Prior to joining ACB and community events as a host and presenter, she worked as a licensed massage therapist and childcare provider. At the state level, Kaila serves on the 2021 Arizona Council of the Blind (AZCB) convention committee with lead responsibility for planning and organizing its "after hours" social activities as subcommittee chair. She is a member of the ACB Next Generation affiliate. Kaila Allen is the owner of Blind Beauty Crafts Custom Creations. She loves ACB’s core values due to the fact that they align with her belief system. She desires to share ACB’s values more broadly as a leader and help bring positive change for the blind community. As a student at the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Kaila completed ceramics and weaving courses, among many others. She has also taken advantage of business classes offered by  Hadley School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Crafting has always been Kaila’s favorite hobby and it brings her great joy that people find excitement and a sense of accomplishment upon completing a craft. One of her strongest leadership examples is when she went to the Capitol and advocated for a law to prohibit children from being taken away from parents with visual impairments and blindness. Kaila has planned and scheduled numerous events, while taking time to train, mentor and encourage others. Belinda Collins Belinda Collins has been selected as the 2021 DKM First-Timer from the East and she resides in St. Pauls, North Carolina with her husband. She graduated in the top ten percent of her public high school class of 350 in 1997 and went on to UNC at Charlotte, where she majored in English. Belinda loves technology and she shared her technological skills with her blind peers in college and worked alongside these same blind peers to speak out for necessary accommodations and advocate for needed changes in their university system.    Advocacy and accessible technology are two of Belinda’s biggest passions. Belinda acquired her certification as an Assistive Technology Instructor from World Services for the Blind in Little Rock, Arkansas. Last year, she began attending the ACB community calls and eventually started hosting community calls on a regular basis. Her inquiry about volunteering to assist with some of the duties and responsibilities that go along with managing events for the community calls, resulted in being offered an internship working with Cindy Hollis, ACB Member Services Coordinator on a daily basis. Belinda holds memberships in the North Carolina Council of the Blind and Blind Information Technology Specialists (BITS). She is now serving on the convention committee in her state affiliate and anxiously awaits to serve in other capacities.

The Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) Fund Committee proudly presents the Class of 2021 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows. Each applicant met all requirements to be honored with this annual award in which 5 recipients are interviewed by the committee and selected by the ACB Executive Director and ACB President. Requirements include: Age 18 or above Blind or Visually Impaired An ACB Member in good standing (Current with membership dues) Agree to attend the ACB Conference and Convention from July 16-23, 2021 and participate in all required sessions and activities. Recipients will have their general registration fee paid for the 2021 Virtual ACB Conference and Convention and be given the privilege of attending the 2022 ACB Conference and Convention in Omaha, Nebraska with general registration fee paid; travel expenses; lodging (double occupancy); Stipend for designated special events and incidentals.    2021 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows Winter Renfrow Winter Renfrow of Owensboro, Kentucky strives to be a role model for blind parents as she demonstrates her abilities. She received a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Brescia College in Owensboro, Kentucky. She actively serves on the membership, convention planning and constitution and bylaws committee in the ACB Next Generation affiliate. Membership in the Kentucky Council of the Blind (KCB) has afforded her the privilege of participating in the planning of the KCB State Convention; serve on the Advocacy committee; participate in the ACB Legislative Seminar; virtual Capitol Hill visits and much more.  Winter dedicates time to her community by serving as a peer mentor for the Young Empowered Self-Advocates (YES) Program administered by the Center of Accessible Living (CAL). She also appreciates having had the opportunity of previously serving as Vice President of the Support Alliance for the Visually Impaired (SAVI),and she plans to seek this office again when elections are held. She currently serves as a board member. Winter holds memberships in several KCB chapters. As a member of KCB Next Generation, she serves on the Programs Committee. Winter plans to use her leadership fellows experience to add substance to her service on all levels of membership. She enjoys sports, listening to music ranging from Bluegrass to Classical music, traveling, spending time outdoors and spending time with family and friends. Anthony Corona Anthony Corona of Miami Lakes, Florida has worked for ACB in several capacities, including, Internship Communications/Marketing and grant-writing, as well as, volunteering on ACB’s Public Awareness and Information, Referral and Peer Support (IRPS) Steering committees. He currently hosts the lively Sunday Edition Show on ACB Radio and also supports other programs and community calls. Anthony was instrumental in the creation of the ACB Facebook Community Page and the ACB voices blog page. He initiated and hosted the Diabetic Awareness and ACB Family table programming. Earlier this year, Anthony supported FCB by playing a role in scheduling visits and assembling teams for successful legislative meetings with legislative staff members on Capitol Hill. Prior to moving to Florida, Anthony resided in New York and was employed for over ten years with the Associated Press as a reporter and later as the managing East Coast entertainment editor. His community work has included advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ community, as well as supporting the autistic community in association with the Eden School for Development and the New York City Autism Rights Foundation.  He currently serves as Secretary for Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI), Fundraising and Membership Co-chair and Planning Committee Chair. On the state level, he serves on the Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) Publicity and Publications committee, along with a new role of planning activities for the Leadership Week Program. Anthony loves music and he is an avid reader.  Greg Lindberg Greg Lindberg of Wesley Chapel, Florida was selected as the DKM First-Timer from the east in 2016 and he continues to increase meaningful involvement on multiple levels within ACB. He has Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and has been visually impaired since birth. However, this visual challenge has never stopped him from moving forward. Greg earned a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and a Master’s in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He currently serves as Secretary of the ACB Next Generation affiliate, as well as stepping up to assist in any way he can. Greg has a passion for writing and storytelling. For the past decade, he has worked as a content writer and digital marketer for a national accounting firm and currently for Saint Leo University. In these roles, he has managed print and digital platforms to increase engagement among prospects and raise brand awareness. He has also hosted a few podcast series, including hosting a sports and recreation podcast for the blind called “Eyes Free Sports.” This specific podcast theme was born out of his love for playing beep baseball.  Natalie Couch Natalie Couch of Louisville, Kentucky began her ACB adventure during the 2009 ACB Conference and Convention when a friend who received a scholarship invited her to attend. She became a member of the Illinois Council of the Blind (ICB), served on the ICB technology committee and administered their Twitter Page. Natalie then attended the Midwest Leadership Conference and was selected to serve as the alternate delegate for ICB during the 2011 ACB convention. She helped create and later administer the ACB Twitter Page, and she was appointed to the ACB Information Access Committee.  After moving to Louisville, Kentucky, to accept a job with Humana, she joined the Kentucky Council of the Blind (KCB) and was appointed to the KCB Public Relations committee. She was instrumental in forming the KCB Next Generation chapter, where she served as its first Vice President.  She has served as Secretary of the Greater Louisville Council of the Blind since 2014, and as Secretary of the Kentucky Council since 2018. She is currently president of two KCB chapters - Tri-state Library Users and the Greater Louisville Council of the Blind. As chair of the KCB Convention and Crossroads Committee in 2020, Natalie helped guide their team through a successful 4-day virtual convention that was broadcast on ACB Radio. In 2021 she has contributed to the transformation of KCB's Crossroads Leadership Conference from a weekend event to several one-day sessions that have attracted participants from states near and far. Natalie is currently employed as a customer service representative with Louisville Gas and Electric. Her hobbies are reading, attending audio-described plays, and playing cards. Becky Dunkerson Becky Dunkerson of Des Moines, Iowa was selected as the DKM First-Timer of the west in 2018 and she continues to strive for more as she seeks to identify areas in which she can contribute support. Her post high school education includes a business certificate from Hamilton Business College which included a focus on accounting and administrative tasks. As an employee of Wells Fargo for nearly 21 years, she currently holds the position of financial accounts analyst. She is an auditor reviewing employee travel expense reports. Becky joined ACB through the Iowa state affiliate (ICUB). She served in her local chapter as a board member and as Secretary. She also served on several local and state committees including fundraising, convention planning, and coordinating event activities. She joined the ACB Diabetics in Action (ACBDA) affiliate and began serving as Secretary, newsletter editor, on the membership committee and assisting with fundraising. Becky holds memberships in several special interest affiliates in an effort to learn and grow.