The ACB Braille Forum Volume LV September 2016 No. 3 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. ** Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6300 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 195, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB by the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. ** Check in with ACB For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the “Washington Connection” 24/7 at 1-800-424-8666, or read it online. Listen to ACB Reports by downloading the MP3 file from www.acb.org, or call (605) 475-8154 and choose option 3. Tune in to ACB Radio at www.acbradio.org or by calling (605) 475-8130. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial. © 2016 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** Table of Contents ACB Reaches Agreement with Four D.C. Taxi Companies President’s Report to the Convention, Part 1, by Kim Charlson Land of 10,000 Dreams Convention A Resounding Success!, by Janet Dickelman 2016 National Convention Lets Attendees Dream Big, Experience Minnesota, by Judy Wilkinson, Tom Mitchell, Doug Powell, Denise Colley, Sharon Lovering and Ron Brooks Holiday Cheer in September, by Carla Ruschival Affiliate News Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit High Tech Swap Shop ** Are You Moving? Do You Want to Change Your Subscription? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she’ll make the changes for you. ** Keep up with the haps when affiliates stream conventions at www.acbradio.org/news. ** Want to stream your convention? ACB Radio can help you out; write to larry@acbradio.org. ***** ACB Reaches Agreement with Four D.C. Taxi Companies Getting a cab in Washington, D.C. at the end of next year’s midyear meeting may be a little easier now. ACB has reached an agreement with four D.C. cab companies — Yellow Cab Company of D.C., Inc., Grand Cab Company, Elite Cab Association, and Pleasant Taxi Club LLC — to carry out an Accessibility Initiative to ensure that blind and visually impaired individuals accompanied by service animals have full and equal access to taxi services in the District of Columbia, including street-hailed taxicab services. As part of the initiative, these cab companies have agreed to collaborate with ACB and contribute to a testing fund that ACB will administer. ACB will monitor learning, education effectiveness, and compliance by associated drivers with their legal obligations to provide street-hail taxicab services in D.C. Contributions to the Accessibility Initiative will be used to fund this monitoring and a third-party testing program to ensure that blind and visually impaired individuals with service animals are successfully able to hail taxis on D.C. streets. Those contributing to the testing fund and agreeing to the initiative will be notified of any complaints and given feedback on their drivers’ performance. The initiative also protects signatory drivers and taxicab companies with a commitment to resolve complaints against participating taxicabs without formal litigation. All four companies have agreed to develop and implement a model Non-Discrimination Policy that accompanies the Accessibility Initiative. The initiative requires each signatory to incorporate such a policy into its association licensing agreements with its drivers when signing new drivers or renewing agreements, and to distribute the policy to all existing drivers. The policy will make it clear that a driver may not assume that an animal accompanying a passenger is not a service animal. All drivers who do not have a valid medical exemption will be required to stop to provide service to a passenger accompanied by a dog and hailing a taxi, or inquire whether the dog is a service animal where not obvious. The policy also specifies that the cab company will promptly investigate any complaints it receives regarding any discriminatory conduct by its associated drivers, and discipline any driver who is proven to have violated the policy. Such discipline will include training of the driver on the Non-Discrimination Policy, suspension, reporting the driver to the D.C. Taxicab Commission (“DCTC”), and terminating the driver’s association with the company. Additionally, in a joint letter, the cab companies recommended changes to DCTC policies and rules to promote and safely provide street-hail taxi services in D.C. to the visually impaired. DCTC will now provide disability sensitivity training to new and renewing cab drivers, and has implemented a disability sensitivity training module. “We are encouraged that these four taxi companies are willing to work with us to promote equal access to taxicab services in the District of Columbia,” stated Eric Bridges, ACB’s executive director. “We hope that other cab companies in the District will join this Accessibility Initiative and contribute to the testing fund in order to become the gold standard for taxi service in D.C., including street-hailed taxis.” Matthew Handley, Director of Litigation at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, said: “Public transportation, including taxi services, should be available and accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities who use service dogs. We are pleased that we were able to come together to implement this Accessibility Initiative in the District of Columbia. We are also pleased with the jointly recommended changes to the Taxi Commission’s policies and regulations, which will apply to all D.C. taxicab companies and set the standard for equal access.” Matthew MacLean, partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, added: “Launching the Accessibility Initiative through the American Council of the Blind is a great accomplishment. This program has the tools to create meaningful change in the accessibility policies of taxicab providers in D.C., and is an opportunity for companies to engage in a constructive program to ensure the rights of taxi passengers relying on service animals are understood and respected.” ***** President’s Report to the Convention, Part 1 by Kim Charlson Ladies and gentlemen: it is again a true honor for me to come before you for my third report as president of the American Council of the Blind. I have much to report to you since our conference in Dallas last year. It has been a year of many transitions, travel, calls, committee meetings, e-mail, more calls, and decision-making in collaboration with others to keep our organization moving forward on so many key issues. I have come before you on this beautiful Sunday evening in July here in Minneapolis to offer my report to you, the thousands of men and women comprising our strong ACB family. Whether you are attending our 55th annual national conference and convention in person, or listening from across the nation and around the world on ACB Radio, you are all an important part of our dynamic and democratic organization. I want to acknowledge the tremendous participation and support from so many of you at the local, state, and national levels; for your affiliates, committees or task forces, or on issues of personal importance. Without your efforts, there would be no American Council of the Blind. ACB continues to address many issues and challenges of all types since last we gathered together. I’ll cover the highlights and how we are dealing with them over the next several minutes. First, I would like to deliver some very important and well-deserved “thank you”s. It is widely known that the everyday work of ACB is carried out by our small, yet highly dedicated professional and administrative staff. In our Minnesota office, we rely on Lori, Nancy, and Dee to keep the business wheels turning. Because the convention is here in their backyard, they are even more engaged in all aspects of convention, as well as day-to-day operations. Heading this important team is controller Lane Waters, who always knows the answer to questions and what is going on with everything all the time. Lane will be reducing his schedule with ACB in August, to begin semi-retirement. He will still be working with ACB in many areas, but some of his current roles will be transitioned over to others in the office over the next several months. Lane, I can’t say enough about what your service to ACB has meant, and how glad we are that you will be continuing on with us in several capacities. We truly love working with you! In the Virginia office, the first transition was an actual move from Arlington to Alexandria in January. ACB is now located at 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, in a very nice building, on the same floor as AER (the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired). We have realized many efficiencies to space and productivity, and other enhancements are in process to increase productivity. “ACB Braille Forum” editor Sharon Lovering works hard every day to make our lives and the lives of blind and visually impaired people everywhere better by producing a top-notch publication filled with information about the important work of ACB, among many other duties. Continuing with ACB’s transitions, we hired a new executive director in November, Eric Bridges. Eric hit the ground running, and hasn’t slowed down since. He has amazing skills at knowing the right people for the right situation, building relationships, fund-raising, and guiding the organization on some very major advocacy and legal initiatives. Every day, Eric keeps me informed on so many fronts, outlines work to be done, and plans activities for the future growth of ACB. It is a pleasure and honor to work with him, and I have great confidence that he will guide our organization into the future with a solid position of strength, effectiveness, and promoting key issues. With the transition of Eric as ACB’s new executive director, it was necessary to search for someone to handle our advocacy and governmental affairs work. We were incredibly fortunate to hire Anthony (Tony) Stephens to serve in this capacity beginning in January. Tony came to us from National Industries for the Blind, where he worked in a similar capacity; and now he is working on a broad range of blindness issues, attending meetings on Capitol Hill, and writing regulatory comments, letters and testimony on all of our key issues. Tony has a real passion for advocacy, and he is a tremendous asset to ACB’s governmental relations and advocacy activities. Rounding out the staff in Alexandria is Kelly Gasque. She is an invaluable member of our team. She has countless valuable skills, and we continue to learn more of her numerous talents every day. Kelly has taken on responsibilities around the coordination of our social media presence, primarily on Facebook and Twitter. The ACB Twitter account has grown over 40 percent since our last convention; many are other disability and civil rights organizations. This increased exposure on Twitter gives ACB much more recognition and visibility in the social media realm. I want to publicly express appreciation to both the Twitter and Facebook teams. The Twitter team consists of four individuals who handle tweeting responsibility for designated weeks in a rotating schedule. The team includes: Michael Capelle (Wis.), Jim Denham (Mass.), Michael Malver (Minn.), and John McCann (Ariz.), who serves as board liaison to the Twitter team. For those of you who want to follow the convention on Twitter, use the hashtag #acb16. ACB’s Facebook page has undergone amazing growth during this past year. We have roughly 2,230 followers, an increase of 900 since last year’s convention. ACB treasurer Carla Ruschival (Ky.) is the Facebook team leader. She has been assisted this year by Kelly Gasque and Katie Frederick. Here’s an example of two of our most successful and wide-reaching posts: May 17th: Samsung presents the “Blind Cap” for Paralympic swimmers, 11,559 people reached, 123 likes and reactions, and 261 shares. On February 17th, the post What you didn’t know about Stevie Wonder’s “braille joke” at the Grammys, had 9,566 people reached, 59 likes, and 94 shares. Working alongside our strong staff are several contractors that do specific work for ACB in a variety of areas. Tom Tobin is our hardworking director of development, and partnering with him this year is Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, our grant writer. Together, they are building a strong foundation for ACB’s financial future. Joel Snyder, director of the Audio Description Project, Larry Turnbull, managing director of ACB Radio, and website administrator Annette Carter, all continue to work extremely hard for ACB. I extend to each of you a special thank you and commend you all for your efforts on behalf of ACB. I want to recognize and thank the 15 other members of the ACB board of directors and the members of the board of publications for their service. Both groups have kept me on track with the issues and helped in so many ways to keep the work of ACB moving forward. At the close of this convention, two members of the ACB board of directors will be completing their terms of service. I want to thank Berl Colley (Wash.) and Michael Garrett (Texas) for their service as ACB board members for the past eight years. They have made many valuable contributions to ACB, and I know they will continue to work on behalf of ACB in the future. In addition, I want to thank the members of the board of publications – Denise Colley, Ron Brooks, Doug Powell, Judy Wilkinson and Tom Mitchell, for their dedicated service to ACB. Tom and Judy are stepping down due to other responsibilities in their home states, and we wish them well. I can’t go on thanking people without recognizing the large group of leaders who guide ACB’s more than 40 different committees and task forces. These groups help Tony Stephens and Eric Bridges tremendously, because a small staff just can’t get all the work done that needs to happen. We couldn’t get it done without all of you. You all have my heartfelt personal thanks! Finally, let me take just a moment to recognize the help and support I receive every day from my family. In spite of his many responsibilities at work and with ACB as the Information Access Committee chair, and president of both the Bay State Council of the Blind and Library Users of America, Brian continues to be incredibly supportive, making it possible for me to focus on my ACB work. I couldn’t do all that I need to do in this role without his support, and that of my life sister, Vicki. Thank you to both of you for making it possible for me to serve ACB! I love you both! ***** Land of 10,000 Dreams Convention A Resounding Success! by Janet Dickelman The messages of praise for the hotel staff, convention committee members and our convention volunteers have been overwhelming! The Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis was a phenomenal venue. Its staff was so welcoming and helpful. The Convention and Visitors Bureau really worked to prepare the city of Minneapolis for our arrival. Their staff worked with local restaurants to obtain braille menus, and ensured that, in spite of the construction, there was always lots of assistance to help us maneuver through the area. Thanks to the Minnesota host committee members for all their hard work and dedication. They prove that “Minnesota nice” isn’t just a saying. I couldn’t coordinate this convention without the help and support of my wonderful and hard-working convention committee. Margarine Beaman worked her magic once again to make sure our accessibility needs were met at the Hyatt and that everyone had a good experience at the airport. Sally Benjamin recruited a great group of volunteers; they were everywhere and extremely polite and helpful. Special thanks to Bruce Radtke, who once again was volunteer extraordinaire. Michael Smitherman once again made sure the exhibit hall ran flawlessly. Many people commented on how much they liked the layout of this year’s booths. Vicky Prahin was a great source of convention materials, and the information desk ran smoothly under her leadership. Rhonda Trott did a marvelous job in her first year as tour coordinator. In spite of weather cancellations, we had amazing tours, and all the feedback has been extremely positive. Rick Morin and his cadre of volunteers kept our AV equipment running and did an amazing job with ensuring that our assistive listening devices worked in the various meeting rooms. Lane Waters and the registration staff made a huge endeavor look easy, and with pre-registration pick-up only the first three mornings, lines in registration were minimal! Now it is on to Reno in 2017! Our conference and convention home will be the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev. Convention dates are Friday, June 30th through Friday, July 7th. Our first tours will be on June 30th, and final tours on July 7th. Our opening general session will be held Saturday evening, July 1st, with general sessions Sunday through Wednesday morning, and all day on Thursday followed by our banquet. Room rates at the Nugget Casino Resort are $89 (single or double) with an additional $10 per person for up to four people per room. Room tax is 13.5 percent. The room rate includes the hotel resort fee, which covers: • Round-trip shuttle transportation to and from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, • Complimentary wireless Internet in guest rooms, • Daily complimentary bottled water, 2 bottles per room per day, • Unlimited use of the year-round Atrium Pool, • Unlimited use of the fitness center, • Full service concierge, and • Valet and self-parking in the secure, covered parking structure. ** Staying in Touch Once again, the convention announce list will be filled with information about the convention. You can subscribe to the list today by sending a blank e-mail to acbconvention-subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2016 convention, you do not need to subscribe again. ** Convention Contacts 2017 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2017 advertising and sponsorships: Margarine Beaman, (512) 921-1625, oleo50@hotmail.com For any other convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** 2016 National Convention Lets Attendees Dream Big, Experience Minnesota by Judy Wilkinson, Tom Mitchell, Doug Powell, Denise Colley, Sharon Lovering and Ron Brooks ** Sunday President Kim Charlson called the convention to order. Jeff Mihelich, president of ACB of Minnesota, officially welcomed us to Minnesota. How did Minnesota get so many lakes? Paul Bunyan and Babe the blue ox, of course. Another Minnesota legend, Bobby Zimmerman, went to high school with Jeff’s mother. She said even back then “Bob Dylan’s voice sounded like a buzz saw.” Following that, Charlson gave her presidential report. See “President’s Report to the Convention, Part 1” in this issue; watch the next issues for the second and third installments. A highlight of the opening session is the presentation of life memberships. Charlson reminded everyone that Carl Augusto received a life membership at midyear. This year’s new life members were: Karyn Campbell, Denise Colley, Janet Dickelman, Tony Ferrita, Thomas L. Jones, Ursula McCully, Emily Starr, Cindy Van Winkle, and Lane Waters. Allen Casey, chair of the Durward K. McDaniel First-Timers’ Committee, introduced this year’s first-timers: Marja Byers, executive director of Lifeskills in Salem, Ore., and Greg Lindberg, editor of Florida Council’s newsletter, “The White Cane Bulletin.” Eric Bridges then introduced all eight leadership fellows, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. (See “President’s Message: JPMorgan Chase/ACB Leadership Fellows” in the July issue for more information.) The evening wrapped up with the first credentials report, ACB Angels memorial tributes, and the roll call of affiliates. ** Monday The convention started off the morning by adopting the standing rules, and listening to a reading of ACB sponsors. Ray Campbell gave the final credentials committee report. The first real highlight of the morning was the presentation of the Robert S. Bray Award to Apple, Inc. for their continued dedication to accessibility for blind and visually impaired people. In accepting the award, Sarah Herrlinger re-affirmed Apple’s continued commitment to make their products accessible. Charles Mossop of the World Blind Union spoke of the continued need for advocacy, and how to be an effective advocate. Karen Keninger, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, reported on developments at NLS. She re-affirmed NLS’ commitment to the continued production of braille materials, and reported that research on the development of a braille display that can download books from BARD continues. She noted that a new talking book machine will be smaller and have the ability to download books. The conversion of cassette books to the digital media should be completed in 2017. Eliot Greenwald, Deputy Chief, Disability Rights Office of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, reported on the commission’s efforts to increase the availability of audio-described programs and assured us that the FCC is continuing to increase the number of hours that audio description will be available. The session ended with several resolutions and a report on the Recreation Zone by Oral Miller. ** Tuesday Kim Charlson introduced emerald sponsor Uber’s Lindsay Elin and Malcom Glenn. Uber is now operating in 400 cities in 70 countries. The company is experimenting with new services such as UberEats, couriers, and UberPool (sharing a ride with another passenger for a discounted fare). Since most of us can’t see the car and driver, they suggested some tips such as: text the driver with identifying characteristics, stand with your white cane or guide dog visible, and allow friends to follow your route if you wish. Next, Charlson introduced HumanWare’s representative, Dominic Gagliano. Dominic told us that Essilor now owns HumanWare. The combination will benefit all by blending mainstream products with assistive technology. Two fruits of the blending are the Prodigy Connect and the BrailleNote Touch. Mike Godino then gave the nominating committee report. The slate of candidates for the board of directors was: Jeff Bishop, Tucson, Ariz.; Sara Conrad, Madison, Wis.; Dan Spoone, Orlando, Fla.; Denise Colley, Lacey, Wash.; and Tiffany Jolliff, Arlington, Va. Doug Powell of Falls Church, Va., was put forward on the slate for the board of publications. John Huffman gave the first reading of several amendments to the constitution and bylaws. Following the reading, Charlson turned the microphone over to presiding officer John McCann. McCann introduced Michael Garrett, who introduced this year’s scholarship winners. (Watch for an article in a future issue.) After a break, McCann introduced Clint Covington, Microsoft’s head of accessibility. Covington promised that Narrator will be reading everything on the screen by the end of the year, and noted that Microsoft now has a dedicated help number for accessibility issues: 1-800-936-5900. The convention then heard a panel presentation on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act. Mark Richert moderated the discussion, which focused on changes in this update of the Rehabilitation Act. Tony Stephens talked about the final regulations of WIOA. Some of our concerns about these new regulations include: • No more homemaker category for services will be recognized, but they’ll extend current consumer services for a year; • Extended employment (with supports) are expanded to 4 years; • There is now a 15% minimum that agencies must spend on pre-employment transition services; and • There will be a strong emphasis on competitive, integrated employment for a job placement to be considered successful. Lori Scharff, practitioner in the field from New York, talked about how the new regulations will play out in the states. State plans will require cooperation between the workforce boards in the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education. Michelle McDonnall, director of the National Rehabilitation and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University, emphasized several concerns about the new regulations: • Research has always supported separate services for people who are blind or have low vision and older blind as being more successful; • The data shows that loss of the homemaker category will affect blind people more than others; and • The new 15% minimum expenditure on pre-employment transition services is a little more than was being spent previously, and the eligible population to qualify for the expenditures has been narrowed, so fewer people will be receiving a larger piece of the funding, leaving less for other rehabilitation services. Richert added that given historical patterns of how newly blind and low-vision consumers negotiate their conditions, we’ll need to advocate for alternatives to the homemaker category. He also suggested that we could improve things by being involved in providing peer mentoring, advocating for jobs in NIB, working with independent living centers to improve services to our community, and advocating with parents regarding IEP preparation. ** Wednesday The day began with the introduction of our emerald and ruby sponsors. Kelly Egan, blindness and low vision outreach specialist from Sprint (emerald), and Joel Moffatt, vice president of communications accessibility at Comcast (ruby), gave brief presentations. Egan talked about what’s changed at Sprint in terms of how it is approaching the blind and low-vision community. Sprint is putting emphasis on ensuring it has accessible devices, affordable plans and wonderful customer service. Sprint now has a dedicated toll-free number for customers with disabilities to call to get needed technical assistance: 1-855-885-7568. Moffatt gave an update on some of the things Comcast has been working on in terms of accessibility and product updates. He mentioned the Comcast Accessibility Customer Support Center, where customers with disabilities can get help and support for Voice Guidance with the X1 operating system, video description and any issues with the Xfinity service. To contact the accessibility center, call 1-855-270-0379, or send e-mail to accessibility@comcast.com, or visit xfinity.com/accessibility. Some new features will be coming out shortly on Voice Guidance. One will be the ability for notifications to be read out without browsing for them. For example, if there’s a notification about something on your program guide that is also available on your DVR on demand, Voice Guidance will read it to you. In terms of video description, anytime you are watching full-screen video with X1, pressing the down arrow key will bring up a transport bar in the lower third of the screen with playback controls and accessibility toggles that you can down arrow to, and it will all be spoken. One of the highlights of every national convention is meeting and hearing from a talking book narrator. This year’s narrator was Martha Harmon-Pardee from Talking Book Publishers, Inc., in Denver, Colo. Her presentation was great! Next, the convention heard a panel discussion on braille developments and policy issues. The moderator was Paul Edwards; presenters were Mark Richert of AFB and Sandra Ruconich, ACB’s representative to the Braille Authority of North America (BANA). Sandy informed us that the organization has updated its document “BANA Formats, Principles of Print to Braille Transcription” to include changes necessitated by UEB. It has also published a new braille music manual and a new document entitled “Guidance for Using Nemeth Code in UEB Contexts.” All three documents can be found at www.brailleauthority.org. Mark Richert spoke about some legislation AFB has heard about regarding provision of braille instruction to blind and visually impaired children. Currently, federal law requires that children who are blind or visually impaired receive braille instruction unless the IEP team determines that it is not appropriate for the particular child after doing an evaluation. The evaluation process has become the subject of a lot of concern at the state level, because in several states legislators are being asked to approve proposed legislation that would either specifically name one particular type of evaluation tool, or only approve the use within the state of those evaluation tools and techniques that teachers of students with visual impairments use that comply with certain very rigorous research standards. Tony Stephens, director of advocacy and governmental affairs, gave the national advocacy and legislative update. He briefly talked about the state of affairs in the Beltway, stressing that we need to stay positive, even though it feels like nothing is moving forward. Passage of the Cogswell-Macy Act continues to be an uphill battle. The Medicare Demonstration of Coverage for Low Vision Devices Act has made progress, in that we were able to create bipartisan language that got members of both parties to sign on. He hoped to get the bill into an appropriations package. ACB is also working with the Department of Transportation to assess what positions need to be made with regards to autonomous vehicles, working to make sure that the technologies being installed on airplanes for entertainment and communications are accessible, and to redefine the definition of service animals on aircrafts. Blair Anderson, deputy director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), discussed quiet cars, transportation regulations and updates. NHTSA sent a final rule related to quiet cars to the Office of Management and Budget for review in March. What needs to happen now, as the Department of Transportation moves forward on autonomous vehicles, is to put a regulatory structure in place that will help the public feel comfortable and believe that automated vehicles are safe and should be on the road. NHTSA plans to release operational guidance for the auto manufacturers that will provide the principles on which DOT would further regulate how a manufacturer could demonstrate that the vehicles being manufactured are safe to be out on the road. The administration is also putting together a model policy that states can use with regards to automated vehicle technology. The final presentation of the morning was an update from Eric Bridges, ACB’s executive director. He discussed the different roles and responsibilities of both the D.C. and Minneapolis staff. He talked about the national office’s move to Alexandria. He also talked about the many relationships we have been building with companies such as Uber, Microsoft, and JPMorgan Chase. We were able to successfully resolve the taxi lawsuit in D.C. (See “ACB Reaches Agreement with Four D.C. Taxi Companies” elsewhere in this issue.) ** Thursday The session began with the second readings of four proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws. The language in all four replaced the word “session” with the word “meeting.” All amendments passed. Kim Charlson introduced Mark Richert for a few resolutions. One dealt with braille instruction, another with Unified English Braille and mathematical codes. Both passed. Charlson then turned the microphone over to presiding officer Carla Ruschival, who introduced Craig Meador, the new president and CEO of the American Printing House for the Blind. Meador talked briefly about the consortium that helped put the Orbit Reader together. “What’s going on at APH right now is this idea of partnerships,” he stated. “We’re way past the day when anyone can go it alone. … To think that we can do it all and be it all and make it all happen is foolishness.” Ruschival introduced Lukas Franck, senior consultant for special projects at The Seeing Eye. He became interested in access in the mid-1990s by working with blind people who were having trouble crossing streets. It soon became clear that what was happening was the computerization of intersection control. He and others worked in coalition with ACB to create the federal standards that allowed for the installation of accessible pedestrian signals around the country. In terms of access to streets now, we are in difficult times because of development in several areas, including intersection design and roundabouts. “You’re not going to stop roundabouts coming,” he added. “And the reason for that is … they’re much cheaper to build in than signalized intersections.” They’re also safe for drivers; the rates of injuries and fatalities drop when a roundabout is installed. Franck also talked briefly about quiet cars and the hazards they pose to blind pedestrians, stressing the need for standardization of car sounds. “It doesn’t do us a great deal of good to know that you’re about to be hit by a Porsche as opposed to a Mercury,” he quipped. The convention next heard a report from the resource development committee. Dan Dillon thanked everyone for participating in the ACB Angels program, and invited everyone to visit the memorial wall. Leslie Spoone thanked the members of the auction committee, donors of items, bidders, and Verizon; the auction raised $17,460. Donna Brown thanked the teams and individuals who participated, congratulating the top fund-raisers. (See “10,000 Steps and Beyond” in next month’s E-Forum.) Janet Dickelman thanked the Minnesota host committee, the Hyatt staff, the Virginia and Minnesota office staff, the volunteers, and the convention committee. Next year’s convention will be held at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev. The dates are Friday, June 30 through Friday, July 7, 2017. The opening session will be held Saturday night. Room rates are $89 plus tax. Carla Ruschival then presented the treasurer’s report. Direct mail fundraising has raised $16,486 so far this year. Telemarketing will be cut completely. Planned giving has brought in $14,174. Life membership and ACB Angels are also doing very well. Grant income has increased, too. Some expenses have gone down, such as rent on both ACB offices. Michael Garrett, chairman of the ACB Enterprises and Services board, thanked the members of the board and the Minnesota staff, along with the thrift store managers and staff. As of May 31, ACBES was more than 25 percent ahead of budget; Garrett hoped that trend would continue. Ruschival next introduced Dan Spoone, chair of the Audio Description Project steering committee. Spoone introduced Joel Snyder, director of the project, to tell everyone what’s going on with audio description. Snyder mentioned this year’s Audio Description Conference, which brought people in from 15 states and the District of Columbia, plus 7 other countries; the Audio Description Institute; the ADP website, which includes a listing of described TV shows; and more. The ADP recently received a grant from the Aid Association for the Blind to describe two parts of the Holocaust Museum. ** Friday After the reading of the sponsors, resolutions committee chairman Mark Richert presented a number of resolutions. Resolutions adopted by the membership included: • An expression of support for H.R. 5227, which would enable the National Library Service (NLS) to distribute braille displays to clients; • A call for ACB to persuade the Social Security Administration to improve accessibility of the check-in process at Social Security offices around the country; • A call for ACB to contact the commissioners of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission demanding that appropriate guidance on the use of assistive technologies be incorporated into the agency’s guidance for the provision of reasonable accommodations; • A call for the Centers for Medicaid Services (CMS) to begin providing printed materials (e.g. applications, letters of determination, explanations of benefits, etc.) in accessible formats; • Direction that ACB partner with other blindness advocacy organizations to pursue legislation or executive action to ensure that personal medical devices be accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired; • Requiring ACB to include strong language in convention hotel contracts that requires hotel signage to meet all applicable ADA Accessibility Guidelines standards; and • Calling on ACB to take a position in support of audible pedestrian signals which include countdown clocks for pedestrians and that pushes for more research to better learn how this technology is impacting the safety of blind and visually impaired pedestrians. For a complete summary of all resolutions adopted during the convention, watch for an article in a future issue of the Forum. While the organization worked through resolutions, elections for members of the board of directors and board of publications were conducted. This year, there were several contested elections; all were decided on the first vote. Elected to the board of directors were Jeff Bishop, Sara Conrad, Dan Spoone, Dan Dillon, and Denise Colley. Doug Powell, Debbie Cook Lewis and Susan Glass were elected to the BOP. Friday evening was a time of recognition and celebration. Recognition events included a reception for ACB life members as well as a number of awards, which were presented during the banquet. One of these awards was the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award, which went to Allen Casey for his article “Remembering Durward,” which appeared in the November 2015 issue. Another award was brand-new this year. The Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Service Award went to its namesake, Margarine Beaman, for her years of volunteer service. The banquet also featured singer, song writer and humorist Terry Kelly. He entertained and inspired attendees with a number of fun and thought-provoking songs as well as a speech dealing with how we can overcome the limitations we place on ourselves. ** Captions Jeff Mihelich, president of ACB of Minnesota, welcomes everyone to Minneapolis. He speaks into the lectern microphone on stage, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt and a convention badge, carrying a white cane in his left hand. Charles Mossop, president of the World Blind Union’s North America-Caribbean region, talks about the importance of advocacy. He is standing at the lectern microphone, wearing a dark suit jacket, bright blue shirt, a two-tone tie with diagonal stripes, and a convention name badge. His glasses are in his suit pocket. Clint Covington of Microsoft looks out at the audience from behind the lectern microphone and talks about his company’s partnership with ACB. He sports a navy blue suit jacket over a blue-and-white gingham shirt. Allen Casey accepts the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award. He stands on stage talking into the microphone, thanking all those who helped him write the article “Remembering Durward.” Margarine Beaman displays the award plaque she just received. She sports a light tan jacket over a green blouse, with a gold Texas pendant necklace and a multicolored toucan pin on her left lapel. ***** Holiday Cheer in September by Carla Ruschival It’s time to start thinking about ACB’s fifth annual Holiday Auction, which will come to you live from Louisville, Ky. on ACB Radio on Dec. 4 from 7 to 11 p.m. Eastern (4 to 8 p.m. Pacific). The 2015 Holiday Auction was a huge success. Packed with holiday treats and great gift ideas, the auction raised a record $13,500 for ACB Radio. The ACB Radio and Minneapolis staff and Holiday Auction Committee are teaming up to bring you a wonderful shopping experience and the perfect opportunity to support ACB Radio! But we need your help now in order to make the 2016 auction a success. Individuals, chapters and affiliates, and businesses are invited to contribute items to the Holiday Auction. Some examples of popular items include candy, cookies and other holiday treats; jewelry; techie stuff; handcrafted items; unusual music boxes; gift cards; and holiday decorations. Join our 2016 holiday parade of states by contributing a food or other item traditional to your area. All items donated to the Holiday Auction will be displayed on our auction preview pages at www.acb.org. We’ll begin posting items as they are received, so visit the preview pages often to see what’s new. All donors will be acknowledged both on the website and on ACB Radio during the auction. Donors and winning bidders will also be spotlighted in “The ACB Braille Forum” in early 2017. Notify us now that you plan to contribute item(s) to the auction. Share a description of each item with us so we can begin creating its preview page. Send all items, except homemade goodies, to our Minneapolis office as soon as possible; deadline is Nov. 1. To donate items to the ACB Radio Holiday Auction, contact Carla Ruschival, chair, at (502) 897-1472 or carla40206@gmail.com, or Brian Charlson, vice chair, at (617) 926-9198 or brian.charlson@carroll.org. Then tune us in on Sunday, Dec. 4, between 7 and 11 p.m. Eastern at www.acbradio.org, on the ACB Link iPhone app, or by calling (605) 475-8130 from any telephone. Thanks in advance for your generous support of ACB Radio. ***** Affiliate News ** Giving Back in Michigan The Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired will hold their 43rd annual convention Oct. 7-9 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Kalamazoo. The theme this year is “Giving Back to our Communities.” Speakers will focus on ways that we can all share our time and talent to make a difference in our home communities. Other events include the exhibits on Friday afternoon, the Friday night auction, business meeting Saturday afternoon and more. The banquet Saturday night will feature Dr. Gary Anderson, past International Director of Lions Clubs International. Registration is available online or by phone. For more information, check the MCBVI website at www.blindmi.org. Room rates are $75 per night plus tax. Be sure to mention that you are with the Michigan Council of the Blind convention to get this rate. Hotel reservations must be made by Sept. 4. Convention registration is now open. You may register online, by phone, or by mail. Pre-registration closes on Sept. 14. If you have questions, call 1-888-956-2284. See you in Kalamazoo! ** Top Dog 2017 Save Jan. 12-15, 2017, for Top Dog 2017! The event hotel is the Holiday Inn and Suites across from Universal Orlando, 5905 S. Kirkman Rd., Orlando, FL 32819. To reserve a room, call 1-800-216-0635 and say that you are registering for Top Dog 2017. Be sure to provide the event code, which is “Top.” You may also register online at www.hiuniversal.com, where you will use the code “top” as well. Standard rooms are $89 per night plus tax. One-bedroom suites are $149 plus tax; two-bedroom suites, $189 plus tax. The pricing will be in effect for three days before and after Top Dog. During the event, you get the chance to participate in a CPR course for your guides. Sessions will take place on Friday morning and afternoon. Each session is limited to 20 people. The cost is $40 per person. The exhibit hall will be open all day Friday and Saturday. After breakfast on Saturday morning, participants may take part in the blessing of the guide dogs. Allergies in dogs and their impact on the dog’s health, happiness and ability to work at its best is a problem that may confront all of us. On Saturday, you will hear from a renowned veterinarian about canine allergies and their treatment. You will also have an opportunity to hear about the latest in way-finding technologies and use them with your dogs. Are you concerned about service dog fraud and issues with airline travel? During Top Dog, you will learn from experts about the current status of both of these important issues from the standpoint of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice. The banquet will be held on Saturday evening. During Sunday morning’s breakfast, we will present Guide Dog Tales. Registration costs $130 per person if you register with the meal package, or $15 without the package. The meal package includes plated breakfasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings; boxed lunches on Friday and Saturday afternoons; and plated dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings. To register, visit https://topdog.technologyisawesome.com, or contact registrar Kathleen Trutschel at (386) 257-9337. ***** Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit Attention: All blind or visually disabled individuals who use service animals when traveling and who have used, attempted to use, or have been deterred from using transportation services arranged through the Uber rider app. The settlement described below may affect your rights. Read this notice and instructions carefully. This notice is to inform you about the proposed settlement that would resolve the class action lawsuit National Federation of the Blind of California, et al. v. Uber Technologies, Inc., Case No. 3:14-cv-4086 (N.D. Cal.). The lawsuit alleges that Uber Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiary and affiliate entities (collectively, “Uber”), violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101, et seq., by failing to take the necessary steps to ensure that transportation providers using the Uber mobile software application (“Drivers”) do not discriminate against blind or visually disabled riders who travel with service animals (“Riders”). Uber denies all liability in the case and asserts that its current practices do not violate applicable federal, state, and local law. The settlement, which must be approved by the Court, would resolve the lawsuit. ** Summary of the Proposed Settlement Under the settlement, Uber agrees to take additional steps to inform Drivers of their obligations to transport all Riders. Uber will require that new and existing Drivers expressly confirm that they understand and agree to these obligations, through a pop-up interactive questionnaire in the Driver mobile software application and changes to the technology services agreement. In addition, Uber will send quarterly e-mail reminders to Drivers. Uber will also adopt a new enforcement practice. If, following a complaint from a Rider, Uber determines that a driver knowingly refused to transport a Rider because the Rider was traveling with a service animal, Uber will terminate that Driver’s contract and permanently remove the Driver from the Driver platform. In addition, if Uber receives plausible complaints on more than one occasion that a Driver denied service to a Rider because the Rider was traveling with a service animal, Uber will terminate the Driver’s contract and the Driver will be permanently removed from the Driver platform. This second basis for contract termination will apply where Uber was unable to determine whether the first denial was a knowing violation. Under the settlement, Uber will also enhance its response system for complaints that a Driver denied service to a Rider because the Rider was traveling with a service animal, and will provide greater transparency to Riders regarding what action has been taken in response to a complaint about a Driver. Uber will also limit the circumstances in which a Rider can be charged for cleaning issues related to his or her service animal. Additionally, Uber will record each allegation that a Driver is alleged to have denied service to a Rider, or otherwise discriminated against a Rider, because the Rider was traveling with a service animal, and will report aggregated data to Class Counsel. The National Federation of the Blind and its California affiliate will administer a testing program, through which blind individuals request and take trips to evaluate the effectiveness of the settlement. A third-party individual will monitor Uber’s compliance with the settlement as well. The settlement also provides that the three named individual plaintiffs who served as class representatives will receive payments of $15,000 each in return for their release of their individual damage claims. In addition, the National Federation of the Blind will receive three annual payments of $75,000 during the term of the settlement, and a fourth payment of $75,000 if the term of the settlement is extended. These payments are intended to support the Federation’s testing program. Finally, Disability Rights Advocates, Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld LLP, and TRE Legal Practice (collectively, “Class Counsel”), the attorneys who represent the class, will have the right to seek attorneys’ fees and costs for their work on the case. Class Counsel will file a motion asking the Court to award reasonable fees and costs for work on the merits phase of this case. The Court must approve the amount awarded even if the parties reach an agreement on the amount. This motion for fees and costs will be available on www.nfb-serviceanimal-settlement.com on Sept. 21, 2016. Class Counsel will also be entitled to seek reasonable fees and costs for their future work monitoring compliance with the settlement and enforcing the agreement. Uber retains the right to contest the amount of any attorneys’ fees requested by Class Counsel. ** Who Is in the Class? All blind or visually disabled individuals nationwide who travel with the assistance of service animals and who have used, attempted to use, or been deterred from attempting to use transportation arranged through the Uber rider app. ** The Effect of the Settlement on the Rights of Class Members All class members will be bound by the terms of the settlement relating to access to transportation services arranged using the Uber app for blind or visually disabled persons who use service animals, if the settlement agreement is approved by the Court. If the settlement is approved, all class members will release and forever discharge all claims for injunctive relief under all federal, state, and local laws related to alleged discrimination by Uber against blind or visually disabled persons who use service animals that arose before the Settlement Agreement becomes effective. Class members, other than the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, are not releasing any claims for monetary damages. ** Objecting to the Settlement You can ask the Court to deny approval of this settlement by filing an objection with the Court. You cannot ask the Court to order a different settlement; the Court can only approve or deny this proposed settlement. If the Court denies approval, any settlement changes necessary for approval may not be made, and the lawsuit may continue. If this is what you want to happen, you must object. If you wish to object to the proposed settlement, you must do so in writing. You may also appear at the fairness hearing for final approval of the settlement, either in person or through your own attorney. But if you wish to appear and present your objection orally at the fairness hearing, you must first submit a written objection, in which you must indicate your intention to appear and be heard at the fairness hearing. If you appear through your own attorney, you are responsible for paying that attorney. All written objections and supporting papers must (a) clearly identify the case name and number, National Federation of the Blind of California, et al. v. Uber Technologies, Inc., et al., Case No. 3:14-cv-4086 (N.D. Cal.), (b) be submitted to the Court either by mailing them to the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 280 S. 1st St., Room 2112, San Jose, CA 95113, or by filing them in person at any location of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and (c) be received on or before Oct. 13, 2016. ** Further Information This notice summarizes the proposed settlement. For the precise terms and conditions of the settlement, please see the settlement agreement available at www.nfb-serviceanimal-settlement.com, contact Class Counsel using the information below, access the Court docket in this case through the Court’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov, or visit the office of the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 280 S. 1st St., Room 2112, San Jose, CA 95113, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Court holidays. To obtain a copy of this notice in alternate accessible formats, contact Class Counsel using the information below. ** Contact Information Please do not contact the Court, the Court clerk’s office, or Defense Counsel with questions about this settlement. Any questions must be directed to Class Counsel at the numbers and addresses below. Class Counsel: Laurence Paradis Disability Rights Advocates 2001 Center St., 4th Floor Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 665-8644 Timothy Elder, Esq. TRE Legal Practice 4226 Castanos St. Fremont, CA 94536 (410) 415-3493 Michael Bien Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP 50 Fremont St., 19th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105-2235 (415) 433-6830 ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: Two Perkins braillers. Both have just been reconditioned and are in excellent working condition. Asking $450 for each; includes a carrying case and shipping. (Shipping is included for persons living in the U.S.) Focus 40 version 3.70. Asking $250. Comes with print and braille user’s manuals. Contact Tom Hanson via e-mail, wmst44@gmail.com. ** For Sale: One Humanware Brailliant B80 braille display. Barely used; in like-new condition. Includes all accessories. Asking $5,700 or best offer. Contact Mike Fulton at (860) 304-8877 or via e-mail, mikefulton95@gmail.com. ***** ACB Officers ** President Kim Charlson (2nd term, 2017) 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** First Vice President Jeff Thom (2nd term, 2017) 7414 Mooncrest Way Sacramento, CA 95831-4046 ** Second Vice President John McCann (1st term, 2017) 8761 E. Placita Bolivar Tucson, AZ 85715-5650 ** Secretary Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2017) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 ** Treasurer Carla Ruschival (3rd term, 2017) 148 Vernon Ave. Louisville, KY 40206 ** Immediate Past President Mitch Pomerantz 1115 Cordova St. #402 Pasadena, CA 91106 ** ACB Board of Directors Jeff Bishop, Tucson, AZ (1st term, 2020) Denise Colley, Lacey, WA (1st term, 2020) Sara Conrad, Madison, WI (final term, 2020) Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN (1st term, 2020) Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2018) George Holliday, Philadelphia, PA (final term, 2018) Allan Peterson, Horace, ND (final term, 2018) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2018) Dan Spoone, Orlando, FL (final term, 2020) David Trott, Talladega, AL (1st term, 2018) Ex Officio: Ron Brooks, Phoenix, AZ ** ACB Board of Publications Ron Brooks, Chairman, Phoenix, AZ (1st term, 2017) Paul Edwards, Miami, FL (1st term, 2018) Susan Glass, Saratoga, CA (1st term, 2017) Debbie Lewis, Seattle, WA (1st term, 2018) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2018) Ex Officios: Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH Bob Hachey, Waltham, MA Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY ***** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by e-mail, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (605) 475-8154. To subscribe to the e-mail version, visit the ACB e-mail lists page at www.acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, data CD, and via e-mail. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (605) 475-8154. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from http://www.acb.org/bf/.