The ACB Braille Forum Volume LX September 2021 No. 3 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** ** Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind™ 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, 6200 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 155, 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 (518) 906-1820 and choose option 8. Tune in to ACB Media at www.acbmedia.org or by calling (518) 906-1820. Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial. © 2021 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** Table of Contents President’s Message: ACB, We Did It!, by Dan Spoone 2021 Convention Truly ‘Better Together Wherever We Are,’ by Janet Dickelman Wrapping Up ACB’s Second Virtual Conference and Convention, by Katie Frederick And This Year’s Award Winners Are …, by Debbie Rozear and Deb Trevino Thank You from the Auction Committee, by Leslie Spoone ACB Membership Seminar Focuses on How to Create a Successful Virtual or Hybrid Conference and Convention, compiled by Ardis Bazyn Achievement Awards in Audio Description Presented Isolation to Inspiration, by Cheryl McNeil Fisher and Kathleen P. King Affiliate News Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums ** 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. ***** President’s Message: ACB, We Did It! by Dan Spoone Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful convention. Our ACB staff, members, affiliates, volunteers, partners and friends all came together to deliver a tremendous Happy Birthday celebration for ACB on our 60th anniversary. The annual business meeting was highlighted by 13 candidate positions up for election. For the first time in our organization’s history, every member had an opportunity to vote, and participation in elections was up over 100%. It was so exciting to see all our members vote remotely. The affiliate roll call vote got better with every iteration. A special motion to extend the annual business meeting to consider aligning ACB’s constitution and bylaws with the D.C. Non-profit Code passed with a 99.2 percent approval. The proposed amendments were considered on Aug. 15 and my hope is that the constitution was updated to allow remote voting for all of our members at future annual business meetings. ACB Media Network was launched with 10 unique channels, and the audio-described tour channel featured over 20 parks, museums and special venues with impactful views of historical landmarks and memorable accomplishments for our nation. There were over 160 breakout sessions from our committees, affiliates and sponsors. We had a prime time show each night with the Friends-in-Art Showcase and an audio description streaming panel with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, HBO and Comcast. The banquet featured a spectacular speech from Peter Sagal, host of “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” and the final night of the convention featured a stirring pre-Olympics show with NBC engineers, former Olympian Marla Runyan and current Paralympian Lex Gillette. The convention finale was the NBC simulcast of the Opening Ceremonies of the 32nd Olympiad with audio description (AD). ACB, we did it! I’m so proud of everyone’s efforts. Please take this opportunity to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment. We will be reaching out to all of our members to encourage them to get involved in the 38 ACB committees. If your interest is in advocacy, scholarships and awards, peer support, communications, audio description, membership services, convention planning or fundraising, ACB needs your time, talent and treasure. Please be on the lookout for future announcements on how to join a committee. We look forward to our “Get Up and Get Moving” campaign featuring health and fitness in the areas of accessible exercise equipment, accessible durable medical equipment and a push for better personal health. The theme of this year’s convention was “Better Together Wherever We Are.” ACB members and friends are living this theme each day. Let’s keep the momentum going into 2022 and beyond. ACB, we did it! ***** 2021 Convention Truly ‘Better Together Wherever We Are’ by Janet Dickelman “Better Together Wherever We Are” was the theme of the 2021 American Council of the Blind conference and convention. This theme certainly exemplifies our 2021 virtual convention with 166 sessions, 41 exhibitors and 22 tours over the course of eight days! When you think about all the moving parts of putting this together, it is truly amazing! I don’t know where to begin to thank everyone who had a part in making this convention such a huge success. ACB Media: for all the recordings, editing, streaming, and huge amounts of your time and efforts! I worked most closely with Rick Morin, Debbie Hazelton, and Jeff Bishop, but kudos to everyone on the media team. Boston Rick spent days camped out at his temporary broadcast site with a freezer full of ice cream to keep him company, while Tony Stephens kept things running from the Alexandria office broadcast center. Then there was Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, who worked behind the scenes to make sure everyone was on time and video and audio ready to go during general sessions and evening programming. Zoom: Deb Lewis for the herculean task of organizing all the Zoom sessions, creating over 300 personalized panelist Zoom invitations, and troubleshooting along the way. To Cindy Hollis, who ably trained all the Zoom hosts, and to Deb, Cindy and Debbie, who scheduled and kept track of all the broadcasters and Zoom hosts. To all those Zoom hosts who were always there keeping our sessions on track, you were always pleasant, patient and just amazing! I imagine you say “you can unmute now” in your sleep! Staff: I work most closely with the Minneapolis staff, Nancy Becker, Nancy Christine Feela, Erika Keller and Lane Waters. Although you are ACB staff members, you go above and beyond with your time, dedication, and patience each year to assist with this convention. You make my life so much easier. Of course, everyone in Alexandria is also inundated with convention: Kelly with media, Sharon with the newspaper, Jen with communications and Eric guiding everyone with his humor and calm demeanor. Sponsors: To our corporate sponsors and to those of you who sponsored at the individual level, thank you for giving to ACB during these difficult financial times. Your support is very much appreciated. Exhibitors: Thank you for being in our virtual exhibit hall. I hope you found it a rewarding experience, and that the addition of Zoom rooms helped you connect with convention attendees. Thank you to Michael Smitherman, who worked with all the exhibitors to obtain their recordings, compile their Zoom room information, and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Thanks to Debbie and Jason for putting the exhibitor loops together. Special-interest affiliates and committees: Thank you for working to ensure all your panelist information was sent in on time, for letting us know about corrections, and holding such outstanding programming. Now that all sessions are available as podcasts, I can start listening! Convention registration: Those of you who had assistance registering over the telephone had the privilege of speaking to Kim Carmichael, Tracey George, Karen Spry or Paula Wiese. Those ladies spent so much of their time ensuring that everyone who needed registration help received it. Information and technology desks: Vicky Prahin and Jeff Bishop and their crews took on the role of answering information desk calls and technology emails throughout the convention. I know what a lot of work that was! Long-time conventioneers: I missed seeing you in the elevator lines, restaurants and stopping by to chat. I look forward to visiting with you next year in Omaha. New attendees: It was wonderful to have so many first-time attendees join us this year. We now know what a need there is to continue a virtual presence in future conventions. Thank you for sharing your stories and feedback. Dan Spoone and ACB board: Thank you for your ongoing support and entrusting me with this awesome role as convention coordinator. I love doing this for ACB. Notes: I really appreciate all the notes I received regarding this convention; I always welcome your feedback and suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to write. To all of you: If I missed thanking anyone, it was not intentional but inadvertent. There were so many moving parts to this convention. Please know all your efforts were appreciated. Now our focus moves toward Omaha, Neb. Convention dates are Friday, July 1 through Friday, July 8 at the Omaha Hilton. Room rates are $96 per night, plus tax. Reservation information will be posted later this year. ** Staying in Touch The conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2021 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list. For any convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** Wrapping Up ACB’s Second Virtual Conference and Convention by Katie Frederick ** Sunday President Dan Spoone called the opening session of ACB’s second virtual and 60th annual conference and convention to order. The evening began with a moment of reflection, presentation of the colors and Matthew Shifrin performing the national anthem. Convention coordinator Janet Dickelman welcomed attendees to the event, highlighting this year’s theme, Better Together Wherever We Are. Following Janet’s presentation, convention attendees viewed a video highlighting ACB activities over the past year. Spoone provided opening remarks. “ACB is strong. It is strong in treasure, it is strong in talent, and it is strong in volunteer time. It is all of us, coming together, to make a difference.” President Spoone stated that volunteers put in over 42,000 hours of volunteer time, valued at over $1 million, over the past year. Financially, the American Council of the Blind has an endowment over $5.3 million. The ACB community continues to grow and thrive, providing people who are blind or visually impaired opportunities to facilitate calls, host Zoom sessions and support each other along the way. Diversity, equity and inclusion is an area of focus for ACB. Members of ACB can voluntarily disclose race, gender and ethnicity information to better help the organization’s leadership understand and meet the needs of its members. ACB’s executive director, Eric Bridges, highlighted areas of growth within the organization over the past year. ACB’s financial growth has enabled the organization to invest in resources, hiring five staff members to help fulfill the organization’s mission, allowing ACB to continue to meet the needs of the membership and the community at large. Swatha Nandhakumar joined ACB in March as the organization’s advocacy and outreach specialist, the position previously filled by Claire Stanley. Also in March, Jo Lynn Bailey-Page was hired as coordinator of ACB’s Audio Description Project and grant writing. Community events have experienced explosive growth over the past year. In April, ACB received support from the Gibney Foundation, and hired Kolby Garrison, who serves as ACB’s membership services administrative assistant. In May, ACB professionalized its communications and hired Jennifer Flatt, who serves as ACB’s communications manager. Debbie Brown recently joined the staff of ACB’s Alexandria office, and serves as an administrative assistant. Recently, ACB launched the ACB Media Network, providing a single platform for ACB’s digital communications, including live media streams, ACB podcasts, The Braille Forum and E-Forum and ACB’s blog. “Advocacy is at the core of everything we do within the American Council of the Blind,” Bridges said. Over the past year, ACB has worked to advocate for more accessible voting around the country, and there is more work to be done in this area. The fight for accessible currency continues, and ACB is at the forefront, with content appearing in publications such as “The Wall Street Journal,” TheHill.com and “The Washington Post,” all within the last month. Through a recently launched three-year Get Up and Get Moving campaign, ACB is advocating for access to healthcare equipment, services and applications for all people, especially those who are blind or visually impaired. Bridges highlighted the relationships ACB has with many corporations throughout the country, many of which are sponsoring this year’s conference and convention. These corporations collaborate with ACB and turn to the organization for advice as well. Spoone highlighted the virtual 2021 ACB Leadership Conference, which gave members an opportunity to connect with elected officials and continue to work on ACB’s advocacy initiatives. In closing, he thanked outgoing board members Sara Alkmin and Dan Dillon for their service to the organization. He also thanked Mitch Pomerantz for his 12 years of service as a delegate to the World Blind Union. ACB’s membership services coordinator, Cindy Hollis, received a plaque, gift card, and other goodies from members of ACB’s community, thanking her for all the work she has done connecting and supporting individuals, and ensuring community events are safe, respectful and welcoming. Jeff Petty, Principal Program Manager for Windows Accessibility at Microsoft, spoke about the journey of Windows and Microsoft accessibility. Jeff shared his story, looked back at the history of Windows and accessibility, discussed what’s next for Microsoft and Windows accessibility, and closed with a call to action. Jeff highlighted many of the accessibility features in Windows 10, and discussed how the upcoming Windows 11 operating system will be more accessible and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities. Jeff concluded by encouraging people to provide feedback to Microsoft, call the Disability Answer Desk, try versions of Windows 11 either now or after launch, and feel free to provide direct feedback right from the Windows operating system by pressing the Windows key +F in Windows 10 or 11. Ralph Smitherman, chair of the credentials committee, thanked his committee for their efforts and informed ACB there were no affiliate issues this year. Brian Charlson, nominating committee chair, presented his report, which included the candidates for ACB officer positions, board of directors positions and board of publications positions. Officer candidates: Dan Spoone, president, Deb Cook Lewis, 1st vice president, Ray Campbell, 2nd vice president, Denise Colley, secretary, and David Trott, treasurer. The following candidates were put forward to fill open positions on the board of directors: Jeff Bishop, Doug Powell, Kenneth Semien Sr., Donna Brown, and Chris Bell. Board of publications candidates placed in nomination for election were Zelda Gebhard, Penny Reeder, and Cachet Wells. Opening session activities continued, as we met the 2021 Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) First-Timers, JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows, ACB life members, and celebrated the lives of two ACB Angels. Spoone introduced the 2021 ACB life members: Shane Aguilera (Calif.); Kate Chamberlin (N.Y.); Patti Cox (Ky.); Brett Humphrey (Wash.); Maria Kristic (N.Y.); Nicolette Noyes (Calif.), and Melanie Alt Sinohui (Tex.). ACB’s Director of Development, Tony Stephens, read ACB Angel tributes for Charlie Crawford (Md.) and Berl Colley (Wash.). Kenneth Semien Sr. presented the 2021 DKM First-Timers, Kaila Allen of Arizona and Belinda Collins from North Carolina. Eric Bridges presented the 2021 JPMorgan Chase class of leadership fellows: Anthony Corona (Fla.), Natalie Couch (Ky.), Becky Dunkerson (Iowa), Greg Lindberg (Fla.), and Winter Renfrow (Ky.). Following the affiliate roll call, there was one more item of business to conclude Sunday’s opening general session, elections. The nominating committee placed the name of Dan Spoone on the slate for the office of ACB president. Hearing and seeing no nominations from the floor (the ACB Zoom room), Dan was elected by acclamation to his second term as president. The name of Deb Cook Lewis was put forward for the office of 1st vice president; a nomination was made from the floor placing the name of Mark Richert in the contest. As a result of the contested election, ACB’s 2021 opening general session recessed until 10:30 a.m. Eastern time Monday morning, at which time candidates’ speeches would begin and the election for 1st vice president would occur. ** Monday President Dan Spoone called Monday’s general session to order. The JPMorgan Chase fellows recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Tony Stephens recognized sponsors of the 2021 convention. Then it was time to hear the speeches for the two 1st vice president candidates. As all ACB members prepared to vote, ACB partner and sponsor, Google, spoke about what accessibility means and how Google products are accessible for people with disabilities. Angel tributes were heard for Ed “Doc” Bradley (Tex.) and Lori Allison (Wash.). Kenneth Suratt, Executive Officer, Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and Desmond Brown, President, Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Nassau, Bahamas spoke about the progress made and work that remains ensuring people who are blind or visually impaired have access to services in their respective countries. Rebecca Bridges, chair of ACB’s scholarship committee, spoke next and stated there were over 150 scholarship applicants this year. Rebecca thanked the members of her committee, and the members of the Minneapolis office staff, who assist with the process. Listen to the general session podcasts to learn more about the 2021 ACB scholarship recipients. Deb Cook Lewis, chair of ACB’s Board of Publications, presented the Vernon Henley Media Award. The U.S. Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) received the award for the outstanding commitment to accessibility by providing extensive audio-described coverage of the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This would not have been possible without the work of the audio describers Martin Wilde and Bridget Melton. The PIC provided over nine hours of audio-described coverage, a record amount, and made the content available for streaming via ACB Radio, giving those without a television access to the event. The final presentation of Monday’s general session, an update from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), featured Jason Yasner, NLS Interim Director, Washington, D.C.; and Mark Santangelo, Chief, NLS Patron and Network Engagement Division, Washington, D.C. Jason and Mark spoke about NLS modernizations over the next five to seven years. BARD and other IT systems will receive upgrades, studies are under way to modernize the process for obtaining books, and work is being done to examine the next iteration of an NLS talking book player. NLS is working on ways books can be shared between countries, as a result of the Marrakesh Treaty. Research is being conducted to determine how many people have access to smart devices and broadband, as well as those who cannot afford the service. Modernization improvements are also being made across the NLS network of libraries. Webinars are hosted using Zoom, and new staff orientations provide a way for network staff to connect with NLS. Following Jason and Mark’s presentation, ACB recognized Judy Dixon for her 40-year career with NLS. Judy said, “I have had a wonderful 40 years at NLS. It’s changed hugely, and it’s going to continue to keep changing, that’s pretty exciting. I am looking forward to the next 40 years, doing all I want to do around braille, outreach and advocacy. It’s going to continue to be fun. Thank you so much.” Election results for the office of 1st vice president were announced, and Deb Cook Lewis was the winner. Ray Campbell, Denise Colley and David Trott were elected to their respective offices by acclamation. Jeff Bishop was also elected to a second term on the board of directors. Doug Powell was next on the slate for a board position, and Koni Sims was nominated to run against Doug from the floor. ** Tuesday President Dan Spoone called Tuesday’s general session to order. The Ross Pangere scholarship recipients performed the Pledge of Allegiance. Tony Stephens recognized the convention sponsors, and the candidates who won Monday’s elections gave brief speeches. Spoone announced that as a result of Deb Cook Lewis’s election to 1st vice president, a new BOP chair needs to be appointed. Katie Frederick of Worthington, Ohio accepted the appointment of BOP chair. Spoone also announced his appointment of Cheryl Cumings, Boston, Mass., to the BOP. He thanked Deb Cook Lewis and Susan Glass for their work on the BOP over the past two years. As a result of Katie’s appointment to the BOP, a sixth board of directors position is open for a one-year term. The election for the sixth position will take place following the remaining board positions. Joel Moffatt, Program Manager for Accessibility at Comcast, spoke about accessibility and inclusion updates to the Xfinity and Comcast services. Olympics primetime coverage will have audio-described content, and the entire Paralympics will feature audio description as well. Denise Decker of Washington, D.C. and Bob Hachey of Boston, Mass. were honored as ACB Angels. Mike May, Chief Evangelist, GoodMaps, Reno, Nev., and Evelyn Tichenor, Chief of Staff, GoodMaps, Nashville, Tenn., provided an overview of the service. GoodMaps Explore is an app for iOS and Android that provides some basic outdoor navigation, but is focused more on indoor navigation. Mike May discussed the differences between indoor and outdoor navigation, and there are multiple purposes for indoor navigation. When promoting indoor navigation, the vendor pays for the mapping, but the map can serve more purposes than just making a place more accessible. GoodMaps is working to expand the indoor navigation, using LIDAR scans and not the traditional beacons. More information is available about GoodMaps by visiting www.goodmaps.com. ACB’s Director of Advocacy, Clark Rachfal, and Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB’s Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, provided updates on advocacy work within the organization. Clark thanked ACB’s board, leadership, members of the Advocacy Steering Committee, and all other committees who help advocate for the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired. If you have an advocacy concern or issue you would like the ACB advocacy team to look into, contact the national office by phone, or send an email to advocacy@acb.org. Not only does the advocacy work happen within ACB, but we work with many external partners as well. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R- W.Va.) wished ACB a happy 60th birthday, and described her efforts to help improve the lives of Americans who are blind or visually impaired by reintroducing the Cogswell-Macy Act, co-sponsoring the ABLE Act, which became law in 2014, ensuring supports for housing, medical care and transportation remain accessible and affordable for people with disabilities. “I stand in your corner and listen to your concerns on the federal level. I will work to move pedestrian safety, voting accessibility and digital accessibility forward for individuals with visual impairments,” Capito said. Clark and Swatha provided an overview of ACB’s 2021 legislative imperatives, discussed ongoing advocacy work in the areas of voting access, transportation advocacy, digital accessibility and health and wellness access. Listen to the general session podcast for the full report of ACB’s advocacy projects. And, as Clark and Swatha say at the end of the Advocacy Update podcast, “keep advocating.” Scholarship presentations and candidate elections wrapped up Tuesday’s general session. Doug Powell was elected to a second term on the board. Kenneth Semien Sr. and Donna Brown were elected by acclamation. The fifth seat resulted in a contested election between Chris Bell and Koni Sims. ** Wednesday President Spoone called Wednesday’s general session to order, thanked everyone who participated in ACB’s auction, and invited the JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows to perform the Pledge of Allegiance. Candidates who were elected by acclamation during Tuesday’s general session thanked the membership for their votes of support. Candidates’ speeches took place for Chris Bell and Koni Sims for the contested fifth seat on the board of directors. ACB Angel tributes for Wednesday honored Kathy Brockman (Wis.), Bob Dillon (Minn.), and Don Corley (Tenn.). Kathy Martinez, President and CEO, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), Berkeley, Calif., shared her story and provided updates on the work DRA is doing to improve the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. Kathy has worked tirelessly throughout her career to improve access to employment and education. DRA is working with ACB on cases concerning voting access, accessible pedestrian signals, and audio description. The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International presented three scholarships to deserving students, thanks to the generosity of CCLVI member Fred Scheigert. Following the CCLVI scholarship presentations, ACB’s scholarship committee recognized three scholarship winners. Spoone acknowledged the partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind, providing additional opportunities to award scholarships to deserving students. Following the scholarship presentations, Talking Book Narrator JP Linton, “Master of the Spoken Word,” DuArt Media Services (formerly Benefit Media, Inc.), New York, N.Y., spoke to conference attendees. JP discussed his start as a narrator and an actor. Command of the English language and word pronunciation has played a vital role in JP’s work. Growing up in Canada, influenced by a Victorian mother and grandfather and now, living in the United States have contributed to JP’s ability to adapt the work he is reading. Linton has read many genres, including detective work, classic novels and more. “Every hour of reading takes at least one hour of research,” Linton said. After a book is recorded, a proofer reviews the material. JP said the rewards of reading are invaluable; “hearing from people makes what I do the most important reward.” Wednesday’s general session concluded with candidate elections. Chris Bell was elected to fill the fifth seat on the board. Koni Sims was elected by acclamation to fill the one-year sixth seat. Zelda Gebhard, Penny Reeder and Cachet Wells were all elected by acclamation to serve one-year terms on the board of publications. ** Thursday Day seven of the 60th annual ACB conference and convention was called to order by President Dan Spoone. DKM First-Timers Kaila Allen, Ariz., and Belinda Collins, N.C., recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Candidates who were elected Wednesday were given an opportunity to thank ACB members for their support. ACB Angels honored Lynn Hedl and Bonnie Byington. Spoone recognized Jeff Thom to present the 2021 audio description awards. Jeff thanked the members of the audio description project committee, and ACB staff, for their assistance throughout the process. (For a listing of the recipients, see “Achievement Awards in Audio Description Presented,” elsewhere in this issue.) The audio description project steering committee honored Dr. Joel Snyder for his work on the audio description project, now in its 12th year. Snyder updated conference attendees on the work of the Audio Description Project over the past year. The pandemic provided opportunities for virtual audio description trainings that were well attended, and the virtual trainings will continue following the ACB conference and convention. Following the audio description awards and presentation, ACB sponsor JPMorgan Chase presented a conversation with the head of the office of disability and inclusion, Jim Sinocchi. Eric Bridges and Nancy Marks-Becker, Chief Financial Officer, spoke about the financial growth of the organization. Nancy explained the role of the investment committee and from which accounts funds are withdrawn to operate ACB. The value of ACB’s investments, as of June 2021, is $5.3 million. In addition to investments, ACB has relationships with corporate American companies. The relationships ACB has forged are partnerships; corporations rely on ACB for advocacy, expertise, membership engagement, and ACB leadership. ACB’s corporate sponsorship has grown from $82,000 in 2012 to approximately $300,000. ACB’s two thrift stores, located in Texas, continue to do well. Following ACB’s investment conversation, scholarship presentations continued. Members of ACB’s Resource Development Committee updated conference attendees on funds raised thus far through fundraisers such as the ACB auction and Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk. The auction raised more than $4,000. Donna Brown, chair of the Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk, informed her listeners that the walk has raised approximately $81,000; the goal of the walk is $95,000. Donna thanked the walk sponsors: Vanda Pharmaceuticals, National Industries for the Blind, and Macular Degeneration Foundation. ** Friday President Spoone called the session to order. ACB staff members performed the Pledge of Allegiance. Tony Stephens recognized the conference sponsors. Spoone recognized Sandra Sermons and Cheryl Cumings, who thanked outgoing chair of the Multicultural Affairs Committee, Peggy Garrett, for her work and efforts with the committee. ACB Angel tributes honored Beverly Rushing and Charlotte Noddin, both members of the Oregon affiliate. David Trott, ACB treasurer, Janet Dickelman, Tony Stephens and Cindy Hollis provided reports to conference attendees. David highlighted ACB’s sound financial state. Tony spoke about the ways members can give to ACB, not just through donations, but volunteer hours are a key component of support. Tony reminded us, “ACB is like a family. You get the choice, voice and community with the ACB family.” Janet thanked her committee members for all their hard work putting the second virtual convention together, and stated an in-person convention is planned for Omaha, Neb. July 1-8, 2022. Cindy Hollis introduced Kolby Garrison, membership services administrative assistant. Cindy spoke about the transformational impact of the community, how it is supporting and bringing people closer together and spreading awareness of the American Council of the Blind around country and the world. “Much like a butterfly goes through transformations to become a butterfly, ACB is transforming as an organization.” Cindy concluded by saying, “Go forth and fly, butterfly.” At the conclusion of the reports, Spoone announced the results of the record vote on the special motion to hold a session August 14 to align ACB’s constitution and bylaws with the 2010 D.C. Nonprofit Code. The motion passed, and Spoone declared the convention adjourned until Aug. 14, 2021 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. ***** And This Year’s Award Winners Are … by Debbie Rozear and Deb Trevino Each year at the convention, ACB presents awards to those who have been nominated for each of its awards. This year was no different. There were several awards presented at the 2021 banquet on Thursday evening, July 22. The Affiliate Outreach Award was presented to the Friends ‘N Focus Chapter, Medina, Ohio for their over 60 collections and distributions of CCTVs to Ohioans with low vision. The James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award was presented to Kim Crowell of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, in recognition of her leadership in making the museum a model of accessibility for all disabilities. The Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award was presented to Allan Peterson in recognition of his many years of service to ACB and numerous other community organizations. Competition was tight for the Affiliate Growth Awards this year. The affiliate with the largest number of new members - 81 - was Blind Information Technology Specialists. ACB Next Generation had the largest percentage of new members (136.67%). ** Board of Publications Awards The Board of Publications presented awards during convention, too. Nicholas Giudice was the recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award for his article “COVID-19 and Blindness,” which appeared in the August 2020 “ACB E-Forum.” The Vernon Henley Media Award went to the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Committee, Martin Wilde and Bridget Melton, for their commitment to accessibility by providing extensive, unprecedented audio description coverage for the events of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. And the Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award went to Sally Benjamin and the Florida Council of the Blind, for affiliate newsletter excellence. ** Thinking Ahead to 2022 It is not too early to think about nominating someone for the 2022 awards. Only a few months until the process starts all over again. Watch for the call for nominations in early 2022 and have your nomination ready to submit. To read the criteria for these awards, visit https://www.acb.org/call-nominees-2021-acb-awards. To view the criteria for the BOP awards, visit https://www.acb.org/bop-seeks-award-excellence-1. ***** Thank You from the Auction Committee The auction committee would like to say, “Thank You!” The ACB family came together to raise over $42,000. We appreciate all of the wonderful donations from affiliates, vendors, members and friends of ACB. There were 125 items, from homemade goodies to vacations, jewelry to technology and crafts. Once again, thanks for making this the most successful auction ever. Now, it’s time to get ready for the ACB Media Holiday Auction. The Holiday Auction will be held on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. Eastern. There will be a Sneak a Peek Appetizer Auction on Friday, Nov. 26 and Saturday, Nov. 27. The deadline for auction item descriptions is Friday, Oct. 1 with pictures. Please send your items to Leslie Spoone by Monday, Oct. 18. You also have the option to hold the item for direct shipment to the winner. We look forward to everyone participating in the ACB Media Holiday Auction this year. Let’s celebrate ACB and the holidays in style! If you have any questions, please reach out to Leslie Spoone at lesliespoone@cfl.rr.com or call (407) 678-4163. Happy bidding! — Leslie Spoone, ACB Auction Chair ***** ACB Membership Seminar Focuses on How to Create a Successful Virtual or Hybrid Conference and Convention compiled by Ardis Bazyn, ACB Membership Committee Chair At this summer’s membership seminar, our theme was “How to create a successful virtual or hybrid conference and convention.” The first panel, “Tools for planning a virtual or hybrid virtual and in-person conference,” highlighted many tips and suggestions to ponder when planning a future conference. Kati Lear, Florida Council of the Blind convention chair, and Sheila Young, Florida Council of the Blind president, had the distinction of planning the very first hybrid affiliate conference, inviting both virtual and in-person guests and speakers. They learned the following: • When signing the contract, remember you may need fewer hotel rooms with a hybrid convention. • As with an in-person convention, ask members and committee chairs for program topics and possible speakers early in the planning process. • If possible, have different teams responsible for various aspects of the convention — program, technology, sponsors/exhibitors, etc. Someone from each team should join your initial convention call. • Florida charged the same registration fee of $25, but the registration form included a meal package for in-person participants. • They placed their form online and included a number for members to call to register if they needed assistance. • It was suggested to add check boxes so the registrant could indicate whether attendance would be in person or only on Zoom. Then the in-person choices would be shown to only in-person registrants. • Additional Zoom hosts will be needed for any concurrent break-out programs held on Zoom. There may be additional costs for additional break-out rooms. • Florida did introductions at the banquet on Zoom so that Zoom participants would know who attended the conference in person. • They found it was important to field questions from both Zoom and in-person audience members so everyone would feel that they were part of the convention. • They held an auction on Zoom before the conference and a live auction with fewer items in person later at the conference. • Florida also held a hybrid board meeting to include those who could not attend in person. Sarah Harris, first vice president of the California Council of the Blind, discussed the outreach for sponsors and exhibitors. Her suggestions were: • When contacting possible sponsors and exhibitors in 2020, they offered to make recordings to be played during the conference as well as ads in the program. Sponsors could also give a presentation during the session. • At the 2021 conference, recorded sessions were given for sponsors and exhibitors. Sponsors also were able to have a time on Zoom for members to ask questions. • Exhibitors and sponsors could have longer videos and/or little ad spots to highlight in various parts of the conference. California worked with an organization to create the videos and the exhibitors/sponsors could keep the final copy, which they could use in the future. • California chose to have an auction on Zoom later in the year instead of having it as part of their conference. • When having a hybrid conference, you could offer both recordings and in-person exhibit tables. • In California, exhibitors and sponsors tend to be continuing partnerships. • Pre-recordings of some speakers and panels were helpful with live question-and-answer sessions after the recordings were played. California also pre-recorded resolutions and constitution and bylaws amendments, then discussed and voted on them during the conference. • After the conference, the conference committee held an open meeting to discuss the positives and possible changes to be made for the next year. Gabriel Lopez Kafati, president, Blind Pride International, mentioned the below helpful hints. • To get sponsors, they reached out to communities outside the blindness field. • He suggested other special-interest affiliates could contact other companies and communities which served like-minded populations. • Some affiliates sell raffle tickets. Virtual conferences can ask those listening on Zoom or ACB Media to call or go online to purchase them. Tyson Ernst, ACB Media, gave tips on how ACB Media could best assist affiliate conference teams. • It is highly encouraged for the affiliate conference committee to reach out as soon as possible to ACB Media/Debbie Hazelton with the potential dates of your convention, so you can be placed on the calendar and a convention coordinator can be assigned to your affiliate. Keep in contact with this person throughout your planning process with any changes. • Affiliates and ACB Media work best together to provide a successful event if ACB Media is in the loop from the earliest stage in convention planning. Then, they can best assist with coordination of presenting the convention content to a virtual audience. • ACB Media has opened up the affiliate conventions to a new audience from across the breadth of ACB and beyond. • ACB Media provides the vehicle for as many as possible to access the content in as many formats as possible, from media live streaming to podcasting for future access. • It’s important to have a good ratio of recorded vs. in-person speakers and sessions. The mix and Wi-Fi speed need to be good for the recordings and streaming. The second panel, “How to hold virtual elections,” provided the steps to take to have member participation in elections. Sarah Harris explained how CCB had changed its constitution in 2019 to enable the council to hold virtual meetings and vote. In 2020, the membership list was given to two staff members who received texts or calls from members for each election. At the 2021 convention, four members of a local sorority received calls or texts. The membership was split into four groups, so each had ¼ of the list in order to know which people would be calling them. Then there was a number where anyone could call if they forgot which group they were in. For resolutions and constitutional amendments, each one was read and people using Zoom would raise their hand if they were against the position. It worked faster than having members raising hands for yes and then for no. Maria Hansen, first vice president of Guide Dog Users, Inc., explained how GDUI handled elections and other votes. GDUI investigated several voting systems before choosing one they felt would be accessible. In 2008, GDUI held universal telephonic voting using their office phone company. They made some constitutional changes to allow virtual voting in 2009. With this system, members had ID numbers for voting. The phone system was used for constitutional changes, too. They found the system didn’t have adequate privacy and security for the elections, since the ID numbers stayed the same over the years it was used. There were some time constraints, and it took too long. The cost was modest since it was the office phone system. Another issue with the system was not being able to complete the ballot if you skipped a question. In 2015, GDUI started using the Vote Now system. It incorporates online and phone voting and offers an assistance line for those having trouble with either one. Vote Now receives a list of current members as of the record date so they have an accurate list of members. Each member is sent a voting ID number in an accessible format: email, print, or braille. It is secure and private since the ID number is only for one election series. It is much more expensive, but the results are returned right away. The Washington Council of the Blind used various Zoom lines, each having a waiting room. The four rooms were designated a color — blue, purple, red, etc. Each member was given an ID number. Each entered a waiting room where they were allowed in one at a time to give their name and ID number and then their vote choice during the election. There was a phone number to call for those not able to find the right Zoom room. For some special-interest affiliates with limited candidates, the Zoom webinar worked well for voting. When there was a contested election, members could raise their hands for each candidate. The Zoom host was a non-member, so it was a private vote. If you have any membership issues or questions, please contact a member of the ACB membership committee. ***** Achievement Awards in Audio Description Presented The American Council of the Blind is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of ACB’s Audio Description Project. The awards were presented during the July 22nd general session of ACB’s 60th annual conference and convention. The Achievement Awards are given to individuals and/or organizations for outstanding contributions to the establishment and/or continued development of significant audio description programs. The Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of audio description over an extended period of time, leading, inspiring, or providing exceptional service to others. “Audio description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey visual images from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings,” said Dan Spoone, president of the American Council of the Blind. “The organizations and individuals honored with these awards are among the leaders in description. They help make so many aspects of our culture accessible to people who are blind or have low vision; they deserve this special recognition.” Recipients of the 2021 awards include: • Achievement in Audio Description – Performing Arts/Individual: Magan Harms, Mind’s Eye Radio, St. Louis, MO • Achievement in Audio Description – Media/Individual: Roy Samuelson, Voiceover Artist, Los Angeles, CA • Achievement in Audio Description – Media/Organization: International Digital Centre, Audio Description Department, New York City, NY • Special Recognition, Achievement in Audio Description – Media/Individuals: Talk Description to Me Podcast with Christine Malec and JJ Hunt, Toronto, Canada • Special Recognition, Achievement in Audio Description – Media/Organization: Imagination Videobooks, Inc., Denver, CO • Achievement in Audio Description – Visual Art/Museums/Visitor Centers/Individual: Stasha Boyd, QMedia Productions, Winter Garden, FL • Achievement in Audio Description – Visual Art/Museums/Visitor Centers/Organization: U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, Colorado Springs, CO • Achievement in Audio Description – International: Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand • Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Achievement Award for Research and Development¬ – Audio Description: Dr. Anna Matamala, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain • Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description: Thomas Wlodkowski, Vice President of Accessibility and Assistive Technologies, Comcast, Inc. For more information about the awards and the Audio Description Project, please visit adp.acb.org, or contact Jo Lynn Bailey-Page at jbailey-page@acb.org. Visit ACB’s YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHNDNgKGlnI, to watch an audio description panel from July 19, 2021, featuring representatives from industry streaming services as they discuss their products, programming, services, and offerings. ***** Isolation to Inspiration by Cheryl McNeil Fisher and Kathleen P. King, Co-Hosts, Writing Works Wonders Here’s the story of two author-educators experiencing sight loss, who find a common vision of encouraging, inspiring, and accelerating writers’ sharing and development through a global platform for author interviews, virtual workshops, open mic events and more. Readers also enjoy the opportunity to interact with some of their favorite authors, such as Dr. Patrick Taylor, Jodi Thomas, Pamela Kelley and beloved narrator Kristin Allison. ** Beginnings Writing Works Wonders is the brainchild of Cheryl McNeil Fisher and was launched on ACB Community calls in September 2020. Cheryl is an accomplished author of children’s books and, recently, a biography/memoir. Cheryl has been a member of ACB, GDUI, and other vision impairment and writing associations for many years. One of her series communicates the experiences and resilience of people with visual impairments through the words of guide dog Sammy. She has increasingly focused on encouraging emerging and experienced writers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when ACB Community began hosting Zoom calls on many different topics, Cheryl initiated a writing call. By 2021, she had been hoping and praying persistently for someone with whom she could work. Someone who would have the same vision, work ethic, but different skills to complement hers. In Writing Works Wonders, the ACB Community call, Cheryl had cultivated a core group of talented writers, some of whom were beginners and others quite advanced. These participants have been essential in the continuing development of this transformative endeavor. In addition, the ACB Community channel of ACB Media (formerly ACB Radio) provided invaluable support in technical aspects, including streaming the interactive Zoom calls. The entire community, and world, has been adjusting to using virtual platforms to meet their social needs. ** Advancing In February of 2021, Dr. Kathy King suffered additional loss of sight and reached out to ACB through several community calls. When Kathy called in to the Writing Works Wonders virtual session, she met Cheryl and fellow authors. At that point, she knew that these people had similar goals, needs, and vision. Having published many books, led writing workshops and conferences worldwide, and recently retired from university professorship, she recognized an opportunity to use her expertise to continue to support writers. Kathy and Cheryl began talking and emailing that week. Very shortly, including a test run and many discussions, Cheryl invited her to co-host the calls. The vision of Writing Works Wonders has been refined, keeping the fundamental commitment constant: to encourage and support writers at all levels of experience with different abilities. This vision means both writers and readers benefit from the varied programming. ** Reaching Further Cheryl and Kathy implemented their vision and carefully fleshed out the scope and infrastructure of Writing Works Wonders. A high priority was to be able to repurpose their content and reach a larger audience. Leveraging their many skills, these women have accomplished all these goals on a very slim budget. To increase flexibility of their program, they purchased their own accounts for Zoom and podcast hosting. They started editing the Zoom recordings before posting them on the public podcast site. They also built a website to house and consolidate all the essential components. Together, they have worked hard to spread the word about the podcast and live Zoom calls through social media. Readers can follow Writing Works Wonders on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Next, Cheryl and Kathy are growing their group of followers and supports to spread the word of the podcast interviews, events and opportunities. Cheryl and Kathy achieved so much in so little time because they developed a warm, comfortable partnership which is sustained by mutual respect and trust. They both understood that they needed to communicate frequently and freely with one another. Perhaps this point was one of the most important steps they took to build a strong, creative, effective, working relationship and friendship. The website has much more than the fabulous show archive. Visitors will also find an abundance of resources, tips, and special content for writers. Cheryl and Kathy post short author clinics, also referred to as Author Accelerators. The accelerators provide valuable productivity, writing, and marketing guidance for authors and publishers. ** Listening • Live on ACB Media’s Community Channel, Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern. • All podcast platforms. • Tell Alexa/Echo, “Play Podcast Writing Works Wonders.” • Visit www.writingworkswonders.com for the latest episodes. • Contact us via email, Writingworkspodcast@gmail.com. ***** Affiliate News It’s convention season! Want to see your affiliate’s convention listed here? Have you had a successful convention and want to brag a little? Send the information to slovering@acb.org. ** Pennsylvania to Hold Virtual Convention The Pennsylvania Council of the Blind will hold its conference virtually from Sept. 16-19, 2021. This year’s theme is “Strengthening Community through Unity.” Plans include a crafters’ panel discussion, a volunteers’ panel, and much more. For more information, contact Mary Ann Grignon at (570) 807-1276 or by email, Maryanna0407@gmail.com. Or contact PCB’s conference planning leader, Sue Lichtenfels, at (412) 480-9696 or Sueperlative73@gmail.com. ** Fill Your Bucket in South Dakota The South Dakota Association of the Blind will hold its state convention at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Aberdeen Sept. 17th and 18th. This year’s theme is “Fill Your Bucket with More Tools for Life.” Activities include a tour of the new school for the blind and having pizza with the students. Some of the featured topics are: navigating the healthcare system when they realize you can’t see, and exploring ways to work with the iPhone to help us get and stay healthy. Oh, and yes, there will be a silent auction, too. For more information, visit www.sd-sdab.com. The registration form is now available on the website. If you have questions, send email to sdabpresident@gmail.com. ** Proud to Be in OCB The Oklahoma Council of the Blind will hold its virtual conference and convention Sept. 24-26. This year’s theme is “Proud to be in OCB: Overcoming Challenges and Barriers.” ACB is partnering with OCB to provide its webinar accessibility so we can go virtual and stream the convention on ACB Media. With this partnership, folks from across the United States will be able to join our convention activities, which will include a consumer/professional seminar on Friday. Plans include a trivia night, a live auction, exhibitors, and our business meeting and election of officers on Sunday morning. Mark Richert, former ACB first vice president and interim executive director of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), will be our special guest speaker. Mark has much experience in the advocacy field and can relate many of his own personal stories about why advocating for yourself is more important than ever today. He has a compelling story to tell, as he relates his personal struggle with depression and how he is dealing with it now. On Friday at the consumer/professional seminar, OCB member Marilyn Sanders will ask the question, “Are you a wizard?” Mark Richert will discuss AER’s current activities. Tracy Brigham, Division Administrator for Oklahoma Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, will report on the latest activities of the agency. There will also be a report from New View Oklahoma and the Veterans Administration. Come join us for this exciting weekend! The registration form is available at www.okcb.org. The cost for the convention is $10, and if you wish to attend the consumer/professional seminar, the cost is $20. The seminar and convention only cost $30. ** Missouri 65th Annual Convention Missouri Council of the Blind will have a virtual convention again this year. The MCB 65th annual convention will be a two-day event beginning on Friday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. Central. We will start again on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Central. Registration is $10, and must be returned before Sept. 15. The registration form is available to complete online at https://www.moblind.org/convention, or print and mail. All registrations after the 15th will be $25. The registration deadline is Oct. 1. The convention will be held on the Zoom platform. You can also join in via your phone. The board will meet on Thursday; general sessions will be held Friday and Saturday. We’ve also got some fun planned! Join us on Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. Central for game night. Bring your favorite snack and beverage while we get together for some social fun, as well as play four rounds of Pirate Booty. This game is like Bingo, except it is played with cards of 6 rows and 6 columns, and there is no free space. If you win, you shout “Booty!” Prizes will consist of gift cards in the following amounts: 1st winner, $25; 2nd winner, $50; 3rd winner, $75, and 4th winner, $100. Cards for this event will be large print with braille overlay. They cost $10 each and can be purchased from the MCB office by calling (314) 832-7172. You can also order and pay for cards with your convention registration. ***** Here and There edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to slovering@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. ** NRTC Recruiting Applicants for Vision Specialist Program The NRTC is recruiting for the next class of vision specialists in vocational rehabilitation. The online graduate certificate program, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, lasts one year and consists of four courses, including a 100-hour hands-on practicum course. All four courses are designed for professionals to help them become more effective in their work with individuals who are blind or low vision. The program starts in January and concludes in December 2022. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 1, 2021. For more information, email sperez@colled.msstate.edu. To apply, visit www.distance.msstate.edu/vision. ** Lions Eye Institute Expands Reach with New Partnership Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research (LEITR) will continue to expand its ability to serve patients worldwide through its new partnership with Mid-America Transplant (MAT). MAT is one of the premiere organ, tissue and eye bank operations in the country. Together, they will promote the most advanced technologies in ocular tissue processing for ophthalmologists and their patients in the U.S. and across the globe. For more information, visit www.lionseyeinstitute.org. ** National Braille Press Announces 2021 Volunteer Awards National Braille Press recently presented its annual volunteer awards. The winner of the Group Volunteer Award is Gay4Good. Gay4Good mobilizes LGBTQ+ people to volunteer in the broader community to promote diversity, foster inclusion and strengthen communities. Since 2015, the organization has helped assemble more than 2,000 print-braille books. The Sue Ammeter Individual Volunteer Award was given to Francheska Torres. Ms. Torres is a recent graduate of Northeastern University, and has volunteered with NBP since 2015. Among other key roles, during the pandemic, she transcribed the captions for the virtual gala. ***** High Tech Swap Shop ** For Sale: Riding toys. Contact Danny at (601) 366-0514. ** For Sale: PlexTalk PTP1. Purchased in July of 2015; very lightly used. Comes with AC charging cable, USB male to small USB male cord, USB female to small USB male cord (for plugging in a memory stick), and the ear bud. Has Windows CE 5.0 core. Accepting best offer by October 15, 2021 plus $8.45 shipping in the smallest flat-rate postal box (which includes $50 insurance). Contact MariLyn Piepho at (614) 890-4563, or via email, mlapiepho@gmail.com. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Dan Spoone (2nd term, 2023) 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817-1554 * First Vice President Deb Cook Lewis (1st term, 2023) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * Second Vice President Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2023) 460 Raintree Ct. #3K Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 * Secretary Denise Colley (2nd term, 2023) 1401 Northwest Ln. SE Lacey, WA 98503 * Treasurer David Trott (final term, 2023) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Christopher Bell, Pittsboro, NC (1st term, 2024) Jeff Bishop, Kirkland, WA (2nd term, 2024) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (1st term, 2024) James Kracht, Miami, FL (1st term, 2022) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2024) Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX (1st term, 2024) Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD (2nd term, 2022) Koni Sims, Sioux Falls, SD (partial term, 2022) Michael Talley, Hueytown, AL (1st term, 2022) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (1st term, 2022) ** ACB Board of Publications Katie Frederick, Chair, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2023) Cheryl Cumings, Boston, MA (1st term, 2023) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (1st term, 2022) Penny Reeder, Montgomery Village, MD (2nd term, 2022) Cachet Wells, Jacksonville, FL (1st term, 2022) ***** ** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by email, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (518) 906-1820. To subscribe to the email version, contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, NLS-style digital cartridge, and via email. It is also available to read or download from ACB’s web page, and by phone, (518) 906-1820. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from https://pinecast.com/feed/acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum.