The ACB E-Forum
Volume LIV October 2015 No. 4

Published by 
the American Council of the Blind

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** 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.

© 2015 American Council of the Blind
Melanie Brunson, Executive Director
Sharon Lovering, Editor
2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 650, Arlington, VA 22201

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Table of Contents

President’s Report, Part II, by Kim Charlson

Willing, Able, and Seeking Opportunity: ACB Video Highlights the Abilities of Blind Individuals, by Eric Bridges

ACB Honors Melanie Brunson with Resolution 2015-04

American Council of the Blind Seeks Executive Director

It’s October – Time to Think about the Holiday Auction!, by Carla Ruschival

It’s Minneapolis, Minn. for the 2016 Convention, by Janet Dickelman

The 2015 ACB Scholarship Winners: Stars Shining Bright into the Future, by Michael Garrett

ACB Stars Shine Bright in Dallas, Part II, by Tom Mitchell and Judy Wilkinson

American Council of the Blind Announces Winners of the 2015 Audio Description Awards

Walkin’ to Success, by Donna Brown

Road to Dallas, by Sharon Howerton

Banquet Lets the Stars Shine Bright, by Sharon Lovering

Notice of Class Action Settlement for Customers of Lululemon

Lynn Manning dies at 60; blind poet, athlete, Watts theater group founder, by Steve Chawkins

Here and There, edited by Sharon Strzalkowski

** 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 take care of the changes for you.

** All blind musicians, all the time at the ACB Radio Café, www.acbradio.org/café.

** Got talent? Tell us about you: marlaina@acbradio.org. 

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President’s Report, Part II
by Kim Charlson

ACB also established the Legacy Society as part of an effort to be more proactive, honoring and recognizing individuals who have included ACB in their estate plans via a bequest or another type of planned gift and have communicated their intentions to ACB. This allows us to recognize and honor those individuals while they are still with us rather than only acknowledging their generosity after their passing. These initiatives all go far toward making it possible to support ACB’s organizational work and advocacy.

This work is often referred to as capacity-building, and ACB has been very busy constructing our support system this past year. One example of this expanded capacity is due in large part to the generosity of JPMorgan Chase, who supported ACB being able to bring 21 additional members to the 2015 mid-year presidents’ meeting and legislative seminar in Washington, D.C. in February. Many of this group were first-timers, who would not have been able to participate without this funding support. Due to this grant, 21 additional members were able to advocate in person for ACB’s legislative imperatives on Capitol Hill, and were able to network and learn from other affiliate leaders and take back best practices to their state and special-interest affiliates.   

JPMorgan Chase also sponsored the production of an informational video entitled “BlindAbility,” that will be previewed for the first time later this evening. It features four ACB members, who are all working, discussing their lives, their goals, and how important advocacy is to each of them. It will be made available on ACB’s YouTube channel for anyone to share with their organizations, potential employers, rehab agencies, or other civic groups. I hope all of you are as pleased with the video as I am … 

Our capacity-building continued into the spring of this year. Many of you are aware of Google’s presence at our convention over the past four years. We are very appreciative of their support, and this year, they have worked with ACB to build and expand our capacity through their active engagement with us in Google for Nonprofits. We have received training in the use of special analytic tools that allow us to track Internet traffic to acb.org, as well as the ability to use specific terminology to enhance our website hits with various search engines. These are powerful tools that will increase our ability to be more visible online and to become a destination for people or media who Google for blindness-related resources.  

Last year, ACB launched a pilot Volunteer Hours Reporting Program with 11 committees, which collectively reported a total of 8,534 volunteer hours worth $192,444 of in-kind contribution value to ACB.  We are in the process of expanding this volunteer reporting program to our other committees and task forces in 2015. This initiative shows funders our commitment to our work, and documents the hours of work contributed by our hundreds of faithful volunteers in all capacities. Thank you again for all you do!

In early January 2015, ACB announced a structured negotiation settlement with CVS/caremark. This settlement collaboration was with the law office of Lainey Feingold, and Linda Dardarian of Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian and Ho. CVS Health has started offering talking prescription labels, braille, and large print labels to customers who are blind or visually impaired through its mail service company Caremark. They are using the accessible label system provided through En-Vision America’s ScripAbility program. New or existing Caremark customers can order the new labels by calling their Caremark call center or Caremark’s general customer care toll-free number at 1-800-552-8159. En-Vision America can be reached at 1-800-890-1180. The Caremark initiative joins previous work by ACB with CVS Health making accessible prescription labels available from CVS/pharmacy for prescriptions ordered for home delivery through its online pharmacy, CVS.com. Ensuring that all of our members have access to important information about their prescriptions is a critical component in assisting people to independently manage their health care needs on their journey to better health. Please stay tuned for more announcements with exciting news on other prescription providers over the next several months. 
 
On the legislative front, ACB was very pleased to have Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) re-introduce H.R. 729, the Medicare Demonstration of Coverage for Low Vision Devices Act of 2015. This bill seeks to right a wrong that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have perpetrated for many years through the denial of coverage of low-vision devices for Medicare recipients.  CMS has elected to very narrowly interpret the regulations so that devices that have one or more lenses are treated the same as ordinary eyeglasses.

At the 2015 legislative seminar, attendees went up to Capitol Hill to seek additional co-sponsors for this piece of legislation. ACB members played a significant role in getting many of their representatives to sign on as co-sponsors of the bill. We still need more co-sponsors, so when you return home, make a pledge to have your affiliate work to get your entire House delegation to sign on as a co-sponsor. We presently have 11 co-sponsors.

In my report at last year’s convention, you may remember I shared audio of a taxicab sting operation conducted by a team of investigative journalists from WUSA Channel 9 in Washington regarding access to taxis by blind individuals using guide dogs. Over the past year, official complaints were filed with the appropriate D.C. agencies; mediation was attempted but not successful. In early March 2015, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of Eric Bridges and the American Council of the Blind against four taxicab companies in the District of Columbia for discriminatory practices against blind and visually impaired individuals accompanied by guide dogs.
  
The complaint, filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, alleges that Yellow Cab of D.C., Grand Cab, Elite Cab, and Pleasant Taxi all engaged in discriminatory practices when their drivers failed to pick up Eric, who was hailing a cab with his guide dog, General. This discriminatory treatment is all too common for blind and low-vision passengers who use guide dogs.

The incidents alleged in the complaint are just a few examples of the systemic discrimination that blind individuals with guide dogs face on a daily basis. Equal access to public transportation and transportation services is a fundamental right under the D.C. Human Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The cab company defendants have all contributed to this systemic discrimination and illegal activity by engaging in, and allowing their drivers to engage in, a pattern and practice of discrimination. This is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. It is truly an honor to be working with the talented attorneys from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee on this case. I also want to commend Eric for his leadership and commitment to following this very strong case through to its conclusion.  

In fact, just a few weeks ago, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs honored ACB with their organization’s 2015 Alfred McKenzie Award, named for the former Tuskegee Airman and lead plaintiff in a successful class action brought by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee challenging racial discrimination. The award recognizes committee clients whose dedication and courage have produced civil rights victories of particular significance.  
	
I need to comment briefly on developments surrounding ACB’s efforts regarding accessible currency. We continue to work with Jeffrey Lovitky, our pro bono attorney, on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing case. In an article in “The Washington Post” in late June, “The big change to the new $10 bill that no one's talking about,” it was confirmed that the new $10 note will be the first bill scheduled for release with tactile features to benefit people who are blind.  The widely publicized announcement that a woman will grace the redesigned $10 bill has overshadowed what we believe will be an equally historic change in the way America’s money literally feels. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told reporters that tailoring the $10 bill to the blind was in keeping with the new design’s theme of democracy. But he did not specify exactly how the currency would change. 

We have not received any design details, but our understanding is that the new note is slated to be unveiled in 2020. Thursday morning we will have an update from Sid Rocke, chief counsel for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, so I urge you all to be there to hear the most up-to-date news. The bureau will be in the exhibit hall as well, continuing to distribute currency readers to those who have not received one as a part of this phase of the meaningful access program.

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Willing, Able, and Seeking Opportunity: 
ACB Video Highlights the Abilities of Blind Individuals

Far too often in the media, people who are blind or visually impaired are portrayed in two ways. Either we are shown as heroes who have overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers, or characterized as helpless victims who have been taken advantage of by scam artists and thieves.  There seems to be very little middle ground in coverage. Do we lead regular lives? Of course, but the extremes appear to receive the lion’s share of coverage. Additionally, when the subject of employment is raised within the community, the tenor of the discussion often becomes emotional.  Expressions of frustration and anxiety regarding the ongoing challenges that people who are blind or visually impaired continue to experience when seeking employment are quite prevalent. Many of these emotions may come from the misperceptions by employers and some in the general public regarding the capabilities of people who are blind.   

In an effort to show a more complete depiction of who we are as a community, ACB embarked on a project. “BlindAbility: Willing, Able, and Seeking Opportunity” was created to highlight the abilities of blind individuals. This video can be used as an educational tool for hiring managers, HR professionals, or the general public. While the video first premiered during the opening session of our national conference and convention in Dallas, we wanted to highlight it again, as October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. To watch the video, go to www.acb.org/BlindAbility! Feel free to share it with your employer, state vocational rehabilitation personnel, or others in the general public. 

Featured in this video are ACB members Tony Stephens, National Industries for the Blind; Tiffany Jolliff, U.S. Department of Labor; Carl Richardson, the commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Rebecca Bridges, Federal Management Partners, Inc. We are grateful for their participation! 

This is the first of what ACB hopes is a series of videos that will attempt to explain who we as blind people are and confront anxiety or misperceptions that people who are not blind have of our community. 

— Eric Bridges

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ACB Honors Melanie Brunson with Resolution 2015-04

Whereas, Melanie Brunson has offered hard work and faithful service to the women and men of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) for seventeen years; and

Whereas, a lawyer by training, Melanie joined the ACB national office staff in 1998 as ACB’s Director of Advocacy Services; and

Whereas, Melanie ultimately assumed both the advocacy services and public policy responsibilities of the national office staff, serving as ACB’s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs until her eventual appointment as ACB Executive Director in 2004; and

Whereas, throughout her tenure, Melanie has been a fierce champion of the rights and capabilities of people who are blind or visually impaired; and

Whereas, among her many accomplishments, Melanie most recently played a key role on ACB’s behalf in the negotiations leading to the signing of the historic Marrakesh treaty to eliminate the worldwide book famine for people who are blind or visually impaired around the globe; and

Whereas, Melanie particularly excels in her one-on-one work with individual ACB members experiencing a challenging rights or benefits issue; and

Whereas, Melanie has announced her intention to retire this fall;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on the eighth day of July, 2015, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Dallas, Texas, that this organization express its sincere gratitude to Melanie Brunson for her many years of hard work and commitment to the membership of ACB, and we, the women and men of the American Council of the Blind, wish Melanie every happiness and much fulfillment in her retirement.

Adopted.
Ray Campbell, Secretary

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American Council of the Blind Seeks Executive Director

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is seeking an executive director to be based out of the organization’s Arlington, Va. office. Primary responsibilities include providing leadership and direction to ensure that ACB has the necessary resources to successfully fulfill its mission.

The executive director works with the president, board, and membership in the development of policies and strategies for the organization and holds primary responsibility for their implementation. The executive director has overall supervisory responsibility for the staff, including contractors. The executive director represents ACB in the pursuit of its mission with members, donors, media, government entities, agencies for the blind, and other organizations. 

To apply, you must have: 

•  Demonstrated passion and ability to motivate and inspire the community about the mission of ACB in promoting independence for people who are blind or visually impaired; 
•  Demonstrated oral and written communication skills;
•  Experience in fundraising, including grant writing and cultivation of foundations, major donors and corporate sponsors;
•  Experience and ability with financial management, including the development and implementation of budgets;
•  Demonstrated leadership skills and collaborative management style;
•  Ability and experience in the development and implementation of strategic plans; and 
•  Ability and experience in the effective utilization of volunteers.   
•  Bachelor’s degree or higher; and 
•  Five to seven years of experience in positions of increasing management/leadership responsibility in government or a not-for-profit organization, preferably one serving a national constituency.

Individuals interested in applying must provide the following:

1.  A resume;
2.  A cover letter addressing how your personal and professional experience qualifies you for this position;
3.  Three references, one of which is a previous employer; and 
4.  One writing sample (maximum 3 pages).

All documents should be submitted as Word attachments and should be sent by e-mail to: executivesearch@acb.org. Please put ATTN: Search Committee, American Council of the Blind in the subject line. 

A detailed position description is available upon request. 

For more information about the American Council of the Blind, visit www.acb.org.
 
Please feel free to share this announcement.

This position will remain open until filled. The American Council of the Blind is an equal opportunity employer and offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

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It’s October — Time to Think about the Holiday Auction!
by Carla Ruschival

It’s time for ACB’s fourth annual Holiday Auction, coming to you live from Louisville, Ky. on ACB Radio on Dec. 6 from 7 to 11 p.m. Eastern time (4 to 8 p.m. Pacific).

The 2014 Holiday Auction was a huge success. Packed with holiday treats and great gift ideas, the auction raised over $11,000 for ACB Radio, up from $5,000 in 2013.

The ACB Radio 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 2015 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; sports memorabilia; handcrafted items; unusual music boxes; gift cards; and holiday decorations. Join our 2015 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, available on www.acb.org by mid-November. All donors will be acknowledged both on the web site and on ACB Radio during the auction. Donors and winning bidders will also be spotlighted in “The ACB Braille Forum” in early 2016.

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 Minnesota office by Nov. 1; this is extremely important because we need to take photos and post them to our preview pages.

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 in on Sunday, Dec. 6, between 7 and 11 p.m. Eastern at www.acbradio.org or by calling (605) 475-8130 from any telephone.

Thanks in advance for your generous support of ACB Radio.

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It’s Minneapolis, Minn. for the 2016 Convention
by Janet Dickelman
			
Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, the Mall of America, Garrison Keillor and the 2016 ACB conference and convention! Minneapolis is a wonderful city to visit, especially during the summer. There may be a day or two in the 90s, but average temperatures are in the low 80s! The Hyatt Regency, home to ACB in 2016, is located in downtown Minneapolis at 1300 Nicollet Mall. The hotel is close to restaurants, shopping, museums and the Minnesota Twins and Vikings stadiums.
 
Traveling to Minneapolis is easy. Fourteen commercial passenger airlines service the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP); nine are located at Terminal 1-Lindbergh, and five are located at Terminal 2-Humphrey. MSP is the hub for Delta and Sun Country; other airlines serving the Twin Cities include:
•	Air Canada
•	Air France
•	Alaska Airlines
•	American Airlines
•	Condor 
•	Frontier
•	Great Lakes
•	Icelandair
•	Southwest
•	Spirit
•	United Airlines

You can also travel to Minneapolis by Amtrak, Greyhound or the Megabus. Both bus stations are less than a mile from the Hyatt; the Amtrak station is in St. Paul, approximately 12 miles from the hotel. 

Minneapolis is served by a light-rail system that stops 8 blocks from the Hyatt. You can travel by light rail to the airport, downtown St. Paul, and the Mall of America. City buses stop within two blocks of the hotel. Information regarding certification for paratransit will be sent out closer to the convention.

Conference and convention dates are Friday, July 1st through Saturday, July 9th. As usual, the convention will feature an exhibit hall showcasing vendors from around the country.  The exhibit hall will be open from Saturday, July 2nd through Wednesday, July 6th. ACB’s opening general session is Sunday, July 3rd, with daily sessions Monday through Thursday mornings, and all day Friday.  Tech sessions and committee and affiliate programming begin on Saturday and run through Thursday.  Convention week culminates with our banquet Friday evening, July 8th.  Our first tours will be on Friday, July 1st; our final tours will be on Saturday, July 9th.
  
** Stay Connected

Once again this year, the convention announce list will be filled with information about the convention. Subscribe to the list today by sending a blank e-mail to
acbconvention-subscribe@acblists.org. If you’ve been on the list in the past, you need not subscribe again. 

Don’t have e-mail? No problem! Convention updates will also be featured on ACB Radio and by telephone through Audio Now at (605) 475-8130.

** Hotel Details

Room rates at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis are $89 single or double; there is an additional $10 per night charge per person for up to four people in a room. Applicable state and local taxes are currently 13.4%. For reservations by telephone, call 1-888-421-1442, and be sure to mention you are attending the ACB convention in order to obtain our room rate. To make reservations online, visit www.acb.org and follow the 2016 convention link.

** Convention Contacts

2016 exhibit information: 
Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 

2016 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.

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The 2015 ACB Scholarship Winners: Stars Shining Bright into the Future 
by Michael Garrett 

We’ve completed another season of selecting the ACB scholarship winners.  We received 124 applications, which were sorted, categorized and distributed to their respective subcommittees.  Each application was carefully scrutinized by each subcommittee member before diligent deliberations took place.  After all that work, we chose the winners.  The most rewarding part of the process was calling the recipients and informing them that they had won a scholarship.  What a heartwarming feeling!  

Without exception, this year’s group of students showed the same level of exuberance as past winners.  

** ACB Students Brenda Dillon Memorial Scholarship
Elaine Phillips, Mass., bachelor of science in mechanical engineering

** Kellie Cannon Memorial Scholarship
Hunter Jozwiak, Va., majoring in computer science 

** William G. Corey Memorial Scholarship
Elizabeth McKay, Pa., bachelor of science in theology

** Eunice Fiorito Memorial Scholarship
Christiane Steele, Iowa, bachelor of science in special education

** John Hebner Memorial Scholarship
Tiffany Jolliff, Va., master of science in organizational development

** James R. Olsen Memorial Scholarship
Michael Griffin, Fla., bachelor of science in information technology

** The Ross N. Pangere Foundation for the Visually Impaired Scholarship
Hamid Hamraz, Ky., master of science in computer science
Cassandra Mendez, Ohio, bachelor of science in computer science and engineering
Michael Rouillard, Conn., bachelor of science in information technology

** Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships
Michael Coughlin, Pa., bachelor of business management
Sherrie Lilley, N.Y., bachelor of science in psychology/counseling
Lauren Long, Texas, master of science in marriage and family therapy
Jessica Minneci, Pa., majoring in communications
Andrew Shaw, N.Y., majoring in business

** Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship
Thomas Woodyard, Ga., majoring in Japanese and international studies

** Norma Shecter Memorial Scholarship and Duane Buckley Memorial Scholarship
Stephanie Zundel, N.J., bachelor of science in early childhood development

** Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship
Sarah Wiles, Mass., juris doctorate

** Oregon Council of the Blind Scholarship
Patricia Kepler, Ore., master of public policy

In a couple of cases, we combined scholarships to help the winners a bit more.  Scholarship amounts ranged from $1,500 to $3,500.  

This group of students exhibited a broad range of interests and displayed a diversity of vocational endeavors.  They were intelligent, energetic and enthusiastic about their future.  

It takes quite a bit of time and attention to detail to assure that the scholarship selection process goes well.  It’s a labor of love for those of us on the committee. We’re grateful to the Minnesota staff for making the material accessible to us.  And, of course, our most sincere gratitude goes to our donors who make these awards possible.  The investment in these students’ lives cannot be quantified in today’s dollars.  Their goals have yet to be reached; their accomplishments have yet to be completed and their dreams have yet to come true, but ACB has made a small contribution toward the professions they will pursue.

** Caption:

Michael Garrett, left, wearing a brown suit, cream-colored shirt and golden brown tie, guides Tommy Woodyard, right, to the microphone to give a short speech. Woodyard is the recipient of the Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship; he sports a black suit, white shirt, and black tie with silver flecks.

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ACB Stars Shine Bright in Dallas, Part II
by Tom Mitchell and Judy Wilkinson

** Wednesday

The Wednesday morning session was jam-packed with events and information.  Amy Furash, national ADA coordinator for JPMorgan Chase, updated us on how the company is improving its services for blind and visually impaired people, including issuing new Braille Companion cards.  Then the convention heard from Tom Wlodkowski, vice president of Comcast Accessibility, who spoke about Comcast’s Talking Guide and voice-controlled remote.  He also showed two videos: “Emily’s Oz,” a commercial aired this year during the Oscar awards program, and a video on how that spot was made, both with audio description. 

Afterward, Denise Colley presented the Vernon Henley Media Award to Comcast.

Mark Richert read a resolution requesting the National Endowment for the Arts to include audio description “as an inherent requirement, as appropriate, for all state art agency grants,” and that NEA create a national registry of sites where audio description is available, and that they work with ACB’s Audio Description Project to implement this proposal. He also tackled a second resolution requesting the FCC commit to a plan to hire at least three professional staff to serve in the Disability Rights Office of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau who have experience in working with blindness and deaf-blindness.  Both resolutions were adopted.

John Huffman then gave the first reading of two amendments to the constitution and bylaws; one concerned terms on the board of publications, the other dealt with voting eligibility.  

ACB secretary Ray Campbell introduced the first speaker, Joe Wilson from Talking Book Publishers, Inc. His talk, entitled “From Stage to Page: the Making of a Gun-Slinging Narrator,” not only included biographical information about himself, but also gave us the nuts and bolts of producing a book. Wilson’s sense of humor and informative talk on recording talking books, as well as his work in crisis intervention, were well received by all.

The convention next heard from Melanie Brunson, ACB’s executive director, who is retiring at the end of September.  (For the full text, see “Bidding ACB a Very Fond Farewell and Reflecting on the Last Seventeen Years,” September 2015.) Four past presidents and current president Kim Charlson presented Melanie with a variety of thank-you gifts.  The convention unanimously adopted a resolution thanking her for her service.

Janet Dickelman then gave the convention report. Next year’s convention will be held in Minneapolis, Minn.; the 2017 convention, in Sparks, Nev.

After Janet’s report was a discussion of radio reading services and their role in the 21st century, presented by Mike Duke, Director, Mississippi Radio Reading Service, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Jackson, Miss.; and Steve Cumming, former station manager, North Texas Radio for the Blind and Austin Information Radio, Dallas, Texas.

Rob Haverty of Microsoft gave a report on Windows 10. Microsoft is trying to wrap up the accessibility of Windows 10, he stated. Microsoft’s new mission is “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more;” to achieve that, the company is developing technology that is accessible to everyone. Microsoft is changing its focus from creating specialized accessibility solutions to integrating them into mainstream solutions. “Accessible technology doesn’t just benefit people with disabilities,” he said.

Haverty mentioned that Microsoft’s partnership with ACB has been valuable, that members had already provided feedback on Windows 10. Several vendors had visited Microsoft’s campus to work with developers on resolving compatibility issues.

Windows 10 will become available on July 29th for computers and tablets. He advised those who use screen readers or magnification software to check with their AT vendor about Windows 10 compatibility before upgrading. After you upgrade, Haverty noted, there are three things you need to do: 1) Set your web browser to the program you’re most used to using with your access software (e.g. Internet Explorer); 2) Install a third-party PDF reader such as Adobe Reader; 3) Use Outlook and Office desktop applications. Microsoft’s new Internet app, called Edge, will not be accessible at launch, he added.

** Thursday

During Google’s diamond sponsor presentation, Charlson asked Eve Anderson, engineering and product manager-core team at Google Accessibility, a series of questions. Anderson informed everyone that accessibility is part of Google’s mission. Google runs more than a dozen internal courses, which they hope to make available to the general public. With regard to CAPTCHAs, screen readers can now click the “I’m a human” button with a backup of a better-sounding audio CAPTCHA. She encouraged feedback and mentioned Google’s impact challenge, a fund to help non-profits working with people with disabilities. They are looking for innovative ideas – not just technology, but process too.

Emerald sponsor Verizon’s Jeffrey A. Kramer, executive director of public policy, Strategic Alliance, stated Verizon hopes to have offerings in the marketplace soon for such things as large remotes and set-top boxes. He invited us to go into the stores where they want to work with customers one on one. 

Ruby sponsor Sprint’s Kelly Egan, blindness and low vision outreach specialist, emphasized Sprint’s commitment to stuff for us. Sprint has a wide variety of devices, from the simple phones that talk right out of the box up to the smartest of smart phones. She spoke of Sprint’s new “All In” plan: $80 for one line, with all data, voice and text. She told us about the new “direct to you” plan that is being tested in several cities, where technicians will come to you.

Huffman presented two amendments relating to our record date. The first proposal would establish the record date in the constitution under Article III, Section C. It passed with a friendly amendment. The second proposal would amend Bylaw 2 to reflect the fact that affiliates could add new members after March 15th, but if they paid after the record date, they would not be eligible to vote at that year’s convention. It passed too.

Richert presented two resolutions, one dealing with Microsoft and Windows 10, and another concerning the Department of Justice and the ADA. Both passed.

Carla Ruschival introduced Chen Guangcheng, “The Barefoot Lawyer” and his interpreter Danica Mills, who held us spellbound as he recounted his life as a blind man in China, his work on behalf of women and the disabled, his imprisonment and house arrest and his harrowing escape to the American embassy in 2012 and subsequent arrival with his family in the U.S. His book is available from NLS.

Sidney Rocke, chief counsel for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, gave an update on currency access. He reviewed his “crash course” in the history of the meaningful access issue. He stated that no other currency in the world is as difficult to modify, but that we’ve learned from other countries what not to do. He presented an array of challenges facing the bureau: with tactile markings, bills can’t be stacked; they gum up the works of cash registers, vending machines, etc.; plastic melts; bills wear out. He mentioned the 2020 $10 note (with a woman as well as markings). The bureau is still working on issues such as durability. The bureau continues to implement high contrast on bills (other than the $1 which, by law, cannot be changed). They are working with NLS to distribute currency readers: 30,000 have been distributed or are on order. The iNote App is also available.

Brian Charlson raised the issue of problems increasingly encountered by non-citizens unable to get currency readers. The convention adopted a resolution on this issue.

Dan Spoone and Dan Dillon, co-chairs of ACB’s resource development committee, along with Donna Brown (walk committee chair) and Leslie Spoone (auction chair), shared a lot of good news. The auction raised $19,320; the walk raised more than $51,000 (as of July 9th). The RDC has established five giving society levels; so far 193 people have pledged over $201,000.

Ruschival then presented the treasurer’s report. She reminded attendees that because of a huge bequest, we were in the black last year. The board has a plan for a balanced budget by 2017.

Revenue figures for 2014 came in at $1,158,625. The ACB Angels Program raised $4,000. Telemarketing raised just $89,082. Fundraising revenue was $106,498. The Audio Description Project brought in $23,150. Expenses for 2014 were $1,065,887. Income from the 2014 convention was $83,344. The 2014 surplus was $247,728. 

Lane Waters, ACB’s controller, congratulated the board on its efforts toward a balanced budget. Audited financial statements are available on ACB’s web site.

Sandra Ruconich of Salt Lake City, Utah shared her story about becoming our Braille Authority of North America representative. BANA makes rules regarding how braille and tactile graphics are written. Its web site has lots of information on the Unified English Braille Code. New knitting and crochet guidelines have been posted, and work is beginning on the braille music code.

Michael Garrett, chair of the ACB Enterprises and Services (ACBES) board, gave a brief report. All our thrift stores are profitable. He introduced Jerry Cooper, manager of the Lubbock store since 2003, who has brought in $1.5 million in his years of service. The convention gave Jerry a huge round of applause; Jerry thanked the Minnesota office, his staff, the board and the membership.

Richert presented resolution 2015-08 regarding regulations for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which passed. 

** Friday

This day was all business. Huffman read two amendments to the constitution and bylaws. The first added a sentence to Article V: “Any member of the Board of Publications, whether appointed or elected, who serves more than half of the assigned duration of a term shall have the term counted as a full term served.” The amendment was adopted.  A second amendment would change Article IV, Sections A and B by removing the last sentence from each section, which specifies, in the case of officers, that no more than two may be from a single state, and, in the case of directors, no more than one may be from a single state.  The following sentences would be added to Section C: “Not more than three voting members of the Board of Directors of any one state at the time they assume the office.  In no case shall three officers or three directors be elected from a single state.” Following discussion and a vote, that amendment was defeated.

Throughout the day, Richert read resolutions.  Space does not permit a full discussion of all resolutions considered.  Resolution 2015-09 expressing ACB’s dissatisfaction with the National Council on Disability’s failure to publicize the availability of best practices for the provision of accessible drug label information was adopted.  Resolution 2015-11, which calls upon the the Academy for Certification of Visual Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) to establish standards to ensure the confidence of assistive technology trainers, was adopted.  Resolution 2015-12 calls upon Greyhound Lines, Inc. to cease charging blind people administrative fees for using their telephone services, and to make its web site accessible; it, too, was adopted.

Following a short break, it was time for elections.  Because the offices of ACB president, first vice president, secretary and treasurer were uncontested, all of those office holders were re-elected to serve new terms.  However, Marlaina Lieberg elected not to run for another term as second vice president.  John McCann of Tucson, Ariz., was unanimously elected to that office.  This created a vacancy in the board of directors, and four candidates stepped forward to fill that position: Jeff Bishop, Tucson, Ariz.; Dan Dillon, Hermitage, Tenn.; Doug Powell, Falls Church, Va.; and Fred Scheigert, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  After the first election, the two with the fewest votes were dropped, and a runoff election held; the winner was Jeff Bishop. 

While the ballots were being counted, the assembly considered more resolutions.  Resolution 2015-14 commending Netflix for being the first Internet content provider to incorporate audio description into its movies was adopted.  Resolution 2015-16, which calls upon the Rehabilitation Services Administration to adopt regulations that establish clear requirements for the training of personnel who will be permitted to provide services under the OIB program, and that funding be provided only to those private agencies whose personnel meet such standards, was also adopted.  The resolutions thanking the hotel staff, the convention host committee and the ACB of Texas, and the volunteers who assisted convention guests were all adopted.  Other resolutions concerned inaccessible apps for iOS devices, guide dog safety, and the Social Security Administration; all were adopted.

After several announcements and a final door prize, the 2015 conference and convention adjourned.

** Captions:

Joe Wilson, left, wearing a blue shirt with a pocket full of pens and pencils, begins to tell the convention how he became a talking book narrator, and what a day in his life as a narrator is like. Behind him is ACB secretary Ray Campbell, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, walking away from the podium microphone.

Rob Haverty of Microsoft, standing at the podium microphone wearing a dark gray suit, blue shirt and red diamond-patterned tie, tells the convention about Windows 10 and its accessibility.

Chen Guangcheng, left, stands tall behind the podium microphone, wearing a dark gray suit, light gray tie, white shirt, and dark sunglasses. He talks about his escape from house arrest in China. Danica Mills, seated on the right with a table microphone in front of her, wearing a white three-quarter-sleeve jacket overtop a black dress, translates his speech.

The ACB board, officers and executive director. Top row, left to right: Jeff Thom, George Holliday, Dan Spoone, Ray Campbell, Allan Peterson, Michael Garrett, Mitch Pomerantz. Bottom row, seated, left to right: David Trott, Jeff Bishop, Carla Ruschival, Denise Colley, Kim Charlson, Katie Frederick, John McCann, Melanie Brunson, and Berl Colley.

*****

American Council of the Blind Announces 
Winners of the 2015 Audio Description Awards

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) presents the winners of the 2015 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of ACB’s Audio Description Project (ADP).  In conjunction with ACB’s 54th annual conference and convention in Dallas, Texas, the awards were presented at a plenary session of the conference.

These awards are designed to recognize leadership in the description field within the wide range of its applications. And so this year we are delighted to present achievement awards in the fields of performing arts, media, museums, in the international arena, and a special recognition award. 

For achievement in the performing arts, we are recognizing one of the most experienced audio describers for live theater. Jesse Minkert is the head of Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences (AVIA) in Seattle, and he recently remarked, “Access is a basic human right. I’m honored to have played a small part in expanding the experience of the arts for so many people over the years.” 

In 1985, Minkert, who has diabetic retinopathy, was asked by the Seattle Arts Commission to create a pilot audio-description program for a Seattle theater performance.   Since that time, AVIA has provided audio descriptions for 674 theatrical productions, dance and music performances, and exhibitions over the last 31 years.  One of his innovative contributions is The Package, an integrated access service for audio-described performances. The Package provides tickets, transportation, a sighted guide, and audio description, and makes it possible for many blind individuals to appreciate and participate in the arts who otherwise could not afford or be able to get to a performance.  

In the media category, we are pleased to acknowledge a group that was recognized yesterday by our president, Kim Charlson. Netflix has made an important commitment to making their streaming service more accessible by adding audio description to their service.  Netflix began in April with the new critically acclaimed series, Marvel’s “Daredevil.” Many more described films are on the way.

This year, for the first time, we are presenting a Special Recognition Achievement Award to someone who has contributed countless volunteer hours to the Audio Description Project.  Thanks to him, we were the first organization to offer, on our web site, a comprehensive, day-by-day listing of what’s being broadcast on television with description.  The winner is Sebastian Andrade-Miles of Glendale, Colo.
 
We are particularly excited to be able to offer our Museums Audio Description Achievement Award to Dallas’ own Meadows Museum of Art at Southern Methodist University.  The Meadows brought Joel Snyder to the museum to train the staff in the intricacies of providing live audio description during guided tours.  It’s that sort of commitment that is so meaningful. 

This year, the International Achievement Award goes to a woman that we’ve known about for quite some time.  In the U.K., she is often referred to as the face and voice of audio description. Anne Hornsby is the head of the British audio-description provider Mind’s Eye, and she is truly a pioneer of audio description.  On her own initiative, she researched and introduced audio description at Bolton Octagon, where she was head of marketing, in response to a blind theater-goer who had heard about its development in America.  For almost 30 years, Anne has been a constant, dependable presence on the British audio description scene. She is widely respected not only for her skills as a describer and trainer, but also for her artistic and professional integrity, her communication skills, and her rare ability to blend the ideal and the pragmatic.

The Margaret Pfanstiehl Award for Research and Development is being awarded to Robert Pierson and Accessible Media, Inc. (AMI), based in Toronto. The group maintains Canada’s Accessible Channel, where everything aired is described. But specifically, we are recognizing AMI’s work developing the AMI Player, the first fully accessible online broadcast media player in North America. Available exclusively on AMI.ca, the AMI Player provides an accessible broadcast experience to AMI audience members while giving them the ability to access AMI-TV original content in an on-demand format.  The AMI Player provides content created for broadcast that includes open-described video and optional closed captioning and transcript features.

And last but not least, the Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement.  The study and practice of audio description is widespread throughout Europe. It is considered a form of audiovisual translation.  More than anyone else in the world, Dr. Pilar Orero is responsible for the proliferation and study of audio description. Indeed, it is her understanding of and support for AD not only as an academic exercise but also as a profession that makes her particularly worthy of this year’s Career Achievement Award.  At the University of Barcelona in Spain, Orero teaches audio description and has positioned the discipline as an integral part of the master in audiovisual translation degree and has done more than anyone to encourage young professionals in the study and practice of audio description. She is the leader of two university networks which group 24 Spanish universities devoted to audio description and media accessibility research and training. 

Orero’s work with description began almost 20 years ago as the leader of Europe’s Transmedia Group. Her focus since then has been the fostering of new AD leaders and practitioners. With her leadership, AD is understood as both a critical access technology for people who are blind and a legitimate form of translation, worthy of advanced study and consideration as a linguistic discipline.  She has demonstrated a profound influence on description throughout the world, and that has earned her the 2015 Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description.

*****

Walkin’ to Success

The 2015 ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk in Dallas was a smashin’ success!  Approximately 80 convention attendees rose early on Sunday, July 5 to walk the halls of the Sheraton and the Plaza of the Americas for ACB.  Words cannot describe the enthusiasm that filled the air by participants in the room where the walk began and finished.  

Along with the huge turnout of on-site walkers contributing to the success of this year’s event, the enormous number of donations brought in by participants was unreal!  At the time of this writing, walkers have raised just over $54,000 for ACB and its affiliates.  

Thanks to everyone who had a part in making this fund-raising event both fun and successful.  A great big thank-you to Nancy Becker and the rest of the staff in the Minnesota office for their assistance and patience with processing those all-important donations and helping participants set up their individual and team web pages.  Thank you to all of the participants for the time and energy you put into seeking donations.  Finally, thank you to ACB members, affiliates and local chapters who gave generous donations to the walk.  

We’ll be walking in Minnesota in 2016.  I hope you will join us.

— Donna Brown

*****

Road to Dallas
by Sharon Howerton

I am not a big group person or one who longs to attend large conventions, but when I heard that ACB was meeting in Dallas, I had to go. That was where President Kennedy was killed — do you remember the day? November 22, 1963? Humor me as I travel back and forth in time. When I told my oldest son of my experience at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, he asked me an amazing question. “Could you feel it?” My immediate response was, “Oh my goodness, yes!”

November 22, 1963. I was in the eighth grade at St. Florian School on the far south side of Chicago. A kid named Chester came back from lunch and said, “President Kennedy’s been shot.” Ani Simmons, the education programs coordinator at The Sixth Floor Museum, asked me what happened after that. “I think we went to church and were sent home,” I said. All I remember of that weekend was sitting in front of the TV (which, being blind, I could not see), all the way to Monday and the funeral. I don’t think anyone else at home – my parents and two sisters – watched with me. At one point in the evening, I think I prayed and felt this tingling on my face – something I have never shared with anyone.

Fast forward to 2015. In preparation for the convention, Janet Dickelman sent out an amazing amount of useful information.  Love Field was closer to the hotel. Oh no, not that. Love Field was the place from which JFK’s body was flown. I couldn’t. My colleague Dawn was flying to Dallas, too, and she suggested we fly together; fortunately, we flew out of Chicago’s O’Hare and in to Dallas-Fort Worth.

A few weeks before we left, I decided to call the museum to ask if it was accessible to the blind and visually impaired. The receptionist said, “Oh yes! We are working on making it more accessible. I think you should talk with Ani, our director of education. She may not still be here, it’s a little after 5, but let me transfer you to her.”

Ani was there and was very receptive to me. “I was about to leave,” she said, “but something told me to take this call, and I’m so glad I did … When you get your ticket, let me know, and when you are done with your tour, have them call me; we can go across the street to have a refreshment, and I’d love to hear your impressions.” With my son Kevin’s help, I purchased my ticket for July 7 at 10 a.m.

On Sunday, July 5, along with a busload of conventioneers, my guide dog Cameo and I took a bus tour of Dallas. After a few turns, the tour guide said, “This is The Sixth Floor Museum, where President Kennedy was shot.” No moment of silence to remember? No ASKING for a moment of silence to remember? Well, I did it privately. I guess it really was 52 years ago.

At first I thought perhaps Cameo and I could walk there. Maybe it wasn’t far, but then I thought, “It’s hot, we don’t know where we are, Cameo has had enough stress being in a new place with all the activity of people, other dogs and all … Let’s take a cab! Why risk getting lost and put her through all that?”

“You look very comfortable,” Dawn said to me at breakfast Tuesday. I wore a simple dress for the occasion. Around 9:30, Cameo and I went to the concierge desk and asked about a cab. The doorman found us one. The driver, who said he was from West Africa, said he had been in Dallas for only a few months, having come here from New York with his wife and three young daughters. When we got to the museum a few minutes later, I asked, “Do you know the significance of this building?” “No,” he said. “This is the place from which President Kennedy was shot.” “Oh!” he said. “I always wondered what this building was.” 

The driver walked Cameo and me into the building, up a flight of concrete steps. Were those the same steps that Lee Harvey Oswald walked when he went in to work that November day? 

We were shown to a bench to the right of the entrance. A family was also waiting to get in. When they opened, I was directed to someone and gave her the printout of my ticket receipt. I was taken to an elevator by a young lady who went up to the sixth floor with us, found me a seat in a quiet area and handed me a small device with a headset. One could walk through the museum listening to each panel and viewing the photos, but to me it made more sense to sit quietly and listen with an occasional prompt from my museum helper if I didn’t press the numbers correctly to proceed to the next panel.

The narrator, whose name I did not catch, said he had been on the scene at the time of the shooting and ran into the book depository, now the Dallas courthouse and Sixth Floor Museum, to call his radio station to report the shooting. Did he run up those same stairs and go into that office where we had just presented our ticket? The audio tour started with the campaign in 1960, including the Nixon-Kennedy debate, and went through the road to Dallas, the shooting, the trip to Love Field, President Johnson’s inauguration, the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, the funeral and the Warren report. It took about an hour. I didn’t have to think about navigating anything; I just had to listen and realized I remembered it all — 52 years later. I remembered hearing almost all of those news clips. There were times that the narrator would say, “If you want to hear more, go to the alcove behind you.”

As we sat there, people came and went, chatting like any other ordinary day, talking, laughing — didn’t they know? Couldn’t they feel it? Guess it’s just me. 

Our guide took us back downstairs on the elevator. She introduced us to Ani, and we went across the street to the café, where we had a long chat. It was a small street, not anywhere near as wide as the street on which I live — just a small ordinary lighted city intersection where, 52 years ago, people had lined the street to see the presidential motorcade pass … and to see the president shot. Even before we left the building, Ani let me feel the bricks of another building in a passageway through which we walked. “Now these are the original bricks of the depository,” she explained. “The elevator you rode in was not there then, but the place where you sat? That was there then. This building was opened in 1988.”

Over tea, we talked about the tour and the museum. I asked her if the supplemental material was audio-described. She said no. I mentioned that I wished it were — not to hold up a person’s tour but to be available to a visually impaired person, or anyone who might want to hear that additional information. “Should we have things labeled in braille?” she asked.

“No, not really,” I said. “Having audio information is more useful to anyone. I am a good braille reader, but not everyone is. Besides, audio would be much less expensive.”

“That is the thing about accessibility,” Ani said. “If you really think about it, something that you think might help one group actually helps a lot more people.” 

Ani explained that there were several continuously running feeds as well as the place where the funeral and memorial clips ran all the time. “Would you like to go back and hear them?” she asked.

At first I said no, but then I enthusiastically said yes. I might never be there again. “But could we try to let Cameo relieve?”

“Of course we could!” she said.

We walked across the street again to a grassy area — I don’t know if it was the grassy knoll — and it struck me that 52 years ago, people had been standing there waiting for the presidential motorcade and seeing history, another day of infamy in the life of the United States. “There are squirrels around here,” Ani explained, “and sometimes homeless people sleep here at night; maybe that is what she smells.” We tried twice — she wouldn’t go!

Back into the building we walked — up those stairs — now the site of the courthouse. “The judge is still in there,” Ani said. “I can see him through the window.”

Ani then took me into the library, and it was from this room that the narrator called WFAA to report the shooting. Now it is a Kennedy library with hundreds of hours of audio and any kind of book or video one might want concerning the assassination. “People come here and do research for weeks at a time,” Ani explained. “There are three computers here; they can just sit here and listen and read.” At the time we entered, no one was there.

I knew that right outside of the Sheraton Dallas, a light rail train ran. I also heard trains going past the museum. “Were those trains here back then?” I asked Ani. She said they were. “Would that be the same train that runs past the Sheraton?” I asked. “Probably not,” she replied. “That train is DART — Dallas Area Rapid Transit.” 

We then went back up to the museum. Ani let me feel the (now restricted) freight elevator which had been used back then to transport the boxes of textbooks to their place and eventually to where they were shipped.

She took me to the sniper’s perch, now glassed in, from which Oswald shot.  We then went a few steps farther to another glassed-in area where a rifle similar to the one he had used was placed among boxes of books, just as it had been found in 1963.

As we stood at the sniper’s perch, she explained that the trees are much higher now. I couldn’t help but wonder, “How could those shots be so perfect and exact that they hit Kennedy and the other dignitaries like Gov. Connolly and not anyone on the street?”

We heard the various audio feeds and went to sit briefly in a small quiet area where the funeral and other memorials continuously ran. “Many times you can hear a sniffle in there,” she said, “as people remember.”

Ani explained that the seventh floor is used for large gatherings; she took us up there, too. I asked if the banquet hall where the Dallas residents were waiting for President Kennedy was still there. “Oh yes! It’s used all the time,” she said.

By this time it was around 1 p.m., and we headed back to the Sheraton Dallas, awed and grateful for a life-changing experience. 

*****

Banquet Lets the Stars Shine Bright
by Sharon Lovering

ACB president Kim Charlson welcomed everyone to the banquet. “… By now in this week, you’ve heard plenty from me, so I’m going to take the evening off and introduce you to this evening’s master of ceremonies … Jeff Thom,” Charlson said. 

Thom introduced the head table as the servers began delivering dinner. He shared a few “factoids” about Brian Charlson, including a reference to page 173 of the Deflate-gate report, and Kenneth Semien wanting to become a pastor.

After a few door prizes, Chelle Hart and Chip Hailey presented the James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award. Hailey thanked the awards committee members for their work this year, and urged audience members to submit nominations for the national awards early next year. He gave the mike to Hart, who gave a brief description of the award before describing this year’s recipient. “In the early 1970s, this lady became involved with the blind through bowling. She helped organize and get sanctioned the Memphis Blind Bowlers so that they could bowl in the American Blind Bowlers Association.  … She has been involved with blind people ever since in many ways … Her first ACB convention was in 1995 … Let’s all sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and congratulate Dorothy ‘Dot’ Taylor on receiving the James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award!”

“Usually I’m not at a loss for words, but this is about more than I can handle,” Dot Taylor quipped. “James Olsen I met when he came to Memphis to bowl, and [was] one of the first people I met when I joined ACB ... I really appreciate the honor. I didn’t know when you got old, you got so many honors ... Thank you very much.” When the cheers and applause faded, the group serenaded her with “Happy Birthday.”  Taylor added, “I just had my pacemaker checked, and it’s good for nine more years, so I’m planning to be here on my 100th birthday – but no singing.”

Marie Brinas from the Old Dominion Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired gave a special presentation “for a dear friend and colleague … Virginia has lost a favorite son, but Arizona, you’re gaining a great guy, and that person is John McCann.” She invited McCann to come forward while she read the plaque. “It is rare that a lawyer does not know what to say, so mark the occasion,” McCann said. “This is an honor that I never expected to receive … Thank you so much.”

Thom reclaimed the microphone to introduce Christine Ha, the evening’s keynote speaker. “Good evening, everyone,” Ha said. “I’m going to try to keep it short and sweet.” She called Houston,Texas home. “I lost my vision several years ago due to an autoimmune condition called neuromyelitis optica or NMO – I know that’s a mouthful. … My optic nerves atrophied over time. … And it was … at the same time that I was also teaching myself how to cook. And I started really gaining this passion for cooking … it was something I thought I would never be able to do again …” 

Ha talked about being the only blind contestant on “MasterChef.” The staff gave her a sighted aide who would help her get around and figure out where everything was in the kitchen, but there were also a lot of rules placed on them, she noted. “She couldn’t tell me if something was still raw or burnt; I had to ask her very specific questions like, ‘Is this steak black or brown or red?’ and from that is how I determined if something was overcooked, cooked well or raw.” If she asked the aide to get the stand mixer, Ha couldn’t touch anything on the work station. “All of us are a lot more capable than we give ourselves credit for,” she added. “I think if you really set your mind to it, and with the right kind of support, anything is achievable.”

She took a few questions from the audience. Thom then called on Chelle Hart for the final award presentation. “This individual was nominated for an award this year because her accomplishments have underscored to the sighted world the degree to which a person who is blind is able to undertake daily activities that the general public often feels are beyond our capabilities,” Hart said. “She attained national acclaim winning the MasterChef contest … She is both an ambassador and a role model for our community. The 2015 ACB awards committee is proud to present the Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award to Ms. Christine Ha.”

Ha thanked ACB for the award. Afterward, the door prize committee gave away the last few prizes. Then it was time for the “Braille Forum” drawing! Dan Spoone drew the winning tickets from the big box full of hopefuls. 

Five members of the Nashville Dance Club will share $5,000 as the first prize winners. Harold Edwards, Charles Wilcox, Peggy Ivie, Beth Corley, and Patricia Valladares attend a weekly ballroom dancing class for blind and visually impaired participants.  Each winner will receive $1,000. 

Jane Sheehan of Silver Spring, Md. was the second prize winner of $1,000.  Richard Preston of Fargo, N.D., won the $500 third prize.

Thanks to everyone who purchased a ticket to support “The ACB Braille Forum.” We sold $14,000 worth of tickets and raised $7,500 for the Forum, which will pay for one month’s issue.  Thanks to the ACB board for selling over 150 tickets. The top ticket sellers were Allan Peterson (41), Tim Van Winkle (35), Leslie Spoone (30), and Mike Godino (15).

** Caption:

Banquet speaker Christine Ha, seated at the head table wearing a sleeveless V-neck ivory dress, listens as Jeff Thom introduces the head table.

*****

Notice of Class Action Settlement for Customers of Lululemon

If you are blind and purchased or attempted to purchase goods with a debit card at a lululemon athletic store, lululemon athletica showroom, ivivva store or ivivva showroom (the “Lululemon Stores”) between Jan. 1, 2010, and Jan. 14, 2015, and were unable to independently use the point of sale equipment (the “POS Device”) to conclude your purchase because the POS Device was not tactile enabled, your rights may be affected by a proposed class action settlement. Excluded from the settlement class are officers, directors, and employees of lululemon usa, inc. and its parents and subsidiaries (collectively, “Lululemon”), as well as judicial officers and employees of the court.

A federal court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.
•  The settlement resolves a lawsuit over Lululemon’s use of a touch-screen POS device in Lululemon stores that impedes blind patrons’ ability to independently make a debit card purchase.
•  Lululemon has agreed to replace the POS devices in all Lululemon stores with new, tactile-enabled devices that will be programmed to allow blind patrons to use the devices in the same manner as fully sighted patrons.
•  Your legal rights are affected whether you act or do not act. Please read this notice carefully.

** Your Legal Rights and Options in This Settlement

Exclude yourself by Nov. 6, 2015: 
You will not be giving up your right to sue Lululemon, but you cannot object and you will not be a part of the settlement.
	
Object by Nov. 6, 2015: 
Write to the court about why you do not like the settlement.
	
Go to a hearing on Dec. 3, 2015: 
Ask to speak in court about the settlement.
	
Do nothing: 
You give up the right to sue on your own regarding any claims that are part of the settlement.

These rights and options — and the deadlines to exercise them — are explained below.

The court in charge of this case has preliminarily approved the settlement, but still must decide whether to give final approval. The relief to be provided to settlement class members will only be provided if the court gives final approval to the settlement and after any appeals are resolved. Please be patient.

** Background Information

1. Why did I get this notice?

If you are blind or visually impaired and attempted to or did use a debit card to purchase goods at a Lululemon store between Jan. 1, 2010, and Jan. 14, 2015, but could not do so independently because of the POS device used in the Lululemon store, then your rights could be affected under the proposed settlement that has been reached in a class action lawsuit against Lululemon.

The court directed that this notice be posted because settlement class members have a right to know about the proposed settlement, and about all of their options, before the court decides whether to approve the settlement. If the court approves the settlement, and after objections and appeals are resolved, Lululemon will implement the benefits that the settlement provides.

This notice explains the nature of the lawsuit, the general terms of the proposed settlement, what benefits are available, who is eligible for them, and how to get them.

The court in charge of this case is the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the case is known as David New and Access Now, Inc. v. Lululemon USA, Inc., Case No. 1:14-CV-20589-DPG. The person and entity who sued, David New and Access Now, Inc., are called “Plaintiffs” and the company they sued, Lululemon USA, Inc., is called the “Defendant.”

2. What is this lawsuit about?

The lawsuit claimed, among other things, that the POS devices defendant uses in the Lululemon stores are inaccessible to blind patrons of the store because the POS devices are not tactile-enabled.  As a consequence, blind patrons cannot independently use the POS devices. Plaintiffs contend that defendant’s use of the POS devices discriminates against blind patrons. Defendant denies any wrongdoing and any liability whatsoever, and no court or other entity has made any judgment or other determination of any liability.

The above description of the lawsuit is general and does not cover all of the issues and proceedings that have occurred. In order to see the complete file for the action, you should visit the web site of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, PACER Service Center, located at http://www.pacer.gov/. You can also review a number of documents pertinent to this case, including the stipulation of settlement, at www.accessnowsettlement.com.

3. Why is this a class action?

In a class action, one or more individuals and or entities, called class representatives (in this case plaintiffs David New and Access Now, Inc.), sue on behalf of people who have similar claims. All these people are a class or class members. One court resolves the issues for all class members, except those who exclude themselves from the class. U.S. District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles is in charge of this class action.

4. Why is there a settlement?

The court has not decided in favor of plaintiffs or defendant. Instead, both sides agreed to a settlement. That way, they avoid the cost of a trial, and the settlement class members receive relief now rather than years from now, if at all. The class representatives and their attorneys believe the settlement is in the best interest of the settlement class.

5. How do I know if I am part of the settlement?

You first have to decide if you are a settlement class member.

As described above, the court decided that everyone who fits this description is a settlement class member:

Each blind person in the United States and its territories who from Jan. 1, 2010 to Jan. 14, 2015 purchased or attempted to purchase goods at a Lululemon store with a debit card and was unable to independently use the POS device in the Lululemon store to complete their purchase. Excluded from the settlement class are officers, directors, and employees of Lululemon and its parents and subsidiaries, as well as judicial officers and employees of the court.

** The Proposed Settlement 

6. What does the settlement provide?

Lululemon has agreed to replace all POS devices in Lululemon stores with new, tactile-enabled devices that will be programmed to allow blind patrons to independently use all functions of the device to the same extent as fully sighted patrons. To read more about the new devices, visit the web site, www.accessnowsettlement.com.

7. When will the class receive this benefit?

The court will hold a hearing on Dec. 3, 2015 to decide whether to approve the settlement. If Judge Gayles approves the settlement after that, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved, and resolving them can take time, perhaps more than a year. Please be patient.

** Dismissal of Action and Release of All Claims

8. What am I giving up to receive these benefits or stay in the class?

Unless you exclude yourself, you are staying in the settlement class, and that means you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against defendant about the legal issues in this case. It also means that all of the court’s orders will apply to you and legally bind you. If you do not exclude yourself, upon the “Effective Date,” you will release all “Released Claims” (as defined below) against the “Releasees” (as defined below).

“Released Claims” means all claims, actions, causes of action, administrative claims, demands, debts, damages, costs, attorney’s fees, obligations, judgments, expenses, or liabilities, in law or in equity, whether now known or unknown, contingent or absolute, other than claims for personal injury, that plaintiffs or any member of the settlement class now have or, absent this stipulation, may in the future have had, against releasees, or any of them, by reason of any act, omission, harm, matter, cause, or event whatsoever that has occurred at any time up to and including the entry of the Preliminary Approval Order, that has been alleged in this lawsuit or could have been alleged in the lawsuit or in another court action, and relates (i) to any of the alleged inadequacies, misstatements, or issues of or associated with the POS devices alleged in this lawsuit or (ii) to any act, omission, damage, matter, cause, or event whatsoever arising out of or related to the initiation, defense, or settlement of the lawsuit or the claims or defenses asserted or that could have been asserted in the lawsuit.  Claims under any state disability law are specifically excluded from the released claims.

“Releasees” means (a) Lululemon, together with its respective predecessors and successors in interest, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and assigns, past, present, and future officers, directors, agents, representatives, employees, attorneys, and insurers; and (b) all suppliers, distributors, dealers, retailers, trade partners, licensors, licensees, franchisees, public relations firms, advertising and production agencies, and other entities, whether foreign or domestic, who were or are in the chain of or played any role in, the design, testing, manufacture, assembly, distribution, marketing, sale, lease, installation, or servicing of the POS devices or their component parts.

The “Effective Date” will occur when an order entered by the court approving the settlement becomes final and not subject to appeal.

** Excluding Yourself from the Settlement

If you do not want a payment from this settlement, but you want to keep any right you may have to sue or continue to sue the defendant and the other releasees, on your own, about the released claims, then you must take steps to get out. This is called excluding yourself — or is sometimes referred to as “opting out” of the settlement class.

9. How do I get out of the settlement?

To exclude yourself from the settlement class, you must send a letter or postcard stating: (a) the name of the action, David New and Access Now, Inc. v. Lululemon USA, Inc., Case No. 1:14-CV-20589-DPG; (b) your full name, address, telephone number, and signature; and (c) a statement that you want to be excluded from the settlement, postmarked no later than Nov. 6, 2015 to the Claims Administrator at: Lululemon POS Device Class Settlement, Claims Administrator, PO Box 40007, College Station, TX  77842-4007.

You cannot exclude yourself on the phone or by e-mail. If you ask to be excluded, you cannot object to the settlement. However, you will not be legally bound by anything that happens in this lawsuit.

10. If I do not exclude myself, can I sue the defendant and the other releasees for the same thing later?

No. Unless you exclude yourself, you give up the right to sue defendant for the claims that the settlement resolves. If you have a pending lawsuit, speak to your lawyer in that pending lawsuit immediately. You must exclude yourself from this settlement class to continue your own lawsuit. Remember, the exclusion deadline is Nov. 6, 2015.

** The Lawyers Representing the Class

11. Do I have a lawyer in this case?

The court ordered that the law firm of Leon Cosgrove, LLP in Coral Gables, Fla. will represent the settlement class.  Those lawyers are called class counsel. You will not be charged for these lawyers. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

12. How will the lawyers be paid?

Class counsel will ask the court for up to $37,000 to cover all of their attorneys' fees and costs and for payment of up to $7,000 face value in Lululemon gift cards to the plaintiffs David New and Access Now, Inc. jointly for their services as class representatives. The court may award less than these amounts. Defendant will separately pay the attorneys’ fees and expenses and plaintiff payments that the court awards and no additional payments will be required from the settlement class members. Defendant has agreed not to oppose these attorneys’ fees and expenses and plaintiff payment. Defendant will also separately pay the costs to administer the settlement.

Copies of class counsel’s applications for attorneys’ fees, expenses, and plaintiff award will be available on the settlement website, www.accessnowsettlement.com.

** Objecting to the Settlement

You can tell the court that you do not agree with the settlement or some part of it.

13. How do I tell the court that I do not like the settlement?

If you are a settlement class member, you can object to the settlement if you do not like any part of it. You can give reasons why you think the court should not approve it. The court will consider your views.

To object, you must send a signed letter stating that you object to the proposed settlement in David New and Access Now, Inc. v. Lululemon USA, Inc., Case No. 1:14-CV-20589-DPG. Your written objection must include: (i) your name, address, and telephone number; (ii) the full case name and number (David New and Access Now, Inc. v. Lululemon USA, Inc., Case No. 1:14-CV-20589-DPG); (iii) a statement that you are a settlement class member; (iv) a statement of each objection asserted; (v) a detailed description of the facts underlying each objection; (vi) a detailed description of the legal authorities supporting each objection; (vii) a statement of whether you intend to appear and speak at the fairness hearing and, if so, how much time you anticipate needing to present the objection; (viii) a list of the exhibits that you may offer during the fairness hearing, along with copies of such exhibits; and (ix) your signature. In addition, if applicable, please include: (i) the identity of all counsel who represent you, including any former or current counsel who may be entitled to compensation for any reason related to your objection; (ii) the number of times in which you, your counsel (if any), or your counsel’s law firm (if any) has objected to a class action settlement within the three years preceding the date that the objector files the objection and the caption of each case in which such objection was made; and (iii) a statement disclosing any consideration that you, your counsel (if any), or your counsel’s law firm (if any) has received in connection with the resolution or dismissal of an objection to a class action settlement within the three years preceding the date that the objector files the objection. The deadline to file your objection is Nov. 6, 2015. The objection must be filed with the court by that date. The address to file your written objection with the United States District Court is: Clerk of the Court, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 N. Miami Ave., Miami, FL 33128.

You must also send a copy of your written objection to counsel for both parties at the addresses below: 

Class Counsel:	
Andrew Boese, Esq.
Leon Cosgrove, LLP
255 Alhambra Circle, Suite 424
Coral Gables, FL 33134
	
Defendant’s Counsel:
Fredrick McClure, Esq.
DLA Piper LLP (US)
100 N. Tampa St., Suite 2200
Tampa, FL 33602-5809

If you do not timely make your objection, you will be deemed to have waived all objections and will not be entitled to speak at the fairness hearing.

14. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?

Objecting is simply telling the court that you do not like something about the settlement. You can object only if you remain a settlement class member. Excluding yourself is telling the court that you do not want to be a part of the case and wish to forgo the relief provided by the settlement. If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the case no longer affects you.

** The Court’s Fairness Hearing

The court has preliminarily approved the settlement agreement and will hold a hearing on Dec. 3, 2015 to decide whether to give final approval to the proposed settlement. You may attend and you may ask to speak, but you do not have to.

15. When and where will the court decide whether to approve the proposed settlement?

The court will hold the fairness hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2015 at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 N. Miami Ave., Miami, FL 33128 in Room 11-2. At this hearing, the court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.

If there are objections, the court will consider them. Judge Gayles will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. See question 17 for more information about speaking at the hearing. After the fairness hearing, the court will decide whether to approve the settlement and whether to award any attorneys’ fees and expenses and awards to plaintiffs David New and Access Now, Inc. We do not know how long these decisions will take.

16. Do I have to come to the hearing?

No. Class counsel will answer questions Judge Gayles may have. But you are welcome to come at your own expense. If you send an objection, you do not have to come to the court to talk about it. As long as you filed your written objection on time, the court will consider it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary. Settlement class members do not need to appear at the hearing or take any other action to indicate their approval.

17. May I speak at the hearing?

You may ask the court for permission to speak at the fairness hearing. To do so, you must send a letter saying that it is your “Notice of Intention to Appear in David New and Access Now, Inc. v. Lululemon USA, Inc., Case No. 1:14-CV-20589-DPG.” Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and your signature. Your Notice of Intention to Appear must be postmarked no later than Nov. 6, 2015, and be sent to the clerk of the court, class counsel, and defense counsel, at the three addresses in question 13. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, you cannot speak at the fairness hearing if you excluded yourself from the settlement class or if you have not provided written notice of your intention to speak at the fairness hearing by the deadline identified, and in accordance with the procedures described in this section and question 13 above.

** If You Do Nothing

18. What happens if I do nothing at all?

If you do nothing, you will not be able to start a lawsuit, continue with a lawsuit, or be a party to any other lawsuit against defendant and the other releasees about the legal issues in this case, ever again.

** Getting More Information

19. Are there more details about the settlement?

This notice summarizes the proposed settlement. More detailed terms are in the signed stipulation. You can get a copy of the stipulation by writing to class counsel at the address above or by visiting www.accessnowsettlement.com, where you will also find answers to common questions about the settlement, class counsel’s papers in support of the settlement and their applications for attorneys’ fees, expenses, and plaintiff awards (after they are filed), and other documents. All other papers that have been filed in the action may be inspected at the Office of the Clerk of the Court of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 N. Miami Ave., Miami, FL 33128, during regular business hours.

Please do not call the court or the clerk of court for additional information about the settlement.

*****

Lynn Manning dies at 60; blind poet, athlete, Watts theater group founder
by Steve Chawkins
Reprinted from “The Los Angeles Times,” Aug. 5, 2015.

I knew Lynn Manning for a number of years and respected him and his work greatly. He was the 2005 winner of ACB’s Vernon Henley Media Award for his work with the staff and cast of “Blind Justice.” Several years ago, I had the opportunity to see his one-man play, “Weights,” and was moved by his ability to overcome both the challenge of poverty and later, losing his vision in a split-second act of violence. While not an ACB member, he was one of the blind people who did a Hetlioz/Non-24 commercial for Vanda Pharmaceuticals. In 2010, Joel Snyder invited Lynn Manning to keynote the Audio Description Project conference. Most recently, Lynn was invited to be a part of an ADA anniversary event in Washington, D.C. Rest easy, Lynn.
– Mitch Pomerantz

After a stranger blinded him with a gunshot to the face at a Hollywood bar, Lynn Manning never thirsted for revenge. He had a life, after all.

At 23, he had to learn how to get around by himself. To stay fit, he took up martial arts and became a world champion in blind judo. To stay sane, he wrote funny, angry, poignant poems and read them at poetry slams. To grapple with stage fright, he studied acting. To find his voice on a tangle of profound issues that were wrapped up in having a disability and being an African-American, he wrote acclaimed one-act plays and co-founded a theater company in Watts.

Manning’s assailant tangled with him in a pinball tournament and came back with a gun. He was never found.

“I sincerely hope he gets what’s coming to him, but I don’t dwell much on it,” Manning told a Pennsylvania newspaper, “The Allentown Morning Call,” in 2007. “Some say it's important for a victim to get closure, but I think if you need that sort of thing to move forward, you’re still a victim.”

Manning, who last month attended a White House celebration on the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, died Monday at his Los Angeles home. He was 60. 

He had liver cancer, said Eric Inman, managing director of the Watts Village Theater Company, a group established by Manning and local activist Quentin Drew in 1996.

The group, which at times has eked by on bare-bones budgets, offers professional theater in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Manning was its guiding spirit and artistic director.

“He spoke about how theater had the ability to give light to those who would otherwise be invisible,” Inman said, “whether in the underserved community of South L.A. or to those in the disabled community.”

After he lost his sight, Manning discovered disturbing similarities between the two worlds. In his poem “The Magic Wand,” he vividly summed up the prejudices he encountered daily:

Quick-change artist extraordinaire,
I whip out my folded cane
and change from Black Man to “blind man”
with a flick of my wrist.
From God-gifted wizard of round ball
Dominating backboards across America
To God-gifted idiot savant
Pounding out chart busters on a cockeyed whim;
From sociopathic gangbanger with death for eyes
To all-seeing soul with saintly spirit …

“My final form is never of my choosing,” he reminded his listeners. “I only wield the wand; you are the magician.”

In his plays, Manning often riffed on the themes of discrimination and violence.

In 1990, he based “Shoot” on the true story of a blind friend who navigated L.A.’s mean streets with a 9-mm handgun for protection. In “Before the Drive to Oakwood Station,” he wrote a 20-minute monologue by a postal worker who had just killed his family and was about to take out his co-workers and himself.

Manning’s best-known piece is the autobiographical “Weights,” which traces his life from a tortured childhood up to the shooting. In addition to his Los Angeles performances, Manning played himself in productions off-Broadway as well as in Edinburgh and Adelaide, Australia.

“In the absence of that vastness, that visual feast, I came to recognize the overwhelming distraction that sight had been,” he told his audience. “I had never noticed that sound moves the way it does, or feels the way it does. And what about this pulse, this radiation that flows from all things? And the smells! Good God! The smells! Who knew such sensory lushness existed in this more immediate realm? Blind people had to have known all along.”

Born in Fresno on April 30, 1955, Manning grew up in a large family in South L.A. When he was 7, his mother nearly killed his stepfather with a butcher knife. Over the years, he lived in six foster homes and attended nine schools.

Despite tough circumstances, he did well. He studied art at Los Angeles Community College and dreamed of becoming a painter in Paris.

But Manning was accustomed to loss, and dreams were just something else to lose.

“Growing up, I had developed a habit of always preparing for the worst,” he said in a 2014 Times profile. “Even before the shooting, I’d thought, ‘Since you love painting so much, how would you survive if it was taken away from you?’ It was hard for everyone around me to believe, but I looked at it like this wasn't the worst thing that ever happened.”

Within a year of his shooting on Oct. 25, 1978, Manning started his judo lessons at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles. In 1990, he took gold at the World Games for the Disabled in the Netherlands, and silver at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona.

“For me, it was a really good outlet for anger and getting out my frustration of living blind in a sighted world,” he told a University of Oregon publication in 2008.

In 1989, he was a technical adviser to actor Rutger Hauer, who played a blind, sword-wielding, karate chop-throwing action hero in the film “Blind Fury.” “Lynn taught me how to unfocus my eyes, to react to smells and sounds,” Hauer told People magazine. “He could pick up the patterns of your breathing if you were upset.”

Manning also appeared in commercials and had small roles on several TV shows, including “Seinfeld.” 

Divorced twice, he is survived by his father and several brothers and sisters. His sister Dorothy Raybon described him as “a genius and a survivor who was deeply loved by all.”

*****

Here and There
edited by Sharon Strzalkowski

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 E-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.

** Children’s Book about White Cane Safety Day

How do you celebrate White Cane Day on Oct. 15th? Make sure all your friends and neighbors know about it! Kristin Grender, a TVI and O&M instructor in Wisconsin, has written a storybook for young kids that explains the day, the white cane and why we celebrate it. While the book is cute and easy to read, it also expresses why the white cane is important and how to follow the white cane law. It also teaches another lesson: “Visual impairments do not have to hold you back from success!”

You can find the book on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/White-Cane-Day-Kristin-Grender/dp/1633186075/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1439848912&sr=8-1. It is also available on Bookpatch at http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStore/white-cane-day/b6378cc7-8693-4655-a975-4b594fad0841?isbn=9781633186071.

** Low Vision Research Initiative

Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has launched a new research initiative to address urgent needs in understanding and treating low vision. The $1.2 million, two-pronged initiative involves funding partnerships with Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation (RDPFS). Both grants are intended to provide seed funding for high-risk/high-gain, innovative, cutting-edge research which demonstrates out-of-the-box thinking. 

The LCIF grant targets damage to the visual system. Some of the issues awardees will be challenged to tackle are: What happens to degraded visual input and how is it processed? What are the adaptive strategies in the visual pathway in response to visual impairment? How does the brain re-organize itself in response to visual system damage? How can the visibility of objects be enhanced?

The RDPFS grant will promote the development of assistive devices for people with low vision. It will focus on mobile and/or wearable innovations that can be implemented on multiple platforms, such as electronic tablets or phones. It will also support environmental adaptations which can improve a visually impaired individual's ability to perform a daily living activity.

Applications for the RDPFS grant are due Oct. 19. Nominations for the LCIF grant are due Dec. 15. Guidelines, application forms and grant contact information are available at www.rpbusa.org/rpb/grants-and-research/grants/low-vision-awards/innovations-in-technology-low-vi/. 

** TheReImage Seeks Content & Contest Submissions

TheReImage is a new online campaign to re-create the image of people with vision loss while establishing new possibilities. With the sighted world as the audience for this project, TheReImage will use written stories and audio pieces about and by people with vision loss to demonstrate that, as people, we are more alike than different. Share your experiences with raising children, owning a home, taking a trip, enjoying the outdoors, working, spending time with friends, dealing with family issues, managing a household, relaxing with a favorite hobby, etc. 

All story submissions will be considered for publication. In addition, monetary prizes of $100, $50 and $25 will be awarded to first, second and third place winners respectively for stories submitted by Nov. 1, 2015. Criteria considered for the prizes will be writing skill, writing style, appropriate tone of the article, and originality. All stories selected for publication will appear as we launch our new web site, TheReImage.net. Submission guidelines and sample stories may be found there, too. E-mail your stories to content@TheReImage.net, or send them to TheReImage, PO Box 13019, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

** Ski for Light

The 41st annual Ski for Light (SFL) International Week will take place from Sunday, Jan. 24th through Saturday, Jan. 30th, 2016. It will take place in northwest lower Michigan on the grounds of Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, Mich. Located just 45 minutes from the Traverse City airport, Shanty Creek Resorts is a 4,500-acre complex containing three housing and entertainment villages, both cross-country and downhill ski trails, a tubing hill, several swimming pools and hot tubs, a fitness center and spa, and much more. 

If you are a novice and want to learn how to cross-country ski, or if you have skied before and just want to be matched with an experienced guide and meet new friends for a wonderful week of fun in the snow, this is the event for you!  

Applications are due Nov. 1. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis. For more information, or to apply, visit www.sfl.org/event. If you have questions, contact Bob Hartt at bobmhartt@gmail.com, or by calling (703) 845-3436 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time.

*****

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 (partial term, 2016)
Berl Colley, Lacey, WA (final term, 2016)
Sara Conrad, Stevensville, MI (1st term, 2016)
Katie Frederick, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2018)
Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX (final term, 2016)
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 (1st term, 2016)
David Trott, Talladega, AL (1st term, 2018)
Ex Officio: Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA

** ACB Board of Publications
Denise Colley, Chairman, Lacey, WA (2nd term, 2017)
Ron Brooks, Phoenix, AZ (2nd term, 2017)
Tom Mitchell, Salt Lake City, UT (1st term, 2016)
Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (1st term, 2016)
Judy Wilkinson, San Leandro, CA (1st term, 2016)
Ex Officios: Nolan Crabb, Columbus, OH
Bob Hachey, Waltham, MA
Berl Colley, Lacey, WA

*****
 
RETURN TO:
American Council of the Blind
2200 Wilson Blvd.
Suite 650
Arlington, VA 22201

** 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/.