by Debbie Rozear and Deb Trevino
Each year at the convention, ACB presents awards to those who have been nominated for each of its awards. This year was no different. There were several awards presented at the 2021 banquet on Thursday evening, July 22.
The Affiliate Outreach Award was presented to the Friends ‘N Focus Chapter, Medina, Ohio for their over 60 collections and distributions of CCTVs to Ohioans with low vision.
The James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award was presented to Kim Crowell of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, in recognition of her leadership in making the museum a model of accessibility for all disabilities.
The Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award was presented to Allan Peterson in recognition of his many years of service to ACB and numerous other community organizations.
Competition was tight for the Affiliate Growth Awards this year. The affiliate with the largest number of new members - 81 - was Blind Information Technology Specialists. ACB Next Generation had the largest percentage of new members (136.67%).
Board of Publications Awards
The Board of Publications presented awards during convention, too. Nicholas Giudice was the recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award for his article “COVID-19 and Blindness,” which appeared in the August 2020 “ACB E-Forum.” The Vernon Henley Media Award went to the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Committee, Martin Wilde and Bridget Melton, for their commitment to accessibility by providing extensive, unprecedented audio description coverage for the events of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. And the Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award went to Sally Benjamin and the Florida Council of the Blind, for affiliate newsletter excellence.
Thinking Ahead to 2022
It is not too early to think about nominating someone for the 2022 awards. Only a few months until the process starts all over again. Watch for the call for nominations in early 2022 and have your nomination ready to submit. To read the criteria for these awards, visit https://www.acb.org/call-nominees-2021-acb-awards. To view the criteria for the BOP awards, visit https://www.acb.org/bop-seeks-award-excellence-1.