Our Mission

The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life, for all blind and visually-impaired people.


ACB Discovering New Worlds!
the Santa Maria with Nina and Pinta nearby
American Council of the Blind
52nd Annual Conference & Convention
July 4 – July 12, 2013
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Columbus, Ohio

  • Exhibits and Adaptive Technology
  • Workshops and Seminars
  • Career Development, Networking and Advocacy
  • Professional Development Opportunities
  • Special Programs for People with Low Vision
  • Programs for Students, Families and Seniors
  • Tours and Social Events
  • Activities for Kids

    ! And Much Much More !

A fabulous week of information and fun awaits you and your entire family in exciting Columbus, Ohio.  Enjoy the bustling downtown and the many attractions Columbus has to offer just minutes from the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Read more here.
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Access Board Working Group on Accessible Prescription Drug Labels to Hold Final Teleconference May 22

photo of prescription bottle on side with pills spilling out The Access Board’s Working Group on Accessible Prescription Drug Labels will hold its final meeting by teleconference May 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 (ET). This group is examining alternatives for making information on prescription drug container labels accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired or who are elderly. Members of the public can follow the proceedings remotely through a toll-free conference line and online real-time transcription. There will be an opportunity for public comment following the working group’s deliberations.
 
Further details are posted on the Board's website. For more information, contact Susan Crawford at crawford@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0029 (v), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY).

Teleconference of the Accessible Prescription Drug Labels Working Group
May 22, 2:00 - 4:00
Dial: (888) 603-7094
Passcode: 6317703

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART):
http://www.streamtext.net

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Testimony of Brian Charlson on HELP on ADA and Entertainment Technologies

Testimony of Brian Charlson
Director of Technology, Carroll Center for the Blind, Newton, MA
Chairman, Information Access Committee, American Council of the Blind
on behalf of the American Council of the Blind
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP)
On the ADA and Entertainment Technologies
May 14, 2013

Caption: Photo in the HELP Committee Hearing room just after the hearing ended from left to right are Brian Charlson, Senator Harkin and Eric Bridges
 
Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, and members of the HELP Committee, I want to thank you for the invitation to discuss the need to improve accessibility from the "Movie Screen to Your Mobile Device.”  The Carroll Center for the Blind is a private not-for-profit organization providing blind and visually impaired children and adults training in skills that lead to greater independence and improved quality of life. I have worked at The Carroll Center for the past 28 years teaching blind and visually impaired people to use technology for education, employment, and independent living.  Please read more here.
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Undercover Investigation Documents Taxis Stranding Disabled Passengers on the Curbs of DC Streets

Melanie Brunson and Eric Bridges participated in an undercover taxi discrimination story that the local CBS affiliate was conducting.  The link to the story and video is below. This was a well done story that shows the continuing challenges that guide dog users face in Washington but also across the country.
http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/259124/158/DC-Cabs-Strand-Disabled-Pas...
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Board of Publications Hosts Internet Candidates' Page

The board of publications is again hosting an Internet candidates' page on www.acb.org in 2013.  The information from this page will be made available to members who do not have Internet access.
           
The candidates' page is a web page where people declaring candidacy for office present themselves to the ACB membership. This allows ACB chapters and affiliates to have more information at their disposal before they send delegates to the national convention.  We are also offering those with social networking and personal web sites a chance to promote their candidacy via our page. But you won't get to take advantage of this great opportunity if you don't submit!
 
Many members have told us how much they appreciate the opportunity to participate more actively in ACB's democracy because of the early dissemination of this information. Please read more here.
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It's here! The all-new ACB Virtual Mini Mall!

man and woman with laptops and credit cards shopping
The place for useful, fun, and unusual products for home, school and work.  Whether you are shopping for the kids, mom or dad, the boss or neighbor, or the senior set, you'll find the perfect product for every occasion.

The ACB Treasures Shop is the first store to open in the ACB Virtual Mini Mall.  The ACB Treasures collection is an all-new line of products, introduced at the 2012 ACB Conference and Convention in Louisville. It includes an expanded line of ACB logo merchandise and special lines of products commemorating ACB events.  Departments in the ACB Treasures Shop include the Case Place, the Clothes Rack, the 4 Paws Boutique and many more.

To get in on the fun and download the Mall catalog click here.
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5th Annual ACB Walk is Live

The 5th Annual ACB Walk is live and ready for registrations and donations. On the ACB.org front page in the Quick Links menu you will find the link 5th Annual ACB Walk. That takes you to the site with all the information. If you would like to go there directly in your browser, it is found at https://walk-run.acb.org/

Dan Dillon,
Walk Coordinator
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5th Annual Audio Description Institute - July 10-12, 2013

The American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project announces its Audio Description Institute - July 10-12, 2013
In Conjunction with ACB's 2013 Annual Conference and Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Columbus, Ohio.



Audio Description (AD) makes visual images accessible for people who are blind or have low vision.  Using words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative, media describers convey the visual image from television and film that is not fully accessible to a significant segment of the population (more than 20 million Americans experience significant vision loss).
 
The signing of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has spawned a virtual cottage industry for the development of description for broadcast television.
 
Be a part of it!   Register now at:  https://adpregister.acb.org/  If you have questions or for more information, contact Joel Snyder at  jsnyder@acb.org.
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ACB Comments on NHTSA’s Minimum Sound Requirements


Comments of the American Council of the Blind submitted to the
Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards;
Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
published in the Federal Register 78 FR 2797
January 14, 2013
Docket No. NHTSA-2011-0148
RIN 2127-AK93
March 15,2013

For further information, contact:
 
Eric Bridges
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind
2200 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 650
Arlington, VA 22201
202-467-5081
ebridges@acb.org
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is pleased to provide comment on the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) published on January 14, 2013 concerning minimum sound requirements for hybrid and electric vehicles. 
 
Over all, ACB is encouraged by the contents of the NPRM. Once implemented, this promises to allow for a far greater degree of safety and security for all pedestrians who traverse the streets and roadways in this country.  Continue reading here.
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Walmart Expands Program to Provide Talking Prescription Containers

Need information about how to order Talking Prescription Containers for prescription medication obtained from Walmart? You’ll find everything you need in this post. In June, 2012, Walmart became the first national pharmacy retailer to offer Talking Prescription Containers free of charge to persons with visual impairments. The ScripTalk Talking Prescription program is being offered to customers across the country through Walmart mail order. In addition to the national mail order program, Walmart now offers ScripTalk at 33 stores around the country. A list of stores where ScripTalk is available, as well as instructions for ordering, appear below. Read the June, 2012 Walmart press release announcing its ScripTalk initiative.

Information you need to order Talking Prescription Containers from Walmart: Continue reading here.

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ACB Report to the Membership

Melanie Brunson (Executive Director) and Mitch Pomerantz (President) report to the membership

Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, and Mitch Pomerantz, ACB President, report to the general membership in Louisville, Kentucky at the 51st Annual American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention.
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Copyright © 2013 American Council of the Blind
All content created initially for use by ACB in publications, in any media on any web site domains administered by ACB, or as a broadcast or podcast on ACB Radio, archived or not, is considered to be the property of the American Council of the Blind. Creative content that appears elsewhere originally remains the property of the original copyright holder. Those responsible for creative content submitted initially to ACB are free to permit their materials to appear elsewhere with proper attribution and prior notification to the ACB national office.