American Council of the Blind
50th Annual Conference and Convention
Theme: ACB in the Silver State
Golden Past - Diamond Future

Sunday, July 10 - Rose Ballroom

6:30pm Pre-convention entertainment - Adrienne Lattin, Flute, Reno, NV

7:00pm Call to Order - Mitch Pomerantz, President, American Council of the Blind, Pasadena, CA
Invocation - Michael Garrett, member, ACB Board of Directors, Missouri City, TX
Presentation of Colors - Color Guard, Fallon Naval Air Station, Fallon, NV
Pledge of Allegiance - MJ Schmitt, ACB charter member, Rochester, NY
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Welcome to Reno - Bob Cashell, Mayor, City of Reno, and Geno Martini, Mayor, City of Sparks, NV
Welcome - Rick Kuhlmey, President, Nevada Council of the Blind and Co-Chair, Nevada Host Committee, Las Vegas, NV

7:20pm President's Report - Mitch Pomerantz, Pasadena, CA

7:45pm Hearing from ACB's Past Presidents - Reese Robrahn, 1966-1972 (deceased)

7:50pm Future Trends in Access Technology - Gilles Pepin, Chief Executive Officer, HumanWare Inc., Drummondville, QC, Canada

8:20pm ACB First-Timers - Allen Casey, Chair, DKM Committee, Graham, NC

8:30pm Life Membership Presentations - Mitch Pomerantz

8:50pm First Credentials Committee Report - Jean Mann, Chair, Credentials Committee, Guilderland, NY

9:05pm Roll Call of Affiliates - Marlaina Lieberg, ACB Secretary, Burien, WA

Monday, July 11 - Rose Ballroom

8:00am Morning Entertainment

8:30am Pledge of Allegiance - Denny Huff, President, Missouri Council of the Blind, Kansas City, MO (ACB's birthplace)
Invocation - Reverend Sherryl Netzler, St. Catherine of Sierra Episcopal Church, Reno, NV

8:40am ACB Business
Announcement of ACB Sponsors - Margarine Beaman, Austin, TX
Ruby Sponsor Presentation - Vanda Pharmaceuticals
Final Credentials Report - Jean Mann
Adoption of Standing Rules/Adoption of Program - Mitch Pomerantz
Constitution and Bylaws - Dr. Otis Stephens, Chair, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Knoxville, TN
Presiding Officer - Kim Charlson, ACB First Vice President, Watertown, MA

9:15am Hearing from ACB's Past Presidents - Oral Miller, 1978-1981, Washington, DC

9:20am Presentation of Affiliate Membership Growth Awards - Cindy Van Winkle, Chair, Awards Committee, Bremerton, WA
Presentation of Ned E. Freeman, Hollis Liggett and Vernon Henley Awards - Paul Edwards, Chair, ACB Board of Publications, Miami, FL

9:40am Tales of the Silver State - Chris Driggs, Archivist, Nevada State Archives, Carson City, NV

10:00am The Status of Blind People in Brazil - Dr. Francisco Lima, Professor, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

10:30am Break

10:45am Honoring ACB's Past - M.J. Schmitt, ACB Charter Member, Rochester, NY; Dr. Phyllis Burson, Widow of ACB Charter Member Brad Burson, Bethesda, MD; Michael Byington, Son of Longtime ACB Member Bonnie Byington, Topeka, KS

11:15am The Future of Accessible Telecommunications after Passage of H.R. 3101 - Eric Bridges, ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Arlington, VA

11:45am ACB Recreation Zone - Oral Miller, Washington, DC

11:55am Announcements

Tuesday, July 12 - Rose Ballroom
Sponsored by Adobe Systems

8:00am Morning Entertainment - We Be Cellin' Cello Choir

8:30am Pledge of Allegiance - Visually Impaired Veterans of America
Invocation - Tom Thompkins, Pastor, Reno Christian Fellowship, Reno, NV

8:35am ACB Business
Announcement of ACB Sponsors - Margarine Beaman
Report of the Nominating Committee - Patrick Sheehan, Chair, Silver Spring, MD
Constitution and Bylaws - Dr. Otis Stephens
Resolutions - Judy Jackson, Chair, Resolutions Committee, Austin, TX
Presiding Officer: Brenda Dillon, ACB Second Vice President, Hermitage, TN

9:10am Hearing From ACB's Past Presidents - Dr. Otis Stephens, 1987-1989, Knoxville, TN

9:15am 2011 ACB Scholarship Presentations - Patty Slaby, Chair, Scholarship Committee, Winona, MN

10:30am Break

10:45am Recognizing ACB's Present - Pratik Patel, President, ACB of New York and Chair, Information Access Committee, Fresh Meadows, NY; Peggy Garrett, Chair, Multicultural Affairs Committee, Missouri City, TX; Cindy Van Winkle, Bremerton, WA; Paul Edwards, Miami, FL

11:15am A New Day At NLS - Ruth Scovill, Acting Director, and Michael Katzmann, Chief, Materials Development Division, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC

11:55am Announcements

Wednesday, July 13 - Rose Ballroom

8:00am Morning Entertainment

8:30am Pledge of Allegiance - Berl Colley, ACB Oral History Project and member, ACB Board of Directors, Lacey, WA
Invocation - Rev. Phil Bryan, Reno Buddhist Church, Reno, NV

8:35am ACB Business
Announcement of ACB Sponsors - Margarine Beaman
Constitution and Bylaws; Resolutions
Presiding Officer: Marlaina Lieberg, ACB Secretary, Burien, WA

9:00am Hearing From ACB's Past Presidents - LeRoy Saunders, 1989-1995, Oklahoma City, OK

9:05am Accessing Medical Information and Maintaining Our Privacy As Blind Consumers - Sue Ammeter, Chair, Health Issues Task Force, Port Hadlock, WA; Dr. Chris Cooke, ND, Naturopathic Physician, Portland, OR; Paula D. Pearlman, J.D., Executive Director, Disability Rights Legal Center, Los Angeles, CA

9:40am Safety and Security in and Outside the Home - Tracey Hawkins, Safety and Security Trainer/Writer, Kansas City, MO; Wendy David, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Veterans Administration, Seattle, WA

10:10am Break

10:25am A Friendly and Familiar Voice - Kristin Allison, Talking Book Narrator, Denver, CO

10:55am Focusing on ACB's Future - Sara Conrad, President, National Alliance of Blind Students, Stevensville, MI; Suzanne Whalen, Recent ACB Member, Dallas, TX; Kenneth Semien, Sr., 2010 DKM First-Timer Award winner and Second Vice President, ACB of Texas, Beaumont, TX; Derrick Middleton, First Vice President, ACB of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

11:25am Update on ACB's Audio Description Project - Joel Snyder, President, Audio Description Associates and Director, ACB Audio Description Project, Tacoma Park, MD

11:55am Announcements

Thursday, July 14 - Rose Ballroom

8:00am Morning Entertainment

8:30am Pledge of Allegiance - Darrin Cheney, 2011 DKM First-timer and President, Idaho Council of the Blind, Weiser, ID
Invocation - Father Mike Mahone, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, Reno, NV

8:35am ACB Business
Announcement of ACB Sponsors - Margarine Beaman
Ruby Sponsor Presentation - Google Inc.
Constitution and Bylaws; Resolutions
Presiding Officer: Mike Godino, ACB Treasurer, Malverne, NY

9:00am Hearing From ACB's Past Presidents - Paul Edwards, 1995-2001, Miami, FL

9:05am Update on Activities Related to a Proposed International Copyright Agreement: Michele Woods, Acting Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs, United States Copyright Office, Washington, DC

9:35am Status of Braille in the U.S. and Beyond: Judy Dixon, Chair, Braille Authority of North America, Arlington, VA

10:00am Executive Director's Report - Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, Arlington, VA

10:30am Break

10:45am Treasurer's Report - Mike Godino, ACB Treasurer

11:00am ACBES Report - Michael Garrett, Chair, ACB Enterprises and Services, Missouri City, TX

11:15am National Conference/Convention Report - Carla Ruschival, Chair, ACB Convention Committee, Louisville, KY

11:35am Report on the 5K Walk/Run and ACB Auction - Dan Dillon, Co-Chair, Resource Development Committee, Hermitage, TN; Marsha Farrow, Chair, ACB Auction Subcommittee, Summerville, GA

11:55am Announcements

Friday, July 15 - Rose Ballroom

8:00am Morning Entertainment - Zachary Lattin, classical guitar

8:30am Pledge of Allegiance – Marsha Farrow, member, ACB Board of Directors, Summerville, GA (home of ACB’s first president)
Invocation - Carl Wilfred, Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Reno, NV
Announcement of ACB Sponsors - Margarine Beaman

8:55am Hearing From ACB's Past Presidents - Christopher Gray, 2001-2007, San Francisco, CA

9:00am ACB Business

10:00am Elections

10:30am Break

10:45am Elections (Continued); Resolutions

12:00 Noon Lunch Break

1:15pm ACB Business

2:45pm Break

3:00pm ACB Old and New Business

5:00pm Adjourn

5:30pm ACB Life Member Reception - Pavillion C

6:30pm Pre-banquet entertainment - Pavillion D-E.

7:00pm ACB Golden Anniversary Banquet - $32, $35 - Pavillion D-E.
Master of Ceremonies - Dr. Otis Stephens, ACB Past President, Knoxville, TN
Invocation - Rick Kuhlmey, Freedom Park Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and President, Nevada Council of the Blind, Las Vegas, NV
ACB Jeopardy - an educational and entertaining look at ACB's history; Peter Altschul, Jeopardy Emcee, Columbia, MO
Presentation of Robert S. Bray, Durward K. McDaniel and George Card Awards: Cindy Van Winkle, Bremerton, WA