The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is proud to announce its annual 2026 D.C. Leadership Conference, where attendees will participate in educational sessions, engage with keynote speakers from the disability community, and meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill. The conference focuses on advancing key legislative priorities to promote independence and improve the quality of life for people who are blind or have low vision.
ACB’s 2026 Leadership Conference will be a hybrid event. The optional tour, ACB’s Board Meeting, Presidents’ Meeting, Legislative Seminar, and Capitol Hill visits will take place between Friday, March 6th, 2026 and Tuesday, March 10th, 2026, at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA.
Conference Registration
Registration is now OPEN for all. You can register through the members site here: https://members.acb.org/. The registration fee for in-person attendees is $115. The registration fee is $30 for virtual attendees. Registration closes on February 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.
Hotel Reservations
The room rate for the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel is $163 per night plus tax and fees. This rate applies to any night starting on Thursday, March 5th, 2026 till Wednesday, March 11th, 2026. The Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel is located at 900 S. Orme St., Arlington, VA 22204.
We recommend making a reservation by calling 1-800-325-3535 and informing the Marriott representative that you will be attending the “ACB Leadership Seminar” to receive the group rate. The group code is "A26". The room block cutoff date is on Friday, February 6th, 2026. You may cancel your reservation before March 4th, 2026 for a full refund. If you experience any issues booking a room, please email Hannah Park at hpark@acb.org.
You may also make a reservation at the Sheraton online by clicking here: https://app.marriott.com/reslink?id=1745876689027&key=GRP&app=resvlink.
Note for the hotel reservation page: When you land on the date field, press "enter" on the edit box that contains the dates. This will put you in forms mode. Press enter again to trigger the date selector and then leave forms mode. That should then reveal a table of dates you can select; navigate by ‘tables’ with the ‘T’ key. Select the first date as the check-in date, then select the second date in the same table as the check-out date. To confirm that the correct dates are selected, return to the edit field, and verify that the dates have been updated.
The Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel offers a shuttle service to DCA airport 7 days a week. From DCA to the hotel, the shuttle service starts at 6:15 AM; from 6:15 to 9:15 AM pickups are every 30 minutes; from 9:15 AM to 11:15 PM pickups will run every hour.
From the hotel to DCA service starts at 6:00 AM; from 6:00 to 9:00 AM shuttle service pickups are every 30 minutes; from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM shuttle service pickups will be every hour.
Schedule of Events
- Friday, March 6: Afternoon Tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This national museum is devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture and this tour is free of charge. Members will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the tour. The Smithsonian museum has a Cafe where you may want to eat lunch before the tour. The Sweet Home cafe is busy and provides counter service so allow extra time if you eat there. The cafe menu link is Sweet Home Cafe Menu. Those who sign up will receive additional details. For more information on the museum, visit their site: https://nmaahc.si.edu/.
- Saturday, March 7: Board Meeting & Evening Welcome Reception
- Sunday, March 8: Presidents’ Meeting (including luncheon) & Evening Dine Around in Pentagon City
- Monday, March 9: Legislative Seminar (including luncheon) & Trivia Night Social
- Tuesday, March 10: Attendees may visit Capitol Hill to meet with their representatives
*Additional information on daily agendas coming soon.
Legislative Imperatives
- Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (118th Congress) English (Word doc)
- The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act (118th Congress) English (Word doc)
- The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (118th Congress) English (Word doc)
Please stay tuned for more details about our 2026 Leadership Conference!
Support ACB
If you are unable to attend the conference either virtually or in-person but would like to support our advocacy efforts or help cover costs for the event, such as streaming the event, please click on this link: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/ACBleadershipdonation.