by Janet Dickelman
The 2026 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention theme is Soaring to New Heights! The theme was developed by the Convention Steering Committee.
Virtual Convention Dates
The following is a list of events that will be held virtually prior to the in-person portion of the convention.
Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m.: Candidates’ Forum
Saturday, July 11: Summer auction, preceded by two days of appetizer auction!
Monday, July 13, 7 p.m.: Call to order, reading of standing rules, first credentials report, and other ACB business. Followed by nominating committee.
Tuesday, July 14 through Thursday, July 16 (evenings): Resolutions will be read and discussed.
Wednesday, July 15: Virtual exhibitor open house followed by mock election.
Thursday, July 16 through Saturday, July 18: Virtual-only programming; including affiliate business meetings, ACB committee, special-interest affiliate and business partner sessions
Friday, July 17th (evening): Discussion of constitution and bylaw amendments
Monday, July 20: Voting on resolutions and constitution and bylaw amendments.
In-Person Convention Information
On Friday, July 24, ACB will hold a board meeting, and the Missouri host committee will host a welcome party.
Committees, special-interest affiliates and business partners will hold events in Saint Louis Saturday, July 25 through Wednesday, July 29.
We will have 2 hybrid rooms, and provide space for other sessions that are in-person only. In-person only sessions (excluding mixers and other purely social events) can be recorded by ACB and will be available as podcasts, but they will not have Zoom capability.
General Sessions
This year’s opening general session will be held on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m.
On Sunday morning we will host four sessions. We are still working on setting them. There will be something for everyone!
Daily general sessions will be held Monday through Wednesday, 8:30 to noon, and Thursday from 8:30 to 2 p.m. Our banquet will be held Thursday evening.
Exhibit Hall
Exhibit hall hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Touring St. Louis
Our first tours will be on Friday, July 24th and final tours on Friday, July 31. For a listing of tours, see the January ACB Braille Forum.
Hotel Details
Room rates at the Hyatt are $104 single or double, $129 triple or $154 quad, plus applicable state and local taxes (currently 17.92%). To make reservations online, go to
https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/STLRS/G-ACBL.
If you prefer to make your reservations by telephone, please call central reservations at
(888) 591-1234. Make sure to let them know you are reserving a room at the Hyatt St. Louis Arch at 315 Chestnut Street and use group code G-ACBL.
Room Amenities
All sleeping rooms have safes, ironing boards, refrigerators and K-cup coffee makers. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center. It does not have a pool.
There are no guest washers and dryers. There is a dry-cleaning service.
The hotel is cashless; any purchases must be made with a credit or debit card.
Staying in Touch
The convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org.
If you received updates for the 2025 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list.
For any convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via email, Janet.dickelman@gmail.com.