Note: This publication reflects the resolutions which were adopted by the convention.  Below are the links to the summaries of the 2017 resolutions as well as links to the full text of each.  You may also choose the "printer-friendly version" link at the end for a full document of all resolutions.

Table of Contents

• 2017 Resolutions Summaries
• Resolution 2017-01 - Listings for Described TV
• …

Summary of 2017 Resolutions

The following are brief summaries of the resolutions adopted by the ACB membership at the 2017 conference and convention held at the Nugget Casino and Resort in July. One resolution was referred to ACB’s environmental access and information access committees. It is not included in this compilation. Please note that these summary statements are not the authoritative voice of the ACB membership; they are simply intended to capture the overall scope and intent of the membership as…

Resolution 2017-01

Listings for Described TV

Whereas, the multiplicity of TV programming delivery methods available today, along with the growth in the number of markets where audio-described television programming is available, has the potential to exponentially increase the demand for audio description; and

Whereas, for this anticipated increased demand to be satisfied, consumers of described television must have a convenient and reliable means for browsing among and selecting audio-described programming; and…

The American Council of the Blind is proud to partner with Aira to make visual interpreting services available to more people. To encourage ACB members to try their service, Aira is extending special ACB Membership pricing from June 1 through December 31, 2020.

Aira Plans for ACB Members:

ACB Member Intro Plan

Minutes: 30 per month
Price: $20.00 per month
Plan Share: no additional users 

ACB Member Enhanced Plan

Minutes: 140 per month
Price: $99.99 per month 
Plan Share: up to two additional users 

Plans are only…

For Immediate Release 

Lawsuit Filed May 22, 2020 in Federal Court – Full Complaint 

May 22, 2020 – New York, NY – Today, a coalition of disability organizations filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections (“NYS BOE”) for excluding New Yorkers with disabilities as their Absentee Voting program expanded in response to COVID-19. The lawsuit charges the state agency with discrimination against…

Congratulations to the 2020 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows award winners! The ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows awards program annually recognizes five ACB members who have demonstrated leadership abilities. This year's award recipients are Regina Brink from Sacramento, CA, Sajja Koirala from Honolulu, HI, Meryl Shecter from Windsor Mill, MD, 
Koni Sims from Sioux Falls, SD, and Wanda Williford from Trenton, NJ. They will be honored this year during the virtual ACB Conference and Convention and also be able to participate in…

On May 8, 2020, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) joined forces with eight other national organizations to pen a letter to the Chairs and the Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension and the House Committee on Education and Labor. The letter is a request to Congress to continue supporting children who are blind or have low vision by opposing waivers that would affect the services that children receive and by providing additional funding to support students’ access to their education. Read the full…

The Durward K. McDaniel Fund Committee (DKM) annually selects two rising leaders, one from east and one from west of the Mississippi River, to attend the national conference and convention for the first time as guests of the committee and ACB.

2020 DKM First-Timers:

Merisa Musemic of Sterling Heights, Michigan is the 2020 DKM First-Timer from the East. She speaks four languages (Bosnian, Croatian, German and English). She is currently employed by Language Line Solutions, where she works as an interpreter for Bosnian language, which is her…

During the ACB & OrCam webinar on April 30th, we announced a special offer on OrCam products for ACB members. OrCam continues to develop its technology for the blind and visually impaired community. Recently, OrCam shared with us some great news - it has released the OrCam MyEye2 Pro and the OrCam Read.

Currently, OrCam offers ACB members a 10% discount off the MyEye2, and now until the end of May, OrCam is offering…

The Audio Description Project (ADP), an initiative of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), aims to bring more meaning and enjoyment to entertainment, cultural, and educational experiences for blind and visually impaired people. ADP maintains a list of described DVDs, broadcast television, movies, performing arts, museums, and national parks on the ADP website, www.acb.org/adp. As the only repository of all audio described titles on DVD and the three video streaming services (Amazon Prime Video, iTunes…

The Audio Description Project (ADP) is a wide-ranging audio description promotion and production initiative with goals that include-

• Building advocacy on behalf of audio description.
• Offering a range of educational resources and working to establish nationally acknowledged user-focused guidelines for quality description in its various genres as well as a professionally recognized certification program for audio describers.
…

­ALEXANDRIA, VA (April 21, 2020) – The American Council of the Blind announced this week its partnership with Be My Eyes, an innovative app that provides real-time video assistance for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Starting on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, ACB’s support staff will now be able to field calls from the Specialized Help Providers section of the app.

“We’ve been working over the years to strengthen our internal structure to field calls from consumers faced with challenges and barriers toward independence,” said ACB executive director…