Letter to Ms. Barbara Millicent Roberts, Willows, WI

July 30, 2024

Dear Blind Barbie:

Your recent debut has been an inspiration to individuals who are blind or living with vision challenges. The public perception of people who are blind is often that we are different in how we want to live or in some way “mysterious,” since many people do not have the opportunity to interact with someone who is blind. The stylish nature of your presentation, rocking those high heels and having snazzy sunglasses at the ready, helps people, young and seasoned, envision blindness…

Alexandria, Va., July 20, 2024 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the 2024 Audio Description People’s Choice Award finalist vote is open through August 4th. The winners will be revealed during the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on November 14th at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

ACB’s Audio Description Awards Gala celebrates outstanding achievements in audio description in media and recognizes the commitment to accessible entertainment demonstrated by television…

Alexandria, Va., July 10, 2024 - The Audio Description Project (ADP) is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of the ADP Awards. The awards honor people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the quality, availability, and understanding of audio description. This year’s winners span entertainment, education, and information and recognize achievement in digital access and live delivery of AD across a range of platforms and venues. The ADP applauds the dedication to and advancement of inclusion exhibited by the award recipients. Access the award announcement video here:…

July is Disability Pride Month, an annual recognition honoring the history, achievements, and experiences of the disability community. Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—the landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society.

As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, let us recognize the achievements of individuals who are blind and work together to create a more accessible and inclusive society for all. Thank you for your support of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and our mission…

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is excited to announce that registration for this year’s National Conference and Convention is now open through June 17^th. ACB’s Convention is a hybrid event, with the in-person portion taking place July 5^th-12^th at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel in Jacksonville, FL.

ACB’s National Conference and Convention connects individuals who are blind, low vision, and allies of this…

Alexandria, Va., May 16, 2024 – Today ACB celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), an international day to raise awareness of the importance of digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. ACB continues to advocate for advancements in digital accessibility across all industries and levels of government, including:

• Enhancing the accessibility of websites and mobile apps under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Creating…

Alexandria, Va., May 4, 2024 – The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the Audio Description People’s Choice Award opens for nominations on May 4, 2024. The winners will be revealed during the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on Thursday, November 14th, at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.

The Audio Description Awards Gala celebrates inclusivity and recognizes the entertainment industry’s role in providing access to film and television through audio description for people who are blind or have low vision. The Audio Description People’s Choice…

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of network-enabled software and services for medical groups and health systems nationwide, are collaborating to design and build more inclusive and accessible experiences for blind and visually impaired patients as part of the company’s broader digital accessibility commitments. The collaboration expands athenahealth’s approach to accessibility around its patient-facing applications to be more inclusive for millions of patients.

Read the press release from athenahealth here:…

The Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are proud to announce the winners of the 2024 BADIE awards. Celebrating the Benefits of Audio Description In Education, the contest invites students who are blind or have low vision to watch an audio described (AD) video and write an essay evaluating the quality and usefulness of the AD.

This year’s winners are:

Grand Prize
Lyla Duffy, Washington
Review of I Am Ruby Bridges

Seniors (ages 16 to 21)
First place: Charles Johnson, Washington
…

The American Council of the Blind (ACB), the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) applaud the Biden administration for announcing a final rule requiring state and local governments to ensure that their websites and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities. The rule is awaiting official publication in the Federal Register.

Read the full joint statement:…