by Kenneth Semien Sr.

Let the festivities begin as we roll out the red carpet for the prominent DKM First-Timers of 2020 during the exclusive DKM First-Timers Reception on Wednesday, July 8th in Schaumburg, IL. This year’s DKM experience will be second to none. Continue reading to get the scoop on how to apply to be considered.

To be eligible for consideration, each applicant must meet specific requirements, which include being age 18 or older; blind or visually impaired; an ACB member in good standing (current on membership dues), and never have attended a…

by Kenneth Semien Sr.

Have you noticed how ACB has been progressing? Have you considered contributing by sharing your skills and abilities to make ACB all that it can be? Are you interested in playing a role in creating positive change for Americans who are blind, visually impaired or low vision? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are encouraged to read below to confirm your eligibility and necessary commitment to become a member of the 2020 Class of ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows!

For the fifth consecutive year, JPMorgan Chase will…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. (February 4, 2020) - Voters with disabilities in West Virginia will now have an easier time voting absentee and exercising their fundamental right to vote.  Until the passage of SB 94, which allows voters with physical disabilities to vote by electronic absentee ballot, voters with disabilities faced multiple barriers to voting privately and independently, forcing them to reveal their ballot choices to a third party or being excluded from voting all together because of inaccessible polling places and…

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 31, 2020)—The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and American Council of the Blind (ACB) today announced they are jointly offering scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500 for students who are blind or visually impaired attending a technical college or as an entering freshman, undergraduate or a graduate student.

Students will be awarded scholarships to help with post-secondary education financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board and other additional costs associated with using adaptive technology.

"ACB and AFB have a…

“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features information about ACB’s scholarship deadline, tips for scheduling your meetings on Capitol Hill during the 2020 Leadership Meetings, the newest Advocacy Updates, ACB Next Generation forming an affiliate, and RSVA’s Sagebrush Conference.

Scholarship Deadline Approaches

To learn how to apply, visit www.acb.org/scholarships.

It’s not too late to apply for a scholarship, but the deadline is coming up soon –…

As part of the 2020 D.C. Leadership Meetings, we will conduct a Legislative Seminar on Monday, February 24, and meet with our elected officials on Tuesday, Feb. 25. We recommend all attendees to coordinate with their affiliate leadership to schedule meetings on Capitol Hill beginning in early February. To schedule meetings with your Representatives and Senators, we recommend calling your members Washington D.C. office, or sending them an email. Some offices request constituents send meeting requests via a form on their website. Below are links to contact information for the U.S. House and…

Happy new year! “Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features information about a job opening at the ACB national office, the Advocacy Update podcasts, a career fair for legally blind job seekers, and AAPD’s partnership with Coca-Cola to create summer internships for students and recent graduates with disabilities.

ACB Seeks Development Director

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is seeking a full-time Director of Development to work in its national office in Alexandria, VA. The Director of…

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, and…

by Eric Bridges

Happy new year! I trust you all had a safe, happy and healthy holiday season. Let’s take a look back at all the amazing things that happened in 2019.

At the start of 2019, ACB was looking to hire a new director of advocacy and governmental affairs. And we found one – Clark Rachfal. He was then serving as the Program Manager, Public Policy at National Industries for the Blind. In that role, he was responsible for researching and promoting legislative and regulatory policies that support NIB’s mission. He cultivated relationships and collaborated…

“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features information about ACB Radio’s new managing director and technical managing director, the latest Advocacy Update podcasts, the World Blind Union’s employment survey, a casting call for Apple TV+’s show “SEE,” Social Security scams and how to report them, and Getty Images and Verizon award $40,000 in prizes.

This is the last issue of “Dots and Dashes” that you will receive until after the holidays. The ACB national office will be closed December 24^th and will…