“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features information about ACB’s new officers, Facebook Live with Dan Spoone, ACB and OrCam’s cooperative agreement, Advocacy Updates, and this year’s Audio Description Awards winners.

Introducing ACB’s New Slate of Officers

The American Council of the Blind elected new officers, a new board member, and a new member of the board of publications during its 2019 annual conference and convention. We thought you’d like to learn more about them.

• President…

ACB - Picture the Future

58th Annual National Conference & Convention

American Council of the Blind and Special-Interest Affiliates

Hyatt Regency & Riverside Hotels, & Joseph A. Floreano Convention Center, Rochester, NY

July 5 – July 12, 2019…

ACB - Picture the Future

58th Annual National Conference & Convention

American Council of the Blind and Special-Interest Affiliates

Hyatt Regency & Riverside Hotels, & Joseph A. Floreano Convention Center, Rochester, NY

July 5 – July 12, 2019…

BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 18, 2019 — Walmart and Sam’s Club are deeply committed to accessibility and medication safety for their blind, visually impaired and print-impaired pharmacy patients. To enhance their commitment, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies provide En-Vision America’s ScripTalk audible (i.e. “talking”) prescription labels at Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies across the United States.

Since 2012, Walmart and Sam’s Club have equipped almost 1,200 of their pharmacies to provide ScripTalk audible prescription labels at a patient’s request. More than…

The American Council of the Blind elected new officers, a new board member, and a new member of the Board of Publications during its 2019 annual conference and convention. Learn more about them below:

President: Dan Spoone, Orlando, FL
Dan is retired; he formerly worked as a senior project manager for Siemens.

First Vice President: Mark Richert, Arlington, VA
Mark is the Director of Public Policy for the National Disability Institute and the founding President of Excelsis, LLC, a public policy consultancy.

…

The 2019 American Council of the Blind scholarship class represents 14 states and approximately 12 major fields of study. This year’s winners, where they’re from, and their fields of study, are listed below.

• Mitchell Bridwell, Pitsboro, IN: Computer Science
• Alexander Densmore, Strongsville, OH: Computer Science
• Ruben Flores, Salem, OR: Piano Performance/Worship Arts
• Kate Franklin, Hillsborough, NC: Biology
• Abby Griffith, Ridgefield, WA: Human Development
• Julie Harlow, Graham, WA: Health and Wellness Coaching
• Nathan Hayes…

For Immediate Release
Contact: Joel Snyder, PhD, Director, Audio Description Project, ACB
(202) 467-5083

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2019 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) proudly announces the 2019 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of the Council’s Audio Description Project (ADP).  

In conjunction with ACB’s 58th annual conference and convention in Rochester, N.Y., the awards were presented at a plenary session of the conference before over 1,000 people who are blind. The awards included:

• Achievement in Audio…

ACB-OrCam Collaboration Seeks to Enhance Independence for Blind and Low Vision Community through Innovative Assistive Technology

Rochester, New York (July 7, 2019) – The American Council of the Blind (ACB), a leader in national, state, local and international advocacy efforts for blind Americans, and OrCam Technologies, the world’s most advanced wearable AI-driven artificial vision innovator for people who are blind or have low vision, jointly announced a cooperative agreement at the…

Want to help ACB capture highlights and memories of the 2019 conference and convention and leverage access to the many forms of accessible technology? ACB wants to know what attendees hear and see in Rochester. Throughout the week, we encourage you to take pictures with friends, record sound bites of events, or capture video of anything you want to share. Email your files to ACBConventionMedia@gmail.com with a brief description of the content. Names of the people in the audio, photographs, or video are greatly appreciated. Aira is offering…

Beginning July 4 through July 15, ACB's Alexandria and Minneapolis offices will be closed. All staff will be attending the ACB National Conference & Convention in Rochester, NY. To learn more about this year's convention, please visit: https://acbconvention.org/