BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS
Meeting Minutes
March 3, 2008

The teleconference meeting was called to order with Cindy Van Winkle standing in as chair at approximately 9:10pm (EDT). Other members present were: Ken Stewart, Jenine Stanley, DeAnna Noriega; ex oficio members: Barry Levine, Ron Milliman; ACB Staff: Sharon Lovering; 

The Board of Publications welcomed Barry Levine as the newly appointed representative of the Internet Oversight Committee. 

Hollis Ligget Award
The BOP discussed the entries and score sheets. DeAnna Noriega…

BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS
Meeting Minutes
January 30, 2008

Paul Edwards called the teleconference meeting to order at approximately 9:08pm (EST). Members present were: Ken Stewart, Jenine Stanley, DeAnna Noriega, Cindy Van Winkle; ex oficio members: Janelle Edwards, Ron Milliman; ACB Staff: Sharon Lovering; 

Approval of Minutes
Ken Stewart moved to approve the December minutes. The motion was seconded and adopted. 

Awards
The BOP decided as a group to postpone discussion of the Vernon Henley and Ned E.…

Table of Contents

• 2015 Resolutions Summaries
• Resolution 2015-01 - Honoring Walter Spillum
• Resolution 2015-02 - Audio Description
• Resolution 2015-03 - FCC
• Resolution 2015-04 - Honoring Melanie Brunson
• Resolution 2015-05 - Microsoft and Windows 10
• Resolution 2015-06 - ADA Web Regulations…

Summary of 2015 Resolutions

The following are brief summaries of the resolutions adopted by the ACB membership at the 2015 conference and convention held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in July. Please note that these summary statements are not the authoritative voice of the ACB membership; these brief statements are simply intended to capture the overall scope and intent of the membership as authoritatively embodied in the full text of each of the resolutions. You can find the full text of resolutions at …

Resolution 2015-01

Honoring Walter Spillum

Whereas, Walter Spillum (Walt), who passed away on April 29, 2015, devoted over 4 decades of his life to people who are blind or have low vision in Japan; and

Whereas, Walt single-handedly created a training center in which English and blindness skills are taught to Japanese people who are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, Walt has enriched the ACB community by facilitating the attendance of his students at our annual conference and convention;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the…

­­For Immediate Release

Contact: Joel Snyder, Director, Audio Description Project

(202) 467-5083

WASHINGTON, July 10, 2018 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) proudly announces the 2018 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of the Council’s Audio Description Project (ADP).  

In conjunction with ACB’s 57^th annual conference and convention in St. Louis, MO, the awards were presented at a plenary session of the conference before over 1000 people who are blind, ACB members/convention attendees.  The…

At the opening session of the 57 annual Conference and Convention, ACB presented Sharon Lovering with an award for her 25 years of service to the organization.

“Sharon is a dedicated, hardworking, passionate employee who has made outstanding contributions to the American Council of the Blind. We are grateful for Sharon’s work proofreading…

Aira Messages

We are excited to announce that Aira Messages, a new product feature, is now available as a free update to the Aira app and experience. Appearing today in the updates section of the iOS App Store, and coming soon to the Google Play Store, Aira Messages enables Aira Explorers to communicate with Aira agents via typing while in a session (similar to texting). Visit…

ST. LOUIS, June 30, 2018 — The American Council of the Blind presented Anirudh Koul, Senior Data Scientist, and his team at Microsoft with the James R. Olsen Distinguished Award for their Seeing AI application, which has significantly enhanced the independence and quality of life for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. This award is given to individuals or organizations that have made important contributions which have advanced opportunities for the blind community.

“When adding up the cost of the single-use products that Seeing AI replaces, it is easy to see why this…

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Anthony Stephens, Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs
astephens@acb.org

ST. LOUIS, June 29, 2018 — The American Council of the Blind commends the United States Senate on the eve of ACB’s 57th national convention after the Senate passed through unanimous consent the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (S. 2559). Their action ratifies through the “Advice and Consent of the Senate this landmark treaty agreed upon by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2013.”

“Passage…

Learn about exciting Aira updates, and about how the Aira and ACB partnership continues to grow at the ACB's upcoming 57th Annual Conference and Convention. Make sure you’re at the talks to hear all the exciting announcements! Get more information.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Summary of Goals
• Advocacy, Legislation, and Policy
• Affiliates and Membership
• Convention and Meetings
• Development
• Marketing and Communications

Introduction

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is committed to continuous improvement in its efforts to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life, for all blind and visually-impaired people. To help achieve this objective, ACB has developed a Strategic Action Plan to help guide the organization across five critical focus areas, including:

• Advocacy, Legislation, and Policy
• Affiliates and Membership
• Convention and Meetings
• Development
• Marketing and…

Advocacy, Legislation, and Policy

Working towards ACB’s longstanding advocacy goals, the organization is determined to impact current and future civil and equal rights policies. Additionally, ACB is committed to working with the Federal Government and corporations to ensure equal access and usability of products and services.

Identify the focus area and goal/desired end result.

Affiliates and Membership

In support of ACB’s affiliates and membership, the organization is committed to providing relevant training and resources to affiliate leaders and ACB members. Additionally, ACB will work to promote membership growth through various actions designed to increase membership at all levels of the organization.

Identify the focus area and goal/desired end result.

Convention and Meetings

To enrich the convention experience and expand opportunities for attendance, ACB is focused on increasing virtual attendance capabilities and offering a continuing education credit program at the ACB National Convention. Furthermore, the organization has outlined a plan to better accommodate the various needs of convention attendees.

Identify the focus area and goal/desired end result.

Development

In recognition of the critical role a sound development strategy plays in a successful ACB, the organization will focus on expanding its donor base with foundations, planned and major gifts, and the ACB Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) program. Additionally, ACB will launch an Advisory Council to provide subject matter expertise from outside leaders and organizations.

Identify the focus area and goal/desired end result.

Marketing and Communications

To help lay a solid foundation from which to grow, ACB is committed to developing a high caliber Marketing and Communications Plan. The integrated plan will be crucial in supporting both regular ACB communications as well as communications related to meeting the various goals outlined throughout the ACB Strategic Plan.

Identify the focus area and goals.