“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features information about Tony Stephens’ return to the ACB national office, information about Cathie Skivers’ memorial service (and other plans in the works), Advocacy Updates, and the winners of the Benefits of Audio Description in Education awards.

Welcome Back …

A familiar face has returned to the ACB national office. Tony Stephens is ACB’s new Director of Development.

Tony rejoins the organization after taking a year away from ACB, where…

We hope you are having a great start to the new year! Back in July 2019, ACB and OrCam began a cooperation to raise awareness of OrCam’s assistive technology among ACB members in the United States.

OrCam MyEye 2 is the most advanced wearable assistive technology that can empower and enable you to be more independent. The MyEye 2 can support you in education, employment and improve quality of life, allow you access to visual information by converting images into sounds and read it to you discretely into your ear in real-time.

If you are an ACB member, you are entitled up to…

BADIE: Benefits of Audio Description In Education

For Immediate Release - Contact: Joel Snyder, Director, Audio Description Project
jsnyder@acb.org - (202) 467-5083                       

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2020 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is proud to announce the winners of the 2020 BADIE Awards (the Benefits of Audio Description In Education), a “Listening Is Learning” initiative of the Council’s…

The AppleTV+ show, SEE, is looking for talented instrumentalists and vocalists who are blind or low vision to be included in the musical score of Season 2 of SEE. The performers should be good collaborators with self-recording skills, be able to pick up on melodies and/or improvise. The performers should be creative when given a suggested structure, and allow their own voice or sound to be apparent. If selected, the individuals will be asked to create their own professional recordings during the process. The…

A familiar face is returning to a new post in the ACB national office. We are thrilled to announce that Tony Stephens is ACB’s new Director of Development.

Tony rejoins the organization after taking a year away from ACB, where he served as Executive Director for the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance (DBFA). This experience significantly strengthened his background in fundraising and development, ramping up to around 60% of Tony’s workload during the second half of his time with DBFA. This work included significant outreach to local corporate partners and foundations, in…

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,…

­For Immediate Release

Alexandria, VA — On Monday, February 3, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed into law Senate Bill 94, a bill to ensure that all voters in West Virginia are guaranteed access to the ballot box, at polling locations and when voting absentee. On behalf of our nationwide membership, and in conjunction with the Mountain State Council of the Blind, the American Council of the Blind commends West Virginia for working with us to ensure equal access to absentee voting for people with disabilities.

“A critical guarantee of our…

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…