by Janet Dickelman
Whether you read this article as you are packing for Dallas or getting ready to join us via Zoom or ACB Media, read on for information for convention attendees and those of you who will be staying connected from home.
Convention Badges
Everyone attending the convention in person will be issued a badge. Please wear your badge at all times. Badges must be worn on all tours. A badge identifies you as a convention attendee and makes it much easier for hotel personnel and volunteers to address you by name.
Attending Tours
All tours will depart from the hotel. To locate the tour pick-up entrance, walk past the hotel check-in desk and continue straight. You will pass tables for the Market on your right and a seating area with cozy couches will be on your left. Continue straight, and to the left you will find several doors leading to the outside. You can wait inside by the doors or on the large patio outside.
To reach the bus from the patio, you will need to navigate down a set of stairs or take a ramp. Please wear your convention badge for all tours.
Important tour information: Please read the following information completely. It will answer many of your tour-related questions and will help you have a more enjoyable tour experience.
1. All tours will depart from the hotel. To locate the entrance, walk past the hotel check-in desk and continue straight. You will pass tables for the Market on your right and a seating area with cozy couches will be on your left. Continue straight, and to the left you will find several doors leading to the outside. You can wait inside by the doors or on the large patio outside. To reach the bus from the patio, you will need to navigate down a set of stairs or take a ramp. Please wear your convention badge for all tours.
2. Bus departure times for each tour are listed in the program. Please be at the bus departure area and ready to board the bus 15 minutes prior to the listed departure times, and be sure to have your ticket with you. Arrival times back to the hotel are approximate.
3. The first two rows of seats on both sides of the bus are reserved for the tour coordinators, volunteers and people with mobility difficulties. If you sit in those seats, you will be asked to move.
4. All buses are fully ADA-equipped. If you have mobility difficulties or use a wheelchair that requires the lift to access the bus, you MUST check the appropriate boxes on the pre-registration form in order for us to plan the necessary accommodations. If you are able to transfer from a wheelchair into a bus seat, your chair will be placed under the bus for the duration of the ride.
5. Indoor facilities are air-conditioned unless indicated, but many tours include significant outdoor time. Dress appropriately and bring sunscreen, insect repellent, hat, and a water bottle for your comfort and safety.
6. Space is limited on all tours. ACB reserves the right to cancel a tour should sales fall below required minimums.
7. All return times are approximate. If you have dietary scheduling concerns, bring a light snack in case we are unavoidably delayed. We ask that you board the bus quickly and safely to avoid delays. We plan 15 minutes to load and unload the bus. Please do not schedule back-to-back events based upon the return time of the tour, as we cannot plan for traffic and road condition delays.
8. A limited number of volunteers will accompany each tour. While they will help as much as possible, ACB volunteers are not personal guides or personal care attendants. If you need individual help, plan to attend the tour with a friend who can provide the assistance you need. If you use a wheelchair, you must have someone on the tour with you to push your wheelchair!
9. Most tour destinations are ADA-accessible. Some tours that are NOT ADA-accessible may include long walks, steps and steep grades. Some tours may involve strenuous activities. If you have a medical condition that may limit your involvement or participation, please let us know ahead of time and use common sense when making your selections.
10. The tour leader will have a list of all paid attendees and the waiting list for each tour. The leader will be stationed at the door of the bus to record your attendance. Please do not board the bus until the tour leader has completed this task.
11. If registration for a tour exceeds its capacity, a waiting list is created based on the date and time your order was placed. If you are on a waiting list, you will be asked to stand in a designated area to wait for your name to be called. If you are not present when your name is called, the next person on the waiting list will be called to fill that seat. You may not give your place on the waiting list to another person.
12. If you arrive late and your name has already been called from the waiting list, your ability to secure a seat will be entirely dependent on the number of vacant seats remaining on the bus. No one who has answered the call from the waiting list will be asked to give up their seat.
13. If there is no waiting list, or if the waiting list has been satisfied, any remaining vacant seats will be sold to walk-up traffic. Such vacant seats will be sold for cash only. To purchase, you must have a valid name badge, a day pass for the current day or other proof of registration.
14. If you have paid for and are issued a tour ticket and do not appear at the designated time and place, no refund will be made. If you are on a waiting list and are not able to get on the bus, the tour leader will report this to the registration office, and you will be able to secure a refund the day after the tour.
Should you not be present at the convention the day after the tour, or if the convention has ended, please call the Minneapolis office by July 31st to arrange for a refund via check or credit card.
Registration
If you plan to join us in Dallas and have not registered, there’s still time! On-site convention registration is $65 for ACB members, $80 for non-ACB members.
Registration will be located in Pegasus. You can register or add in additional items to your existing registration beginning Friday, July 4 at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. are for registration pick-up only.
If you wish to attend as a virtual attendee and did not register before June 17th, you can register as a virtual attendee starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 5 at https://members.acb.org/.
There will be no telephone support for registrations after June 17th.
Assistance at the Airport
If you haven’t already, please provide Margarine Beaman with your flight information. Email her your name, cell number, flight number, city, date and time. Send a message with airport in the subject to oleo501625@outlook.com.
Joining the Conference from Home
If you have registered for the convention, you will receive Zoom links for all sessions that are hybrid or Zoom only. In-person sessions such as mixers and other sessions noted in the program as in-person only will not have Zoom capabilities. Most of these sessions will be recorded and available as podcasts. These Zoom links will be sent from 2025convention@acblists.org.
You can also access the Zoom links by logging into your member account. For screen readers, go to the top of page, arrow down to the navigation region where you will find various links, one of which is labeled “Zoom links.” That link will take you to a page where you select the date of the session(s) you are looking for. You will then access a listing in chronological order of all sessions for that day. For each session there are two buttons. If you are listening with your computer, choose the button labeled “Zoom.” If you are listening on your phone, choose the button labeled “phone.” You don’t need to know any access links or passcodes.
Convention Streaming
Much of the conference will be streamed on ACB Media using multiple streams.
Media 1 – General Session
Media 2 through 5 – Breakout Sessions (Virtual and Hybrid)
Media 6 – Exhibit Hall
Meia 7 – Tours
Media 8 – Spanish
Media 9 – Resolutions/Voting information
Media 10 – General convention information & newspaper
Ways to Connect to ACB Media Programming
Amazon Alexa-enabled device (Recommended)
Alexa “Ask ACB Media to play Media n”. (n = stream number). For example, to listen to General Session during National Convention: “Alexa, ask ACB Media to play 1.”
Please note that some Alexa devices may not switch from one stream to another when requested, i.e. you are listening to Media 1 and then ask Alexa to play Media 6, and although Alexa says it is playing 6, it continues to play 1. When this behavior occurs, please unplug your Alexa device, wait a minute, and then plug your device back in. Allow the device to reboot itself and then ask Alexa to play the requested stream. If you have multiple Alexa devices, this issue may happen on some devices but not others.
PC/browser access (Recommended)
Visit acbmedia.org at http://www.acbmedia.org/n (n= stream number). The site has a built-in media player and there is no need to install or use a media player on your device. Hit the play button and the stream will begin playing immediately.
Smart Device Access (Recommended)
Download “ACB Link” from your app store. Find “Radio” along the bottom of the screen, then “Menu” in the top left corner. Select “Streams” and then choose the stream you wish to listen to. Double tap the play button.
Victor Reader Stream Access
Navigate to “Internet radio library” in the “online bookshelf.” Locate the HumanWare North American English playlist. From the playlist, use the 6 key to locate the ACB Media Stream you wish (ACB Media 1 through 10) and hit play. Should you wish to use the Go To Button, please note that the ACB Media streams are currently selections 2 through 11, where ACB Media 1 = 2 and so on, with ACB Media 10 = 11.
Dial-In Access for programming originating in Zoom
Dial the Zoom access number provided with the schedule information for the session. When prompted, enter the meeting/webinar ID followed by #. You will hear the exact same program that is being streamed on ACB Media.
Alternate Dial-In access (not recommended)
Dial (518) 906-1820. Listen to the menu prompts and press the number for the stream you want. Please note that this is a free service provided by Zeno Media. This service is limited in terms of simultaneous listeners, and ACB does not warrant this service. If dial-in is your only option and the program originates in Zoom, we recommend that you dial into the Zoom meeting/webinar directly (see above).
If you connect to Zeno Media using the above number and receive a message after your menu selection that the stream is offline, please select the stream again and it should then play. Once you select your stream via the voice menu, it often takes several seconds before you hear the stream. If you receive an unable to connect message when you dial the above number or fast busy, your only dial-in option is to access the Zoom meeting directly via Zoom’s dial-in access.
Whether you are joining us virtually or in person, here’s wishing you a wonderful convention experience.
For any convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com.