by Janet Dickelman
The 2022 ACB conference and convention will be held at the Hilton hotel in downtown Omaha, Neb. In-person convention dates are July 1st through 8th.
The exhibit hall will be open Saturday, July 2 through Wednesday, July 6, and it features the latest and greatest in technology and items for home, work and play!
In-person and hybrid sessions offered by special-interest affiliates and committee programs, seminars and sessions offered by our business partners will begin on Friday, July 1 and run through Wednesday, July 6th. (See the April ACB E-Forum for information on our Zoom-only sessions). Our opening general session is Saturday evening, July 2nd. Morning sessions will be held Sunday through Wednesday; Thursday’s general session runs all day. Make sure to join us Thursday evening for our annual banquet, the presentation of ACB awards, the ACB Braille Forum drawing and our keynote speaker, disability rights advocate Judy Heumann.
Don’t miss the Welcome to Omaha party (in-person only) Friday evening, July 1st. The Beatles tribute band “Come Together” will “Help!” you rock and dance the night away as the Nebraska host committee helps welcome the ACB national conference. In the great words of the late Beatles singer, John Lennon, “All You Need Is Love!” - and $12 in advance or $15 at the door - to join! Free snacks and a cash bar will also be available. We look forward to seeing you “Twist and Shout” at an event that conveniently is not “Across the Universe!”
Requesting Reasonable Accommodations
If you plan to attend the convention and need a support service provider or interpreter, please contact Lori Scharff who will assist in making arrangements. Send her an e-mail with “interpreter for Omaha” in the subject line at [email protected]. If you’d prefer, you can contact Lori via phone at (516) 695-6370. Lori needs to receive your request by June 10th to ensure she can meet your needs.
If you’ll need a wheelchair or scooter in Omaha, Kohll’s Pharmacy will deliver to the Hilton. If you’d like to rent one, contact Bijou Fidegnon at (402) 973-1940 to make payment. Once you have made payment, please let me know so I make sure to receive your order when it arrives.
Convention Volunteers
Sally Benjamin, ACB volunteer coordinator, and the Nebraska host committee are working to obtain volunteers to assist convention attendees at the hotel, the airport and during our tours. Here are a few reminders to make things run smoothly for convention attendees and volunteers.
Volunteers are happy to help you locate meeting rooms, the exhibit hall, your table in the ballroom, restaurants in the hotel and the elevator bays. Volunteers cannot accompany you to the sleeping room floors or assist you in locating your room. If you need help getting to and from your hotel room, you will need to make arrangements with a friend or family member to assist you.
Volunteers or hotel staff cannot administer medications or assist you with other health care needs. Volunteers and hotel staff can assist you in locating dog relief areas, but they are not expected to take your dog out for you. If you need assistance in these areas, please make arrangements prior to the convention for a friend or family member to help you.
If you use a wheelchair, ACB convention volunteers may not be physically able to push your chair. Please don’t count on ACB volunteers or hotel staff to be wheelchair pushers.
A limited number of volunteers will accompany each tour. Volunteers will help as much as possible; however, they are not personal guides or personal care attendants. If you need individual assistance, please plan to attend the tour with a friend who can act as your guide, PCA or wheelchair pusher.
Assistance at the Airport
To assist airline personnel, and Margarine Beaman and her cadre of airport volunteers, if you would like assistance when you arrive at the airport in Omaha, please submit the following information:
Your name
The name of the airline you will be arriving on
Your departure city
Arrival flight number
Arrival date and time
Departure airline
Departure date
Departure time
Your cell phone number
You can send Margarine Beaman an e-mail with “airline information” in the subject line at [email protected], or call her at (512) 921-1625.
Transportation from the Airport
zTrip, (402) 292-2222 charges $13 from the airport to the Hilton. You can also use Uber or Lyft from the airport.
Using Paratransit
To be certified to use paratransit (called Moby) in Omaha, call (402) 341-7560 ext. 2520 to be certified, or send an email to [email protected]. They ask that we call at least two weeks in advance. You will need to provide proof of eligibility to be certified. The phone number for booking ride with Moby is (402) 346-8779. Rides are $2.50 and can be booked up to two weeks in advance; no same day rides. Note: if you’d like to take Moby from the airport, be aware that their service is connected to local bus availability, and bus service to and from the airport has very limited hours.
Ordering Dog Food
Scoop Masters will provide and maintain our dog relief areas. If you would like to pre-order dog food to be delivered to your hotel room, call Tim Stone at (661) 714-0749 or order online at
https://www.scoopmasters.com/acb/. Note from Tim: “It’s a simple form that asks for name, phone number, brand and type of food. I will call to get the details within 24 hours, and I will accept payments at the hotel.” Food must be ordered by June 25th to ensure delivery.
Staying in Touch
The conference and convention announce list will be filled with useful information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to [email protected]. If you received updates for the 2021 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list.
Reservation Details
To make reservations online, go to
https://book.passkey.com/event/50221160/owner/22518/home. When asked to select guest type on the main screen, select attendee. For those who wish to call in and make their reservation, call 1-800-HILTONS (that’s 1-800-445-8667) and reference the name of the group block, American Council of the Blind. The group code, if needed for those calling in, is ACB.
Room rates at the Hilton are $96 (single or double occupancy), with an additional $10 per person for up to four people per room. Room tax is currently 18.16%. One night’s stay will be charged to your credit card when you book your reservation.
Convention Contacts
2022 Exhibit Information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, [email protected]
2022 Advertising and Sponsorships: Anthony Stephens, (202) 559-2045, [email protected]
For any other convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via email, [email protected].