by Janet Dickelman
Are you ready for the 2026 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention?
Zoom-only sessions will be held Thursday, July 16 through Saturday, July 18. Then join us in St. Louis in person or virtually from Friday, July 24 through Thursday, July 30. For additional information, read the article “Soaring to New Heights” in the February issue of the Forum.
If you would like to receive continuing education units, here is all the information you will need.
Procuring CE units or professional development hours is easy. Registration for the conference and convention will open on May 28th. Discover an amazing array of programs that carry CE and PD hours by visiting acbconvention.org beginning in April.
As convention registration approaches, CE and PD sessions will be updated frequently. CE sessions will also be listed in the official conference program and listed under the CEU link at https://members.acb.org/.
To earn continuing education units and professional development hours, you must register for the conference and convention by logging into your member account at https://members.acb.org/ and simply purchase the number of flex credits you think you will need.
When you attend a CE session, a unique code will be announced at the beginning of each session, and another unique code will be announced at the end of the session. Make note of these codes, as well as the session title, date and time, as you will need to include this information when you submit your assessment. If you attend more programs and presentations than you anticipate, just submit reports for all sessions and we will contact you for any additional payment.
By logging into your member account at https://members.acb.org/, you will complete an online assessment and evaluation form for each session or program you attend. There is no longer a deadline for submission of your assessments. Once ACB has validated your assessments, you can log into your member site to print your CE certificate. You are responsible for submitting your certificate to your employer for your professional development hours or to ACVREP for your continuing education credits.
Topics will include but are not limited to employment, technology, health and leisure, orientation and mobility, self-advocacy, braille, low vision, and much more.
Hotel Details
Room rates at the Hyatt Regency Arch, 315 Chestnut St., are $104 single or double, $129 triple, or $154 quad, plus applicable state and local taxes (currently 17.92%).
To make reservations online, go to https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/STLRS/G-ACBL. If you prefer to make your reservations by telephone, please call central reservations at (888) 591-1234. Make sure to let them know you are reserving a room at the Hyatt St. Louis Arch at 315 Chestnut Street, and use group code G-ACBL.
The cut-off date for reservations is July 5, 2026. Don’t delay, make your reservations today!
Room Amenities
All sleeping rooms have safes, ironing boards, refrigerators and K-cup coffee makers.
The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center; it does not have a pool. There are no guest washers and dryers. There is a dry-cleaning service.
The hotel is cashless; any purchases must be made with a credit or debit card.
Tour Information Update
A note regarding information in the January ACB Braille Forum tours article:
On Monday, July 27th, we have a fabulous opportunity to visit the Muny Theatre for dinner, a backstage tour, and an audio-described performance of “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.” However, this means that we will not be going to Favazza’s for Italian food that evening.
Sneak Preview of Future Articles
In the April ACB Braille Forum, read about how to rent a wheelchair in St. Louis, get certified for paratransit, order dog food delivered to your hotel room, obtain assistance at the airport, and find out all about convention registration.
The May and June convention articles will feature overviews of what our special-interest affiliates, ACB committees, and business partners have planned for the convention.
Staying in Touch
The convention announce list will be filled with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2025 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list.
For any convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via email, Janet.dickelman@gmail.com.