by Janet Dickelman
Whether you are reading this article as you are packing for St. Louis or getting ready to join us via Zoom or on ACB Media, read on for information for convention attendees and those of you who will be staying connected from home.
Change in Wheelchair/Scooter Rentals
Unfortunately, the source I initially sent out for wheelchair and scooter rentals has had to close due to illness of the owner.
If you’d like to rent a wheelchair or scooter in St. Louis, please contact Med Exchange at (636) 949-5660. Wheelchair rentals are $85 per week, and scooters $300 per week.
There is a delivery fee of $50 per item. However, depending on the number of wheelchairs or scooters ACB reserves, that fee may be lower.
Please reserve your scooter or wheelchair by Friday, June 12th. There are several large conventions in the city in July, so Med Exchange wants to make sure we have the equipment we need.
Once you have reserved your mobility device, please call me at (651) 428-5059, or email Janet.dickelman@gmail.com. I will be keeping a list for delivery purposes.
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.
Convention Badges
Everyone attending the convention 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.
Important Information about ACB Tours
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.
- All buses will pick up and drop off outside the double doors by the hotel gift shop.
- Bus departure times for each tour are listed in the convention program. Please be at the bus departure area and ready to board the bus 20 minutes prior to the listed departure times. Arrival times back to the hotel are approximate.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Space is limited on all tours. ACB reserves the right to cancel a tour should sales fall below required minimums.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 next 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 St. Louis 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 Sterling 9. You can register or add additional items to your existing registration beginning Friday, July 24 at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 23 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. is for registration pick-up only. If you wish to attend as a virtual attendee and did not register before July 6, you can register as a virtual attendee starting at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 24 at https://members.acb.org/. There will be no telephone support for registrations after July 6th.
Joining the Conference from Home
If you have registered for the convention, you will receive zoom invitations for all sessions. You can join via computer or phone.
The easiest way to access the Zoom links is to log into your account at members.acb.org. 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 labelled “phone.” You don’t need to know any access links or passcodes.
Much of the conference will be streamed on ACB Media using multiple streams. All general sessions, and some of our afternoon and evening programming, will be live streamed on ACB Media. Other sessions will be recorded and replayed on ACB Media. Sessions will be available as podcasts after the convention, and archived for later listening on ACB Media.
There are several 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, say, “Alexa, ask ACB Media to play 1.”
PC/browser access (RECOMMENDED):
Visit ACB Media online at https://www.acbmedia.org/n (n= stream number). The site has a built-in media player. 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 playlist. From the playlist, select ACB Media n (n = stream number) and hit play.
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 1 (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 is originating in Zoom, we recommend that you dial-in to the Zoom meeting/webinar directly (see above).
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 email, janet.dickelman@gmail.com.