Volume LXIV October 2026 No. 8
Published by the American Council of the Blind
Be A Part of ACB
The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666.
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Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6200 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 155, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office.
To make a contribution to ACB by the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155.
Check in with ACB
For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the “Washington Connection” 24/7 at 1-800-424-8666, or read it online.
Tune in to ACB Media at www.acbmedia.org.
Learn more about us at www.acb.org. Follow us on Twitter at @acbnational, or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/acbnational.
© 2026 American Council of the Blind
Scott Thornhill, Executive Director
Sharon Lovering, Editor
225 Reinekers Ln., Suite 660, Alexandria, VA 22314
Table of Contents
- Advocacy in Action: Boot Camp, the Big Data Project, the ADA, and Telecommunications, by Grace Hart
- Thank You for Supporting the 20th Anniversary Auction -- Now It's Time to Look Ahead to the Holiday Auction!, by Leslie Spoone
- Happy 65th Anniversary, ACB!, by Ana Martinez
- Understanding Blindness, by Bob Branco
- The Power of Today, by Deborah Armstrong`
- A Servant's Heart, by Cachet Wells
- A Leader Is ... by Patty L. Fletcher
- From Vine to Sip: Leadership Is More than the Pour, by Gabriel Lopez Kafati
- The Empty Chair, by Jennifer Bazer
- Vision and Balance: How Two Symbols Guide My Leadership Journey, by Kenneth Semien Sr.
- Thank You for Inviting Me to Use an Absentee Ballot, by Kate Chamberlin
- Passings
- ACB Membership Committee Seminar, compiled by Ardis Bazyn
- Here and There, by Sharon Lovering
- High Tech Swap Shop
- Beyond the Sightless Lens, by Dee Ann Hart
- ACB Officers, ACB Board of Directors, ACB Board of Publications
- Accessing Your ACB Braille Forums
How to Submit Articles to the Forum
If you wish to submit an article to “The ACB Braille Forum,” please send it via email to slovering@acb.org as part of the message, or attached as a Word or ASCII text file. Articles should be between 500 and 800 words. Language should be family friendly. Longer articles may be divided into two or more parts.
Upcoming Forum Themes and Deadlines
June 2026: Theme: Mentors in Our Lives; Deadline: April 24, 2026
July-August 2026: Theme: TBA; Deadline: May 22, 2026
If your committee or affiliate would like to claim an issue of the Forum, please contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org.
Are You Moving? Do You Want to Change Your Subscription?
Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she’ll update the database.