by Dan Spoone
ACB’s Core Values are the foundation of our organization. The ACB Board of Directors adopted the ACB Core Values at our 2019 pre-convention board meeting. Kim Charlson, ACB president, assembled a team to create a set of organizational core values to establish the guiding belief system for the American Council of the Blind. These values are in the DNA of our ACB family, but putting them down in a formal document and codifying them through an approval process of the board of directors solidified a moral imperative to guide our organization into the future.
These core values are now prominently displayed on our acb.org website. They are referenced at most official ACB functions. They were the foundational elements for the Code of Conduct, and they are the first level of evaluation when hiring new ACB staff or contractors. We compliment the Board of Publications (BOP) for highlighting our core values in this issue of the Forum and in next month’s E-Forum.
We encourage all ACB members and friends to take a few minutes and review the five core values defined below. There is not a week that goes by that I have not embraced these values to guide our leadership decisions. The board made the decision to hold a virtual convention earlier this year based on these values. They were incorporated in the ACB Statement of Solidarity published after the murder of George Floyd. ACB is a wonderful work in progress. Our organization is not perfect. We all need to listen, learn and grow as ACB members. Let’s make sure that these five ACB Core Values are always our moral compass on our journey to improve the lives of our blind and visually impaired community.
Integrity and honesty – Our word is our bond serving as a foundational element demonstrating our strong democratic principles and values.
Respect – We treat others as we expect to be treated. We welcome each individual’s unique talents and honor diverse work and lifestyles.
Collaboration – We believe success comes from working together to create solutions that advance the organization’s mission through partnerships and teamwork.
Flexibility – We adapt to ever-changing circumstances and situations. We are receptive to multiple points of view and ideas.
Initiative – We can and do make a difference in all of our efforts. We embrace continuous learning, hard work, personal accountability, motivation, and individual responsibility.