Press Room | American Council of the Blind

Press Room

Welcome to the ACB Press Room

The American Council of the Blind’s news is available through official press releases, media and broadcast articles, ACB Media, and digital announcements. Check back often to follow the most recent news stories that matter for those who are blind and low-vision and for how ACB is working to make a difference.

Media Relations Contact: Kelly Gasque, Communications Specialist.

Contact Information: [email protected].

ACB Brand Standard Guidelines

This guide outlines the primary written and visual standards of the American Council of the Blind brand. Please visit this link to access our Brand Standard Guidelines.

ACB in the News

March 2023

The American Council of the Blind and Supporters Rally to Demand Accessible and Inclusive Currency: On March 10, Harriet Tubman Day, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and supporters rallied in front of the White House and marched to the U.S. Treasury to highlight the ongoing fight for accessible and inclusive currency for all. As a result of this rally, five members of the American Council of the Blind met with representatives of the U.S. Treasury and Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and for the first time, touched the certified tactile feature that will be included as part of the $10 bill redesign in 2026.

February 2023

Show Me the Money: Marching Together for Accessible and Inclusive Currency: On March 10th – Harriet Tubman Day – ACB will hold a rally in front of the White House with one clear demand: we need accessible and inclusive currency now!
Timeline of the Key Events of Currency Litigation
Dear Provider Letter: ACB, along with legal counsel, has created a Dear Provider Letter for blind and low vision individuals to use in health care settings like doctor’s offices and hospitals.
ACB's 2023 Legislative Imperatives: Key legislative focus areas in 2023.

January 2023

Registration Opens for ACB's 2023 Leadership Conference
2023 ADP Award Nominations: ACB’s Audio Description Project announces call for nominations for the fifteenth annual ADP Awards in 2023.
DKM First-Timers: The Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) First-Timers award connects two recipients — one from east and one from west of the Mississippi River — with possibilities and opportunities to enhance their lives through personalized leadership development activities.
2023 ACB/JPMC Leadership Fellows: The ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows award connects five recipients who have demonstrated leadership potential to enhance their lives through personalized leadership development activities.
2023 Employee Announcements: welcoming Tabitha Kenlon as our new ADP Project Coordinator. We have also announced that Jo Lynn Bailey-Page has transitioned from her role as Grant Writer and Audio Description Coordinator to Associate Director of Development.

December 2022

Year End Celebrations and Reflections: Taking a look back at 2022.
ACB and The Lumistella Company, home of The Elf on the Shelf, Make Christmas Jolly and More Accessible for Kids Who Are Blind: ACB aired a special audio described broadcast of the animated holiday special, “Elf Pets: A Fox Cub’s Christmas Tale”, an audio described production of Rory Hoffman’s “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, a visit from Santa himself and live phone calls from kids.
Save the Date: ACB's 2023 Leadership Conference: ACB’s 2023 Leadership Conference will have both a virtual and an in-person component. The ACB Presidents’ Meeting and Legislative Seminar will take place virtually from March 4-7, and will include a Fireside Chat on Sunday, March 5. The in-person portion of the Leadership Conference will take place at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town from March 9-12 in Alexandria Virginia.
Announcing ACB's February 2023 Audio Description Project Institute: The 21st Audio Description Institute will be held virtually from Monday, February 20 to Friday, February 24, 2023 at 1pm - 5pm Eastern each day.
2023 Benefits of Audio Description in Education Contest: Once again, the American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are co-sponsoring an exciting opportunity for blind and visually impaired young people, ages 7 to 21. To participate, students review an audio-described film or video from the more than 6,000 educational titles available through DCMP.

November 2022

American Council of the Blind Salutes Audio Description Award Winners: Announcing the winners of ACB's 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala
ACB's 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala: The event premiered on Nov. 29 on YouTube, Pluto TV, ACB Media 1 and www.adawardsgala.org.
Senator Markey and Representative Eshoo Introduce Bill to Improve Access to Accessible Media and Video Communications Technologies for Individuals with Disabilities: Sen. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.
ACB’s 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala Details: the 2022 event celebrate the achievements of award recipients with host Thomas Reid, Audio Description Voice Talent Nefertiti Matos Olivares, and our special celebrity guests Stevie Wonder, Ewan McGregor, Nesta Cooper, Camryn Manheim, Shayla Brown, and the cast of iCarly!
How People With Disabilities Can Find Jobs: ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs Clark Rachfal provides commentary on frequently asked questions about common barriers job seekers with disabilities face.

October 2022

2022 ACB Convention Podcasts & Videos: ACB Media is proud to announce that the podcasts & edited videos of the 2022 ACB Conference and Convention in Omaha, Nebraska are now available.
NASCAR's VIVID with Audio Description: ACB Staff member Kolby Garrison was featured in a series about how she experiences NASCAR racing, her favorite sport. Take part in her incredible adventure through NASCAR's VIVID, now available with audio description.
Entretenimiento Accesible En Español: Conchita Hernández Legorreta nos cuenta sobre la importancia de la audio descripción en español.

September 2022

Advancing Accessibility Of At-Home Medical Tests: ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs Clark Rachfal discusses the impact of the lack of accessible COVID-19 testing on the blind and low vision community, and efforts to ensure health care and medical systems are accessible for everyone on Comcast Newsmakers
ACB Reaches 10K Community Events: On March 17, 2020, the ACB Community was born out of a pandemic and a need to stay connected. Exercise, languages, peer support, technology, crafting, cooking, sports, music, serious discussions, fun with games, and so much more have helped bring many new people to ACB and build a community which continues to grow. We celebrated 10K community events on Saturday, September 24, 2022.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Selected as Audio Description People’s Choice Award Finalist: ACB's Audio Description People's Choice award was featured in this article by StarTrek.com.
Senator Duckworth and Representative Sarbanes Introduce Bill to Make Websites and Mobile Applications Accessible to Individuals with Disabilities: S. 4998/H.R. 9021 would require the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to establish a clear and enforceable national framework for website and software accessibility, reaffirm existing law covers websites and software, and ensure accessibility standards keep pace with new and emerging technologies.
James Webb Space Telescope Accessibility with STScI: ACB’s advocacy team were joined by representatives from the Space Telescope Science Institute during an event to discuss how their team have collaborated with one another to make NASA's Webb Space Telescope images accessible to people who are blind and low vision. Visit this link to learn more about the panelists.
Announcing the 2022 Audio Description People's Choice Award: The new Audio Description People’s Choice Award for the 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala celebrates the inclusion of audio description in all forms of media entertainment.
Prime Stage Earns American Council of the Blind Award for Audio Description Services: This articles highlights 2022 ADP Achievement Award winner Nathan Ruggles.

August 2022

With Accessible Movie Screenings, Netflix Pushes On Normalizing Entertainment Equality For All: In July, ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges was a participant in a Netflix community panel about accessibility in entertainment during an accessible screening of The Gray Man in New York City. In this article, Forbes describes the purpose of this inclusive event and how accessibility efforts by Netflix are bringing the disability community together.
Save the Date: ACB’s 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala: The American Council of the Blind proudly announces the second annual Audio Description Awards Gala on November 29, 2022. The Gala will once again celebrate outstanding achievements in audio description in media and expand awareness of its benefits.
Meet ACB's New Board Members: ACB Advocacy team interview with ACB Board of Director members who were newly elected this July: Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Rachel Schroeder, and Terry Pacheco.
ACB Immediate Past President Kim Charlson Receives Award from The Kennedy Center: Kim Charlson was selected out of a diverse pool of nominees to receive a John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Award for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership.

July 2022

App Update from Concept2 Includes New Accessibility Features: Leading sport and fitness equipment manufacturer Concept2 has released a major new update for their popular ErgData app. The app has many new features, including audio guidance in both Apple and Android versions to increase accessibility. During development, Concept2 worked with the American Council of the Blind to help ensure the app was accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
Announcing the ACB Mentoring Program: The American Council of the Blind Mentoring Program will begin as a Pilot Program with 12 mentors and 12 mentees from September 2022 through June 2023.
2022 ACB Scholarship Recipients: Congratulations to our 2022 scholarship recipients!
Introducing the 2022 DKM First-Timers: We are happy to present to you, the Class of 2022 DKM First-Timers who have met all requirements to be considered for and selected as recipients of this prestigious honor. Congratulations to Joe Derrick Green and Gregg Wandsneider!
Introducing the Class of 2022 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows: Judy Brown, Danette Dixon, Kristen Kelling, Byron Lee, Cecily Laney Nipper

June 2022

ACB and the Department of Health and Human Services Announce That More Accessible COVID-19 At-Home Tests Are Now Available: On June 22, 2022, the federal government announced a new initiative to expand the availability of testing options that are more accessible for people who are blind or low vision and who use a smartphone.
ACB Announces 2022 Audio Description Award Recipients: ACB proudly announces the recipients of the 2022 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of our Audio Description Project (ADP). The Achievement Awards are given to individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to the establishment and continued development of significant audio description programs.
ACB's ADP Announces 2022 “BADIE” Award Recipients: Congratulations to our 2022 BADIE Award recipients! The BADIE awards (Benefits of Audio Description In Education) are an initiative of the Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind (ADP) and Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP).

May 2022

New Navigation App Aims to Empower Metro Riders with Blindness, Low Vision: ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges is quoted in this article about the introduction of a new navigational app that will help people who are blind and have low vision access the Metrorail system. ACB is proud to support the launch of Waymap in the Washington Metro region.

March 2022

ACB Commends CBS on Expanding Description: The American Council of the Blind (ACB) congratulates the CBS Television Network for significantly increasing the amount of programming it makes available on CBS with Audio Description (AD). In keeping with its ongoing commitment to accessibility, CBS recently added AD to seven primetime series: Bull, Ghosts, United States of Al, S.W.A.T., Good Sam, Magnum P.I, and Undercover Boss. With these additions, CBS now offers AD with nearly all of its regularly scheduled scripted primetime programs.

February 2022

Joint Letter to Enforce Accessibility Standards: The American Council of the Blind is among 181 undersigned disability organizations who believe that there is an urgent need for digital accessibility regulations. On February 28, 2022, we sent the Department of Justice a letter urging them to promulgate enforceable online accessibility standards by the end of the current Administration. The letter, as well as a quote from ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs Clark Rachfal, was featured in an article by Engadget.
Dots and Dashes Now Includes More Accessible Content: Through ACB's collaboration with Constant Contact we were able to add accessibility improvements in our Dots and Dashes newsletter in the form of headings. We are pleased to share with you that we can now include content headings to break up content subjects in the newsletter making reading the content a more user-friendly experience.
ACB's 2022 Legislative Imperatives: Our 2022 legislative imperatives represent several key issues in the 117th Congress that ACB believes will help us on our road to full independence and participation in our society.

January 2022

At-Home Coronavirus Tests Are Inaccessible to Blind People: ACB Immediate Past President Kim Charlson shares why accessibility for COVID Testing needs attention now in this article by the New York Times.
ACB’s Action Request for Accessible At-Home Rapid Testing: On January 21, 2022, ACB President Dan Spoone sent a letter to the Biden-Harris Administration to request immediate action be taken for accessible rapid testing options for our community.
Action Request: American Council of the Blind Seeks Update on Accessible At-Home COVID Testing: On Monday, January 31, 2022, ACB President Dan Spoone sent a letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeking an update on accessible at-home COVID testing. To read President Dan Spoone’s letter visit: www.acb.org/accessible-test-letter-1-31-22.

December 2021

Court Certifies Nationwide Disability Rights Class Action Against Quest Diagnostics for Use of Inaccessible Touch Screen Kiosks, and Rejects Quest’s Request to Declare That Its Inaccessible Kiosks Comply with the ADA: ACB defeated a summary judgment motion in federal court in California that sought to dismiss ACB’s claims that the self-service kiosks at Quest Diagnostics’ Patient Service Centers are inaccessible to blind patients in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Navigational Apps for the Blind Could Have a Broader Appeal: ACB’s Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, shares his perspective on new wayfinding apps designed to help people who are blind and visually impaired and how they could be useful for the broader community in this article by the New York Times.
Talking Labels Aid the Blind with Prescriptions: ACB’s Executive Director Eric Bridges is quoted in this AARP article about accessible prescriptions for people who are blind and visually impaired.
The Tech Industry's Accessibility Report Card for 2021: ACB’s Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, is quoted throughout this article by Engadget about how accessibility fared in the tech industry in 2021.

November 2021

Spoken Rx™ “Talking” Prescription Labels Now Available in All CVS Pharmacy Locations
American Council of the Blind Salutes Audio Description Award Winners
The AD Awards Gala – Special Thanks to Our Sponsors, Presenters and Special Guests
ACB in the News: WIRED Article: ACB’s Eric & Rebecca Bridges shared how they had to pivot to provide access to their son’s education. Read WIRED’s piece: how the internet was supposed to make the dream a reality, to connect everyone.
2021 ACB Resolutions: Resolutions introduced by our members and passed by the ACB Board of Directors in 2021.
Cooking Without Looking with Eric Bridges: ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges oversees an organization that has fostered the independence of people who are blind and visually impaired for 60 years. Listen to this episode of Cooking Without Looking to find out Eric's experience of what parenting a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old is like when you and your spouse are blind. Eric also discusses his favorite recipe, Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs, that Rebecca prepares for him at least once a month.

October 2021

American Council of the Blind (ACB) and Walmart to Team Up on White Cane Day to Amplify the Importance of Health for Independence for Blind and Low Vision Americans: On October 15th, 2021 we celebrated White Cane Day by announcing that ACB and Walmart are teaming up to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and getting routine eye exams for those who are blind and visually impaired.
ACB 2021 Audio Description Awards Gala: Details are out for the 2021 Audio Description Awards Gala brought to you by ACB on November 18th, 2021.
Vaccine Access for People Who Are Blind: Kaiser Health News article featuring ACB's Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal
The Role of Health and Wellness in Independence: Get Up and Get moving article in Modern Wellness by ACB's Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal
Specialty Pharmacy NYT Article: Longtime ACB member DeAnna Quietwater Noriega and ACB’s Executive Director Eric Bridges are featured in this New York Times article about the experiences with pharmacies people with disabilities encountered during the pandemic.
Medicare Vision Coverage and Low Vision Devices Action Alert: ACB supports the Medicare Vision Act and urges congress to include it in the upcoming budget reconciliation package. We encourage all our members and friends to contact both their Senators and Representative in support of including H.R. 4187 in the budget reconciliation package.
U.S. Currency Needs to Be Accessible for All: ACB Director of Development Tony Stephen's article about accessible currency in Modern Wellness.
All The Light We Cannot See Casting Call: Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller All The Light We Cannot See will become an epic four-part Netflix limited series produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things, Free Guy, Shadow and Bone, Arrival) and written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders). Levy and producers are announcing a worldwide casting search for blind or low vision actresses to play the lead role of teenage “Marie-Laure.”

September 2021

Planet Fitness, Home of the Judgement Free Zone, and the Coalition for Inclusive Fitness, Announce Accessible Exercise Equipment Commitment Benefitting People with Disabilities: Planet Fitness and the American Council of the Blind, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and National Council on Independent Living (collectively “Coalition for Inclusive Fitness” or the “Coalition”) announced a commitment to expand access to accessible exercise equipment.
Discord and American Council of the Blind Announce Digital Accessibility Initiative: Discord, working with the American Council of the Blind, announced a comprehensive initiative to enhance Discord’s voice, video and text communication app to make it more accessible for Discord users who are blind or have other vision impairments.
ACB Community Milestones: Our ACB Community celebrated hosting over 5k events and we also reached the goal of raising $5k for the 60 for 60 drive.
ITEMM Coalition Letter to Congress on Low Vision Aids: ACB and many of our affiliates joined the ITEMM Coalition and more than 80 organizations in urging Congress to include a Medicare vision benefit in the budget reconciliation package by repealing the statutory ban on Medicare coverage of eyeglasses and by requiring CMS to undergo a review and analysis of low vision devices appropriate for Medicare coverage.
Call to Action: Exercise and Fitness for All Act: Social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored what ACB and our members already knew – that the lack of access to accessible exercise and fitness equipment and instruction are a persistent barrier to equal access and results in deteriorating physical and mental health. The Exercise and Fitness for All Act promotes the provision of exercise or fitness equipment, and exercise or fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Call to Action: Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act: The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853) aims to make home use medical equipment and devices accessible to blind and visually impaired Americans.
Letter to General Services Administration: On September 16, 2021, ACB and other organizations sent a sign on letter to the General Services Administration urging them to make the voter registration information on the www.vote.gov website accessible.
In the Cloud, Small Nonprofits Find the Sky’s the Limit: A Chronicles of Philanthropy article outlining ACB's IT journey.

August 2021

Absentee and Vote by Mail Barriers for Voters with Disabilities: EAC Commissioner Ben Hovland was joined by ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Clark Rachfal, Office of the Ohio Secretary of State ADA Coordinator Brett Harbage, California Assistant Secretary of State, Help America Vote Act State Director, and Counsel for the Secretary of State Susan Lapsley, California Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee Coordinator Reina Miller, and Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman to discuss absentee and vote by mail barriers as a part of the Serving Voters with Disabilities series.
Social Security Administration Notices: ACB, along with the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), Justice in Aging and other disability advocacy organizations, sent a letter to the general counsel of the Social Security Administration to express concerns with a new policy that will make it more difficult for SSA clients to receive documents in an accessible format.
2021 ACB Awards: ACB’s annual awards recognizes individuals, organizations, and affiliates who have contributed to the blindness community.
Newly Elected ACB Officer and Board Members: ACB Advocacy team interview with ACB officer and board members who were newly elected in ACB’s first-ever virtual elections this July.
Call to Action: Disability Access to Transportation Act, H.R. 1697
ACB Introduces Get Up and Get Moving Campaign

July 2021

American Council of the Blind Announces Audio Description Awards (Aug 2021)
The American Council of the Blind turns 60 today!
ACB’s Olympic Pre-Show: ACB’s Olympic Pre-Show took place on Friday, July 23, 2021. During this presentation we highlighted the games, athletes, teams, and the live audio description brought to you by NBC Olympics and Comcast just ahead of the 2021 Olympic Opening Ceremonies live from Tokyo.
2021 ACB Convention: The 2021 ACB 60th Anniversary Conference and Convention was truly a spectacular event with over 166 breakout sessions and many ways to participate including Zoom, ACB Media Network, YouTube, Facebook, Clubhouse, and our community events. We also held our first virtual elections which were a great success.
The ACB Clubhouse has reach over 1,000 followers! Learn more about Clubhouse by visiting: https://www.clubhouse.com/.
ACB Media Network Launch: Please take the time to visit www.acbmedia.org to browse, bookmark and stay up to date on the ACB Digital Media Library. Find what you are searching for quickly; whether it is our latest podcast, ACB’s 10 live streams, or issues and archives of the Braille Forum and ACB Blog. The Calendar will feature a program schedule of sessions and events including individual content tracks.
ACB Statement July 21, 2021: ACB statement to U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

June 2021

ACB Encourages State Assembly to Pass H-6004 Equal Access to Voting for Voters with Disabilities
Washington Post Accessible Currency Article: ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges shared that “the combination of Harriet Tubman adorning the first piece of accessible currency would make a powerful statement” in this article.
ACB 2021 Virtual Convention: Building on the success of the ACB virtual 2020 Conference & Convention, ACB will be hosting its 60th annual convention virtually, from July 16 through July 23, 2021, providing the opportunity to feature an exciting series of speakers, networking events and learning opportunities with ACB members and conference participants.
ACB Alexa Skill Update: ACB Media Network launched a new Alexa skill called ACB Media on June 27, 2021 that replaced the previous ACB Alexa skills. To access the new skill from your Alexa-enabled device first enable the skill by saying: "Alexa, enable ACB Media". Then you can launch the skill by saying "Alexa, open ACB Media".

May 2021

Celebrating 10 Years of Global Accessibility Awareness Day: On Thursday, May 20th ACB hosted a special 10th-anniversary celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). ACB's Executive Director Eric Bridges led a conversation with digital accessibility leaders Jennison Asuncion (Co-founder of GAAD and Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn) and Mike Shebanek (Head of Accessibility at Facebook).
Global Accessibility Awareness Day Statement from ACB's Executive Director
2021 Benefits of Audio Description in Education Contest (BADIE) Award Winners
2021 Scholarship Award Recipients
Introducing the Class of 2021 DKM First-Timers: This year’s DKM First Timer award winners are Kaila Allen from Mesa, Arizona and Belinda Collins from St. Pauls, North Carolina.
Presenting the Class of 2021 ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows: This year's ACB/JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellow award winners are Winter Renfrow, Anthony Corona, Greg Lindberg, Natalie Couch, and Becky Dunkerson.
ACB Expands Hours on Be My Eyes: Find ACB in the Specialized Help section of the Be My Eyes app during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern time. The Be My Eyes app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android.

April 2021

Virginia Agrees to Provide Accessible Absentee Voting Option for Voters with Print Disabilities: The Commonwealth of Virginia will permanently make its elections accessible and safe for voters who cannot mark a paper ballot privately and independently due to disabilities such as blindness, beginning with the June 2021 Primary Election . In 2020, we filed suit together with a coalition of disability advocates to make this change possible.
ACB Urges Congress to Amend H.R. 1 and S. 1, Securing Access to Accessible Voting: The For the People Act (H.R. 1, S. 1) would eliminate accessible voting options & prevent innovation in election technology, barring accessibility gains in the future and silencing the voice of millions of Americans who are blind and visually impaired.
The New $20: A Chance for Accessible Currency: ACB President Dan Spoone had an engaging opinion piece calling for accessible currency published this week in The Hill. The commentary bridged two leading voices for equality who lived an ocean apart two centuries ago, but now are brought together by the opportunity for a new $20 bill.
ACB Celebrates NATAD: ACB's advocacy team, Clark Rachfal and Swatha Nandhakumar, were joined by Matt Ater, Vice President of Vispero, and Don Barrett, ACB Member, to discuss assistive technology: what it is; why it is so important; and what role assistive technology will play in our lives going forward.
ACB Spring Update Video: Spring has definitely sprung and there is a lot on the horizon for ACB! Learn more about the exciting work currently underway.
Cogswell Macy Act: ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, moderated a panel discussion to mobilize advocates in support of the reintroduced Cogswell Macy Act.
Donor Update Call: During this presentation we discuss all the amazing things underway at ACB, all possible due to the wonderful support of our donors. We share our past accomplishments and what is on the horizon, and most importantly give thanks to our supporters.
American Council of the Blind Letter Supporting S. 1260: Eliminating barriers to transportation and enhancing independent travel are critical to ensuring people with disabilities are integrated in our communities and have equal opportunities to move freely. For these reasons, ACB strongly supports the inclusion and passage of S. 1260 as an amendment to the Endless Frontier Act as offered by Senators Peters and Thune, which would incentivize American companies to test and develop accessible autonomous vehicles.

March 2021

HBO Max Rolls Out Audio Described Content: HBO Max released nearly 1500 hours of audio described content and significant screen reader access improvements, with more to come over the next two years, based on a landmark agreement between the American Council of the Blind, Disability Rights Advocates, HBO, Bay State Council of the Blind, and Disability Law Center Inc.
Verizon Media Announces $5M Media Donation for ACB and Other Disability Organizations: On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, Verizon Media announced that they will be donating $5 million in media to a number of disability organizations, including ACB.
AFB and ACB Applaud Reintroduction of the Disability Access to Transportation Act: ACB urges our members to follow up with your Representatives to ask them to cosponsor and pass H.R. 1697.
ACB Quoted in WSJ Article on Accessible Currency: The Wall Street Journal published an article on accessible currency, spotlighting Britain’s newest tactile denomination and drawing attention to the United States failure to find a similar solution for accessible currency a generation after ACB filed its law suit. ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges is quoted in the article.
Air Carrier Access Amendments Act: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI) reintroduced the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act on March 9, to protect the rights of airplane passengers with disabilities, improve air travel safety and close service gaps that passengers with disabilities frequently encounter in air travel. For 35 years, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) has prohibited discrimination based on disability in air travel. Despite this effort, too many travelers with disabilities encounter significant barriers—such as damaged assistive devices and wheelchairs, delayed assistance, ineffective communications, and lack of seating accommodations.
ACB Celebrates a Year of Community: When the pandemic hit and everyone was told to shelter in place, we turned isolation into connection. From education, training, and information sharing, to peer support, socialization, and fun, learn what this growing community has meant to so many people in and outside of ACB over the past year.

February 2021

ACB Supports Accessible and Inclusive Currency
ACB's 2021 Legislative Imperatives: Our 2021 legislative imperatives represent several key issues in the 117th Congress that ACB believes will help us on our road to full independence and participation in our society.
2021 ACB Leadership Conference Session Playlist on YouTube

January 2021

Accessibility in Tech Improved in 2020, But More Must Be Done: The year 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and many of the biggest tech companies updated their products to improve accessibility. But the work to foster an inclusive industry that doesn’t overlook an underrepresented community is never done, and there are still areas that need attention. An article by Engadget, which includes a quote from ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs Clark Rachfal, reflects on tech’s progress in 2020.
Inauguration with Audio Description: The audio described Inauguration festivities that were streamed on YouTube and ACB Radio Live Event are available as a podcast on our ACB Events feed.
ACB Statement Concerning the Events of January 6, 2021

Archive (2020-2013)

The American Council of the Blind and VITAC with the Parent Company of The Elf on the Shelf® Make Christmas Eve Jolly and More Accessible for Kids Who Are Blind