2023
December 2023
- New Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs: ACB announces that Claire Stanley is joining ACB as the new Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs. Claire has been involved in the field of disability advocacy for over a decade. In her last role as a Public Policy Analyst at the National Disability Rights Network, she advocated for policies that impacted people with disabilities, and also collaborated with other disability organizations including ACB.
- 2024 ACB Leadership Conference: The 2024 ACB Leadership Conference will be a hybrid event. ACB’s Board Meeting, Presidents’ Meeting, Legislative Seminar, and Capitol Hill visits will take place March 1-5, 2024, at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA.
November 2023
- 2023 Audio Description Awards Gala Recipients: ACB announces the individuals and organizations honored at the 2023 Audio Description Awards Gala held November 14. Created in 2021 to recognize achievement in audio description in entertainment and educational media, the Awards Gala featured celebrity guests, film clips, and multiple award categories. For the first time, the Gala was broadcast in English and Spanish.
October 2023
- American Council of the Blind (ACB) Wins Nationwide Disability Rights Class Action Against Quest Diagnostics for Use of Inaccessible Touch Screen Kiosks: Following a week-long bench trial in Los Angeles, a federal court in California found Quest Diagnostics in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and permanently enjoined Quest from continuing to violate the ADA.
- Essay Contest for Students Ages 7-21 Now Open: The American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are now accepting entries for BADIE, or the Benefits of Audio Description in Education, an essay contest for young people (ages 7 to 21) who are blind or have low vision. It’s a great chance for students to engage with accessible learning materials, unleash their inner film critic, and compete for fun prizes.
September 2023
- 2023 Convention Podcasts: All recordings of the 2023 ACB Conference and Convention sessions are now available via podcast.
August 2023
- The American Council of the Blind’s 2023 Audio Description People’s Choice Award: The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the 2023 Audio Description People’s Choice Award finalist vote is open through August 15th. The finalists in the category of films are: Top Gun: Maverick, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Little Mermaid (Live Action), Flamin’ Hot, and Emergency. The finalists in the category of series are: Stranger Things, Better Call Saul, Alma’s Way, Wednesday, and Star Trek: Picard.
July 2023
- United Becomes First U.S. Airline to Add Braille to Aircraft Cabin Interiors: ACB commends United for taking additional steps to create an accessible airline passenger experience through braille signage. We encourage all airlines to follow United's lead in making air travel more inclusive for the blind and low vision community. Additional information with feedback from ACB can be found in articles from ABC News and The Washington Post.
- National Credit Reporting Companies and the American Council of the Blind Announce Reaffirmed Commitment to Provide Accessible Credit Reports: The nation's three major consumer credit reporting companies have reaffirmed their commitment to provide accessible credit reports for people who are blind or have low vision through an initiative crafted with ACB and several blind consumers.
- Letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Supporting Continued Development and Deployment of Autonomous Vehicles: ACB and 14 other disability rights advocacy organizations sent a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee advocating for legislation to create a national framework for the research, development, testing, and deployment of accessible autonomous vehicles.
- 2023 Audio Description Project Award Winners: The ADP Awards honor the people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the quality, availability, and understanding of audio description.
June 2023
- Call for Nominations for the 2023 Audio Description People’s Choice Award: The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the Audio Description People’s Choice Award opens for nominations on June 6, 2023. The winners will be revealed during the 2023 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on November 14th at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
- 2023 ACB Scholarship Recipients
- ACB Link Upgrade: The ACB Media team is proud to announce the newly upgraded version of ACB Link.
May 2023
- Max Launches on May 23 – What to Expect for ACB Members: On May 23, HBO Max became Max and launched with over 6,500 hours of audio described content thanks to the 2020 agreement that was negotiated by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) on behalf of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and Bay State Council of the Blind.
- Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day: The purpose of this annual day of observance is to raise awareness of how the lives of people with disabilities have been improved by accessibility while still recognizing the work that remains to make the virtual environment inclusive for all.
- Statement on Global Accessibility Awareness Day from 52 National Disability Advocates for Digital Inclusion: 52 national disability organizations have joined together to celebrate the transformative impact of accessible technology and call on the federal government to require websites and software applications to be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.
- New ACB Media Podcasts: ACB Media is proud to announce the addition of two new podcast feeds, "ACB Business" and "Podcasts en español de la ACB" available through Apple Podcasts.
April 2023
- Introducing the 2023 DKM First-Timers: While honoring the legacy of ACB’s founding father, Durward K. McDaniel, since 1996, the Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) Fund Committee seeks to identify and honor two ACB members who demonstrate leadership potential with the DKM First-Timers award on an annual basis, one from east and one from west of the Mississippi River.
- Introducing the 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.
- ACB's Virginia Office Move: ACB’s new office address is 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 660, Alexandria, VA 22314.
- American Council of the Blind Applauds ScripTalk Talking Label Pilot at Wegmans: ACB is pleased to share the announcement of the ScripTalk Talking Prescription Label pilot program at Wegmans Food Markets.
March 2023
- ACB Board of Directors Appoints Dan Spoone as Interim Executive Director:
- 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.