The ACB E-Forum Volume LXI April 2023 No. 10 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** * Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind™ 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. * Contribute to Our Work 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. Listen to ACB Reports by downloading the MP3 file from www.acb.org, or call (518) 906-1820 and choose option 8. Tune in to ACB Media at www.acbmedia.org or by calling (518) 906-1820. 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. © 2023 American Council of the Blind Eric Bridges, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311 ***** ** Table of Contents President's Message: Thank You, Eric Bridges!, by Dan Spoone Convention Snippets, by Janet Dickelman 2023 ACB Candidate Process, by Katie Frederick Stepping Out with ACB in 2023, by Katie Frederick Summary of the January 31, 2023 ACB Board Meeting, by Penny Reeder My Vision for Diversity in ACB, by Yasmin Campbell Diversity: A Multi-Faceted Concept, by Lynne Koral ACB, A More Perfect Union?, by Sandra Sermons Vision for Diversity within ACB, by Linda Samulski Let ACB Lead the Way, by Mary Haroyan Bridges, by Regina Marie Brink Diversity in ACB, What It Needs to Look Like, by Ray Campbell Working Toward a More Inclusive ACB, by Cheryl Cumings In This Community, Thanks and Love Are Enough, by Patty L. Fletcher Here and There, edited by Cynthia Hawkins High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums * Upcoming Forum Themes and Deadlines June 2023: Convention; deadline: April 24, 2023 July 2023: theme TBA; deadline: May 26, 2023 August 2023: theme TBA; deadline: June 23, 2023 * 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 make the changes for you. ***** ** President's Message: Thank You, Eric Bridges! by Dan Spoone ACB members, staff and friends I would like to take this opportunity to give a huge "thank you" to my friend and colleague, Eric Bridges. I have had the pleasure to work with Eric over the past four years to lead the American Council of the Blind through an amazing period in our organization's history. Eric's leadership guided ACB through a pandemic with extremely challenging circumstances. COVID-19 shuttered both ACB offices for three months. The staff swiftly pivoted to 100% in-home work. The staff with Eric's management decisions quickly acquired Zoom licenses and training. The ACB financial team rapidly applied for the federal government Payroll Protection Program (PPP) Loans. The ACB staff did not miss a beat. The ACB Board of Directors voted unanimously in March 2020 to hold a virtual ACB conference and convention. Eric led the staff through the new set of requirements to produce an amazing convention for eight days with general sessions, audio-described tours, an exhibit hall, 108 breakout sessions, a banquet, an auction, a walk and a complete slate of primetime evening shows, all on the Zoom platform and streamed on ACB Media. The staff truly demonstrated ACB's five core values of integrity and honesty, respect, collaboration, flexibility and initiative. Eric also led the staff through the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) methodology "Traction" to create an organizational culture of accountability, communication and trust with each other and the ACB membership. The pandemic created a difficult environment for many of our members. Everyone was shuttered in their homes with limited opportunity for social interaction. Eric recognized this serious issue for our members and quickly worked with Cindy Hollis to start several Zoom meetings to give our members a chance to interact with each other. The initial goal was one Zoom meeting each day. Eric and I volunteered to start a sports call on Saturday night, "Let's Talk Sports." Wow, we did not know exactly what we were doing! But with Rick Morin's help, we gave it a try. We just wanted to spend some time with our friends talking sports. Remember, there were no sports being played. Everything was put on hold with the pandemic. We spent our show talking about everyone's favorite adult beverage and memories of our favorite games from the past. Roger Bridges, Eric's dad, had us all in stitches recounting the National Cherry Pit Spitting Contest. The defending champion had the nickname "Pellet Gun." Of course, this quickly became Rick's nickname. Pellet Gun Morin was our host for the entire series of shows. Many nights we were laughing so hard we would be crying. It's simply amazing that these humble beginnings have grown into the ACB Community Events platform that now hosts over 100 shows each week. Eric and Cindy, we all thank you for your inspiration and tenacity. Eric's career with ACB spans over 15 years. He was a member of the initial cross-disability team that advocated for the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) that became law in 2010. He had the honor to represent ACB at the White House, when the bill was signed into law by President Obama. Eric worked to shepherd ACB through the court system to demand accessible paper currency in 2008 — the very same court order that we are still rallying to push forward in 2023. We have seen the adoption of accessible prescription drug labels and the passage of the quiet car legislation. The ACB staff has grown and matured under Eric’s leadership. ACB now has a fully functioning development team, a communication manager, an ACB Media manager, a thrift store manager, an Audio Description Project coordinator with consulting support, an accounting team, an advocacy team and a membership and community events team. In addition, Eric's networking skills have built constructive relationships with corporations in the areas of high tech, broadcast communications, health care, transportation, accessible technology and finance. ACB’s revenue is greatly enhanced through these relationships. Perhaps Eric's greatest contribution has been his ability to work with these companies to modify or re-engineer their products to make them accessible for our blind and low vision community. The work with Microsoft to improve their suite of products, the work with Cisco to make their VOIP phone fully accessible, the enhancements to Facebook for improved usability, the adoption of audio description by the major streaming services for all of their original content, the rollout of a fully accessible set-top cable box by Comcast and the adoption of three emojis representing our blind community through our partnership with Apple. Eric, you have truly made all of our lives better. Thank you for being a wonderful ACB leader for over 15 years. We wish you great success at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Rebecca and you are lifetime ACB members. We know you won’t be far away if we need some good advice. ACB will miss your leadership. We look forward to seeing you at the convention in Schaumburg. Personally, I would like to let you know how much I value our friendship and respect your knowledge, judgment and willingness to work with a new ACB president who needed your patience and partnership to move our organization forward. ACB wishes you all the best! Hip, hip, hooray for a job well done! * Photo Caption: Eric Bridges, outgoing executive director, addresses a gathering of the ACB staff from both offices at the 2022 convention in Omaha. ***** Convention Snippets by Janet Dickelman What an exciting time to be involved with the American Council of the Blind! Our 62nd annual conference and convention is fast approaching! Our convention theme this year is "ACB – Winds of Change," the theme we had initially chosen for 2020 prior to COVID. At that time the theme represented Chicago being the windy city, and the winds on the prairie, which is Illinois' state name. This theme definitely represents all the changes we've seen in the past three years. In-person convention dates are June 30 through July 6 in Schaumburg Illinois. During the in-person portion of the conference, some of our sessions will be hybrid; they will be available via Zoom and broadcast on ACB Media. We will also hold Zoom-only sessions, and in-person only sessions that will be available as podcasts. In addition to the in-person conference days, there is so much more that will be available via the Zoom platform and ACB Media. Don't miss the ACB virtual summer auction on Saturday, June 17th at 6 p.m. Central time, preceded by two days of sneak-a-peek appetizer auction items. The convention will officially open virtually on ACB Media and the Zoom platform on June 19th with the reading of the convention standing rules and the first credentials report. Beginning on June 23 we will offer three days of Zoom-only sessions for special-interest affiliates, ACB committees and our business partners. These sessions will be part of the convention and will be listed on the convention registration form, in the convention program and announced via telephone and on ACB Media. The Zoom-only sessions will also be broadcast on ACB Media. ACB committees and special-interest affiliates have been submitting their program information. Here is a glimpse at what has been scheduled thus far. Please keep in mind that other sessions will be added to this list. All times listed are Central time. Note: many sessions are co-sponsored; to save space in this article, only the submitting affiliate or committee will be listed. Full information will be shown in the convention program and on the registration form. * ACB Committees Convention Host Committee: Friday, June 30, 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM Come one, come all to the Welcome to Schaumburg party hosted by the Illinois Council of the Blind (ICB)! Soloist Jeff Trudell with his guitar is sure to entertain us for an interactive evening of singing, dancing and socializing. Purchase tickets on the convention registration form for $15, or $20 at the door. Durward K. McDaniel First Timer (DKM): Welcome the 2023 DKM recipients on Wednesday evening, July 5 Employment Committee: The committee, with ACB Next Generation as co-host, is hosting a session entitled "You Got the Job. Now What?" International Relations Committee: Anticipates holding a session on global accessibility best practices with the Zero Project from Vienna, Austria; an update on NLS's foreign language efforts; a conversation with this year’s international speaker, Martine Abel-Williamson from New Zealand; our popular Voices from Around the World luncheon; and a meet and greet at an international restaurant in Schaumburg. Membership Committee: The Membership Seminar will be held on Wednesday, July 5 at 4 p.m. Topic: The Benefits of Partnerships to Membership. Keys to the Convention segment for virtual participants on Saturday, June 24, and Keys to the Convention in-person on Saturday, June 30. The Rehab Issues Task Force will hold a program to advise individuals and affiliates about rehab coaches. They are not professionals, but they are there to encourage and assist job seekers when they are attempting to obtain rehabilitation services. The coach could do as little as be a cheerleader for a person needing encouragement, or as much as helping an individual pick and pursue a goal by example or research. Walk Committee: Grab your water bottle and join us on Saturday, July 1 at 6 p.m. for our annual fund-raising walk. Walkers will enter our opening general session together — what a great way to show your support for ACB! * Special-Interest Affiliates American Association of Blind Teachers: Have breakfast and a speaker with AABT on Saturday, July 1; also join them on Monday for a session about Hadley School. American Association of Visually Impaired Attorneys: AAVIA programming will include: • Professor Bill Piatt, St. Mary's Law School, will discuss the significant decisions of the Supreme Court during the 2022-2023 term; • Jeff Thom will present a panel of disability rights attorneys discussing current cases which may impact rights of the visually impaired; • Ollie Cantos, who is a blind attorney, a newly elected city councilman in West Covina, Calif., and a Presidential appointee, will discuss his election campaign and experience as a city councilman as well as Presidential appointee in the federal government. ACB Diabetics in Action: ACBDA is Proud to sponsor another informative educational program as we Continue to "Knuckle Down on Diabetes!" 1. Demystifying Medicare 2. Current best practices and latest changes/recommendations in managing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes 3. Taking Control of Your Diabetes "TCOYD" "Time in Range" 4. A panel of ACBDA members representing the different types of diabetes, sharing their personal stories on how they are "knuckling down" and managing their disease every day ACB Families: ACBF will hold their business meeting on Saturday, June 24 and later that that day will host Campfire Stories. On Monday the 3rd, ACBF will hold their breakfast and the ever-popular ACBF Bingo that evening. ACB Radio Amateurs: ACBRA will hold a program on Wednesday, July 5. Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss: AAVL will host a luncheon on Monday, July 3 with a presentation on Alzheimer’s and memory loss. Friends-in-Art of ACB: FIA will host their in-person Showcase of the Performing Arts on Monday, July 3rd. FIA will also host a writer’s workshop, a music makers workshop and prose and poetry reading. Guide Dog Users, Inc.: GDUI will hold their guide dog school updates during the virtual portion of the convention, and a session on traveling to Hawaii with your guide dog while we are in Schaumburg. Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs: Tuesday, July 4, is IVIE Day! Join them for their luncheon, a program including presentations by Richard Rueda discussing the APH Career Connect program, and representatives from Internal Revenue Service discussing sending out notices in your preferred format and language. Then attend IVIE's Small Business Expo. Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America: RSVA will hold programming on Saturday, July 1, a luncheon and program on Sunday, July 2 and that evening in-person only comic and karaoke night. Visually Impaired Veterans of America: VIVA will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, June 22nd. The conference and convention announce list will be jam-packed with information. To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. If you received updates for the 2022 convention, you do not need to subscribe to the list. * Hotel Details Room rates at the Renaissance are $98 per night double occupancy (with an additional $10 charge for up to four people), plus tax which is currently 15%. To make reservations online, visit https://book.passkey.com/go/AmericanCounciloftheBlind2023. For telephone reservations, call 1-800-468-3571. This is a central reservations number, so please indicate you are with the American Council of the Blind 2023 conference and convention at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Ill. * Convention Contacts 2023 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740, amduo@bellsouth.net 2023 sponsorships: acbconvsponsorships@acb.org, or contact Eric Bridges or Clark Rachfal at (202) 467-5081. For any other convention-related questions, please contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059 or via e-mail, janet.dickelman@gmail.com. ***** ** 2023 ACB Candidate Process by Katie Frederick As members of the American Council of the Blind, we are responsible for electing a slate of individuals who will lead and guide the organization. In preparation for elections at the 2023 ACB conference and convention, individuals interested in running are invited to participate in the following activities and events. Here are some dates to keep in mind, with more in-depth explanations following. • May 15: Submissions for the candidates' web page are due. • June 1: Candidate's web pages are posted and announced. Candidate's ACB Media promos are due (optional). • June 14: Candidates' Forum takes place via Zoom and ACB Media. * The ACB Candidates' Web Page If you plan to run for any ACB elected position, the ACB Candidates' Page is where you can introduce yourself, post links to your social media pages, and provide responses to the following questions. (Please note: Your response to each question will be cut off at 300 words; ACB's Board of Publications will not edit your responses for spelling or grammar.) 1. Introduce yourself, indicate which position you seek, and explain why you wish to serve in this position. 2. What do you consider to be your strongest contribution to ACB at either the national, state, special-interest affiliate or local chapter level and why? 3. What do you consider to be the most important challenge facing ACB? How will you work to address it? * Instructions for Candidates' Page Submissions 1. You must be an ACB member in good standing. 2. Submissions must be in Word, text file, or in the body of an email. 3. Send email, Word or text file submissions to slovering@acb.org with the subject line "Candidates' Page Submission." 4. The deadline for all Candidates' Page submissions is May 15, 2023 at 4 p.m. Eastern. Late submissions will NOT be accepted. 5. All candidates who submit information are invited to produce a promotional announcement to air on ACB Media. * Get to Know the Candidates at the Candidates’ Forum All candidates who post information to the ACB Candidates' Page will receive an invitation to participate in the ACB Candidates' Forum June 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern via Zoom and streaming on ACB Media. Join to meet the candidates, to ask questions and hear their responses. Please note: You must register as a candidate on the ACB Candidates' Page in order to participate in the ACB Candidates' Forum as a candidate. All ACB members, whether attending the annual conference and convention in person or virtually, have the opportunity to vote. Participating in the Candidates' Web Page and Candidates' Forum are important vehicles for informing our membership! ***** ** Stepping Out with ACB in 2023 by Katie Frederick Lace up your tennis shoes, gather friends and family, and form your team for the 2023 Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk. Individuals and teams can participate online, but we hope you'll step out and join us in person at the 2023 ACB conference and convention! Funds raised benefit the work of the American Council of the Blind, or you can choose to designate 50% of funds go to a state or special-interest affiliate of your choice. Stay tuned to ACB’s communication channels for additional information, including how to sign up for this year's walk. Walk festivities will kick off prior to the opening session Saturday, July 1, but the fun and donations don't end then. We will accept donations before, during, and after the walk. If you have questions about the walk or registration, contact walk committee chair Donna Brown by email, donnambrown59@gmail.com, or call (304) 940-0292. What are you waiting for? Start making plans to step out with ACB in 2023! ***** Summary of the January 31, 2023 ACB Board Meeting by Penny Reeder The January 31, 2023 meeting of the ACB Board of Directors was held via Zoom. The podcast is available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/20230131-acb-board-meeting/id1125754641?i=1000597749553. President Dan Spoone convened the meeting shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern. All directors, except for Doug Powell, who was attending the Ski for Light event, were present, as well as several ACB staff members. Minutes from the December meetings were approved. The board joined Dan and Eric Bridges in an enthusiastic cheer for Nancy Becker, Lane Waters, Nancy Feela, and ACB’s accounting team, to express heartfelt gratitude for their diligence in navigating COVID-era guidelines to successfully apply for and receive over $900,000 in funds from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and the Employee Retention Credit Program (ERC). "Their work has been critical to the forward movement of our organization," Dan said. "The funds allowed us to continue meeting our strategic goals, to support our staff, to staff our development department, and succeed despite an uncertain national economy." Second vice president Ray Campbell said that ACB also needs to express its appreciation to Tony Stephens. "Tony was the first person on our staff to recognize that the federal funding programs were applicable to our organization," Ray explained. Staff members' written reports were submitted to the board in advance of the meeting, and were approved under a consent agenda. Considerable discussion focused on the topic of increasing membership, with some emphasis on the state affiliates for whom retaining and growing membership continues to be a challenge. Although Cindy Hollis' written membership report focused primarily on the growing number and diversity of weekly ACB Community events and training and support for hosts and facilitators, she assured the board that her department continues to focus on affiliate membership as well. Cindy hosts a Wednesday afternoon meeting with affiliate presidents every week, and monthly leadership training seminars are also continuing. Because we are at the beginning of the year and affiliates are still in the process of reporting their membership numbers to ACB, it is too early to provide a clear accounting of current affiliate membership numbers. Dan told the board that membership development remains a major topic for discussion at every steering committee meeting, and that D.C. Leadership meetings will be focusing on membership retention and growth through scheduled focus group discussions and the Sunday evening fireside chat. "A decline in dues-paying members has been a growing concern for service organizations of all kinds. It was a problem before the pandemic," Dan said, "and the pandemic has only served to exacerbate it. But the Community has been helpful in terms of bringing in new members to ACB, at a time when it was so hard to bring new members into the virtual environment. The world has changed. Can the model of membership that sustained us for our first 60 years sustain us in coming years? We don't have all of the answers, but we hear our affiliates' concerns loud and clear." Treasurer David Trott added that a focus on the viability of the ACB Community does not and should not take focus away from helping our affiliates with retaining and growing membership. Ray suggested that membership chairs for affiliates and chapters become aware of and reach out to people who might be interested in joining their affiliates as a result of their mutual engagement in community events. Dan said, "As our director of development, Bill Reeder, reminds me virtually every time we have a conversation, the true gold within this organization comes from our members and friends, and the passion they bring to this organization. Many of the not-for-profit organizations out there are struggling to find what ACB already has, and that is amazing, passionate members. Even while our paid membership enrollment has decreased in the last several years, our passion and interest and enthusiasm have exploded. We keep adding more committees because our members want to be involved in more issues, we have added to the number of people who serve on our committees, we have had the best participation in our history in our recent conventions and our leadership conferences." Between meetings, the board had voted unanimously to increase the budget for the D.C. Leadership Conference by $15,000 to provide professional support for and promotion of the accessible currency rally, scheduled for March 10. The board ratified that online action with their in-person affirmative votes. * President's Report Dan told the board that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADX) committee, whose mission involves assuring the accessibility of at-home medical testing and diagnostic kits, including the COVID home testing kits, has been very favorably impressed with ACB's public outreach capabilities. Team leaders have invited ACB to collaborate with them to develop a plan for disseminating information about the committee's work. Describing ACB's outreach to the medical test development manufacturing community, communications specialist Kelly Gasque explained that their first outreach on behalf of the RADX Project involved a document which describes best practices to assure accessibility, which ACB distributed to medical test manufacturers in December. "We are working hand-in-hand with the committee to assure that we share the most up-to-date information," she said. Clark Rachfal, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, added, "Our first outreach to the National Institutes of Health, which ACB initiated because of our concern about the inaccessibility of the first federally funded home tests for COVID, has developed into a strong, ongoing relationship which includes monthly calls and checkpoints for new developments. We are looking forward to our ongoing collaboration with the NIH RADX committee." Dan reported that the ACB Media Auction grossed over $40,000. "This is an amazing testimonial to our members, their involvement, and the fine work of ACB Media," he said. "Thanks to everybody who was involved." Dan and first vice president Deb Lewis updated the board on the progress that has been made on reconfiguring the ACB Leadership e-mail discussion list, cutting down on list traffic, and sharing and implementing revised guidelines. The ACB-Conversation list is growing in terms of participation and the kinds of information that members are sharing with one another, she added. Dan shared the good news that the team that has been working with the History and Archives Committee to identify and collect all ACB policies adopted during the 60-plus years of the organization's existence is making good progress. Board member Koni Sims has already reviewed meeting minutes, beginning with the most recent board meetings and working backwards to 2010. Koni has identified all of the official policies that were adopted and reported in meeting minutes. She has created a summary description for each policy, and where possible, created a pointer that can be used to locate hard-copy documentation for each approved policy. She has populated a comprehensive spreadsheet with the results of her research. Her plan is to continue working back through time until she can identify, describe, locate, and share this categorized information for all of the official policies that ACB’s directors have adopted over the entirety of our 60-plus-year history. David Trott reminded the board that the process was begun several years ago when Berl Colley chaired the ACB History Committee. Over time, the process stalled, until Dan appointed David, Kim Charlson, and Koni to assist the current committee with a renewed effort. Both David and Kim praised Koni's progress. Dan's goal is to have all of the ACB policies on ACB.org by convention. * Staff Reports Eric told the board that he and Nancy Becker continue to recruit for a human resources specialist, as well as for a full-time employee to take on Lane Waters' duties when Lane retires in early March. Eric and Nancy are also looking for a development assistant who will be working with Jo Lynn Bailey-Page and Bill Reeder. Negotiations with ACB's next landlord are wrapping up, and Eric expects that the ACB national office will move to the Old Town Alexandria location in April. Meanwhile, every ACB staff member is focused on planning for the leadership conference and currency rally. Newly hired Audio Description Project Coordinator Tabitha Kenlon was on the call, and Eric introduced her to the board. Nancy Becker thanked Lane Waters for his many years of service to ACB. "There was never a time when I told Lane that I needed some help," she said, "when he didn't come in, even when he was supposed to be enjoying time off. I want to thank Lane for everything he has done for ACB since 2006, and to wish him well in retirement." Interim Director of Development, Bill Reeder, and his Associate Director of Development, Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, reported that the department raised $1.5 million for ACB last year. "My number one goal is to repeat that," Bill stated. "My number two goal is to increase it!" He explained that, in 2023, the development department will focus not only on individual giving and grants from foundations, but also on our corporate relationships, and on trusts. Jo Lynn said, "Advancing our major grants agenda has become a priority, and our development work will extend beyond writing proposals, to inform and become informed by the overall development plan." Kelly Gasque spent some time describing the comprehensive calendar which her department continues to expand by adding dates of significance to ACB and also to the wider blindness community. She also noted that "The New York Times," which had approached ACB to obtain focus group feedback on best practices for creating alt-tags for newspaper content, has asked ACB to provide similar assistance with respect to alt-tagging NYTimes e-mail messages and newsletters. Clark opened his report with the news that bills were introduced in the 117th Congress that dealt with all four of our 2022 legislative priorities. At this year's legislative seminar, we will renew our efforts to reintroduce these bills and build support for their passage in the 118th Congress. He added that ACB is confident that sponsors will be found to introduce the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act in the 118th Congress. He complimented several affiliates who continue to work to achieve remote accessible voting. Dan commended ACB's advocacy and legislative staff members for their continued successful collaboration with the NFB on matters regarding which our two organizations share priorities. Passage of the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act and the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act are two legislative priorities which ACB and NFB share. Clark told the board that NFB's third 2023 legislative priority, which calls for introducing legislation to eliminate the SSDI earnings cliff, is an issue which ACB supports as well. NFB has also gone on record in support of ACB's remaining 2023 legislative priorities. After Clark and Dan and others described many of the details associated with the upcoming virtual and in-person D.C. Leadership events, including the ACB Currency Rally, the public meeting concluded. The board met in executive session for approximately one hour to discuss legal issues. When the session ended, there were no board actions to report. The meeting adjourned at 12:02 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 1. ***** ** My Vision for Diversity in ACB by Yasmin Campbell I've been a member of ACB for a few years now. When I joined the Greater New York chapter, the biggest draw was that it was one of the most diverse chapters in ACBNY. I was under the impression that many of the chapters were just as diverse, but come to find out this wasn't the case. Since becoming a member I've heard talk that there is a certain culture within our organization. I want to believe that people are more open-minded because we all have vision loss in common. As I joined different groups within ACB, I started to meet people from all backgrounds. My vision for diversity in ACB is that the organization will continue to do more outreach within all chapters, affiliates and communities outside of the organization. To educate ourselves on cultures we are not familiar with and create programs to highlight these diverse cultures. By taking these important steps, we are showing our members that our organization is diverse and inclusive while also showing the communities outside of us that if I'm dealing with vision loss, there is a place for me to come to for support. ***** ** Diversity: A Multi-Faceted Concept by Lynne Koral Diversity is a multi-faceted concept. We are using mentorship to increase diversity of racial and ethnic groups in ACB. Though it is correct to center our diversity efforts on racial and ethnic diversity, there are more ways to define diversity. ACB needs to concentrate on state, special-interest and national leadership of people who have been excluded from leadership. If we only have one person who is Latino/Latina, for instance, or one black person, or one Asian American/Pacific Islander or Native American, that smacks of tokenism. That does not increase overall diversity. However, diversity cannot be used as a buzzword or in some way of getting on the bandwagon of other groups who have championed diversity. Diversity should also include religious diversity. There are those who practice differently from the dominant culture, such as Jews, Islamic people, Baha'i, Mormons, and Seventh-day Adventists. To improve understanding and lessen stereotypes, we must look at religious diversity in ACB also. Many people feel threatened by diversity, and they might feel as if it is being forced upon them. We live in a pluralistic society, and that is true in ACB. By understanding that there is diversity in thought as well as in race, ethnicity, religion and sexual identity and preference, we will come a long way in our beloved ACB. But in order to do that, we all must check our prejudices to be open to a more diverse membership and leadership. Diverse people will be welcomed if we have the right attitude of acceptance and curiosity about people who are different from each other. We will then have an ACB which fosters diversity and looks at the merits of each person. We are moving toward this, and states are forming committees to enhance diversity, which is very important. Washington state has formed an ad hoc committee to foster diversity. This is a good thing, because even though we are blind, our shared and different experiences will build a bigger and more diverse membership. ***** ** ACB, A More Perfect Union? by Sandra Sermons For more than 60 years, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) has been the premiere organization for people who are blind or have low vision. Founded on democratic principles, we believe in giving our members as much information as possible, allowing for informed decisions. It is about hearing from many voices and building a consensus. In many ways, I grew up in ACB. The organization has helped me become the individual that I am. But how about looking at the organization through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion? How does ACB hold up under that scrutiny? To me, ACB should be a microcosm of our society. That means, we come in all different races and ethnicities. While I believe we are getting there, we are clearly not there yet. Far too many of our affiliates and committees do not have leadership that is representative of African-Americans. When I visit the exhibit hall at convention, very few of the booths are staffed by people of color. I reside in the state of Maryland. This is 2023, and while Prince George's County has the largest number of college-educated African-Americans, there has never been an African-American who has served as an officer or board member in our affiliate. * Solution I believe that we must be intentional about membership recruitment and retention. The mentoring program is a huge step in the right direction, but we must still do more. We have to develop strategies of attracting new people of different races and ethnicities to our activities, and ultimately to our organization. We can no longer depend on the fallback of "no one will come," or "no one will step up." We cannot just sit back and hope for the best. Rather, it's about employing innovative strategies of finding out what the need is and then meeting it and finding our niche. It is about tapping into additional resources so that every member's talents are equally valued, thereby transforming ACB into a "More Perfect Union." ***** ** Vision for Diversity in ACB by Linda Samulski Please don't feel sorry for the people I'm about to mention; they wouldn't like that! Please don't be angry with them either. Instead, look to your higher compassionate self and think about who they are, and reflect on what they might be experiencing. I wish I could share their entire stories here, but just know that I, a white woman, learned countless lessons of courage, resilience, and strength from them. As a member of the American Council of the Blind, we all belong to a subgroup of diverse people, of intersectionality along with blindness. For example, someone may be blind and have diabetes or a different chronic illness. There are also others in the subgroup who have the same condition. In other words, we all share one commonality, which in this case is blindness, while also belonging to a labeled subgroup of something else. While working at the center for the blind in San Diego as a life skills instructor, I met many different types of people who were either losing their vision, or who had already lost it. Here are some of them that had very unique circumstances. Gang members physically blinded from violence, war refugees with very limited English skills, dreamers with uncertain immigrant status, people who were unhoused, or lived in very substandard housing, men and women living in abusive situations, people in nursing homes with other chronic illness or disability, people with traumatic brain injury, or developmental disability, and many others. These are the people who are the hardest to reach, but yet I met all of them. I visited their homes, and at first was met with mistrust. But after we got to know each other, I was always met with grace and kindness. I still cherish each of them, and the memories they bring. There is nothing wrong with having assistive technology, or a nice home, but what about the people who don't have these basic luxuries? I believe that many people think that everyone has these things, or at least everyone has opportunities to get them. However, in the greatest country in the world, many people lack the necessities of life such as good food, healthcare, and housing. We can't look the other way; we have to see them with the eyes of our heart and reach out every way we can, because they are all a part of our blind community and human family. The American Council of the Blind does a wonderful job of including diverse groups through Zoom and ACB Media. We try to do it through our chapters and affiliates as well. This is why working groups such as the Multicultural Affairs Committee, with its Hispanic Affairs subcommittee, and the Inclusive Diversity of California affiliate are so important. They provide information, resources, education, advocacy, and peer support to people who may need a different cultural understanding. Both the Multicultural Affairs Committee and the Inclusive Diversity of California affiliate facilitated several listening sessions to give voice to some of our ACB members with unique experiences, needs and perspectives. A listening session is simply a place where people can share their experiences, ideas, and feelings without judgment. We actually just listen to each other. This creates more equity, and a bonding unity, and understanding instead of an "us and them" kind of mentality. We need to try to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. What is it like to live in a homeless shelter? What is it like to come to a new country without knowing the culture or the language, plus being blind? These are the types of people we need to look for and welcome into our own community. When we've found them, the question becomes: Will we embrace, include, and accept all types of people with diverse backgrounds? This is my vision for diversity in ACB, to walk with my brothers and sisters together through this life's journey, embracing, including, and accepting them whoever they are, with dignity and understanding. ***** ** Let ACB Lead the Way by Mary Haroyan When thinking of diversity within ACB, you don't need to explore very far to find it in all of its state and special-interest affiliates, committees and task forces. This rich tapestry of people who are blind, have low vision or sighted who are drawn together to help make the quality of life better for people with vision loss. We debate, discuss, advocate, laugh, and socialize. We can be ourselves in a way that we can't always when among sighted people, and this gives us a comfort and familiarity that can be uplifting. When I was in my thirties and joining ACB about 20 years ago, it was eye-opening to be in a community with so many others who were blind and going about their very fulfilling lives. Over time I learned to feel more comfortable with being blind, through interactions and observations. Of course we as people with vision loss are so much more than our disability or disabilities and want to be recognized for all we are. We are people from varied family, cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. We have had varying degrees of good and bad experiences in education, employment and all forms of societal interactions. We are shaped by all of these realities. I know for myself as a white woman who has been blind, first having low vision and then becoming nearly totally blind, I'd always considered my blindness as the most identifiable part of me. In being more amongst sighted people and inevitably being the only blind person in the room, I always felt I was standing out, and not in such a good way! As I have grown older, more aware and hopefully a bit wiser, I've come to realize that while the presence of blindness in people's lives is profound and life-altering, it is by no means the only life-shaping influences that exist in our lives. For many members of ACB, their blindness is not the only identity by which they have been prejudged by others. I think we need to keep in the forefront of our minds that our fellow ACB members who are people of color, members of an ethnic or religious minority, part of the LGBTQ community and dealing with other disabilities have all experienced actions or heard words that were intolerant and insensitive in addition to what comes our way as people who are blind. I know that it has taken a lot of energy on my part in not allowing myself to always feel so inadequate or flawed because of how the sighted world may see me; I can't imagine the anxiety of having to deal with another layer of bias. What I hope for and would love to see is for ACB as a microcosm, to be the example that the wider world should want to follow. We can show how empowering it can be to embrace not resent or fear our diversity. We'll make room for all by showing respect and understanding, acknowledging that this inclusion of all members when working together will make us a force of change going long into the future. Let us always remember and truly appreciate that the ACB community is the world. ***** ** Bridges by Regina Marie Brink As a child, I used to love crossing the St. Vincent Thomas Bridge in southern California. This connected the beautiful city of San Pedro to the rest of Los Angeles County. The car made a different sound when we went over the bridge. And my brothers enjoyed looking out the windows at the water and the boats. There are other famous bridges around the U.S. There is one here in northern California, where I now live, made entirely of glass. However, some bridges are harder to build. These are bridges between people who think differently, live differently and believe differently. These are bridges to diversity. Many people think the recent attempts to offer diversity trainings, workshops, and initiatives are not working. It is difficult to change hearts and minds. However, I believe they can work as long as they outline specific practices and actions. Because of my degree in sociology and my experience as a counselor, I believe if you change behaviors and create opportunities where people have to work together, hearts and minds follow. For instance, the military was desegregated by President Eisenhower in the 1950s and there were measurable attitude changes. For the first time, people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds realized their common humanity. It was not easy; the Civil Rights Act was eventually signed, and other important changes resulted. Perhaps predictably, backlash followed. There is a fear some people harbor that when a group achieves rights meant to result in equity, they will lose. A similar backlash came after disability rights advocates pressured the Carter administration to implement the Rehabilitation Act. I don't believe it is always the fault of the training or the employers. I believe it is something we will have to expect. All we can do is hope enough people come to conclude that we are all winners when human rights under the law are a reality. I invite everybody, including white people, to tell us how to make this happen since I believe it is important to hear their voices in this matter as well. The point is not to elicit guilt or blame but to effect the desire to change one's mind about some harmful stereotypes and systems. We can't disregard the real life-and-death consequences of ignoring the need for racial, cultural, gender, and ability equity! I believe the American Council of the Blind can be a part of this important work. We must find a way to bridge our gaps, or we will destroy our beloved country with division and resentment of one another. ***** ** Diversity in ACB, What It Needs to Look Like by Ray Campbell, Second Vice President To understand my vision of diversity within ACB, we need not look any further than ACB's mission statement, which reads: "To increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people." Focus on the last six words of that statement, "All Blind and Visually Impaired People." ACB has members from all backgrounds and all walks of life. When I think about diversity in ACB, I believe leadership throughout our organization structure needs to reflect the many diverse people who make up the community of people who are blind. As I think about diversity, I'm taking a broader view. Of course, we need to recruit and mentor good leaders who are women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and individuals with disabilities in addition to blindness as examples. However, I also believe our membership is diverse in age, political views and income level, among other attributes. Happily, ACB has been making strides to increase diversity of leadership at the national level. We have had our first woman president. We’ve had and continue to have a board with at least some representation from people of various backgrounds. Heck, I was proud to serve as ACB's first male secretary. Because of strong leadership and help and support of our Multicultural Affairs Committee, we're providing more diverse services to our membership and the community of people who are blind in general. By the time you read this, we will have held our D.C. Leadership Conference, at which much of the content was available in both English and Spanish. For over 22 years, ACB has celebrated Blind LGBT Pride International, to my knowledge the first affiliate of a disability organization specifically focused on issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community. Through ACB’s wonderful community, we’ve celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, among other significant events. Diversity isn't something you do and say, OK, we've done that, on to something else. We need to always strive to do better and not be satisfied with where we are. We as leaders and members need to take responsibility to work with our affiliates and local chapters to recruit, mentor and groom diverse leaders. These are the national leaders of our future who will chair committees and lead projects on their way to either serving on the national board of directors or board of publications or joining our professional staff. While we are showing some diverse representation on our current board, there are many capable leaders within ACB's membership whom I believe are ready and willing to serve. As affiliate and chapter leaders, I encourage you to look for those members from various backgrounds to serve on your committees or in your leadership. Don't always put the same people you've always had on committees, as President Spoone often says; be intentional and give different people with fresh ideas the chance to serve. Provide mentoring and support to help them be successful, and if they make a mistake, help them learn from the experience. The opportunities to serve are there nationally. During the 2022 convention, we had just six candidates running for five Board of Directors positions, and three candidates running for three Board of Publications positions. Of that total of nine candidates for office, only two were people of color. What do we do to change that? We've taken a big step by establishing the ACB Mentoring and Peer Support program (MAPS). We have a diverse group of explorers and guides working together, with our guides sharing their knowledge and encouraging our explorers in different ways. I encourage everyone to get involved with future cohorts of this program, whether as an explorer or guide. Through this program, we'll grow a crop of diverse future leaders. Our wonderful ACB Community has a diverse group of over 150 volunteers overseeing over 100 events per week using Zoom, Clubhouse and ACB Media. These individuals are diverse in gender, race, age and other attributes. We’re starting to see some of these individuals get more involved in ACB, which is very rewarding. It's our job as leaders to foster an environment which encourages more people to get involved as they choose. I started this article using ACB's mission to illustrate what I believe diversity needs to look like in ACB. Hold all of us as leaders accountable and encourage us not to become complacent and to strive to do even more. This will lead to an ACB we can all be proud of, which reflects the true diversity of our membership and of our country. ***** ** Working Toward a More Inclusive ACB by Cheryl Cumings The reality is that our nation, America is becoming a more diverse country. This means that as an organization, ACB has to welcome and reflect the diversity of our nation and communities. The question is, how do we continue doing what makes ACB a unique organization of the blind and actively work to have a present and a future that is more inclusive? Diversity is stated as part of ACB's core values, the diversity statement and the strategic plan. The 2020-11 racial justice resolution and the 2021 Spanish language resolutions resulted in the organization taking tangible actions on its path towards greater inclusion. As a result of the 2020 racial justice resolution, there is now a Mentoring, Access and Peer Support (MAPS) program. In 2021, the Durward K. McDaniel (DKM) Committee, the Berl Colley Leadership Institute, the Membership Committee and the Multicultural Affairs Committee came together, developed and launched a pilot mentoring program with the goal of creating future leaders. Thirty ACB members applied to be mentors and 27 applied to be mentees. Twelve members with more than 10 years of experience in ACB were selected to be mentors/guides, sharing their knowledge and experiences with 12 mentees/explorers. The Spanish language resolution led to the creation of the Hispanic Affairs Subcommittee, which is working to translate the website and to provide Spanish language access. This year Spanish translation will be available at the D.C. Leadership Conference and at the national convention. In the last two national conventions, MCAC partnered with more committees than it had in previous years. There is a growing recognition that diversity exists through all strains of the work of the organization. Yet, there is resistance. There are still members who insist that in talking and working toward having a diverse and inclusive organization, we are diluting our focus on issues impacting the lives of people who are blind or low vision. As the chair of the Multicultural Affairs Committee, I wholly disagree with this perspective. Diversity is a strength which will position ACB to be a leader today and tomorrow. MCAC has and will continue to provide cultural awareness activities. Our mission calls on our committee to "promote and sustain a cohesive and inclusive environment that truly values and embraces diversity, cultures, differences, and perspectives within the framework of ACB." We advance the reality of diversity every time we partner with BPI to hold a discussion on race and sexual orientation. We advance diversity within ACB every time we join with LUA in co-leading a session on a book, and every time we partner with the Jewish Hour to talk about civil rights and the relationship between African-Americans and Jewish-Americans. The willingness to use these opportunities to learn about our similarities and differences helps us to recognize and to respect each other so that we can work together for a better future. Yet, for diversity to be more fully achieved in ACB, we need our chapters and special-interest affiliates to include issues of diversity in their work. We encourage you to look at your local community and ask who is not present in your organization. It may be time to set up a working group that will focus on getting to know new communities in your area. We need our board and its advisory councils to continue increasing the number of people of color who are its members. We need our website to show our diversity by having images that represent the variety of members. ACB is a membership organization supported by a professional staff and therefore for diversity to be who we are, it must exist across the entire organization. As we work toward ethnic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, religious, and language diversity in our membership, it should be reflected in our staff. Diversity is no longer a "should do" thing. Data shows that it is a must achieve reality which positions an organization to succeed today and in the future. ***** ** In This Community, Thanks and Love Are Enough by Patty L. Fletcher (Editor's Note: Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport, Tenn., where she works full time as a writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disabled from the non-disabled. She is also a social media marketing assistant. Follow her at https://pattysworlds.com/ for stories, book updates and more.) Every time I think I cannot go one step more, feel like the struggle is too much to bear, think I might give up and crawl into a corner and pout and hide, this awesome community comes through for me. We've just had a great time in the Happy Hospitality room, where I'm privileged to facilitate the call. We laughed, chatted and I felt the warmth of fellowship and friendship smoothing the cares of the day away. But wait, there's more. Earlier today, in the ACB Community Facebook group, I posted a message for help with learning the newest ins and outs of Facebook because I felt like I was sinking in quicksand. Immediately someone in the community reached out to me with an offer to assist. I must say, when I first heard of the community, I was skeptical. I’d been in many groups before, and the end result for me was always the same: I just never fit in. Though I've hit a few bumps in the road along my way here and found out there are some things I'm better at than others, and a few things which I should avoid, overall this has been the best experience of my life as far as experiencing such things as this, and all I can say is thank you for allowing me to be a part of it all. I am grateful for each of you, and if there’s ever something I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask. "Thanks" doesn't seem like quite enough, but it and my love are what I have to give, and the best part of it all is, in this community, that's enough. Thanks for reading. May harmony find you and blessed be. ***** ** Here and There edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The ACB E-Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to slovering@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering's mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. * Helen Keller Achievement Awards 2023 The American Foundation for the Blind recently announced the two honorees who will receive the prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Award. AFB board chair Debbie Dennis introduced them, stating, "Both of our honorees this year embody the heart and passion of Helen Keller in their efforts to create a more inclusive and just world for people with disabilities." The two awardees are: • The Honorable Tony Coelho, former California Congressman and champion for disability rights, led the efforts to introduce the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). • Charter Communications is being honored for its achievements in expanding inclusive media for audiences with vision loss. * Read Across America In partnership with National Braille Press, and as part of the Children's Braille Book Club Project (CBBCP), volunteers from Columbia Threadneedle Investments assembled 450 braille copies of the children's book "Paddington." To enable both blind or low vision and sighted family members to read together, the CBBCP rebinds specially chosen children's print books with corresponding braille overlay pages into an accessible finished volume. * New Book About Helen Keller There's a new book about Helen Keller! It's called "After the Miracle," written by Max Wallace. In this powerful new history, Wallace draws on groundbreaking research to reframe Helen Keller's journey after the miracle at the water pump, vividly bringing to light her rarely discussed, lifelong fight for social justice across gender, class, race, and ability. It will be available in bookstores, as well as Amazon and Audible, in mid-April. * Winners of the 2023 New England Braille Challenge The 2023 New England Braille Challenge was held at the Carroll Center in Newton, Mass. This year's winners are: Foundational Level: 1st place - Noora Al Ibrahim, Jason Dipersio, and Daniel Dipersio Apprentice: 1st place - Devin Fedorchuck Freshman: 1st place - Daniel Gevers 2nd place - Gesilene Vitoria Sophomore: 1st place - Annie Cohane 2nd place - Adrian Rodriguez Junior Varsity: 1st place - Hannah Gevers 2nd place - Darby Lalumiere Varsity: 1st place - Alan Quan 2nd place - Donovan Casse * What's New from National Braille Press? Newly available is "Strega Nona" by Tomie dePaola. It’s in UEB, for ages 2-6. When Strega Nona ("Grandma Witch") leaves Anthony alone with her magic pasta pot, he is determined to show the townspeople how it works – with unfortunate results. Over in the cooking section, a number of braille cookbooks are available. They include: • Dump Soups: Simple and Delicious No-Fuss Cooking, Braille or BRF • Cooking with Feeling (Recipes and 180 adaptive culinary techniques for the visually impaired), BRF • Recipes from My Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food, BRF • 5-Ingredient Whole-Food Plant-Based Cookbook: Easy Recipes with No Salt, Oil, or Refined Sugar, Braille or BRF • Allrecipes Air Fryer Recipes, Braille or BRF Got a new iPhone? Anna Dresner's "iOS 16 Reference Card" is now available, along with the guides for iOS 15. If you have an Android phone, there are guides available for that as well: "Getting Started with Android: Android and TalkBack for the Beginning User (Android S-12)," by Kim Nova and Chris Nova, and "Android Commands and Settings, Android S-12," by Ana Garza. To view a complete list of books available, visit https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/all_books.html. For assistance with all NBP listings, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For Sale: Perkins Braille writer in a good working condition. Asking $300 or best offer. Contact Vileen Shah via email, shahvileen@gmail.com (preferred) or call (510) 244-7755. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Dan Spoone (2nd term, 2023) 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817-1554 * First Vice President Deb Cook Lewis (1st term, 2023) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * Second Vice President Ray Campbell (2nd term, 2023) 216 Prestwick Rd. Springfield, IL 62702-3330 * Secretary Denise Colley (2nd term, 2023) 26131 Travis Brook Dr. Richmond, TX 77406-3990 * Treasurer David Trott (final term, 2023) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Christopher Bell, Pittsboro, NC (1st term, 2024) Jeff Bishop, Kirkland, WA (2nd term, 2024) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (1st term, 2024) Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Miami Lakes, FL (1st term, 2026) Terry Pacheco, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2026) Doug Powell, Falls Church, VA (2nd term, 2024) Rachel Schroeder, Springfield, IL (1st term, 2026) Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX (1st term, 2024) Koni Sims, Sioux Falls, SD (1st term, 2026) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (2nd term, 2026) ** ACB Board of Publications Katie Frederick, Chair, Worthington, OH (1st term, 2023) Cheryl Cumings, Seattle, WA (1st term, 2023) Zelda Gebhard, Edgeley, ND (2nd term, 2024) Penny Reeder, Montgomery Village, MD (3rd term, 2024) Cachet Wells, Jacksonville, FL (1st term, 2024) ***** ** Accessing Your ACB Braille and E-Forums The ACB E-Forum may be accessed by email, on the ACB web site, via download from the web page (in Word, plain text, or braille-ready file), or by phone at (518) 906-1820. To subscribe to the email version, contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, NLS-style digital cartridge, and via email. It is also available to read or download from ACB's web page, and by phone, (518) 906-1820. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from https://pinecast.com/feed/acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum. ###