Email: VISAbilities50@gmail.com
Cellphone number: 301-806-4948
1. Please introduce yourself, indicate the position you are seeking, and explain why you are interested in serving in this role.
Greetings fellow ACB members,
My name is Terry Pacheco, and I am seeking re-election to our Board of Directors. For those of you I may not have had the opportunity to meet, let me start with a bit of my background and experience. I have been legally blind all my life, but in recent years, my vision has considerably declined. Real discrimination never really hit me hard until summer job seeking while in college. During and after that, I began my work life with the Mass. Welfare Dept. during which time I met a totally blind man named Frank. We married in 1973 and are still the love of each other’s lives. I worked for the IRS for 11 years. During this time we adopted our multi disabled son, Scott, and our family was complete. 1986 – 1999 found me in the Randolph Sheppard program – a lot of work, but mother’s hours.
During much of these times I was active in BSCB as an officer, chaired most conventions, testified on Beacon Hill, etc. A major life change happened in 1999. I got a phone call asking me if I would consider leaving home and moving to D.C. as ACB’s Affiliate Services Coordinator. We packed up and came down in three weeks. Seventy-two affiliates, over 16,000 members, national convention and legislative seminar registrations and scheduling, and much more. I loved it for most of 7 years.
Later, I worked for a telecom company, and in 2014 became the FCC’s Accessibility and Alternative Format Specialist until my retirement two years ago.
If you are still awake, you see I have skills in special education, management, meeting planning, accounting, care giving, independent living, etc.
2. What do you consider your strongest contribution to ACB at the national, state, special-interest affiliate, or local chapter level? Please explain why you view this as your most significant contribution.
I don’t know what any one significant contribution is. Is it dedication? Yes. Is it speaking out when I believe something is wrong? Yes. Is it an equal say for all members whether I agree with them or not? Yes. My most important contribution I, along with others, continue to treasure and believe in is the democracy this organization was founded on. Below are ways in which I have tried to carry this forward.
- ACB Member since 1972. Mentored by such advocacy greats as Durward McDaniel, Reece Robrandt, Eunice Fiorito, LeRoy Saunders, and others.
- ACB Board of Directors
- ACBES Board
- Founding Officer and convention chair of Bay State Council of the Blind
- Early member and current 2nd Vice-President of CCLVI, now LVA
- Former Treasurer & convention chair ACB of MD
- BITS, BRL, LUA, and LVA Life memberships
- AAVL member
- ACB Diabetics in Action member
- ACBGE member
- VISAbilities originator and host since 2020 (Visually Impaired Seniors’ Abilities)
3. In your view, what is the most important challenge currently facing ACB? How would you work to help address this challenge if elected?
Our Advocacy structure and Membership growth. I believe we should consider separating Government Affairs and Advocacy as two separate departments. Our history shows how much more of a leadership role we had in the blindness and disability communities then. Unfortunately, we did not have the income to continue that. But now we do and should be better serving our members again. This arrangement had also led to significant membership development and involvement. This organization is comprised primarily of people who are blind or have low vision. It is not a business primarily serving the community.
4. What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the blindness community we serve, and how would you work to advance meaningful change in this organization?
We all know that discrimination, unemployment or under employment, Medicare and Medicaid cuts, polarization of our governmental entities are all major issues in our community. These are especially difficult to restore or improve in the current administration. But we very well may have some strategies we could implement to help. Hopefully, I will finally get appointed this term to some of the committees I have requested.
I have always been a strong believer that ALL our members need to be respected and represented regardless of age, abilities, or any other demographic. Inclusion of all our members is key to a successful lifestyle and a growing ACB. I ask you to allow me to continue representing ALL our membership.