Originally Broadcasted March 9, 2026, on ACB Media 6

·      Autonomous Vehicle Panel

o   Many of us in the blind and low vision community are excited for the potential opportunities brought about by autonomous vehicles. This panel discussed the policies being created at the state and federal level that impact access to autonomous vehicles.

§  AVIA, Jeff Farrah

§  Waymo

§  Zoox, Rachel Rathore

o   Responding to the Administrative and Legislative Branches

o   Knowing exactly how to speak to the federal government, whether it is through an official agency notice or through conversations with our Congressmembers, can be difficult. We want to know how best to approach such opportunities. Our two speakers have experience in applicable agencies and on Capitol Hill and walked us through best practices in such advocacy.

§  Jennifer Mathis, Bazelon CenterMichael Barnett, Powers Law

·      Sponsor**’**s Presentation

·      Federal Panel

o   Several representatives of different agencies shared with us current agency work that impacts on the lives of people who are blind or have low vision. There was also time for Q\&A.

§  Kimie Eacobacci, NCD

§  Sachin Pavithran, U.S. Access Board

§  Molly Burgdorf, FCC

§  Alex Taday, DOT

§  Jason Yasner, NLS

·      Hill Etiquette and Closing

o   We always like to close the Legislative Seminar with time to talk about how to best conduct yourself when visiting Capitol Hill. We went through the “Do’s and Don’ts” of how to act when visiting your congress members.

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Originally Broadcasted March 9, 2026, on ACB Media 6

·      Introductions and 2026 Imperatives

o   Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act: Stephanie Enyart, AFB

o   Communications, Video and Technology Accessibility Act: Zainab Alkebsi, Deaf Equality

o   Medical Devices Nonvisual Accessibility Act: Justin Young, NFB

·      Sponsor**’**s Presentation

o   New Staff and Departments - ACB is in an exciting time of change and growth. We have established new programs and are introducing new staff members. This time will be spent talking about such additions.

§  Kolby Garrison, Accessibility Consulting and Compliance Services Coordinator

§  Grace Hart, Advocacy and Accessibility Operations Administrator

§  Legal Counsel

·      Advocating at the State and Local Levels

o   Advocacy does not always have to be done in Washington, D.C. In fact, based on different variables, advocacy at the state level might be more appropriate. Our panelists talked about different forms of advocacy at the state level.

o   Moderator: Ron Brooks, Arizona

§  Chris Bell, Minnesota

§  Jeff Thom, California

§  Steve Heesen, Wisconsin

·      Speak4 Presentation

o   The Speak4 platform has become extremely popular with ACB members since the spring of 2025. We talked through how to use the service. Then, we explored how affiliates can also use the service. We had testimonials from two affiliate leaders: Lori Trujillo Roush, ICUB, and Kim Reese, MCB.

·      Sponsor**’**s Presentation

·      Keynote Speaker: Kristin Stitcher, formerly of the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice

o   Ms. Stitcher worked in the Disability Rights Section when the Department promulgated the Title II website regulations we all advocated for. She will share her experience from the inside as they excitedly worked on the regulations.

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Originally Broadcasted March 8, 2026, on ACB Media 6

·      Announcements and Sponsors

·      Building the Bridge: Member Orientation as a Leadership Strategy – Kenneth Semien Sr., Second Vice President, ACB and Matt Selm, Membership Chair of ACB Next Generation

o   Presenting the new member orientation framework developed for the 2025 ACB of Texas that introduces new members to the roles the chapter, state and special-interest affiliates, and national organization play in their membership experience, from onboarding to opportunities for engagement.

·      Sponsor’s Presentation

·      Purpose to Progress: Introducing the Affiliate Strength Scorecard – Cindy Hollis, Manager of Membership Engagement

o   Sharing a guided framework for affiliate boards to engage in thoughtful self-reflection, highlight strengths and shared needs, and summarized insights with ACB to help shape meaningful, long-term support strategies.

·      Sponsor’s Presentation

·      From Vision to Action: Leading with Confidence, Clarity, and Collective Strength – Cindy Hollis & Kenneth Semien Sr.

o   Being an affiliate president means more than running meetings — it means shaping culture, building trust, and helping others step into leadership with confidence. This interactive session equips presidents with tools to make sound decisions, strengthen board teamwork, welcome new members into a leadership pipeline, and build affiliates that are resilient, engaged, and future focused.

·      Closing Remarks – Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President

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Originally Broadcasted March 8, 2026, on ACB Media 6Sunday,

·      Welcome and Announcements-Overview of the Day: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President

·      Introducing ACB’s Legacy & Future Readiness Initiative: Kate Vendemio and Casey Tesfaye, Mount Vernon Consulting

o   Our consultants will explain the work they are doing to help ACB determine and move into our future and will have a fun and thoughtful experience for participants as we continue to gather information from our members.

·      For Virtual listeners, a review of the Legislative Imperatives and Advocacy Update episode 

·      Step-By-Step Guide to Using FreeWill

o   This presentation introduces FreeWill, a secure and easy-to-use online tool that helps you create a legally valid will at no cost. The platform works with screen readers and keyboard navigation, making it usable for people who are blind or have low vision.

o   Participants will receive a clear overview of how the tool works, what information is needed, and how to include support for the American Council of the Blind if they choose. Time will be provided for questions to ensure everyone feels confident taking the next step in their legacy planning.

·      Keynote Speaker: Jamie Dean

o   Jamie Dean leads Microsoft’s Accessibility Legal practice, where he supports the business in influencing, interpreting, and implementing the many global accessibility laws that apply to Microsoft’s products and services. Outside Microsoft, Jamie currently serves on the boards for the American Foundation for the Blind, Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, and Disability Rights North Carolina. Prior to joining Microsoft, Jamie spent more than a decade as a business litigation attorney handling state and federal cases of all sorts. In 2008, Jamie won a silver medal in rowing in the Paralympic Games and, while he has retired from rowing, he still loves the outdoors and stays active hiking and traveling with his wife and their four children.

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• Program Reports:
• Membership Services Report: Cindy Hollis
• ACB Media: Rick Morin
• CFO Report: Nancy Marks-Becker
• Financial Reports: Michael Garrett
• ACB Financial Report
• ACB Enterprise and Services Financial Report: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair
• Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Zelda Gebhard, BOP Representative
• Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and Other Committee Liaisons
• Adjourn

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• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Roll Call and Introduction of Board and Staff: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Review and Approval of November 1, 2025, December 1 & 8, 2025 and February 2, 2026 Board Meeting Minutes: Katie Frederick, Secretary
• President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis
• Program Reports:
• ACB Executive Director: Scott Thornhill
• Advocacy Report: Claire Stanley
• Resource Development Report: Dan Spoone & Jo Lynn Bailey-Page
• Accessibility Consulting Services – Kolby Garrison
• Lunch Break

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• Welcome and Call to Order
• Roll Call
• Approval of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes
• Public Comment
• ACB Braille Forum Report
• Braille Forum Themes and Deadlines
• ACB Media Report
• ACB Conversation Email List Guidelines
• Approval of Adjusted Guidelines
• Communicator Gathering Report
• BOP Sponsored Convention Session Update
• Candidate Checklist and Guidelines
• ACB Voices Blog
• Blog Editors
• Other Items
• Adjournment and Next Meeting

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- The Communications Video and Technology Accessibility Act

- The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act

- The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility ACT

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Agenda

1. Welcome and Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of the Agenda
4. Approval of the Minutes
5. Public Comment
6. ACB Braille Forum Report
7. Braille Forum Themes and Deadlines
8. Affiliates in Action Column
9. ACB Media Report
10. ACB Conversation Email List Guidelines
11. Promotion and Moderation
12. Communicator’s Gatherings and Email List
13. BOP Sponsored Convention Session
14. Candidate Checklist and Guidelines
15. ACB Voices Blog
16. Blog Editors
17. Other Items
18. Adjournment and Next Meeting

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Agenda

1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Katie Frederick, Secretary
3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
4. Mount Vernon Consulting: ACB Legacy & Future Readiness Initiative, Deb Cook Lewis
5. Executive Director’s Report: Scott Thornhill
6. Special-Interest Affiliate Name Changes: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
7. Adjourn

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January 6, 2026 at 9 PM Eastern

Welcome and Call to Order

Roll Call

Approval of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes

ACB BOP Large Print Guideline Questions

Public Comment

ACB Braille Forum Report

Braille Forum Themes and Deadlines

Affiliates in Action Column

ACB Media Report

ACB Conversation Email List Guidelines

Promotion and Moderation

Communicator’s Gatherings and Email List

BOP Sponsored Convention Sessions

Candidate Checklist and Guidelines

ACB Voices Blog

Blog Editors

Other Items

Adjournment and Next Meeting

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Roll Call

Approval of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes

ACB BOP Large Print Guideline Questions

Public Comment

ACB Braille Forum Report

Braille Forum Themes and Deadlines

Affiliates in Action Column

ACB Media Report

ACB Conversation Email List Guidelines

Promotion and Moderation

Communicator’s Gatherings and Email List

BOP Sponsored Convention Sessions

Candidate Checklist and Guidelines

ACB Voices Blog

Blog Editors

Other Items

Adjournment and Next Meeting

9pm: BOP Monthly Meeting

Board of Publications welcomes ACB members to attend our monthly meeting.

This event may be up to 1.5 hours.

Sponsored by ACB Board of Publications

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December 2, 2025 at 9 PM Eastern

- Welcome and Call to Order

- Roll Call

- Approval of the Agenda

- Approval of the Minutes

- Public Comment

- ACB Braille Forum Report

```

• Braille Forum Themes and Deadlines

• Affiliates in Action Column ```

- ACB Conversation Email List Guidelines

```

• Approval and Promotion ```

- Communicator’s Gatherings and Email List

- Candidate Checklist and Guidelines

- ACB Voices Blog

```

• Blog Editors ```

- Other Items

- Adjournment and Next Meeting

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Agenda

- location of 2030 National Convention

- Approval of 2026 Work Plan

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Other Items Confirming Decisions Made and Future Actions Planned Adjournment and Next Meeting

Zelda Gebhard, Chair ACB Board of Publications

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1.      Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President

2.      Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Katie Frederick, Secretary

3.      Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President

4.      Review and Approval of Minutes: September 15, 2025, Telephonic - Katie Frederick, Secretary

5.      Convention: 2026 Convention in St. Louis, MO: Janet Dickelman

6.      President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis

A.  Committee Chairs and Assignments B.  DC Leadership Conference Dates: March 6 to 10, 2026 C.  ACB demographic and Diversity Report:  Deb Cook Lewis and Nancy Marks-Becker D.  Support the Holiday Auction

7.      Staff Reports:

A.  Resource Development B.  Advocacy C.  Membership

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1.      Lunch Break – lunch provided for board - Executive Session

2.      2026 Strategic Plan update: Deb Cook Lewis and Scott Thornhill

3.      Financial Summary for 2025 Year-to-Date: Michael Garrett, ACB Treasurer

4.      Review and Approval of the 2026 Legacy Endowment Drawdown: Michael Garrett and Nancy Marks Becker

5.      Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Zelda Gebhard, BOP Chair

6.      ACB Enterprise Services Board Report and Elections: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair

Terms expiring for Jeff Thom, George Holliday, and Terry Pacheco

7.      Policy approvals

A.  Prohibitive Conduct Policy

8.      Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and other committee liaisons

9.      Election of Executive Committee

10.  Adjourn

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1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President

2. Roll Call: Katie Frederick, Secretary

3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President

4. Review and Approval of Minutes: July 4, 2025: Katie Frederick, Secretary

5. Convention Wrap Up and Report: Janet Dickelman, Convention Committee Chair and Rick Morin

6. Review and Approval of the 2025 Resolution Priorities and Assignments: Claire Stanley and Gabe Griffith

7. External Verses Internal Policies and Positions: Deb Cook Lewis A. Practical logistics and website placement

8. Youth Track: Cindy Hollis

9. Proposal to Hire an Attorney: Scott Thornhill

10. Use of Cultural Racial and Religious language: Peter Heide

11. President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. Contributions for the November 30 auction B. Board session and meeting October 31 and November 1 C. Scholarship committee chair appointment D. Adding ACB Vice President’s to the Leadership Team E. Google Workspace email for Board Members and committees

12. Executive Director’s Report: Scott Thornhill

13. CFO Report: Nancy Becker

14. Election of Budget Committee:

15. Executive Session:
16. Adjourn

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Unedited recording of the ACB business meeting held during the 2025 annual conference and convention on Friday June 27th where one proposed by law change was read and debated. A second proposal for a constitutional change was also read and debated.

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This is ACB Next Generation's second annual Candidates Forum. During this event, we hear from the individuals seeking election to the ACB Board of Directors. Just like last year, our NextGen members have submitted questions for the candidates to answer during the event.

Sponsored By ACB Next Generation

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In alignment with the principles established in ACB Resolution 2021-22, which affirms the organization's support for the use of human voices in audio description, the following document entitled "Guidelines and Best Practices for the Use of Text to Speech (TTS) in Audio Description is proposed for adoption by the membership of the American Council of the Blind and will be introduced as a motion on Wednesday June 24. This document provides updated, actionable guidance to ensure that when TTS is used, it meets high standards of quality, transparency, and inclusion, and that it is never employed in ways that diminish accessibility or audience experience. The standards herein are intended to supplement the 2021 resolution by addressing current technological trends while upholding ACB’s core values.   American Council of the Blind Audio Description Project

Explanation of the Enclosed document In alignment with the principles established in ACB Resolution 2021-22, which affirms the organization's support for the use of human voices in audio description, the following document entitled "Guidelines and Best Practices for the Use of Text to Speech (TTS) in Audio Description is proposed for adoption by the membership of the American Council of the Blind and will be introduced as a motion on Wednesday June 24. This document provides updated, actionable guidance to ensure that when TTS is used, it meets high standards of quality, transparency, and inclusion, and that it is never employed in ways that diminish accessibility or audience experience. The standards herein are intended to supplement the 2021 resolution by addressing current technological trends while upholding ACB’s core values.

American Council of the Blind Audio Description Project Guidelines and Best Practices for the Use of Text-to-Speech (TTS) in Audio Description

June 2025

Submitted by: ACB Audio Description project Steering committee and endorsed by the ACB Advocacy Steering committee

Introduction

Audio Description (AD) provides blind and low vision individuals with vital access to visual media. Traditionally, human-voiced narration has set the gold standard for AD, offering expressiveness, emotional nuance, and clarity. Thus, the American Council of the Blind supports the use of human-voiced audio description as the preferred mode of its provision for consumers. (Resolution 2021-22). As advances in Text-to-Speech (TTS) and AI-generated voices become more prevalent, it is critical to ensure that their use maintains and never diminishes the quality, dignity, and accessibility of Audio Description. This document outlines the American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Guidelines and Best Practices for the responsible use of TTS in Audio Description.

Core Principles

• Equity of Access: Blind and low vision individuals must receive a media experience that is as equivalent as possible in richness, clarity, and engagement to that of sighted audiences. • Human Centric Quality: Human voiced Audio Description remains the gold standard. • Responsible Technology Use: Where TTS is used, it must meet or approximate the quality standards of human narration. • Transparency: Audiences must be informed when TTS is used. • Inclusion: Blind and low vision individuals must participate in and be a part of the evaluation and quality control of AD projects, including AD scripts. Guidelines for TTS in Audio Description • Voice Quality: Natural, human like intonation. Avoid robotic or mechanical delivery. Emotional tone should match the context of the scene. Ensure clear articulation and consistent pronunciation, especially for names, technical terms, and cultural references. • Timing and Pacing: Proper synchronization with on-screen action. Use natural pausing and breathing patterns to support listener comprehension. • Pronunciation and Clarity: Accurate pronunciation of names, places, idioms, and foreign terms. Respect culturally specific pronunciation and dialects. • Emotional Engagement: Convey appropriate emotional tone urgency, tension, tenderness, excitement, through vocal modulation and pitch. • Audio and Sound Quality: High Fidelity Audio Output: Minimum 48kHz/24-bit preferred for narration tracks. • Mixing and Balance: Ensure clear, audible narration. Use techniques such as audio ducking when appropriate to prevent program audio from overpowering the description. • Consistent Volume Levels: Comply with loudness standards (e.g., EBU R128, ATSC A/85). • No Audio Artifacts: Audio must be free from distortion, glitches, hiss, or dropouts. • Stereo/Surround Compatibility: Narration must sound correct on stereo and surround sound systems. • Ambient Sound Respect: Retain environmental sounds essential to storytelling when possible. Best Practices for Implementation • Prioritize Human Voice: TTS should only be used when human-voiced narration is not feasible due to logistical or production constraints, and never purely as a cost saving measure. • Invest in High-Quality TTS: Choose TTS engines designed for expressiveness, emotional nuance, and accessibility. Avoid generic or monotone systems. • Rigorous Quality Assurance: All TTS-generated AD must be reviewed by human experts, including blind and low vision professionals. Evaluation must cover both content and technical quality. • Sound Quality Testing: Conduct listening tests on both professional equipment and consumer devices. Ensure consistent audio quality and proper sound mixing in various listening environments. • Audience Notification: Clearly inform audiences when TTS is used (e.g., through accessibility settings, credits, or metadata). When feasible, offer a human-narrated version — though we recognize this may not always be practical. Ethical Considerations • Respect for the Audience: Accessibility should never be an afterthought or a budget-based compromise. • Quality Over Cost: The decision to use TTS must prioritize the quality of the audience experience. • Community Involvement: Blind and low vision individuals must be integral to the development, testing, and approval of TTS-based Audio Description. Common Audio Quality Failures to Avoid • Voice and Narration Failures: o Robotic or mechanical sounding voices; o Monotone or emotionally flat delivery; o Mispronunciations; Rushed, lagging, or unnatural pacing • Audio Recording and Mixing Failures: o Low-fidelity, muffled, or over-compressed narration; o Audio clipping, hiss, or distortion; o Overpowering or too-soft narration relative to program audio; o Poor integration with dialogue, music, or sound effects; o Digital artifacts or audio dropouts • Accessibility Failures: o Incorrect audio channel mapping; o Inconsistent quality across segments or episodes; o Implementation Tools Studio / Provider Checklist: • Prioritize human narration where possible. Choose expressive, high quality TTS voices. • Ensure human review of content and technical quality. • Clearly notify audiences of TTS use. • Provide feedback channels for blind and low vision viewers. • Commit to continuous improvement based on audience input.

Conclusion

Synthetic narration technologies are rapidly evolving. Yet the purpose of Audio Description remains unchanged: to provide blind and low vision individuals with media experiences that are equal in emotional depth, quality, and engagement to those of sighted audiences. The American Council of the Blind urges all media creators, streaming platforms, and content producers to adopt these guidelines, uphold excellence, and advance equity and inclusion in every accessible media offering.

June 2025

Submitted by: ACB Audio Description project Steering committee and endorsed by the ACB Advocacy Steering committee

Introduction

Audio Description (AD) provides blind and low vision individuals with vital access to visual media. Traditionally, human-voiced narration has set the gold standard for AD, offering expressiveness, emotional nuance, and clarity. Thus, the American Council of the Blind supports the use of human-voiced audio description as the preferred mode of its provision for consumers. (Resolution 2021-22). As advances in Text-to-Speech (TTS) and AI-generated voices become more prevalent, it is critical to ensure that their use maintains and never diminishes the quality, dignity, and accessibility of Audio Description. This document outlines the American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Guidelines and Best Practices for the responsible use of TTS in Audio Description.

Core Principles

·       Equity of Access: Blind and low vision individuals must receive a media experience that is as equivalent as possible in richness, clarity, and engagement to that of sighted audiences. ·       Human Centric Quality: Human voiced Audio Description remains the gold standard. ·       Responsible Technology Use: Where TTS is used, it must meet or approximate the quality standards of human narration. ·       Transparency: Audiences must be informed when TTS is used. ·       Inclusion: Blind and low vision individuals must participate in and be a part of the evaluation and quality control of AD projects, including AD scripts.

Guidelines for TTS in Audio Description

·       Voice Quality: Natural, human like intonation. Avoid robotic or mechanical delivery. Emotional tone should match the context of the scene. Ensure clear articulation and consistent pronunciation, especially for names, technical terms, and cultural references. ·       Timing and Pacing: Proper synchronization with on-screen action. Use natural pausing and breathing patterns to support listener comprehension. ·       Pronunciation and Clarity: Accurate pronunciation of names, places, idioms, and foreign terms. Respect culturally specific pronunciation and dialects. ·       Emotional Engagement: Convey appropriate emotional tone urgency, tension, tenderness, excitement, through vocal modulation and pitch. ·       Audio and Sound Quality: High Fidelity Audio Output: Minimum 48kHz/24-bit preferred for narration tracks. ·       Mixing and Balance: Ensure clear, audible narration. Use techniques such as audio ducking when appropriate to prevent program audio from overpowering the description. ·       Consistent Volume Levels: Comply with loudness standards (e.g., EBU R128, ATSC A/85). ·       No Audio Artifacts: Audio must be free from distortion, glitches, hiss, or dropouts. ·       Stereo/Surround Compatibility: Narration must sound correct on stereo and surround sound systems. ·       Ambient Sound Respect: Retain environmental sounds essential to storytelling when possible.

Best Practices for Implementation

·       Prioritize Human Voice: TTS should only be used when human-voiced narration is not feasible due to logistical or production constraints, and never purely as a cost saving measure. ·       Invest in High-Quality TTS: Choose TTS engines designed for expressiveness, emotional nuance, and accessibility. Avoid generic or monotone systems. ·       Rigorous Quality Assurance: All TTS-generated AD must be reviewed by human experts, including blind and low vision professionals. Evaluation must cover both content and technical quality. ·       Sound Quality Testing: Conduct listening tests on both professional equipment and consumer devices. Ensure consistent audio quality and proper sound mixing in various listening environments. ·       Audience Notification: Clearly inform audiences when TTS is used (e.g., through accessibility settings, credits, or metadata). When feasible, offer a human-narrated version — though we recognize this may not always be practical.

Ethical Considerations

·       Respect for the Audience: Accessibility should never be an afterthought or a budget-based compromise. ·       Quality Over Cost: The decision to use TTS must prioritize the quality of the audience experience. ·       Community Involvement: Blind and low vision individuals must be integral to the development, testing, and approval of TTS-based Audio Description.

Common Audio Quality Failures to Avoid

·       Voice and Narration Failures: o   Robotic or mechanical sounding voices; o   Monotone or emotionally flat delivery; o   Mispronunciations; Rushed, lagging, or unnatural pacing ·       Audio Recording and Mixing Failures: o   Low-fidelity, muffled, or over-compressed narration; o   Audio clipping, hiss, or distortion; o   Overpowering or too-soft narration relative to program audio; o   Poor integration with dialogue, music, or sound effects; o   Digital artifacts or audio dropouts ·       Accessibility Failures: o   Incorrect audio channel mapping; o   Inconsistent quality across segments or episodes; o   Implementation Tools

Studio / Provider Checklist:

·       Prioritize human narration where possible. Choose expressive, high quality TTS voices. ·       Ensure human review of content and technical quality. ·       Clearly notify audiences of TTS use. ·       Provide feedback channels for blind and low vision viewers. ·       Commit to continuous improvement based on audience input.

Conclusion

Synthetic narration technologies are rapidly evolving. Yet the purpose of Audio Description remains unchanged: to provide blind and low vision individuals with media experiences that are equal in emotional depth, quality, and engagement to those of sighted audiences. The American Council of the Blind urges all media creators, streaming platforms, and content producers to adopt these guidelines, uphold excellence, and advance equity and inclusion in every accessible media offering.  

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Hear directly from the candidates vying for positions on the Board as they answer pre-submitted questions and engage with live questions from the audience.

Sponsored by ACB Board of Publications.

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Amend Bylaw 4, Section A to clarify the language pertaining to the notice of meeting requirements

Purpose: to reduce the required notice period for meetings and agendas from 15 days to 5 business days for both the ACB Board and the Membership.

Bylaw 4 Duties of the Officers:

Replace the 6th sentence of Section A, which currently reads:

Bylaw 4 Duties of the Officers: A. ... The president shall send each board member an agenda fifteen (15) days prior to any board meeting, except the post-conference and convention board meeting.

Proposed language for the sixth sentence reads:

Bylaw 4 Duties of the Officers: A. ... The president shall provide written notice of each board meeting to the Board of Directors and to all ACB Members not less than five (5) business days prior to each board meeting. This notice shall include the proposed agenda, information on how members can listen to the meeting, and a method for members to provide comments to the board on any agenda items prior to the meeting.

Bylaw 4A as amended reads: A. The president, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall employ and supervise an executive director. The executive director shall be responsible for the selection, supervision, and dismissal of all employees of this organization (except the editor of The ACB Braille Forum) and shall also perform other duties and responsibilities prescribed in a written job description approved by the Board of Directors. The executive director, with the approval of the Board of Publications, shall employ an editor of The ACB Braille Forum. The editor of The ACB Braille Forum shall perform the duties and responsibilities prescribed in a written job description prepared and approved by the Board of Publications. Not less than sixty (60) days prior to the opening of the annual conference and convention, the president shall have the responsibility to appoint a qualified individual who is familiar with and has access to a current copy of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, to serve as Parliamentarian during that annual conference and convention. The president shall provide written notice of each board meeting to the Board of Directors and to all ACB Members not less than five (5) business days prior to each board meeting. This notice shall include the proposed agenda, information on how members can listen to the meeting, and a method for members to provide comments to the board on any agenda items prior to the meeting. The president may, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, appoint an Assistant Secretary and/or Assistant Treasurer. Such assistants may be paid for their services.

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PRESERVATION OF THE NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

Submitted by: DeAnn Elliott

Whereas, in the 2026 budget the Administration is proposing to eliminate the National Eye Institute (NEI), with its functions proposed to be folded into a larger neuroscience institute; and

Whereas, previous NEI initiatives have led to treatments for macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, inherited retinal diseases, and many other eye conditions that impact millions of Americans; and

Whereas, over 12.5 million Americans aged 40 years and older are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, due to baby boomers aging into vision loss, this number is expected to double by 2050, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Big Data Project from VisionServe Alliance; and

Whereas, according to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the NEI supports vision research through more than 2,000 research grants made to scientists at more than 150 medical centers and universities, and eliminating or reducing this vital research would have a devastating impact on the continued advancement of cutting-edge treatments;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind, assembled in virtual convention this xx day of June, 2025, that this organization will advocate to preserve the independence of and full funding for the National Eye Institute.

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EXPANSION OF AVAILABLE BRAILLE TITLES

submitted by: Library Users of America

WHEREAS, although the number of braille titles released annually has grown slightly, it is dramatically less than the number of audio titles released; and

Whereas, for a variety of reasons, it is far easier to produce and distribute braille titles than it has ever been; and,

Whereas, These reasons include but are not limited to: availability of digital titles, use of free NLS e-readers and other braille devices, and reliable braille translation systems.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the American council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually this XX day of June, 2025 that we join with Library Users of America to request that the National Library Service expedite the expansion of available braille titles beyond the limited numbers now available. and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NLS be requested to report back to ACB and Lua at the ACB Convention in 2026 on decisions made in response to this  resolution.

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IMPACT OF RECENT EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON THE BLIND AND LOW VISION COMMUNITY

Submitted by Matt Selm and DeAnn Elliott)

Whereas, over 12.5 million Americans aged 40 years and older are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, due to baby boomers aging into vision loss, this number is expected to double by 2050, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Big Data Project from VisionServe Alliance; and

Whereas, the American Council of the Blind (ACB), a leading national blindness consumer advocacy organization, has advocated for the equality and civil rights of blind and low vision individuals throughout the country since 1961; and

Whereas, the lives of Americans who are blind or have low vision have been improved immeasurably over the past 50 years by Congressional enactment of strong, bipartisan legislation, including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA); and

Whereas the current administration has signed executive orders (EO's) and proposed fiscal year 2026 budgetary changes that adversely impact blind and low vision individuals, including but not limited to: EO 14242: Elimination of the Department of Education, which currently enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and IDEA compliance in educational programs. Staff reduction and relocation of the Rehabilitation Services Administration which provides training and employment services for individuals with disabilities including people who are blind or have low vision, empowering them to go to work and gain financial independence. EO 14173: Dramatic realignment of the mission of the Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice, responsible for the enforcement of Section 504 and the ADA, contributing to the departure of 70% of its civil rights attorneys. FY-2026 Budget Request: Funding cuts to state Protection and Advocacy agencies that protect vulnerable residents with disabilities. EO 14238: Elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services which provides grants to NLS network libraries in 44 states and supports the provision of braille and audio books to students and adults with print disabilities who cannot read standard, hardcopy print. Internal VA memo: Proposed layoffs of 70,000 staff members at the Department of Veteran's Affairs which will significantly impact services to blind and low vision veterans. Proposed FY26 budget: Sharp reduction in grant funding to the National Institutes of Health, and the elimination of the National Eye Institute, slowing the research and development of new treatments for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration.

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind, in virtual convention assembled this xx day of June, 2025, that this organization is profoundly concerned about a pattern of action that, if implemented as proposed, will erode decades of progress for people who are blind or have low vision; and

Be it further resolved that ACB members are strongly encouraged to vigorously and vociferously advocate to Congress, the public, and other entities regarding the protection of the civil rights and programs outlined in this resolution in order to safeguard funding for vital programs, provide continuity of services, and promote enforcement of civil rights laws; and

Be it further resolved that the board and staff of this organization are strongly encouraged to continue to incorporate the issues discussed in this resolution into the ACB advocacy agenda; and

Be it further resolved that this organization calls on the Administration to release appropriated funds and calls upon Congress to fully exercise its oversight in order to support their constituents who are blind or have low vision.

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THE REINSTATEMENT OF NLS COMMITTEES

Submitted by Library Users of America

WHEREAS, the National Library Service (NLS) has a history of engaging with its users through surveys, at consumer conventions, and using internet meetings; and

WHEREAS, beginning around 2018, NLS reduced these interactions by discontinuing in-person committee meetings which focused on Collection Development and technical issues, and which included representatives from consumer organizations, librarians, and selected library patrons; and

WHEREAS, these formal committees facilitated the sharing of new initiatives and provided a platform for patrons and librarians from across the country to raise issues;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the American council of the blind in convention assembled virtually this XX day of June that we join with Library Users of America (LUA) in strongly urging NLS to resume using this effective committee approach; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that while in-person meetings are preferred, virtual or hybrid meetings can be considered ; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NLS be requested to report back to ACB and Lua at the ACB Convention in 2026 on decisions made in response to this resolution.

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COMMEMORATING KNIGHTS OF THE BLIND CHALLENGE TO LIONS BY HELEN KELLER

Submitted by: American Council of Blind Lions

Whereas, on June 30, 1925 at the Lions International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, Helen Keller issued a challenge to Lions to serve as "Knights of the blind," and

Whereas, since that time, Lions across the United States and around the world have worked to eradicate preventable blindness, provide glasses and eye exams, conduct vision screenings, provide specialized equipment, sponsor camps, and many other activities; and

Whereas, it has been one hundred years since Helen Keller issued this challenge to Lions.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually this XX day of June, 2025 join together with the American Council of Blind Lions to commemorate 100 years of Lions accepting Helen Keller's challenge to serve as “Knights of the Blind.”

And be it further resolved that together we urge Lions to continue their work on behalf of people who are blind or have low vision, working with organizations of and for the blind to not only prevent avoidable blindness but to follow Helen Keller's challenge "to make the lives of the blind more worthwhile everywhere by increasing their economic value and giving them the joy of normal activity." And be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to Lions Clubs International.

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STANDARDIZE PLACEMENT OF WALL MOUNTED DISPENSERS IN HOTEL GUEST ROOMS

Submitted by: Ray Campbell

Whereas, over the past several years, many hotels are providing personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion using wall mounted, reusable dispensers located in the shower and sink areas of hotel guest rooms; and

Whereas, there is no standard placement or order for how these dispensers are organized; and

Whereas, Not having these dispensers placed in a standard order and location makes it difficult for hotel guests who are blind or low vision to know which dispenser is which; and

Whereas, This lack of consistency also makes it difficult for hotel staff to provide this information to guests who are blind or low vision.

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually this XX day of June, 2025 that this organization work with the American Hotel and Lodging Association and major hotel chains to develop a procedure for the standard placement of reusable dispensers in the shower and sink areas of hotel guest rooms.

And be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be sent to the President of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the heads of major hotel chains.

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Adopted by the ACB Board of Directors, May 19, 2025 Preamble

The ACB Standing Rules are updated annually to ensure fairness and efficiency during debates and voting. Election materials, proposed Resolutions, and Amendments to the ACB Constitution and Bylaws are published in advance. Zoom sessions are scheduled for discussion and questions. Members are encouraged to attend or listen to these sessions to be informed and suggest amendments.

At the outset of debate on any issue before the convention, there shall be a period not to exceed ten minutes devoted exclusively to questions and other points of clarification about the issue being debated. Speakers shall be limited to one minute, with no more than five speakers recognized, and a speaker shall be limited to asking about their point of clarification and shall not discuss the merits of the issue.

Debate on the merits of the issue shall begin at the conclusion of the ten-minute period for points of clarification. When the initial debate period begins, in the case of a resolution, the maker of that resolution shall be given an opportunity to address the assembly on the merits of the resolution. Each debatable issue before the convention shall be limited to approximately twenty (20) minutes with a two-minute time limit per speaker, alternating between supporting speakers, including the maker of the resolution if they speak pursuant to subsection (b), and opposing speakers, unless a majority of the members agree to extend debate for an additional period of time. A member who does not seek recognition for purposes of debate at the beginning of a debate period shall not be eligible for debate during that debate period. The chair shall, during any debate period, immediately close debate when an equal number of speakers, have debated each side and no additional speakers have sought the floor.

Speakers shall not be recognized for purposes of seeking points of clarification during a debate period. Each member is respectfully urged to speak directly to the issue before the assembly and avoid unnecessary and time-consuming dialogue. No member will be recognized a second time to debate until all who wish to debate have been recognized.

Motions to close debate will not be recognized by the chair during the first debate period. After the first debate period, properly moved motions such as “I call for the question” or “I move the previous question” will be handled by the chair and voted on by the assembly.

At the beginning of the first 20-minute debate period, the chair shall define for the body what constitutes a point of order (or other parliamentary inquiry) and shall signify how a member can be recognized for the purpose of making a point of order (or other parliamentary inquiry). Any time in which a point of order is being considered shall not be deducted from the debate period.

With respect to any motion on the floor, other than a motion on the adoption of a constitutional or bylaw amendment, if no one seeks the floor to debate in opposition to the motion, the chair may ask whether there is any objection to declaring a unanimous vote in favor of the motion. If, using the appropriate method for a rising vote, no one objects to such a unanimous vote in favor of the motion, the chair shall declare the motion passed unanimously. If an objection is made to a unanimous vote, the chair shall proceed to a rising vote on the motion.

Except as provided in subsection (b), an amendment to a resolution or constitution or bylaw amendment may not be offered on the floor unless; 1. in the case of a resolution, the language for the proposed amendment has been provided to the chair of the Resolutions Committee prior to the opening of the session in which that resolution is scheduled to be debated, and 2. In the case of an amendment to a constitution or bylaw amendment, the language for the proposed amendment has been provided to the chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee prior to the opening of the session in which that constitution or bylaw amendment is scheduled to be debated.

Notwithstanding subsection (A), if, in the opinion of the convention chair, the amendment being proposed is non-substantive or clarifying in nature, the amendment may be proposed and adopted by unanimous consent.

Voting on an amendment to a proposed Resolution or Constitution or Bylaw Amendment shall occur by rising vote only. It shall not, therefore, be in order to seek a record vote on such an amendment. The parliamentarian will act as timekeeper.

Recognition to speak will be given to those members who properly address the chair either using the “raise hand” feature of the Zoom internet meeting client program or while standing at a microphone in the convention hall and giving their names and affiliation. Nominating and seconding speeches shall be limited to five minutes per candidate with the speaking time allocated according to the candidate's wishes. A person nominated for an office more than once shall be limited to one minute.

When no candidate for office receives a majority vote, the election shall be between the top two candidates. Affiliate votes will be reported in whole or half numbers. In all uncontested elections as verified after three calls for additional nominations, the chair may declare the candidate elected by acclamation. “Write in” candidacies are not permitted.

Once a rising vote has been taken on a resolution, the chair will announce the result. If the difference between the winning and losing side of a rising vote is less than 20%, a record vote can be requested if 25% or more of those voting on the losing side request it. Alternatively, the presiding officer may call for a record vote if they believe there is enough uncertainty in the margin. After debate has ceased on a resolution and it is subsequently determined that a record vote is required, no further amendments may be proposed.

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You may also visit the candidate pages to learn more about each candidate.

2025 Candidate Bios

Below you will find the links to the pages of each of the candidates for Office. The candidates answered the questions posed by the Board of Publications, below.

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?

Officer Candidates

• Deb Cook Lewis, President: https://www.acb.org/deb-cook-lewis-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-president
• David Trott, 1st Vice President: https://www.acb.org/david-trott-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-1st-vp-office
• Terry Pacheco, 2nd Vice President: https://www.acb.org/terry-pacheco-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-2nd-vp-office
• Kenneth Semien Sr., 2nd Vice President: https://www.acb.org/kenneth-j-semien-sr-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-2nd-vp-office
• Koni Sims, 2nd Vice President: https://www.acb.org/koni-sims-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-2nd-vp-office
• Katie Frederick, Secretary: https://www.acb.org/katie-frederick-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-secretary
• Michael Garrett, Treasurer: https://www.acb.org/michael-garrett-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors-treasurer

Board of Directors Candidates

• Christine Hunsinger: Christine Hunsinger: https://www.acb.org/christine-hunsinger-candidate-2025-acb-board-directors

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1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Board and Staff: Denise Colley, Secretary
3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
4. Review and Approval of Minutes: March 15, 2025, Denise Colley, Secretary
5. Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, ACB Convention Committee Chair

6. President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. Convention ACB Board of Directors Meeting scheduled for Friday, July 4, 2025, at 9:00AM CDT B. Fall ACB Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Friday, October 31st and Saturday, November 1st, 2025 C. Liaisons assigned D. Leadership list updated E. New or reorganized committees: INSPIRE; Accessibility Services; Development Steering Committee F. Nominating committee chair appointment G. ACB Media policy revision regarding AI-generated music H. Process for Resolutions and Constitution & Bylaws I. Affiliate National Expectations J. Code of Conduct Policy Revision Update

7. Executive Director Report: Scott Thornhill, Executive Director

8. CFO Report: Nancy Becker
9. Convention Standing Rules: Pat Sheehan, Jeff Thom; Voting Taskforce Committee Chairs Action will be taken
10. Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and Other Committee Liaisons
11. Executive Session (not public)
12. Adjourn  

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• Welcome, Katie Frederick, BOP Chair
• Roll Call, Zelda Gebhard
• Approval of agenda, BOP
• Approval of April minutes, BOP
• Public comment, BOP
• ACB Voices Blog, June editors, BOP
• ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor
• Upcoming Forum themes, July-October reminders
• ACB Media Updates, ACB Media Team
• Large print Guidelines Amendment, Zelda/BOP
• Announcement form discussion, BOP
• Other items

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• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Roll Call and Introduction of Board and Staff: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President4. Review and Approval of February 10, 2025 Minutes: Denise Colley, Secretary

• President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. ACB Telephonic Board of Directors Meeting Scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025, at 7:00PM ET B. ACB Convention Board of Directors Meeting Scheduled for Friday, July 4, 2025, at 9:00AM CT C. ACB Fall Board of Directors meeting Scheduled for Friday, October 31st and Saturday, November 1st, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM CT D. Leadership Email List Guidelines E. Convention Rollcall of Affiliates is Shifting to the Convention Call to Order on Monday F. Google Workspace Emails Project G. Braille Forum Raffle

• Update on Prohibited Conduct Workgroup Update: David Trott

• Program Reports: A. ACB Executive Director: Scott Thornhill B. Advocacy Report: Claire Stanley C. Membership Services Report: Cindy Hollis D. Resource Development Report: Dan Spoone & Jo Lynn Bailey-Page E. Accessibility & Training Services – Kolby Garrison F. ACB Media Report: Rick Morin a. ACB Media Affiliate Public Service Announcement Policy G. Communications – Michael Johnson H. CFO Report: Nancy Marks-BeckerFinancial Reports: Michael Garrett A. ACB Financial Report B. ACB Enterprise and Services Financial Report: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair

• Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Katie Frederick, BOP Director A. Conversation Email List Guidelines

• Awards Committee: Koni Sims

• Amendment to Awards Policy
• 2024 Strategic Plan: Deb Cook Lewis and Scott Thornhill
• Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and Other Committee Liaisons
• Adjourn

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• Welcome: ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill
• Presentations from Committees and programs
• ACB Walk Committee: Donna Brown: Launch of the 2025 Walk song and learn how affiliates can sponsor Walk teams
• INSPIRE Mentoring Program: Donna Brown and Kenneth Semien Sr: Update on progress of the mentoring program
• DKM Committee: Zelda Gebhard and Donna Clarke: Application information for the DKM First Timer and JP Morgan Chase Leadership Fellows programs
• Community Support Committee: Lucy Edmonds and Cindy Hollis: Celebrating Five Years of the Community Events Platform!
• Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) Committee: Dan Spoone: MMS Leadership Conference 321 Countdown Contest
• Auction Committee: Leslie Spoone: Auction dates and donation information
• Get Up and Get Moving Committee: Koni Sims and Leslie Spoone: How Is Your Fitness Journey Going?
• ACB Awards Committee: Carrie Muth and Koni Sims: Awards Trivia Contest – How Well Do You Know Your ACB Awards?

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• Welcome and Overview of the Day: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
• The ABC’s of ACB: Key Programs, Services and Roles: Facilitated by Cindy Hollis, ACB Membership Services Manager

• Role and Function of Our Primary Email Lists: Presidents; Leadership; Conversation; Announce – Deb Cook Lewis, Cindy Hollis, and Rep from Board of Publications – Affiliate Liaisons: Linking Affiliates and the National Organization: Facilitated by Cindy Hollis – Corporate Sponsor Presentation

• Sponsor Presentation

• Keynote Speaker: Day Al-Mohamed

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Breakouts 1A

• 1A Governance and Oversight: We must ensure that the missions of our affiliates align with ACB’s mission and values while allowing affiliates to maintain autonomy.

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Breakout 1B

• 1B Communication and Coordination: Ensure that ACB and all affiliates are working towards the same goals and objectives.

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First Breakouts Summary Reports

• 1A Governance and Oversight: We must ensure that the missions of our affiliates align with ACB’s mission and values while allowing affiliates to maintain autonomy.
• 1B Communication and Coordination: Ensure that ACB and all affiliates are working towards the same goals and objectives.

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-Second Breakouts 2A

• Policies: There must be clear policies that the national organization and all affiliates agree to uphold. Categories might include: membership, fundraising, and program implementation.

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Breakouts Session 2B

• Branding and Identity: Each affiliate will have its unique mission and approach, it's essential to ensure that they all align with the values and branding of the national organization.

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• 2A Policies: There must be clear policies that the national organization and all affiliates agree to uphold. Categories might include: membership, fundraising, and program implementation.
• 2B Branding and Identity: Each affiliate will have its unique mission and approach, it's essential to ensure that they all align with the values and branding of the national organization.

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• Introductions

• Imperatives (30 minutes each with Role Plays)

• Sponsors

• Keynote Speaker, Jeff Mittman, Bosma Enterprise

• Federal Panel FCC: Will Schell, Disability Rights Office -- NCD: Kimie Eacobacci -- U.S. Access Board: Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithran

• Panel on Alternative Advocacy Channels Speakers: Jeff Thom, ACB Board Member -- Jessica Podesva, National Council on Independent Living -- Michael Lewis, American Association of People with Disabilities

• Presentation by the State Department on Making the Passport Application Process Accessible Speakers: Elizabeth Straghalis, User Experience Lead for Online Passport Renewal, eSimplicity --
  Mike Rubanka, Product Development Division Chief, Consular Affairs at U.S. Department of State -- Mike Liu, Tech Lead for Online Passport Renewal, Focus Consulting -- Paul D’Addario, Member, ACB of Virginia

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This law provides rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. It also prohibits disability discrimination by the federal government, federal contractors, and recipients of federal funds. This law has historically opened the door to countless employment and other opportunities for people with disabilities, including people who are blind or who have low vision.   The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

This law provides equal opportunity by prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities by private and public employers, state and local governments and public accommodations. It enables blind and low vision people to participate equally and fully in all areas of our economy and society.   Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

School districts receive federal funding to provide special education and services that blind school-age children need to learn and compete in employment and to access higher educational opportunities.   The Older Individuals Who are Blind Program

This program provides funding to each state for targeted services to seniors experiencing vision loss. These services enable seniors to remain in their own homes and to avoid unwanted, unnecessary, and costly institutionalization in nursing homes.   The National Library Services

The program provides funding for audio and Braille books and other reading material to state and regional libraries for distribution to people who are blind or have low vision. Together with the Free Matter for the Blind privilege under the U.S. Postal Service, students can receive needed materials that set them up for remarkable success.   The Department of Transportation

Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws enforced by DOT enable the blind and low vision community to travel independently to places of employment, public accommodations, and other social events.

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The American Council of the Blind is the nation’s leading member-driven organization for individuals who are blind and experiencing vision loss. With 66 state and special- interest affiliates across the country, ACB is committed to increasing the security, independence, quality of life, and economic opportunity for people who are blind and low vision in the United States, and ACB stands committed to advocacy that lifts up our values.

The following legislative imperatives represent several key issues that were pieces of legislation in the 118th Congress that ACB seeks to have reintroduced and passed in the 119th Congress. These bills will help ACB members in furthering independence and bettering quality of life.

The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) guaranteed access for people with disabilities to advanced communications services, telecommunications hardware and software, accessible video displays and user interfaces and digital apparatuses, and required the delivery of audio-described content. For more than ten years, ACB and its members have worked to implement and enforce the CVAA, and in several key aspects, we have reached the limits of what the CVAA is able to enforce.

It is time for Congress to update the accessible video and communications requirements of the CVAA. Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act (H.R. 9333 and S. 5121). The CVTA reaffirms our nation’s commitment to accessible communications and video technologies for people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind. Once passed, this legislation will update existing requirements for accessible media, video user interfaces, and video conferencing services. ACB urges Congress to support and pass the CVTA in the 119th Congress.

Offices interested in supporting the CVTA should contact Ireland Lesley in Sen. Markey’s office.

End of ACB Legislative Imperative "Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act"

The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act

The majority of home use medical devices and outpatient equipment utilizes digital display interfaces that are inaccessible to blind, low vision, and DeafBlind users. Class 2 and Class 3 medical devices such as glucose monitors, blood pressure readers, and at-home chemotherapy treatments do not have any non-visual accessibility features like text to speech output, tactile markings, or audible tones built in. As a result, people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind cannot independently manage their health from the privacy of their own homes in the same ways as people who are not disabled.

ACB calls on Congress to support and pass the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act. In the last session of congress, this bipartisan piece of legislation was introduced in both the House and Senate by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), to ensure that medical equipment with a digital display is accessible and that people with disabilities can take back control of their health. We are hopeful it will quickly be reintroduced. This legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to consider non-visual accessibility when approving Class 2 and Class 3 medical equipment and devices with a digital display to ensure access for patients with disabilities.

Offices in the House of Representatives interested in supporting the bipartisan Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R.1328) should contact Michelle Paucar in the office of Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL). Offices in the Senate that are interested in co-sponsoring S. 3621 should contact Emily Kane in Sen. Hassan’s office.

End of ACB Legislative Imperative "Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act"

The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act

Access to websites, applications and online services impacts most aspects of everyday life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made digital inclusion more important than ever. There is a need for enforcement standards that clearly state websites, applications, and online services must be accessible to people with disabilities. People who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind face countless barriers when accessing workplace portals, educational platforms, healthcare and public health information, transportation services, shopping, and entertainment over the Internet.

ACB calls on Congress to support and pass the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act. In the last session of Congress, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced this legislation (S. 4998), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) along with Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced a version of the bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 9021). We are hopeful it will quickly be reintroduced. This bill would establish clear and enforceable accessibility standards for websites and software applications. The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act would set clear, enforceable accessibility standards, and establish a technical assistance center and advisory committee to provide advice and guidance on accessible websites and applications. It would also authorize a study on addressing emerging technologies.

Senate offices wishing to support this bill should contact Stephanie Deluca in Sen. Duckworth’s office.

End of ACB Legislative Imperative "Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act"

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• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
• Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
• Review and Approval of Minutes: September 23, 2024; November 2, 2024; and December 9 & 16, 2024 - Denise Colley, Secretary

• Convention: Janet Dickelman, Convention Chair A. Review and Approval of Proposed Minneapolis, MN Convention Hotel – Friday July 13 to July 20th, 2029. B. Potential Hotel security costs

• President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. Prohibited Conduct Policy B. Update on committee structure and assignments C. Affiliate and National expectations document revision update D. Resolution on Decisions Impacting ACB Members update E. ACB comments on the proposed ACVREP certification of occupational therapists F. Leadership email list updates and revised guidelines

• Executive Director’s Report: Scott Thornhill

• Proposed Endowment Policy Revision: Nancy Marks-Becker
• Proposed Bank Signor Policy: Nancy Marks-Becker
• Organizational Discussion: Deb Cook Lewis and Scott Thornhill
• Adjourn

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• Welcome, Katie Frederick, BOP Chair
• Roll Call, Zelda Gebhard
• Approval of agenda, BOP
• Approval of January minutes, BOP
• ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor
• Forum themes, BOP (April-June)
• Public comment, BOP
• ACB Media updates, ACB Media team
• ACB Voices Blog: data
• BITS/BOP Partnership, Jeff Bishop
• Conversation Email List Guidelines Discussion, BOP
• Other items?
• Next meeting March 4 | 9:00 PM Eastern
• Adjourn

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Katie Frederick

Board meeting to discuss and approve the hotel selections for the conventions to be held in 2026, 2027 and 2028

Agenda

• Welcome, Katie Frederick, BOP Chair
• Roll Call, Zelda Gebhard
• Approval of agenda, BOP
• Approval of November minutes, BOP
• Public comment.
• Conversation Email List Guidelines Discussion, BOP
• ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor
• Forum themes, BOP (February-March)
• 2025 BOP Candidate’s Forum scheduled for June 11 – discuss calendar/timeline, BOP
• ACB Media updates, ACB Media team
• Other items?
• Next meeting January 7 9:00 PM Eastern
• Adjourn

Agenda

• Welcome, Katie Frederick, BOP Chair
• Roll Call, Zelda Gebhard
• Approval of agenda, BOP
• Approval of October minutes, BOP
• Public’s point of view, we welcome hearing from you.
• Conversation Email List Discussion, BOP
• ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor
• Forum themes, BOP (January-February)
• 2024–2025 work plan update, BOP
• Communicator’s Workshop, Zelda
• ACB Media updates, ACB Media team
• Other items?
• Next meeting December 3 9:00 PM Eastern
• Adjourn

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Broadcast on ACB Media Six

1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
4. Review and Approval of Minutes: August 20, 2024, Telephonic - Denise Colley, Secretary
5. Mission Moment: Deb Cook Lewis and Scott Thornhill

6. Consent Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis A. Advocacy Update Report: Claire Stanley/Swatha Nandhakumar B. Resource Development Report: Jo Lynn Bailey Page and Kolby Garrison C. Membership Services Report: Cindy Hollis D. Braille Forum Editor’s Report: Sharon Lovering E. ACB Media: Rick Morin F. Financial Statements: Nancy Becker

7. Convention A. 2024 Survey Feedback Report: Janet Dickelman, Convention Committee Chair and Rick Morin, Information Technology and ACB Media Manager B. 2025 Convention in Dallas, TX: Janet Dickelman C. Future Conventions: Deb Cook Lewis

8. President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. Committee Chairs and Assignments B. 2024 Board Budget Meetings: A Revenue and an Expense Meeting - Proposed Dates -Dec. 9th and Dec. 16th C. DC Leadership Conference Dates: March 14 to 18, 2025 D. ACB demographic and Diversity Report: Deb Cook Lewis and Nancy Marks-Becker E. Support the Holiday Auction

9. Staff Reports: A. Resource Development B. Executive Director C. Advocacy D. CFO

10. Lunch Break

11. Financial Summary for 2024 Year-to-Date: Michael Garrett, ACB Treasurer
12. Review and Approval of the 2025 Legacy Endowment Drawdown: Michael Garrett and Nancy Marks Becker
13. Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Katie Frederick, BOP Director

14. ACB Enterprise Services Board Report and Elections: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair A. Terms expiring for Michael Garrett, David Trott, and Kim Charlson terms

15. Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and other committee liaisons

16. Election of Executive Committee
17. Adjourn

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• Welcome , Katie Frederick, BOP Chair
• Roll Call, Zelda Gebhard
• Approval of agenda, BOP
• Approval of August & September minutes, BOP
• Public’s point of view, we welcome hearing from you.
• Conversation Email List Discussion, BOP
• ACB Voices Blog, BOP
• ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor
• Forum themes, BOP,
• 2024–2025 work plan discussion, BOP
• ACB Media updates, ACB Media team
• Other items?
• Next meeting November 5 9:00 PM Eastern
• Adjourn

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Please note: This is the full recording of the Board Meeting from the Zoom recording. The only edit was to remove a multi-minute discussion regarding whether the stream was up.

• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Roll Call: Denise Colley, Secretary
• GDUI Request for ACB to Send a Representative to the Rally on the October 15, 2024, sponsored by the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
• Adjourn

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Date: September 3, 2024

Agenda

1. Welcome and review of agenda, Katie Frederick, BOP Chair

2. Roll Call, Zelda Gebhard

3. Approval of August minutes, BOP

4. Public’s point of view, we welcome hearing from you.

5. ACB Voices Blog, BOP (September & October reviewers)

6. ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor

7. Forum themes, BOP, if interested in a month or have a theme idea, contact Sharon Lovering)

8. Upcoming communicators workshop, Zelda Gebhard (9/13 8:30 PM)

9. ACB Media updates, ACB Media team

10. Other items?

11. Next meeting October 1 9:00 PM Eastern

12. Adjourn

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(sequence of certain items changed)

• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Roll Call: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Review and Approval of July 5, 2024, Minutes: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Review and Approval of the 2024 Resolution Priorities and Assignments: Deb Cook Lewis, Gabe Griffith, Jeff Thom, Claire Stanley and Swatha Nandhakumar
• Community Policy Revision: Cindy Hollis, Manager of Membership Engagement

• President’s Report: Deb Lewis A. Fall Board meeting dates: November 1st and 2nd, 9 to 5 central time in Dallas, TX B. Committee Restructure and Roadmap

• BPI Letter Requesting a Meeting: Deb Cook Lewis

• Executive Director Report: Scott Thornhill
• Accessibility and Training Services
• DKM Policy Revision: Kenneth Semien

• 2024 Budget Requests A. Acb.org Drupal 10 upgrade budget request, Dan Spoone B. Parliamentarian budget request, Deb Cook Lewis

• Election of the Budget Committee: Elected members for 2023 were David Trott, Kim Charlson and Jeff Thom

• Election of the Executive Committee: Elected members for 2023 were Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Doug Powell, Ray Campbell and Michael Garrett

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Katie Frederick

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Affiliate Record Vote for Resolution 2024-06 and Constitution and By-Laws amendments 2024-01, 02, 03 and 04.

• 2024-01 (editorial): To change all instances of "ACB Radio" to "ACB Media"
• 2024-02 align Article XI with the language and intent of Bylaw 6D
• 2024-03 Replacing "voice vote" with "rising vote" and amending the requirements for a record vote"
• 2024-04 Removing "or their designee ...."

• Resolution 2024 03 Creating a Communications Working Group
• Resolution 2024 06 Decisions Impacting ACB Members
• Resolution 2024 14 Making ADA Paratransit More Equitable

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• Resolution 2024-09 Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Individuals Who are Blind or Have Low Vision
• Resolution 2024-11 Promoting Military Dining Facilities
• Resolution 2024-12 Audio Description for Streaming Services
• Resolution 2024-13 Accessibility of NextGen TV

• Resolution 2024-01 The Use of Shapes and Braille for Labeling Products
• Resolution 2024-15 QR & Bar Code Accessibility
• Resolution 2024-02 NLS and Spelling of Authors’ Names
• Resolution 2024-10 NLS Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Searches

The following Constitution and By-Laws amendments were also read:

• 2024-01 (editorial): To change all instances of "ACB Radio" to "ACB Media"
• 2024-02 align Article XI with the language and intent of Bylaw 6D
• 2024-03 Replacing "voice vote" with "rising vote" and amending the requirements for a record vote
• 2024-04 Removing "or their designee ...."

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ACB Next Generation invites everyone to join us for our first ever Candidates Forum. Come meet and get to know the candidates seeking election for both the ACB Board of Directors and Board of Publications. Sponsored by ACB Next Generation

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20240619 2000 Candidates Forum Originally Broadcasted June 19, 2024, on ACB Media 1   At this year's hybrid convention, members will be electing five positions on our board of directors and three positions on the ACB Board of Publications. The ACB Candidates' Page is where members can learn about the candidates who are running for ACB positions. Join to meet the candidates on ACB Media, to ask questions, and hear their responses.  

Candidates' Page is where members can learn about the candidates who are running for ACB positions

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The following candidates submitted spots (in alphabetic order);

• Donna Brown (seeking Board of Directors)
• Belinda Collins (seeking Board of Publications)
• Anthony Corona (seeking Board of Publications)
• Zelda Gebhard (seeking Board of Publications)
• Peter Heide (seeking Board of Directors)
• Chris Hunsinger (seeking Board of Directors)
• Kenneth Semien Sr. (seeking Board of Directors)

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Current language:

Article IV, Officers: Section H. The president may call a special meeting of the Board of Directors at any time and shall call a special meeting of the Board upon the request of at least five (5) members of the Board. Notice of the special meeting shall be sent to each board member or their designee, (which designee shall have signed the confidentiality agreement applicable to all board members), via written electronic communication at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date. The time, the location, and the specific purpose of the meeting shall be included in the notice.

Article VI, Powers and Duties of the Conference and Convention, the Officers, the Board of Directors and Committees: Section C. ... The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the president, or upon the written request of three (3) of its members. Such request shall be sent to each board member or their designee, (which designee shall have signed the confidentiality agreement applicable to all board members), via any means of written electronic communication at least five (5) calendar days prior to the proposed meeting date.

Proposed language:

Article IV, Officers: Section H. The president may call a special meeting of the Board of Directors at any time and shall call a special meeting of the Board upon the request of at least five (5) members of the Board. Notice of the special meeting shall be sent to each board member via written electronic communication at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date. The time, the location, and the specific purpose of the meeting shall be included in the notice.

Article VI, Powers and Duties of the Conference and Convention, the Officers, the Board of Directors and Committees: Section C. ... The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the president, or upon the written request of three (3) of its members. Such request shall be sent to each board member via any means of written electronic communication at least five (5) calendar days prior to the proposed meeting date.

Explanation

After careful deliberation and consultation, and being fully mindful of the considerations which motivated the passage of the cited language on the floor of the 2022 convention, the committee feels that matters coming within the purview of the above-reference provisions are best addressed on a "case by case" basis in accordance with ACB's "reasonable accommodation" policy.

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Current language:

Article XI, Amendments: This constitution and bylaws may be amended at any regular conference and convention of ACB provided such proposed amendment has been presented in writing to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee before the end of the first day following the day of the roll call meeting of the conference and convention.

Proposed language:

This constitution and bylaws may be amended at any regular conference and convention of ACB provided such proposed amendment has been presented to the committee in accordance with the requirements set forth in the bylaws.

For context:

Bylaw 6, Committees: Section D. Constitution and Bylaws Committee: The president, within sixty (60) days after the close of each national conference and convention, shall appoint a chairperson and not less than four (4) additional members to a Constitution and Bylaws Committee. This committee shall have the responsibility of considering and preparing amendments to the constitution and bylaws for presentation to the conference and convention. Any amendments to be considered shall be submitted to the committee not less than sixty (60) days prior to the opening date of each conference and convention. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall report all proposed constitution and/or bylaw amendments to the conference and convention with or without committee recommendation.

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Current language:

Article V, Publications Board: Section C. It shall be the duty of the Board of Publications to approve or disapprove employment by the executive director of the editor of “The ACB Braille Forum” and to establish editorial standards and policies applicable to all American Council of the Blind communication formats including, but not limited to, periodicals, the ACB conference and convention programs and ACB brochures, the ACB web site, and ACB Radio.

Bylaw 6, Committees: Section L. Public Relations Committee: In addition, the committee shall have three (3) ex-officio members who shall not have the right to vote. These shall be the executive director of the American Council of the Blind or his/her designee; the webmaster of the American Council of the Blind; and the director of ACB Radio.

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Submitted by Kim Charlson

Whereas, QR codes and barcodes are gaining traction as one of the most common ways to provide consumer information and engagement beyond what has previously been possible; and

Whereas, because of their increasing use across packaging and non-packaging touchpoints, many different non-standard QR and barcode options are being introduced by various companies, public entities and individuals; and

Whereas, individuals who are blind or have low vision are unable to use, or are having difficulty using and identifying products on store shelves independently, or reading specific product information; and

Whereas, new 2D QR and barcode technologies presently under consideration by GS1, an international organization representing major manufacturing companies, has responded to increasing industry pressure to update current standards to provide more product and consumer engagement information (including QR and barcode data) and to leverage key product identifiers such as GT9 and product serial numbers; and

Whereas, the 1D standard includes specific language regarding disability access; and

Whereas, the proposed GS1 2D barcode/QR code guideline/standard scheduled for adoption and rollout in 2027 does not currently include disability access language; and

Whereas, the absence of such disability access language could result in QR and barcodes being inaccessible and unusable by people who are blind or have low vision;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that the American Council of the Blind call upon GS1, and any other international standard-setting bodies, to incorporate accessibility compliance requirements into any future QR and barcode standards; and

Be it further resolved that ACB seek the support and collaboration of the World Blind Union to move this issue forward in the international space.

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Submitted by the California Council of the Blind and Others

Whereas, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments which operate fixed-route public transit services (hereafter “transit agencies”) to provide “complimentary paratransit” for individuals who are unable, because of a disability, to independently use fixed-route transit services; and

Whereas, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that paratransit services meet specific minimum Regulatory criteria (49 C.F.R. Part 37), including: service area, days and hours of service, reservations requirements, trip limits and priorities, and allowable fares; and

Whereas, as a result of the federal ADA regulations adopted pursuant to the limited core goal of ADA paratransit, these services are, more often than not, expensive, unreliable, and fail to enable people with disabilities to get where they need to go when they need to get there; and

Whereas, the ADA also expressly permits transit agencies to provide additional services or a greater level of service than is required by the ADA’s paratransit minimum mandate; and

Whereas, many people with disabilities, including people who are blind or have low vision, depend on paratransit services for access to education, employment, healthcare, shopping, worship, visits with family and friends, and other activities; and

Whereas, transit agencies unfortunately are currently permitted by regulations to require paratransit riders to book trips a day in advance, negotiate pick-up times by up to an hour before or after the time they need or wish to travel, wait for extended periods of time in order to receive trip confirmation, travel for extended periods of time (which can sometimes exceed several hours), and pay up to twice as much as the same trip would cost on the transit agency’s fixed-route transit network; and

Whereas, these unfortunate and unnecessary characteristics of paratransit often harm riders with disabilities by causing them to spend more time and money on transportation than other transit riders, arrive late to work and appointments, which has sometimes cost paratransit riders their jobs and/or access to healthcare appointments, educational and training opportunities, and otherwise seriously undermine the ADA’s promise to “assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency ...” for individuals with disabilities; and

Whereas, when judged by today’s standards, many of the policies set forth in current paratransit regulations, are objectively unequal to the level of service that transit agencies provide for people without disabilities and are, therefore, inequitable; and

Whereas, a growing number of transit agencies are taking steps to make their ADA paratransit services more equitable by aligning paratransit fares with fixed-route transit fares, by implementing same day paratransit for at least some trips, and by updating policies, practices, and service models based on the growing power of an array of transit-related technologies, including accessible mobile apps, real-time vehicle tracking, and rideshare services;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization affirm its belief that the time has come to address the inequities that are embedded within the current ADA regulations set forth in 49 CFR Part 37 and to begin the process of making a paradigm shift such that the purpose of paratransit service will be to allow persons with disabilities to get where they need to go when they need to get there; and

Be it further resolved that this organization direct ACB’s leadership to call upon and join with other organizations of and for people with disabilities to develop proposed national standards for paratransit service to provide for just, equitable timely and efficient service for riders with disabilities and to collectively advocate for their adoption by the U.S. DOT; and

Be it further resolved that, if the ACB Board of Directors concludes that circumstances justify ACB advocating primarily or solely on its own, the Board shall consider other advocacy options to carry out this resolution; and

Be it further resolved that the Executive Director and/or President provide a report at the next annual ACB Conference and Convention regarding progress on this resolution.

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Submitted by Carl Richardson and Timothy Wynn on behalf of the ACB Audio description Program

Whereas, the American Council of the Blind is a leader in advocating for accessible television and entertainment for all blind, low vision, and deaf-blind viewers; and

Whereas, NextGen TV, also known as ATSC 3.0, is an emerging standard for over-the-air broadcast television, has launched in over 70 markets, and is currently available to 75% of Nielsen households in the U.S.; and

Whereas, this organization championed the passage of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) that codified into law the restoration of audio description of television programming, aural representation of emergency information, and accessibility of video programming playback and recording devices; and

Whereas, Next Gen TV has the potential to benefit viewers who are blind, low vision, deaf-blind, deaf, and hard of hearing as it supports various accessibility advances including worldwide closed caption technology, audio services including audio description service and dialog enhancement, and advanced emergency alerting capabilities; and

Whereas, television broadcast stations have traditionally limited the secondary audio stream to just one service, which can be a disadvantage to those with diverse linguistic and accessibility needs; and

Whereas, unless extended for a third time, the current digital television standard, also known as ATSC 1.0, will sunset on July 17, 2027;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that his organization, in conjunction with other disability-related organizations, will advocate directly with the Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and industry stakeholders to ensure: pass through of all provided secondary audio streams regardless of technology; implementation of enhanced accessibility features according to universal design principles; and extending the overall accessibility of televisions, set-top box, and other modern viewing platforms.

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Submitted by Clark Rachfal on behalf of the ACB Audio Description Project

Whereas, the American Council of the Blind is the pre-eminent advocacy organization for the creation, distribution, and enjoyment of high-quality audio-described video content; and

Whereas, audio description is audio-narrated descriptions of video programming’s key visual elements inserted into natural pauses in the program; and

Whereas, this organization championed the passage of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) that codified into law the requirements for the creation and distribution of audio-described video programming by broadcast television providers and multi-channel video program distributors (MVPDs), such as cable and satellite video providers; and

Whereas, this organization’s advocacy and the implementing regulations of the CVAA have resulted in an increase in audio-described video programming on broadcast and cable television; and

Whereas, consumers’ video viewing habits have evolved since 2010, and a continuously growing number of consumers are subscribing to streaming video providers; in 2024, YouTube TV became the fourth largest linear subscription video service in the United States; and

Whereas, this organization continues to receive complaints from consumers of recalcitrant streaming video providers that they are not meeting the accessibility requirements of the CVAA and are not passing through audio-described content made available on broadcast television or by other MVPDs; and

Whereas, on Dec. 19, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) seeking comment on a proposal to update its rules to better reflect the fact that video services are being provided increasingly over the Internet; however, this rule making was not finalized;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization advocate directly with streaming video providers, broadcast and non-broadcast networks, to pass through existing audio-described content as is already done with broadcast and cable television so that people who are blind or have low vision are not left behind through this technological transition; and

Be it further resolved that this organization work with the FCC to use its existing authority to refresh the record and ensure that the definition of multi-channel video programming distributor is updated and that all video programmers, regardless of the underlying technology used, are subject to the accessibility requirements of the CVAA, including the pass-through of audio-described content; and,

Be it further resolved that this organization work toward the swift passage of the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act to expand the amount of audio-described content available for consumers, regardless of how they choose to consume it.

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Submitted by Ardis Bazyn on behalf of Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (RSVA)

Whereas, the primary purpose of the Randolph-Sheppard Act is to provide employment opportunities and economic benefits for vendors throughout the United States who are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (RSVA), an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, works for the expansion of the Randolph-Sheppard program and for the protection of the interests of blind and low-vision persons engaged in the operation of vending facilities under that program; and

Whereas, as one means of accomplishing these goals, RSVA tracks major decisions across the country affecting the Randolph-Sheppard Program; and

Whereas, state agencies overseeing the Randolph-Sheppard Program provide opportunities for blind and low vision vendors in federal, state, county, and military facilities; and

Whereas, the Department of Defense (DOD) solicits multi-state military dining contract bids; and

Whereas, under these solicitations, DOD requires one entity to be the lead for the entire contract; and

Whereas, under the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority, states have the opportunity to bid against private companies on behalf of their blind and low vision vendors; and

Whereas, state Randolph-Sheppard program administrators are unwilling or unable to bid on multi-state contracts when one state would be the lead entity and others would be subordinate;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that ACB and RSVA will jointly urge the Department of Defense to work collaboratively with the Department of Education to eliminate any requirement for a lead contractor in multi-state military dining facility contracts in order to expand employment opportunities for blind and low vision individuals in the Randolph-Sheppard Program; and

Be it further resolved that this organization, along with RSVA, will take other actions as necessary to remove this barrier to the employment of blind and low-vision vendors.

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Submitted by Cheryl Cumings on behalf of the ACB Multicultural Affairs Committee

Whereas, public library patrons are able to search for books by authors of specific racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds that explore topics and experiences specific to them in multiple genres; and

Whereas, there is no comparable ability for National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) patrons to search for books in this manner; and

Whereas, the 2023 Report from the Education Trust and the 2020 Oakland University Study on the Impact of Reading Culturally Relevant Books demonstrates the positive impact of reading books which reflect the reader's ethnic, racial and cultural background; and

Whereas, it is important to encourage reading among NLS patrons by enabling them to easily search and identify books which represent their racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, written by authors from those unique perspectives;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that this organization will ask NLS to identify a process by which library patrons will be able to easily search for books by authors of specific racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, by topic, and by genre; and will also ask NLS to report progress at ACB’s 2025 national convention.

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Submitted by: ACB Employment Committee

Whereas, the unemployment rate of people who are blind or have low vision is at least two to three times higher than their non-disabled peers; and

Whereas, a recent survey conducted by the Employment Committee of the American Council of the Blind highlighted a number of discouraged workers who report that due to discrimination, the SSI-SSDI "cliff," technology challenges, and inadequate transportation, they are failing to gain access to jobs for which they are qualified;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that the American Council of the Blind will increase its focus on employment through strategies such as:

1. Working collaboratively with successful thought leaders in the employment arena to hold a summit on employment opportunities and challenges impacting people who are blind or have low vision, and using findings from this summit to define an appropriate consumer role for ACB as a chief influencer and leading blindness organization, in order to increase employment opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision; and

2. Providing information to members on any regulatory or legislative developments related to Social Security reform that might impact work incentives or payments to blind or low vision individuals seeking employment, and reporting on whether any such legislation or regulatory development is feasible as an imperative for ACB; and

3. Ensuring that the reduction of employment barriers is incorporated into communications related to advocacy initiatives whenever possible and encouraging members to stress employment while communicating with legislators and policymakers; and

4. Highlighting employment-related activities of ACB affiliates and chapters; and

Be it further resolved that ACB will report on the above activities during its 2025 Conference and Convention.

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Resolution 2024-06 - Decisions Impacting ACB Members

Submitted by Alice Ritchhart

Whereas, in our “age of information,” it is a reasonable expectation that when leaders of a member-driven organization make decisions directly impacting the membership, they will do so by first obtaining member input to attempt to make the most informed decisions possible; and

Whereas, this expectation certainly applies in the case of decisions made by the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind (ACB); and

Whereas, decisions directly impacting ACB members may include, among others, member benefits, conventions, and ACB channels of communication; and

Whereas, ACB has several methods for obtaining member input, including, but not limited to, ACB community calls, conferring with state and special interest affiliate leaders, conducting surveys, and publications;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization direct the ACB Board of Directors to establish a mechanism to inform the membership regarding upcoming Board decisions, collect member input, and disseminate that member input to the Board prior to making decisions.

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Resolution 2024-03 - Creating a Communications Working Group

Submitted by Paul Edwards

Whereas, braille constitutes a primary medium of written communication used by people who are blind or have low vision for literacy, marking and labeling, playing games, and learning mathematics, science and music; and

Whereas, audio formats including text-to-speech (TTS) and large print are also primary modes of written communication used by people who are blind or have low vision;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that the ACB President shall convene a working group consisting of representatives from at least the following: the Braille Revival League, the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, Blind Information Technology Specialists, and the ACB Board of Publications, to develop guidelines to be shared with other organizations concerning multiple modes of conveying and disseminating information; and

Be it further resolved that recommendations will be presented to the Board of Directors regarding how the American Council of the Blind will work to assure that braille, large print and text-to-speech are appropriately promoted and defined and used so other entities will be clearly informed regarding the expectations of people who are blind and low vision concerning communication including labeling and education; and

Be it further resolved that this working group will report at the ACB Conference and Convention in 2025.

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Submitted by Paul Edwards

Whereas, the National Library Service (NLS) includes spelling the names of authors discussed in the New York Times Book Review; and

Whereas, there are several other NLS-produced magazines in audio format which incorporate book reviews;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization and its special-interest affiliate, Library Users of America, request that the NLS extend the policy begun with the New York Times Book Review and apply it to other audio publications where there are book reviews; and

Be it further resolved that this would include at least Bookmarks, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Analog, Asimov's, the Atlantic and the New Yorker.

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Submitted by: Paul Edwards

Whereas, in an effort to make identification of products more accessible, Procter and Gamble has recently introduced a marking system using lines and shapes; and

Whereas, Procter and Gamble is seeking to have this system considered for industry-wide use; and

Whereas, Procter and Gamble rejected the use of braille for marking and identifying products because they believe only ten percent of people who are blind read braille; and

Whereas, an article published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness clearly indicates that the "ten percent" figure has no basis and should be disregarded; and

Whereas, braille represents the primary medium of written communication for many people who are blind or have low vision, including many members of ACB; and

Whereas, there is a widely held belief that braille is too difficult to be easily learned and used. However, recognizing a small number of characters does not require full braille literacy, and therefore, complete braille literacy is not required for braille to be used as a means of identifying products; and

Whereas, braille labeling of pharmaceutical products has been required by the European Union for more than a decade;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization reaffirm its support for braille and reject the idea that shapes or other tactile markings can, by themselves, constitute an appropriate replacement for braille when marking products or surfaces; and

Be it further resolved that this organization call upon its elected leaders and staff to consult with special-interest affiliates with appropriate expertise such as the Braille Revival League before embracing systems such as that proposed by Procter and Gamble; and

Be it further resolved that, if shapes or other non-braille marking systems are employed, ACB shall recommend the inclusion of braille as well; and

Be it further resolved that this organization appreciates the efforts of Procter and Gamble to encourage accessibility in its product line, and asks that it consider working to incorporate braille as an appropriate tactile symbol in any future marking systems for its products.

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Adopted by the ACB Board of Directors, April 30, 2024

Preamble

The Standing Rules for debate and voting at the ACB Conference and Convention are updated yearly and are designed to promote the fairest process for debate and the most efficient use of members' time during the General Sessions. Great effort is expended to publish the Election materials of candidates, proposed Resolutions, and proposed Amendments to the ACB Constitution and Bylaws well in advance of the General Sessions at which they will be acted upon. Zoom sessions are scheduled for answering questions and discussion of items up for voting during the convention sessions. Notice to members of the dates, times, and approximate content for each Zoom meeting are broadcasted via various media. These sessions are a great place to have your questions answered and suggest amended language for the item under discussion. In the interest of an informed electorate and an efficient use of all of our time at the Convention, it is strongly encouraged that members familiarize themselves with the issues under discussion, either by attending or listening to the recordings of the discussion sessions.

A. At the outset of debate on any issue before the convention, there shall be a period not to exceed ten (10) minutes devoted exclusively to questions and other points of clarification about the issue being debated. Speakers shall be limited to one minute, with no more than five speakers recognized, and a speaker shall be limited to asking about their point of clarification and shall not discuss the merits of the issue.

B. Debate on the merits of the issue shall begin at the conclusion of the ten-minute period for points of clarification. When the initial debate period begins, in the case of a resolution, the maker of that resolution shall be given an opportunity to address the assembly on the merits of the resolution.

C. Each debatable issue before the convention shall be limited to approximately twenty (20) minutes with a two-minute time limit per speaker, alternating between supporting speakers, including the maker of the resolution if they speak pursuant to subsection (b), and opposing speakers, unless a majority of the members agree to extend debate for an additional period of time. A member who does not seek recognition for purposes of debate at the beginning of a debate period shall not be eligible for debate during that debate period. The chair shall, during any debate period, immediately close debate when an equal number of speakers, have debated each side and no additional speakers have sought the floor.

D. Speakers shall not be recognized for purposes of seeking points of clarification during a debate period. Each member is respectfully urged to speak directly to the issue before the assembly and avoid unnecessary and time-consuming dialogue. No member will be recognized a second time to debate until all who wish to debate have been recognized.

E. Motions to close debate will not be recognized by the chair during the first debate period. After the first debate period, properly moved motions such as “I call for the question” or “I move the previous question” will be handled by the chair and voted on by the assembly.

F. At the beginning of the first 20-minute debate period, the chair shall define for the body what constitutes a point of order (or other parliamentary inquiry) and shall signify how a member can be recognized for the purpose of making a point of order (or other parliamentary inquiry). Any time in which a point of order is being considered shall not be deducted from the debate period.

2.

A. Except as provided in subsection (b), an amendment to a resolution or constitution or bylaw amendment may not be offered on the floor unless; 1. in the case of a resolution, the language for the proposed amendment has been provided to the chair of the Resolutions Committee prior to the opening of the session in which that resolution is scheduled to be debated, and 2. In the case of an amendment to a constitution or bylaw amendment, the language for the proposed amendment has been provided to the chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee prior to the opening of the session in which that constitution or bylaw amendment is scheduled to be debated.

B. Notwithstanding subsection (A), if, in the opinion of the convention chair, the amendment being proposed is non-substantive or clarifying in nature, the amendment may be proposed and adopted by unanimous consent.

C. Voting on an amendment to a proposed Resolution or Constitution or Bylaw Amendment shall occur by standing vote only. It shall not, therefore, be in order to seek a record vote on such an amendment.

1. The parliamentarian will act as timekeeper.

2. Recognition to speak will be given to those members who properly address the chair either using the “raise hand” feature of the Zoom internet meeting client program or while standing at a microphone in the convention hall and giving their names and affiliation.

3. Nominating and seconding speeches shall be limited to five minutes per candidate with the speaking time allocated according to the candidate's wishes. A person nominated for an office more than once shall be limited to one minute.

4. When no candidate for office receives a majority vote, the election shall be between the top two candidates. Affiliate votes will be reported in whole or half numbers. In all uncontested elections as verified after three calls for additional nominations, the chair may declare the candidate elected by acclamation. “Write in” candidacies are not permitted.

7.

A. Once a voice vote has been taken on a resolution, in accordance with Section C of Article III of the American Council of the Blind Constitution, and the chair has announced the result of that vote, the chair shall ask whether anyone voting in the minority objects to the vote, except that, if less than twenty-five (25) members have voted in the minority, the chair may immediately determine that no record vote is required. If at least twenty-five (25) members voting in the minority using the “raise hand” feature of the Zoom internet meeting client program or, if in the convention hall, by standing or using raised hands, object to the result, then a record vote on the resolution shall be required. B. After debate has ceased on a resolution and it is subsequently determined that a record vote is required, no further amendments may be proposed.

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• All Vote-Now procedures apply to the 2024 Conference and Convention. • ACB will use Vote-Now for up to five (5) contested Board of Director positions and up to three (3) contested Board of Publications (BOP) positions; Resolutions requiring a record vote; and all Constitution and Bylaws amendments. • The vote count is comprised of two (2) parts: the individual vote and the affiliate vote. • ACB plans to adhere to our current voting process as closely as possible. • May 12th is the deadline for affiliate Presidents to submit the delegate, alternate, and representative for Nominating committee to ACB Secretary Denise Colley. Include the names, phone, email and whether the delegate and alternate will be in Jacksonville or attending via Zoom. • Anyone registered as a member with the National office by May 24th is eligible to vote; the right to vote is not tied to convention registration.

Virtual Convention Timeline

All times listed are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Monday, June 24th

• 7:00 PM: Opening of the convention with the adoption of standing rules and first reading of credentials. • 8:00 PM: Nominating Committee. The Zoom room will open at 7:30 PM and will be locked promptly at 8:00. The slate for the five (5) Board of Director positions, and three (3) Board of Publications (BOP) positions will be decided. Tuesday, June 25th
• 7:00 PM: Constitution and bylaws changes are read; no other action is taken on these.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (June 25th, 26th, and 27th)

• 7:00 PM: Resolutions will be debated, and votes will be taken using the Raise hand in Zoom.

Wednesday, June 26th

• 2:00 – 4:00 PM: Mock Election to practice using the Vote Now system.

Friday, June 28th

• 7:00 PM: final reading of credentials • Proposed changes to the constitution and by-laws are read and debated.

Monday, July 1st

• 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM: The individual record vote for all Constitution and Bylaws amendments and those Resolutions for which a record vote has been requested will take place using the Vote-Now system. • 5:00 – 6:30 PM: The affiliate roll call vote will be taken. Delegates must report to the Zoom room to record their votes. Members may listen to the roll call on ACB Media. The outcome will be announced when the vote is completed. Individual Votes Timeline • Tuesday, June 25th 7:00 – 10:00 PM: Resolutions • Wednesday, June 26th 7:00 – 10:00 PM: Resolutions • Thursday, June 27th 7:00 – 10:00 PM: Resolutions • Friday, June 28th 7:00 – 10:00 PM: Constitution and Bylaws second reading and debate. Any amendment proposed during debate will be voted by a raise of hands. Individual Record Vote Timeline (Vote-Now) • Wednesday, June 26th: 2:00 – 4:00 PM: Mock Elections • Monday, July 1st from 12:00 – 4:00 PM: Resolutions for which a record vote has been requested, and all final versions of Constitution and By-Laws amendments. • Monday, July 8th 2:00 – 6:00 PM: first contested election. • Tuesday, July 9th 2:00 – 6:00 PM: Second contested election. • Wednesday, July 10th 2:00 – 6:00 PM: Third contested election • Thursday, July 11th during general session: Fourth contested election.

Affiliate Voting Timeline (roll-call vote)

• Monday, July 1st from 5:00 – 6:30 PM: Resolutions requiring a record vote, all final versions of Constitution and Bylaws amendments. • Tuesday, July 9th during general session: First contested election • Wednesday, July 10th during general session: Second contested election • Thursday, July 11th during general session: Third contested election

Voting Process

• The Nominating Committee slate will be presented Sunday, July 7th at the opening general session of ACB’s Conference and Convention. • Elections will begin with the first of five (5) board of director positions and will continue throughout the week until a contested election occurs. After the board of director positions are elected, we will continue with the three (3) board of publication (BOP) positions.
• If an election is not contested, the candidate submitted by the Nominating Committee will be elected by acclamation. • If a candidate is nominated from the floor for the position under consideration, ACB will have a contested election. If nominating someone from the floor, please make sure this member has agreed to be nominated. • Each nominated candidate will be allowed a total of five (5) minutes for no more than two (2) speakers to explain why their candidate should be elected for the position. A person nominated for an office more than once shall be limited to one minute. • Voting for contested elections will continue as needed on Tuesday, July 9th, Wednesday, July 10th, and Thursday, July 11th until all positions are elected. • A candidate must receive a majority, 50 percent plus 1, to be declared the winner. If this does not happen there will be a run-off election for the top two (2) candidates.

Voting Methods

• Access Vote-Now using any of the following methods: • Mac, PC, Tablet, iPhone, Android, and Landline Phone. • There is a toll-free number with two voting options: • Automated system or • Operator assistance Member Unique Voter Codes • Your unique voter code will be used for all individual record votes and contested elections in Vote-Now. You may cast only one ballot during each voting period. • Members with a valid email address in ACB’s database will receive a unique voter code by email on June 25th and again on July 7th, 2024. If you do not receive your unique voter code, please check your junk or spam folder. The email will provide the log in link along with instructions for voting by phone; the same unique voter code will be used for all voting methods. • The Subject line on this email will be: Ballot-ACB unique voter code. • The from person on this email should be: ACB ballot code. • On May 15th, 2024, the Minneapolis office will send letters (in braille and large print) to members with no e-mail address on file informing them that they must call 612-332-3242 to request their unique voter code by June 19th, 2024, if they wish to vote. • If you misplace your unique voter code, the Vote-Now operators or the ACB Minneapolis office can help you obtain your code. This code can only be provided to the intended ACB member. Individual Voting • There will be a voting precinct at the hotel in Jacksonville staffed from 2:00 to 6:00 PM each day of voting. A landline phone and an iPad will be available. Assistance will be available from individuals who are not voting task force members, candidates, or their speakers. • If calling to cast your vote, and you do not get through or the option you want isn’t available, please try in thirty minutes. It might be that all operators are busy. Please be patient and give the operators a few minutes when voting starts. Affiliate Voting • It is the responsibility of each affiliate to determine how members will communicate with their affiliate delegate/alternate about how they wish their affiliate to vote. The delegate will announce their votes from the convention floor if they are attending in person. Delegates attending virtually must report to the voting Zoom room when role call voting is announced. • The “affiliate vote” will take place in the morning during general session if a contested election is underway. This will give members time to contact their delegate/alternate with their vote during the prior evening after casting their individual vote. Resolution Voting Process • If an amendment is proposed to a resolution, and the amendment is deemed to be non-substantive in nature, the amendment may be adopted without debate, if there is no objection. • If a proposed amendment to a resolution passes or fails by raise of hand vote, debate continues the resolution with or without the amendment. • If a resolution passes or fails by raise of hands vote, voting on that resolution will be finished, unless if at least 25 members of the minority side on the raise of hands vote for the resolution seek a record vote. Constitution and By Laws Voting Process • If an amendment is proposed to a Constitution or Bylaws amendment, and the amendment is deemed to be non-substantive in nature, the amendment may be adopted without debate, if there is no objection. • If a proposed amendment to a Constitution or Bylaws amendment passes or fails by raise of hand vote, debate continues with or without the amendment. • All final versions of amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws must be decided by a record vote. • A final ballot will be presented to the membership which contains all resolutions and Constitution and Bylaw amendments that require a record vote.
• Monday, July 1st from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM individual members will vote, and Monday, July 1st 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM will be the affiliate roll-call vote. • The delegate or alternate will announce the affiliate vote for each Resolution and Constitution and Bylaw when their affiliate is called. For example, if there are 10 Resolutions and 4 Bylaws, then Alabama would record their votes for each ballot option. The next affiliate would not be called until Alabama has completed all 14 votes. Raise Hand Vote Procedures • In Zoom, all hands will be lowered. • The Chair will ask those voting affirmatively to raise their hand. When that count has been taken, all hands will be lowered. • The Chair will then ask those voting no to raise their hand. When the count is complete, hands will be lowered. • Votes will be tallied to determine the outcome. All vote counts will be verified by the parliamentarian.

Constitution and By Law votes

To adopt a Constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of those present and voting to adopt. A Bylaw amendment takes a simple majority vote to adopt. Listen on ACB Media Listen on ACB Media 9 to learn about the candidates, completed resolutions and constitution and bylaw amendments and other relevant documents. Information about Resolutions and amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws will also be streamed in Spanish on ACB Media 8 at scheduled times.

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

[The BOP welcomes all guests and encourages you to ask questions, share comments, and make suggestions.]

The ACB Voices BLOG and Member on the Mic [Anthony and Penny]

The recent MOM interviews have been fascinating. Have we received any more suggestions about next members to interview for MOM?

Penny and Cachet will review written submissions for the BLOG in June. We may need volunteers for July and August.

Editor’s Report [Sharon]

High Tech Swap Shop: Didn’t we vote to eliminate this column, giving us a little more room for other content?

Cartridge Subscribers: how much would it increase our costs to send out cartridges for each issue??

The ACB Convention Communications Center [Sharon, All]

Are we ready? Have ACB members stepped up to help? Is there anything else we need to do to get ready for convention?

Who will read and record the newspaper each morning?

Who will be available to present awards at the banquet?

BOP Editorial Manual Update [Penny, Zelda, Jeff, Deb]

Zelda prepared the final copy, implementing the changes our committee made, and then shared the final product with the BOP? Have any members identified issues that we still need to address? Does the BOP approve our final version? If so, what are next steps for getting it approved by the board and placed online?

Groups.IO Training on Main Menu [Jeff, Rick, Penny]

Is the hand-out which Jeff created to accompany the Main Menu Groups.IO training ready, and how can interested members access it? Since Part II of the training had to be cancelled, when do we expect it will be aired on Main Menu?

ACB Editors’ Quarterly Training Update [Zelda]

Thank you to Zelda and Jeff for an excellent meeting. How can we share the podcast with ACB affiliate presidents, and should we make this excellent resource on Smart Brevity available anywhere else?

Does the Affiliate Editors’ group have a new name?

Is there a meeting planned for the summer quarter, or are we waiting for fall?

Candidates’ promotions on ACB Media: A reminder to candidates, and are candidates’ spots being aired yet?

Can candidates who did not submit information for the BOP Candidates’ Pages submit recorded campaign spots for airing on ACB Media?

The BOP Candidates’ Forum, Scheduled for June 19: Time to Plan! [Penny, Katie, Cheryl

ACB Media Report [Rick] Additional Topics? [All]

Executive Session

Adjourn

Next BOP Meeting: August 6, 2024 beginning at 9:00 PM, ET

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

Update on MOM [Anthony]

ACB Voices reviewers for May and June [All]

Editor’s Report [Sharon]

The ACB Convention Information Center [Sharon, All]

Who will be in Jacksonville, and how can we all help Sharon with the many convention-related obligations?

The ACB-Conversation list [Rick, All]

Thank you, Rick, for implementing the 5-day change. How well does it seem to be working so far?

BOP Editorial Manual Update [Penny, Zelda, Jeff, Deb]

Zelda prepared the final copy, implementing the changes our committee made. Is it ready to go online, and what’s the process for getting it there?

Does CCLVI have an opinion on the Braille Institute’s newly released large print font? [Zelda, Others]

Groups.IO Training on Main Menu [Jeff, Rick, Penny]

Is the hand-out which Jeff created to accompany the Main Menu Groups.IO training ready, and how can interested members access it? Is Part II of Groups.IO training scheduled, and when?

ACB Editors’ Quarterly Training Update [Zelda, Jeff]

A reminder to attend the meeting/training scheduled for May 9! Learn about Smart Brevity!

BOP Support for Candidates [Penny, Deb, Rick]

Reminder to Candidates: Respond to Candidates’ Pages Questions by 11:59 PM, on May 20; BOP will publish Candidates’ Pages on June 3!

Candidates’ promotions on ACB Media: Can we facilitate running short promotions from individual candidates on ACB Media this year? We might need to accommodate as many as 20 individual candidates. Is there time for running these announcements between scheduled programs? Who can assist candidates with preparing their announcements? These are questions for Rick, Deb, Larry, and all of us.

The BOP Candidates’ Forum, Scheduled for June 19: Time to Plan! [Deb, Penny, All]

How does the process for gathering questions and moderating the event work? Who needs to do what?

ACB Media Report [Rick] Additional Topics? [All] Adjourn

Next BOP Meeting: Tuesday, June 4, 2024 beginning at 9:00 PM, ET

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Broadcast on ACB Media Six

7:00PM ET – 9:00PM ET

1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis , ACB President

2. Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary

3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President

4. Review and Approval of Minutes: March 2, 2024 (DC Leadership), Denise Colley

5. Mission Moment: Deb Cook Lewis; Scott Thornhill Celebrating DC Leadership Conference

6. President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis list of 6 items A. Convention ACB Board of Directors Meeting scheduled for Friday, July 5, 2024, at 9:00AM ET B. Fall ACB Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November 2nd, 2024 C. Process for Resolutions and Constitution & Bylaws D. Convention Parliamentarian hired E. Membership input to the board F. Braille Forum raffle tickets list end

7. Executive Director Report: Scott Thornhill,

Executive Director list of 2 items A. Vision Serve Alliance and CSun Assistive Technology Conferences B. Hiring of personnel list end

1. CFO Report: Nancy Becker list of 3 items A. Audit B. Membership C. scholarships list end

2. Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, ACB Convention Committee Chair

3. Convention Standing Rules: Pat Sheehan, Jeff Thom; Voting Taskforce Committee Chairs

4. Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and other committee liaisons.

5. Adjourn

Nancy Marks-Becker

Chief Financial Officer

American Council of the Blind

6200 Shingle Creek Pkwy Ste 155

Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

612-332-3242

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Update on MOM [Anthony]

ACB Voices reviewers for April and May [All]

Editor’s Report [Sharon]

Braille Forum Themes [Sharon] Have we gotten positive responses from the committees and affiliates from whom we requested content for May and June, i.e., “Aging and Vision Loss” for May; “Sight and Sound Impairment” and “June Teenth” for June?

The ACB-Conversation list [Jeff, Rick, All]

Have we implemented the 5-day time limit for individual threads that we discussed in March, and can Rick or Jeff send out a message describing how the newly implemented change will work?

Do we want to discuss list moderation again? Is it appropriate for elected leaders to moderate a discussion list for members? Should we expand the moderation team, or attempt to recruit additional members again? These are issues which ACB members, including affiliate presidents, have brought to my attention.

An announce-only list for ACB [Deb, Katie]

Is this possibility still under discussion?

BOP Editorial Manual Update [Penny, Zelda, Jeff, Deb]

Let’s try again to schedule a preliminary meeting to work on the update.[Penny, Jeff, Zelda, Deb]

Groups.IO Training on Main Menu [Jeff, Rick, Penny]

Thank you to Jeff, Rick, the ACB Media Team, many BITS members, and everyone who made this happen! When will the podcast and hand-out be ready? What is the date for Part II?

ACB Editors’ Quarterly Training Update [Zelda] BOP Participation at the ACB Convention [All]

Janet tells us that we can have an hour (between 4:00 PM and 5:15 PM on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, with Monday probably being our best opportunity for avoiding conflicts with popular convention events, for an in-person-only Board of Publications presentation or training. Do we want to do something at convention, and, if so, what?

BOP Awards [Sharon]

Please describe the ratings process, and let us know when to expect the list of qualifying articles for our review and the deadline date for getting in our ratings.

ACB Media Report [Rick] Candidates Pages Reminder [Penny]

May 20: Your submissions are due.

June 19, BOP Candidates Forum

Additional Topics? [All] Adjourn

Next BOP Meeting: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 beginning at 9:00 PM, ET

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny]

Roll Call [Zelda]

Approval of Minutes from February 6, 2024 BOP Meeting [Zelda]

Public’s Point of View [All guests are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions, share

comments, and make suggestions]

The ACB-Conversation list: Moderation Rules and Process[Penny, All]

Any more thoughts about current traffic on the ACB-Conversation list? Should we re-visit how the list is moderated? [All]

Has a decision been made regarding creating an announcements-only list? [Deb]

Editor’s Report [Sharon]

ACB Voices Blog:

Member on the Mic Update [Penny]

BOP BLOG Editors : Who for March?

[All]

BOP Editorial Manual Update [Let’s try again to schedule a preliminary meeting to work on the update.[Penny, Jeff, Zelda, Deb]

BOP-Sponsored Training [Penny, Rick, All]

Thanks to LUA and BRL for the spectacular Humanware E-Reader training.

E-mail do’s and don’ts and useful shortcuts [Rick, Penny]

Candidates’ Pages [Penny, Sharon, all]

April Braille Forum has already gone to press. We need to identify an alternative way to allow those running for office to introduce themselves and respond to BOP-generated questions, to decide on a date by when we need to receive responses, and where and when to post candidates’ responses,.

ACB is not the same organization we were before the pandemic, and we need to review the questions the BOP routinely poses, to candidates to reflect those differences.

BOP Awards [Penny, Sharon]

When will qualifying articles be shared with BOP members, and by what date do we need to submit our ratings?

ACB Media Report [Rick]

Update.

BOP’s Role with respect to community and media support committees? [Penny]

Meeting Time and Next Meeting. [Penny, All]

Additional Topics? [All]

Adjourn

Next BOP Meeting: April 2, 2024.

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

• Accessible Voting o Presenters:

• Stephanie Flynt, National Coalition

• Jocelyn Bucaro, Tusk Philanthropies

• Legislative Imperatives – Medical Devices and Medicare/Medicaid Benefits bills o Medicare Presenter:

• Leela Baggett, Powers Law o Medical Devices Presenter:

• Justin Young, NFB

• video from Rep. Jan Schakowsky

• FAA Reauthorization Act o Presenter:

• Heather Ansley, Paralyzed Veterans of America

• Capitol Hill Etiquette Panel and Visit Preparation Session

• Closing Remarks with Claire Stanley and Swatha Nandhakumar

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

• Welcome and Introductions

• Legislative Imperatives – Web Access and CVTACVT o Presenters:

• Karen Peltz Straus

• Kim Charlson o Web Access Presenters:

• Sarah Malaier, AFB

• video from Rep. John Sarbanes, MD

• Seniors with Vision Loss o Presenters:

• Jeff Thom

• Doug Powell
• Kenneth Semien Sr.

• Anisio Correia

• Sponsors: o Presenters:

• Matt Ater, Vispero

• Brian Finney, Democracy Live

• Lunch and Keynote Speaker: o Karla Gilbride, EEOC o

• Advocating for Accessible Pedestrian Signals: o Presenters:

• Chris Bell, J.D.

• Becky Davidson
• Susan Crawford
• Patrick Sheehan

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

Afternoon breakout Sessions Putting the “Fun” in Fundraising: Supporting Affiliates This session explored strategies for effective Fundraising: From Grassroots to Partnerships to Individuals

• Moderator: Kolby Garrison o Presenters:

• Bill Reeder

• Jo Lynn Bailey-Page
• Leslie Spoone, FL
• Koni Sims, SD

How to Hold a Hybrid Meeting How are local chapters meeting in today’s environment? How can you take your chapter meeting from in-person only to being more inclusive? How tech savvy must you be to hold a hybrid meeting? All this and more was shared in this presentation.

• Presenters: o Ian Foley, Buffalo Chapter, ACB of New York o Michael Babcock, Southwestern Chapter, ACB of Oregon o Leet Tucker, Columbus Chapter, ACB of Ohio

• Leadership Opportunities from the DKM and INSPIRE Programs

• General Discussion
• Next steps
• Announcements
• Adjourn

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

Originally Broadcasted March 3, 2024, on ACB Media 6  

·       Strengthening the Ties that Bind Us Together.  Let’s explore the Value of our special interest affiliates and their benefit to our state affiliates and overall organization

o   Panelists:

§  Doug Powell, Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss

§  Jeff Bishop, Blind Information Technology Specialists

§  Denise Colley, Braille Revival League

§  Sheila Young, Florida Council of the Blind

**Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA): Holding Space for Challenging Conversations Part 1

In these two interactive sessions, we discussed the challenges and opportunities of work to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within organizations and communities. We considered models for holding space for difficult conversations and engaged in conversation about how we come together across differences. Presenters:**

Dr. Leslie Dwyer, Associate Professor, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University

Luncheon Speaker:

·       Susan Baille, The Procter & Gamble Company Perfumer, Senior Scientist, Beauty Care Research & Development Accessibility Leader

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA): Holding Space for Challenging Conversations Part 2

• Panelist:

§  Arthur Romano, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University

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Notes go here

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• Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny]
• Roll Call [Zelda]
• Approval of Minutes from January 2, 2024 BOP Meeting [Zelda]

• Public’s Point of View [All guests are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions, share comments, and make suggestions]

• The ACB-Conversation list: Moderation Rules and Process[Penny, All]

• ACB Community Daily Schedule Listings: Continued discussion regarding formatting guidelines for easier reading [Zelda, others]
• Editor’s Report [Sharon]
• ACB Affiliate Editors’ Quarterly Meeting and List [Zelda]
• ACB Voices Blog:
• Member on the Mic Update [Penny]
• BOP BLOG Editors : Cachet and Jeff for February; Who for March? [All]
• BOP Editorial Manual Update [Let’s try again to schedule a preliminary meeting to work on the update.[Penny, Jeff, Zelda, Deb]
• ACB Media Report [Rick]
• Other Topics [All]
• Adjourn

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

• Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act
• Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act
• The Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefits Act
• The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Roll call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Approval of Minutes: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Mission Moment: Recognizing the entire ACB staff for pulling together to support ACBs mission with the departure of Clark and Kelly
• Update on Executive Director search process and timelines: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Executive Director Report: Dan Spoone, Interim Executive Director - Leadership conference; Introduction of Claire Stanley; Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Advocacy
• Board discussion and action regarding Kingsley Plantation tour during convention: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Board discussion and action regarding confirmation of ACB mission and member expectations: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Discussion and action regarding ACB’s position on the human rights rally sponsored by BPI: Deb Cook Lewis, President

• Announcement of next board meetings: February 8th, 2024 meeting at 7 PM Eastern – Executive Session only February 15th, 2024 at 7 PM Eastern – Executive Session only March 2nd, 2024 in conjunction with the Leadership conference

• Adjourn

Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny]

Roll Call [Zelda]

Approval of Minutes from the November 7, 2023 BOP Meeting [Zelda]

Public’s Point of View ]Guests]

Editor’s Report[Sharon]

The ACB-Conversation E-mail Discussion List Moderation [Cheryl, All]

ACB Voices BLOG: The Member on the Mic(MOM) Process Report [Cheryl, Cachet, Anthony

Recruiting candidates for MOM interviews [Anthony] Have ACB members responded to our request for interview subjects?

BOP Voices BLOG Reviewers for December Who would like to volunteer?

Editorial Policy Manual Updates [Penny, Zelda, and Jeff] We still need to schedule a time for this. Shall we postpone until January?

Update on EReader training [Penny]

ACB Media Report [Rick]

at 8:00PM ET (after Executive Session)

Meeting Time: 7:30PM ET – 11:30PM ET

1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Staff and Guests: Denise Colley, ACB Secretary
3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, ACB President

4. Executive Session: (7:30 PM ET Until 8:00 PM ET) Broadcast on ACB Media Six Starts at 8:00PM ET. President Deb Cook Lewis welcomes listeners and explains meeting agenda

5. Mission Moment: Deb Cook Lewis and Dan Spoone

6. ACB Celebrates the 3rd Annual AD Awards Gala: Our AD Awards Gala committee did an outstanding job creating, communicating, producing, and raising funds for ACB. Special thanks to Tabitha Kenlon, Kim Charlson, Carl Richardson, Joel Snyder, Rick Morin, Gabriel Lopes Kafati, Clark Rachfal, Jo Lynn Bailey Page, Kolby Garrison, Jeff Thom, Doug Roland and our industry partners for all of their contributions!

7. President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. Dec. 4 and 11th board meeting B. January 30 Board Meeting C. March 2 DC Leadership Board Meeting

8. Staff Report: Dan Spoone

9. Review and Approval of 2024 D.C. Leadership Conference Calendar: Deb Cook Lewis, Dan Spoone and the Entire Board
10. Update on the 2024 ACB Conference and Convention: Janet Dickelman, Convention Committee Chair

11. Update on the Executive Director Job Description and Job Posting: Executive Director Search Committee and Entire ACB Board (Broadcast on ACB Media Six Stops)

12. Executive Session:

13. Adjourn

Rick Morin ACB Media and IT Manager American Council of the Blind, Inc. +1 (860) 426-9161 rmorin@acb.org

Agenda:  

• Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny]  

• Roll Call [Zelda]  

• Approval of Minutes from the October 3, 2023 BOP Meeting [Zelda]  

• Public’s Point of View [Guests]  

• Editor’s Report[Sharon]  

• Including an Overview of ACB Media in each Braille Forum and on the web site [Penny, Sharon, All] Proposed content? Can an informative page be located on the inside back cover of the Braille Forum?  

• Braille Forum boiler plate [Sharon, Penny, All] Where should it consistently appear in the magazine? What information should it include?  

• A BOP page on www.acb.org How can we make this happen? [Deb, Rick]  

• An e-mail address for the Board of Publications Can we create one? And, point it to the Chair’s personal e-mail address? [Deb, Rick]  

• ACB Voices BLOG We need to add information about suggested wordcount to the introductory material. And a description of appropriate topics. Anything else? [All]  

• Do we have the BLOG submission from Karyn? Anything else to review yet for November?  

• Member at the Mic Process: Approval of Cheryl and Cachet’s proposal [Cheryl, Cachet, Anthony, all]  

• Member at the Mic and Scholarship Winner Spotlight update [Anthony]  

• Penny and Cheryl are BLOG reviewers for November. Who wants to volunteer for December?  

• Editorial Policy Manual Updates Penny, Zelda, and Jeff agreed to address necessary updates, including to review Section 15 which deals with the BOP’s role with respect to social media, to incorporate changes approved in 2019 in the Editorial Manual that is published on the web site, and to add large print guidelines that were approved last year to the appendix on the web site.  . We need to find a time to meet. [Penny, Zelda, Jeff]  

• Braille Forum Budget[Deb, Katie] What happens next? Has the list of Braille Forum subscribers been purged of non members, and did that reduce our costs for producing the Braille Forum??  

• Update on EReader training [Penny]  

• ACB Media Report [Rick] Is the new version of ACB LINK up now?  

• Update on ACB’s presence on the Mastodon platform [Jeff, Rick]  

• Other Topics? [All]  

• Adjourn. Next BOP meeting: December5, 2023.

2023 ACB Fall Board of Directors Meeting Saturday, September 30, 2023

• Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
• Review and Approval of Minutes: August 15, 2023, Telephonic - Denise Colley, Secretary

• Mission Moment: Deb Cook Lewis and Dan Spoone ACB Media Podcasts

• Consent Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis A. Advocacy Update Report: Clark Rachfal/Swatha Nandhakumar B. Resource Development Report: Bill Reeder, Jo Lynn Bailey Page, and Kolby Garrison C. Prospect Development Approach to Fundraising – Bill Reeder D. Membership Services Report: Cindy Hollis E. Braille Forum Editor’s Report: Sharon Lovering F. Financial Statements: Nancy Becker

• Convention and Survey Feedback Report: Janet Dickelman, Convention Committee Chair and Rick Morin, Information Technology and ACB Media Manager

• President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis A. Committee Chairs and Assignments B. WBU and FCC Update C. 2024 Informational Board Budget Meeting: Proposed Date - Nov. 28th D. 2024 Board Budget Meetings: A Revenue and an Expense Meeting - Proposed Dates -Dec. 4th and Dec. 11th E. Support the Holiday Auction

• Staff Reports: A. Executive Director B. Advocacy C. Resource Development D. CFO

• Financial Summary for 2023 Year-to-Date: Michael Garrett, ACB Treasurer

• Review and Approval of the 2024 Legacy Endowment Drawdown: Michael Garrett and Nancy Marks Becker
• Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Penny Reeder, BOP Director
• Review and Approval of Mastodon Presence: Deb Cook Lewis and Dan Spoone
• Review and Approval of Changes to Community Event Platform Expectations & Guidelines: Deb Cook Lewis and Lucy Edmonds

• ACB Enterprise Services Board Report and Elections: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair A. Jeff Thom, George Holliday, and Terry Pacheco (remainder of Dan Spoone’s term) terms are expiring

• ACB Demographic and Diversity Report: Deb Cook Lewis and Nancy Marks Becker

• Discussion on the 2024 DC Leadership Conference: Deb Cook Lewis, Dan Spoone, and Clark Rachfal
• Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and other committee liaisons
• Adjourn

ACB Board Workshop Friday, September 29, 2023

• Introductions and Welcome: Deb and Dan
• Presentation on the Big Data Report Project: Dr. John Crews; Professor Ohio State University
• Medicare Expenditure Reimbursement Model for Rehabilitation Services: Lee Nasehi; CEO, Vision Serve Alliance 
• Review strategic plan: Deb Cook-Lewis and Dan Spoone
• Review of budget process: Dan Spoone and Nancy Becker

• Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny]  

• Roll Call [Zelda]  

• Approval of Minutes from the September 5, 2023 Meeting [Zelda]  

• Public’s Point of View ]Guests]  

• Editor’s Report[Sharon]  

• Braille Forum Boiler Plate: Where should it consistently appear in the magazine? What information should be included? [Penny, Sharon, All]  

• BOP Web Page on ACB.org: How can we make it happen? What information should it include? [Penny, All]  

• The ACB Publications Policy Manual [Jeff, Penny, All] Should we appoint an ad hoc committee to take a look at Section 15, to clarify the BOP’s role with respect to social media,? To review all of the manual to determine if there are policies that need to be re-visited?  

• The FY-2024 Braille Forum Budget: What recommendations should we make to the ACB Board’s Budget Committee? [Penny, Deb and Katie, All]  

• The ACB Voices BLOGG Updates on Member at the Mic and Scholarship Winner at the Mic [Anthony, Katie]  

• The Procedure for creating, updating, and sustaining Member at the Mic [Anthony, Cheryl, Cachet, All]  

• BLOG reviewers for October, November [All]  

• BOP Training Responsibility [Penny, All] Possible topics  

• ACB Media Report [Rick]  

• Other Topics? ]All]  

• Adjourn. Next BOP meeting: November 7, 2023.

• Welcome and Review of Agenda – Penny Reeder, BOP Chair
• Roll Call – Cachet
• Approval of Minutes from August 1, 2023 Meeting – Cachet
• Public’s Point of View: We welcome hearing from our guests.
• ACB Braille Forum Editor’s Report – Sharon Lovering, Editor

• ACB Braille Forum Themes – BOP; We have identified themes for October: White Cane Safety Day, Revisiting Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment; November: Audio Description, Thanksgiving; December: International Relations Committee; January: Looking ahead, affiliate plans for coming months; February: Voting for people who are blind in this election year, Black History Month and Civil Rights for Everyone. Let’s think about themes for March, April and May!

• The ACB Voices BLOG – Anthony Corona and BOP: Member at the Mic, an interview with Jamaica Miller, and who is scheduled next? – Anthony. Other submissions: Which BOP members will review proposed Voices submissions in September? Scholarship winners interviews, an Update – Anthony; Ad hoc Member at the Mic committee updates – Anthony, Cheryl, Cachet; Recruiting BLOG writers from affiliate leaders at Quarterly Editors’ Meeting – Zelda, Penny

• Quarterly Editors’ Meetings: Are we all set for the September meeting? Any concerns about subsequent meetings? – Zelda

• BOP and the ACB Annual Budget: Beginning to think about our Recommendations to the ACB Budget Committee – Penny, Katie, Deb, Sharon, BOP

• ACB Media – Rick Morin
• Public Affairs Committee Update -- Katie
• Additional topics – BOP
• Adjourn. Next meeting: October 3, 2023.

1. Election of the Chair of the Public Relations Committee: Current chair is Deb Cook Lewis

2. Election of Executive Committee:  Officers will be sent an additional Zoom link and Board members will use the Board meeting link. All will reconvene for the results. This portion of the meeting will not be streamed.

3. Adjourn

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2023 ACB Preconvention Board of Directors Meeting Friday, June 30, 2023 Broadcast on ACB Media One

9:00 AM CT – 4:30 PM CT

1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, Interim President
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President

4. Review and Approval of Minutes: April 25, 2023, (Telephonic): Denise Colley, Secretary

5. Mission Moment: Deb Lewis and Dan Spoone ACB Applauds the amazing collaboration between staff and volunteers to bring about our first hybrid leadership conference and the currency rally. The rally itself was a landmark experience which most definitely got the attention of the US Treasury Department, and the conference received overall positive reviews. The format was also a first with plenary sessions, breakout groups, tours, and social activities, exhibits and so much more. The hard work of our ACB Advocacy committee along with all staff members and other volunteers working together made the difference.

6. Consent Agenda: Deb Lewis A. 2023 YTD - Financial Statements: Nancy Becker B. Braille Forum Editor’s Report – Nutshell: Sharon Lovering C. Advocacy Update Report: Clark Rachfal D. 2023 Resource Development Report: Bill Reeder and Jo Lyn Bailey-Page E. Membership Services Report: Cindy Hollis F. Audio Description Project Report: Tabitha Kenlon G. Communications Report: Kelly Gasque

7. Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, Convention Committee Chair

8. President’s Report: Deb Lewis A. ACB Voting Task Force (3.0) Ad Hoc Committee will be extended. An additional workgroup will be established to propose format for future conventions. B. Auction Committee - Thanks Board for Donations C. Next Telephonic ACB Board of Directors Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, August 15 at 8:00PM ET

9. Lunch Break: 12:00 to 1:30

10. Staff Reports A. Executive Director: Dan Spoone B. Advocacy Director: Clark Rachfal C. Associate Director of Development: Jo Lynn Bailey-Page D. Manager of Membership Engagement: Cindy Hollis E. Communications Manager: Kelly Gasque F. Chief Financial Officer: Nancy Becker

11. Financial Narrative for 2023 Year-to-Date: David Trott, ACB Treasurer

12. ACB Enterprises & Services Report:
    Michael Garrett, ACBES Chair

13. Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Penny Reader, BOP Director

14. Update on Status of the 2022 Resolutions: Clark Rachfal, Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Director & Swatha Nandhakumar, Advocacy & Outreach Specialist

15. Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and Other Committee Liaisons

16. Adjourn

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2023 Candidates Forum held June 25, 2023 sponsored by Blind Pride International, Multi-Cultural Affairs Committee and Guide Dog Users Inc.

Candidates for ACB Officer positions answer questions as well as the two candidates for an expected position in the Board of Publications.

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Constitution and By-Law Amendments and Resumption of Resolution 2023-16, June 23, 2023 Full Archive

Unedited archive from the June 23, 2023 ACB Conference and Convention Business Meeting held at 7 PM Central where the following Constitution and By-Law Amendments were heard and debated:

2023-01 Proposed amendment to Bylaw 5A to make the ACB treasurer a mandatory member of the budget committee.

2023-02 Proposed amendment to Bylaw 6D to Set the time for the appointment of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to coincide with that specified for the resolutions committee; setting a new deadline of sixty (60) days before the opening of the convention for submission of constitution and/or bylaw amendments to the committee; and striking the sentence referencing submission of amendments in ASCII format.

Debate of resolution 2023-16 resumed after being postponed on 6/22/2023.

Resolution 2023-16 - ACVREP and OT Certification Submitted by: Michael Byington and others

Download the June 23, 2023: Constitution & Bylaws CART file

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Unedited archive from the June 22, 2023 ACB Conference and Convention Business Meeting held at 7 PM Central where the following resolutions were read, debated and voted on.

Resolution 2023-13 Ride-sharing and communication Submitted by: Guillermo Robles, Steve Bauer and the California Council of the Blind

Resolution 2023-14 Ride-Share Denials of Service to Guide Dog Users Submitted by: Guide Dog Users Inc.

Resolution 2023-15 AIR TRAVEL ATTESTATION FORMS Submitted by: Guide Dog Users Inc.

Resolution 2023-16 - ACVREP and OT Certification Submitted by: Michael Byington and others

Download the June 22, 2023: Resolutions CART file

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Unedited archive from the June 21, 2023 ACB Conference and Convention Business Meeting held at 7 PM Central where the following resolutions were read, debated and voted on.

Resolution 2023-07 Amendment of Older Americans Act Submitted by: Association on Aging and Vision Loss

Resolution 2023-09 Large Print Books and NLS Submitted by: The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International

Resolution 2023-10 Funding Increase for the Older Individuals who are Blind Program Submitted by: Jeff Thom and Association on Aging and Vision Loss

Resolution 2023-11 Vending Facility Equipment Submitted by: California Council of the Blind

Resolution 2023-12 Funding of Visual Interpreting Services Submitted by The California Council of the Blind and Robert Acosta

Download the June 21, 2023: Resolutions CART file

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Download the June 19, 2023: Convention Call to Order CART file

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Unedited archive from the June 20, 2023 ACB Conference and Convention Business Meeting held at 7 PM Central where the following resolutions were read, debated and voted on.

Resolution 2023-01 Medical and Exercise Equipment Submitted by ACB Diabetics in Action

Resolution 2023-02 Coverage of Needles for Insulin Injections Submitted by: California Council of the Blind and ACB Diabetics in Action

Resolution 2023-03 Reduction of Insulin Cost Submitted by ACB Diabetics in Action

Resolution 2023-04 Establishing an ACB Policy for Member Referrals Submitted by Matt Selm and ACB Next Generation

Resolution 2023-06 Encouraging Affiliates to Adopt a Prohibited Conduct Policy Submitted by Margie Donovan

Download the June 20, 2023: Constitution & Bylaws and Resolutions CART file

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ACB BOP 2023 Candidates' Forum held June 14, 2023

Sponsored by ACB Board of Publications

The 5 declared candidates for the officer positions to be elected at the 2023 ACB Conference and Convention along with 2 candidates interested in a potential vacancy on the Board of Publications field questions from BOP members as well from ACB members.

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30 second spots prepared by declared candidates for Officer Positions to be elected at the 2023 ACB Conference and Convention.

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2023 ACB Conference and Convention Standing Rules   Adopted by the ACB Board of Directors, 2023

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This podcast covers the voting process, procedures, and timelines during the 2023 ACB Conference and Convention for elected positions, resolutions and Constitution and Bylaw amendments. Also included is an overview of Parliamentary Procedures that will be in effect during the conference and convention.

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Continuation of open resolutions meetings held on Zoom and ACB Media 6. This is the final open meeting. As a result of this meeting all resolutions have been reviewed and recommendations made.

Resolution Considered:

Resolution 2023-16 - ACBACV Submitted by: Michael Byington and others

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Resolutions Considered.

Resolution 2023-09 Large Print Books and NLS Submitted by: CCLVI

Resolution 2023-11 Vending Facility Equipment Submitted by: CCB

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Resolutions discussed at the May 16 open meeting of the ACB Resolutions Committee:

04 Establishing an ACB Policy for Member Referrals Submitted by Matt Selm and ACBNG

08 Dominion Voting System Accessibility Submitted by: MCBVI

13 ride sharing Submitted by: Guillermo Robles, Steve Bauer and CCB

12 funding for Aira or similar service Submitted by: Bob Acosta and CCB

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The ACB Resolutions Committee considers and edits resolutions on the following topics: Amendment of Older Americans Act; OIB funding increase; prohibited conduct

Agenda • Welcome and review of agenda, Katie Frederick, BOP Chair • Roll Call, Penny Reeder, BOP Director • Approval of April minutes, BOP • Public’s point of view, we welcome hearing from you. • Community schedule email formatting, BOP • Blog, BOP (May and June editors, highlighting conference and convention activities, award winners, etc.) • ACB Braille Forum report, Sharon Lovering, Editor • 2023 awards deadline, Sharon needs nominations by May 15 • Forum themes, BOP (June convention, July catch-up, August all about travel, September convention wrap-up issue, October employment/voc rehab/white cane safety, November audio description, December International Relations Committee, if interested in a month or have a theme idea in 2024, reach out to Sharon Lovering) • 2023 convention items, bop (2023 Candidate’s Forum June 14, Mix & Mingle event Sunday, July 2, helping Sharon in the Communications Center) • ACB Media updates, ACB Media team • Other items? • Next meeting Tuesday June 6, 8:00 PM US Eastern • Adjourn

Resolutions Considered on May 9

14 Ride-Share Denials of Service to Guide Dog Users Submitted by GDUI

15 AIR TRAVEL ATTESTATION FORMS Submitted by GDUI

05 DOJ complaints Submitted by Margie Donovan

The ACB Resolutions Committee will be considering and editing resolutions on the following topics: ABDA resolutions: medical and exercise equipment; manually injected insulin for diabetics; and Reduction of insulin cost. Your participation and suggestions are welcome. Sponsored by the ACB Resolutions Committee

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 Broadcast on ACB Media Six 8:00PM ET – 10:00PM ET

1. Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, Interim ACB President
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
3. Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis
4. Review and Approval of Minutes: March 9, 2023 (DC Leadership), Denise Colley
5. Report on DC Leadership Conference Participant Survey: Kelly Gasque, Manager of Communications
6. Discussion and Consideration of Recommendations for the 2024 Leadership Conference: Deb Cook Lewis; Dan Spoone, Interim ACB Executive Director; Board

7. Mission Moment: Deb Cook Lewis; Dan Spoone – Thanks to the fantastic efforts of Nancy Becker and the MN staff along with Sharon Lovering and ACB’s affiliates, ACB has once again completed the membership certification process. A full analysis will be provided at the Convention Board meeting.

8. Report on the Board Policy Project and Next Steps: Kim Charlson and Koni Sims

9. President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis list of 2 items

10. Convention ACB Board of Directors Meeting scheduled for Friday, June 30, 2023, at 9:00AM CT

11. Fall ACB Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30, 2023 list end

12. Staff Reports: Dan Spoone, ACB Interim Executive Director and Nancy Marks Becker, Chief Financial Officer

13. Board of Publications (BOP) Report and Candidates Process: Penny Reader, BOP Director
14. ACB Enterprise and Services Board Report: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair – Appointment of ACBES Director to replace Dan Spoone
15. Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, ACB Convention Committee Chair
16. Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and other committee liaisons.
17. Executive Session: ACB Media will be stopped.
18. Adjourn

1. Financial Narrative for 2022: David Trott, ACB Treasurer
2. Review and approval of the ACB Media and Affiliate Engagement Policy: Rachel Schroeder, ACB Media Support Chair and Rick Morin, ACB Media Manager
3. Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Penny Reader, BOP Director
4. ACB Enterprise and Services Board Report: Michael Garrett, ACBES Board Chair

5. Review and approval of board recommendation for 2023 Convention standing rules: Patrick Sheehan, Voting Task Force Chair, Jeff Thom, Voting Task Force Vice Chair and Ray Campbell, Resolutions Task Force Chair

6. Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, ACB Convention Committee Chair

7. 2023 Strategic Plan: first quarter update
8. Committee Reports (as needed): ACB Officers and other committee liaisons
9. Adjourn

• Call to Order: Dan Spoone, President
• Roll Call and Introduction of Guests: Denise Colley, Secretary
• Review and Approval of Agenda: Dan Spoone, President
• Review and Approval of Minutes: January 31, 2023 (Telephonic), Denise Colley, Secretary
• Mission Moment: Dan Spoone
• ACB congratulates Eric Bridges on his 15 years of service to our organization: Our ACB family gives a huge “Thank You” to Eric for his contributions to ACB, leading the organizations advocacy efforts for 8 years and overseeing the growth of ACB into a chief influencer in the blindness movement through his strong leadership as ACB Executive Director for the past 7 years. We wish you the best at AFB and we know we have a strong partner for the future. Hip, Hip, Hurray!
• President’s Report: Dan Spoone
• A. Virtual President’s meeting and Legislative Seminar held in both English and Spanish language – Gabriel Lopez Kafati
• B. BVA and NFB will participate in the Accessible Currency Rally
• C. Next Telephonic ACB Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 8:00PM ET.
• D. Convention ACB Board of Directors Meeting scheduled for Friday, June 30, 2023, at 9:00AM CT
• E. Fall ACB Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30, 2023
• Staff Reports: Eric Bridges, ACB Executive Director and Nancy Marks Becker, Chief Financial Officer