ACB Advocacy Update

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha preview the Technology Track of programming for the 2021 ACB Conference and Convention. They are joined by Jeff Bishop, Chair of ACB’s Information Access Committee. To register and join the conversation at the ACB Conference and Convention, please visit: www.acbconvention.org . Registration closes this Monday, June 28...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha highlight the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion track of programming at the 2021 ACB Conference and Convention. We are joined by Peggy Garret, Chair of ACB’s Multicultural Affairs Committee, and Gabriel Lopez Kafati, President of Blind LGBTQ Pride International. To join us and learn more about this year’s ACB Conferenc...

Episode Notes On Tuesday, June 8, AT 3pm EDT, ACB’s advocacy team members, Clark and Swatha, hosted a live episode of the ACB Advocacy Update about the interactive transportation programming on offer at this year’s virtual  ACB Conference and Convention . Clark and Swatha were joined by leaders of ACB’s Transportation and Environmental Access Committees. In addition to the conference and conventio...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha highlight the programming being offered by the Audio Description Project at the 60th ACB Conference and Convention. ACB’s Immediate Past President, Kim Charlson, and ACB’s ADP Coordinator, Jo Lynn Bailey Page join the podcast to share the programming and panelists being featured at the convention. Following the podcas...

Episode Description On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, we revisit the ACB special event celebrating the 10th-anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). ACB's Executive Director Eric Bridges led a conversation with digital accessibility leaders Jennison Asuncion (Co-founder of GAAD and Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn) and Mike Shebanek (Head o...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha celebrate the 10th anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD began ten years ago to recognize, celebrate, and increase awareness of digital access and inclusion. We are joined by Audrey Bush from the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, who shares the technology and training available...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha revisit our conversation from November 2020, with a returning guest, Rachel Weisberg from Equip for Equality. Rachel shares her impressions of the Winn-Dixie appeals court ruling and how it will impact digital accessibility. Then, we speak with Peter Berg from the Great Lakes ADA Center about the technical assistance...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha reconnect with Mark Richert, ACB First Vice President, and Paul Schroeder, Vice President of Government and Community Outreach at the American Printing House for the Blind. We spoke with Mark and Paul at the beginning of the 117th Congress, and now we are checking in at the 100 days mark to ascertain whether the Admin...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, we revisit a presentation from the ACB DC Leadership Conference. Ron Brooks, former Chair of the ACB Transportation and Advocacy Steering Committees, moderates a conversation with industry leaders incorporating accessibility in autonomous vehicle design, testing and development, including: Eric Danko, Director of Federal Affairs, Crui...

Episode Description Join us for this week’s ACB Advocacy Update with special guest host Tony Stephens, ACB’s Director of Development. Tony sits down with ACB’s Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, to talk with Audio Description Project (ADP) Committee Co-Chair Carl Richardson, and to introduce Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, who is now on staff with ACB coordinating the Audio Descr...

Episode Description On National Assistive Technology Awareness Day for 2021, Clark Rachfal and Swatha Nandhakumar were joined by Matt Ater, Vice President of Vispero, and Don Barrett, ACB Member, to discuss assistive technology: what it is; why it is so important; and what role assistive technology will play in our lives going forward.

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark moderates a panel discussion to mobilize advocates in support of the reintroduced Cogswell Macy Act! ACB is joined by: Mark Richert, Interim Executive Director, AER; Linda Alsop, Director, National Intervener and Advocate Association; Howard Rosenblum, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of the Deaf; Barbara Raimondo,...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark is joined by fellow members of the National Coalition for Accessible Voting to discuss the gains in accessible voting over the past two years and concerning provisions of H.R. 1, and S. 1, the For The People Act. Guests on this podcast include: Maggie Hart from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Diane Golden from the EAC Technic...

Episode Description ACB is celebrating a year of community! When the pandemic hit and everyone was told to shelter in place, we turned isolation into connection. From education, training, and information sharing, to peer support, socialization, and fun, learn what this growing community has meant to so many people in and outside of ACB over the past year during this week's episode of the ACB Advoc...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, speaks with ACB leaders about our internal voting process. Clark is joined by ACB President Dan Spoone, as well as Pat Sheehan and Koni Sims from the ACB ad hoc Voting Task Force. Voting is fundamental to our work as a membership organization, and during this conversa...

Episode Description On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs Clark Rachfal speaks with a plethora of ACB leaders regarding our ongoing efforts to make ACB a more representative and inclusive community while providing greater opportunities for future leaders. First, Clark is joined by Multicultural Affairs Committee (MCAC) Chair Peggy Ga...

Episode Description On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB’s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, celebrates the one year anniversary of our ACB Next Generation affiliate. Clark is joined by President Amanda Selm, Second Vice President Steven Salas, and Secretary Greg Lindberg for a conversation about the founding of ACB Next Generation, the work they are d...

Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark Rachfal is joined by Eric Bridges, ACB’s Executive Director, to discuss the DC Leadership meetings, and we replay the keynote remarks from Will Butler, Vice President of Community, Be My Eyes. To learn more about the DC Leadership Meetings, and the ACB Legislative Imperatives, please visit:  https://acb.org/2021-leadership-conference . ...

Description During this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, we discuss how ACB scholarships further our mission of increasing independence and economic opportunity for people who are blind and experiencing vision loss. ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, is joined by Rebecca Bridges, Chair of ACB’s Scholarship Committee, and two recent scholarship awardees - Amanda La...

Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, we share a presentation from the ACB of Maryland State Convention on the focus and impact of advocacy by the disability community. Clark Rachfal provides an overview of the advocacy work being done by ACB on the national-level, while Cecilia Warren from the Maryland Department of Disability discusses the measures being implemented on the stat...

Description Join ACB as we highlight the exciting programming in store for this year’s ACB Leadership Conference. The conference will be held virtually from Sunday, February 21st to Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021. Registration is open for the conference, which will include our annual President’s Meeting and Legislative Seminar. Register for the DC Leadership Conference by visiting  http://weblink.do...

Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark Rachfal is joined by a couple familiar voices in new places. We speak with ACB First Vice President Mark Richert, and friend of ACB, Paul Schroeder. Mark is the interim Executive Director for the Association of Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and is now the Director of Public Policy for the VisionServe...

Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, and ACB’s Membership Services Coordinator, Cindy Hollis, speak about the ACB Community. They discuss the logistics of facilitating and growing the ACB community, and how the ACB community is meeting the social and mental health needs of our members and the broader community....

Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with ACB experts regarding the Final Rule on Air Travel with Service Animals from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The DOT Final Rule goes into effect on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, and our panelists for this conversation included: Sarah Calhoun, Guide Dog Users Inc. (GDUI) President; Melanie Brunson, GDUI Advocacy Chair; Sheila...

Description: On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with ACB President, Dan Spoone, and Executive Director, Eric Bridges, about our organizational accomplishments throughout 2020. Despite the challenges thrust upon us by a global pandemic, ACB stayed true to our core values and created opportunities to embrace, engage, and empower our community. To help us build upon our 2020 acc...