ACB Advocacy Update

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with Anthony Corona, ACB’s new Marketing, Communications and Strategy Intern. During this conversation, we get to know Anthony personally and professionally, as well as hear his thoughts on advocacy and the ACB Virtual Conference and Convention. To learn more about Anthony’s communications and advocacy work with ACB affiliate Blind LGBTQ Pri...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire speaks with Courtney Holthus, Advocacy Director for Disability Rights Idaho, about the importance of accessible voting and the process to file an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice Disability Rights Section. Both Disability Rights Idaho and ACB have filed ADA complaints requesting the DOJ to investi...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire Stanley speaks with Ron Brooks, Chair of ACB’s Advocacy Steering Committee, and Sheila Styron, Chair of ACB’s Transportation Committee, about the inaugural ACB Transportation Forum to be held during the 2020 ACB Virtual Conference and Convention. Claire, Ron and Sheila discuss the genesis of the transportation forum, what it will look like during...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day by speaking with Jeff Bishop, ACB Board Member, ACB Information Access Committee Chair, and all around nice guy. Clark and Jeff discuss how the landscape of accessible technology has changed over the past ten years with the passage of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges speaks with Lee Nasehi, President & CEO of VisionServe Alliance. Learn about who composes the membership of VisionServe Alliance and what role they are playing within the blind and visually impaired community. For more information about VisionServe Alliance, visit www.visionservealliance.org . To access a transcrip...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire Stanley and Clark Rachfal speak with ACB First Vice President Mark Richert about the COVID-19 waiver report submitted to Congress by the Department of Education. Mark, who is serving as Interim Executive Director for the Association of Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) shares his thoughts on what is included in...

This week, Claire speaks with Penny Rosenblum from the American Foundation for the Blind about a collaborative research project being conducted to assess the impact remote learning during the COVID-19 crisis is having on blind and visually impaired students. We will all be excited to learn what findings are gleaned from the survey. To learn more and consider completing the survey, please visit: ww...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with Lex Gillette, Paralympian, World Champion, and World Record Long Jumper, and Cat Bouwkamp, Membership and Safe Sport Coordinator, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. Lex shares how he is coping physically and mentally with the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Cat shares the work that USABA is doing to make fitness and exerc...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update Claire Stanley speaks with Will Butler from Be My Eyes. The two discuss what users can do with the smartphone application, and the exciting new relationship ACB and Be My Eyes launched on April 22, 2020. Listen to find out how you can take advantage of the new service! To read the press release about the partnership, visit: https://acb.org/acb-announces-p...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Clark discuss how the pandemic and social distancing requirements are impacting the planning by states for the 2020 primary and general elections. As many states move to conduct entire elections using paper ballots and vote by mail, ACB and our members are working hard to ensure election officials offer an accessible voting alternative to vote...

On this special edition of the Advocacy Update, take a break from binge watching to join a conversation hosted by ACB with Comcast. Join ACB’s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Clark Rachfal, as he speaks with Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President of Accessibility for Comcast Communications, to learn how they are ensuring their products and services are available and accessible to as many pe...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Clark fall head over heels for the PBS Independent Lens series, Blind Love. We discuss what is so attractive to Producer Patty Zagarella about dating while blind, and we speak with Blind Lover Joni Martinez about her quest to find Mr. Right. Blind Love is available with audio description on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/eC7ZLLMHVvY . To learn m...

On this special edition of the Advocacy Update, Clark and Claire present on an open call of the ACB Advocacy Services Committee chaired by ACB Board Member, Jeff Thom. Clark and Claire discuss the provisions that may impact ACB members in the third COVID-19 stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on Friday, March 27, as well as the other legislative and regulatory...

This week, Claire Stanley and Clark Rachfal speak with Marcie Roth, President and CEO of the World Institute on Disability. Marcie has a long career history in accommodating persons with disabilities as it pertains to emergency preparedness. The three talk about what needs to be done to provide emergency services to persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 crisis. To learn more about the Worl...

On this special edition of the Advocacy Update, the ACB Information Access Committee conducted a member webinar with Larry Carter, National Partnerships Manager, U.S. Census Bureau. Larry shared with ACB members the who, what, when, why and how for completing the 2020 U.S. Census. To learn more about the 2020 U.S. Census, please call or visit: 1-844-330-2020, or www.2020census.gov . To learn more...

This week on the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark Rachfal and Claire Stanley are joined by ACB Membership Services Coordinator Cindy Van Winkle. The three discuss the recent changes in everyday life due to the spread of COVID-19 and about the many virtual meetings ACB is holding to keep the community connected in this time of social distancing. To learn more about ACB's community conference calls, visit...

This week on the ACB Advocacy Update podcast, Claire Stanley speaks with Heather Ansley from Paralyzed Veterans of America. The two discuss the first in-person meeting of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) Advisory Committee. Learn about the committee members, the topics they will be advising on, and how you can help provide valuable input to the committee. To learn more about Paralyzed Veterans of...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, join Claire Stanley as she speaks with two ACB members about recently proposed amendments to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) that will impact those who fly with their guide dogs. ACB encourages all guide dog users to submit comments regarding this proposed rulemaking. For instructions on how to file comments, please...

This week on the ACB Advocacy Update, join us as we highlight some of the people and presenters who attended our DC Leadership Meetings. Listeners will hear ACB members reflect on their experiences during the meetings, as well as the legislative seminar lunchtime presentation from Managing Director of the Signal Group, Charles Cooper.

This week on the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark Rachfal, Claire Stanley, and Eric Bridges speak to a very exciting guest - the one and only Tony Stephens! Tony will be returning to ACB as our new Director of Development. Join them as they talk about his new position and what he will be bringing to ACB. Link to transcript: https://acb.org/ACB-advocacy-update-2-27-20-transcript

On this episode of the Advocacy Update, Claire and Clark speak with Karen Woon, Vice President of Marketing, Guide Dogs for the Blind, about the new docuseries, Pick of the Litter, streaming now on Disney+. Karen shares the exciting work that went into filming and accurately representing the long journey for six puppies to become trained guide dogs. Included in this series is ACB’s own, Claire Sta...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Clark speak with Margaret Hart, Counsel, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, about the passage of S.B. 94 in West Virginia. For far too long, voting with a paper ballot by mail has been the only way to vote absentee in most states, which disenfranchises many voters with disabilities from having equal access to abs...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Clark discuss the looming application deadline for the 2020 ACB scholarships. First, they speak with ACB Scholarship Committee co-Chair, Denise Colley, about the important role these scholarships play in furthering the ACB mission, and the new scholarship partnership between ACB and the American Foundation for the Blind. Then, they speak with...

This is preparation information for the Legislative Seminar recorded by The American Council of the Blind Membership Services Coordinator, Cindy Van Winkle.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Clark discuss the ACB Legislative Seminar and the three legislative imperatives for 2020. To learn more about the 2020 DC Leadership Meetings and Legislative seminar, including how to register, please visit: https://acb.org/2020-DC-leadership-meetings . A transcript of this podcast is available at: https://acb.org/ACB-advocacy-update-1-23-20-t...