ACB Business

Unedited Business meeting held virtually during the 2024 ACB Conference and Convention on June 25, 2024 where the following proposed resolutions were read, clarified, debated and voted on: 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, Ethn...

Unedited recording of ACB Conference and Convention Call to Order convened via Zoom June 24, 2024, 7:00 EDT

ACB Next Generation Candidates Forum 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 Find out more at https://acb-business.pinecast.co

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 que...

All declared candidates with Candidate Pages for positions to be elected during the 2024 ACB Conference and Convention were invited by the Board of Publications to submit a 30 second campaign spot. 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) Ze...

Proposal 2024-04 : Removing the phrase "or their designee, (which designee shall have signed the confidentiality agreement applicable to all board members)," from Constitution articles IV(H) and VI(C) 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 requ...

The original proposed amendment was amended June 28. The amended version is herein.

Proposal 2024-02 - align Article XI with the language and intent of Bylaw 6D as passed last year, Conforming constitutional amendment required to align Article XI with the language and intent of Bylaw 6D as passed last year, requiring that constitutional and/or bylaw proposals be submitted sixty (60) days before the opening of convention. Current language: Article XI, Amendments: This constitution...

Proposal 2024-01 (editorial): To change all instances of "ACB Radio" to "ACB Media" to reflect its current designation. These two references occur in Article V, paragraph C, and bylaw 6L as follows: 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 ed...

Resolution 2024 15 - QR & Bar Code Accessibility 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 b...

Resolution 2024 14 - Making ADA Paratransit More Equitable 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 i...

Resolution 2024-13 - Accessibility of NextGen TV 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 broa...

Resolution 2024 12 - Audio Description for Streaming Services 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 ke...

Resolution 2024-11 -Promoting Military Dining Facilities 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 af...

Resolution 2024-10 - NLS Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Searches 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 L...

Resolution 2024-09 - Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Individuals Who are Blind or Have Low Vision 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 highlight...

This resolution failed on June 27, 2024. A record vote was requested that will occur on July 1, 2024. 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...

This resolution was tabled on June 27, 2024 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 (T...

Resolution 2024-02 - NLS and Spelling of Authors’ Names 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...

Resolution 2024-01 - The Use of Shapes and Braille for Labeling Products 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...

ACB 2024 Standing Rules 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 R...

Voting for ACB 2024 National Conference and Convention • 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) pa...

The June 4, 2024 Board Of Publications Meeting Agenda: Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny] Roll Call [Zelda] Approval of Minutes from May 7, 2024 BOP Meeting [Zelda] Public’s Point of View [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 fascina...

The May 7, 2024 Board Of Publications Meeting Agenda: Welcome and Review of Agenda [Penny] Roll Call [Zelda] Approval of Minutes from April 2, 2024 BOP Meeting [Zelda] Public’s Point of View [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 Update on MOM [Anthony] ACB Voices reviewers for May and June...

ACB Board of Directors Telephonic Meeting Tuesday, April 30, 2024 Broadcast on ACB Media Six 7:00PM ET – 9:00PM ET 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: March 2, 2024 (DC Leadership), Denise Colley Mission Moment: Deb Cook Lewis; Scott...