Tuesday Topics

Some of our Tuesday Topics people have been in Washington over the last week. There were programs that were on in DC last Tuesday so we decided to step aside for one week. We are back and feel like there are a number of topics which may be a part of our Tuesday. We have had a request from ACB'S Employment Committee to invite them to report on some of their activities. We now know they will join us...

As often seems to happen, our program last week intended to cover two topics but only got to one. That left the accessibility of large appliances as essentially undiscussed. On the last day of February, then, that will be our topic. Where are we with this issue? Historically, how did we handle access. How has the "internet of things" changed our situation. Does having an appliance that c...

Last week we discussed new devices that are expected this year and, after that, barely scratched the surface with a discussion of phones. As a result, we will begin this edition with a discussion of the three main groups of phones used by people who are blind or have low vision. We will talk about the iPhone and will explore how it has morphed into so much more than just a device for making calls....

Once more Tuesday Topics will depend on you for our success. We are once more going to try for a double feature. Those of you who have been a part of Tuesday Topics for a while know that this means we are going to choose two topics which we will discuss. The idea is that we will find one that encourages folks to call in and participate. We are competing with Valentine's Day so we probably have no...

February is a month full of significant events. The Grammies will happen before our next Tuesday Topics. The Superbowl, number 57, is on February 12. Valentine's Day is on February 14. Later in the month are the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln. We will look at all of these elements and other February phenomena. What do the two Presidents represent and what should we be celebrating with both? W...

Though it may seem a long time ago to some, we looked at a lot of the advantages of the newly emerging artificial intelligence (AI) capacity that we can access today. We also looked ahead at developments that we believed were inevitable and, potentially, beneficial. We certainly talked about some of the pitfalls that the new technology might involve but, at the end of our first show, we decided it...

During our program of January 3, Brian talked about a new app he has been looking at that allows him to make some requests that go a good deal beyond just asking for information. A little while ago my daughter indicated that her new electric car had asked her whether she wanted it to park itself. In considering how life is likely to change this year, Brian indicated that artificial intelligence wo...

Over the past few years Tuesday Topics generally uses our first meeting of the year to look ahead. What can we expect from 2023? Are there things we expect in our world this year? Are there ACB issues? What about expectations about new books or new music or new movies? What can we expect from ACB or, perhaps, what should we expect? Are there things state affiliates and local chapters should think...

It is something of a conundrum to try to predict how topics will be regarded by our listeners and participants. Topics we at Tuesday Topics think will be popular do not attract much attention. Topics we are not confident about attract lots of people. Efforts to encourage our participants to come up with topics have, for the most part, been unsuccessful. And then there are other factors that impact...

We typically, at the end of each year, look back at the last twelve months and explore what conclusions, if any, we can draw about the nature of 2022. What kind of developments have there been in the field of blindness. Can we point to new elements of cooperation? Are there tangible things we can look at that have changed? What about technology? Should we care about Mastodon? We have seen a few ne...

I hope that everyone was able to attend the Gala on Tuesday. Now Topics is back and we are once again seeking your help to explore how blind people and folks with partial vision do with holidays. When you go home, how are you treated? How do siblings feel about having a blind relative? Is it easy to help when you go home? How are things when you host Thanksgiving or Christmas events? What can we d...

One of the most important issues facing members of the American Council of the Blind is employment. The ACB has an "Employment Committee" which is concerned with working to consider and develop policies and programs that will increase the likelihood of assuring that people who are blind or have low vision can finds jobs and careers. We will have members of the Employment Committee as our...

Last year the American Council of the Blind with the leadership of its Audio Description Project (ADP) held the first annual Audio Description Gala. Now we are approaching the date of the second annual Gala. It's bigger and better this year! What is it? Who's involved? How can you participate? Join us on November 15 at 7 PM Eastern time on ACB Media One to find out the answers to all these questio...

What is the impact of advertising on people who are blind? How has the inclusion of a few blind people in ads changed things? How do people with some vision fare in ads. During this hour we will explore just how much we are viewed as consumers or objects of political correctness. During the second hour we will consider mentoring. One of the more exciting new projects unveiled during our convention...

How do folks who are blind or have low vision remember Halloween? Did we trick or treat as kids? Did we take our kids trick or treating? Do we decorate our house and give out candy? Do we prefer Halloween parties held at schools or clubs? In general, we would like a snapshot of how Halloween happens for our folks! Tell us about your memories of Halloweens past and what you like or do not like abou...

We will discuss together where we stand with regard to how we feel about how those who are blind or low vision are portrayed in the movies and on television. We will also consider who and how the media cover the activities that we take part in. What do you think of the "super blind"? Are they "inspiring" or do they mislead the public? What do such stories do to the expectations...

We will explore together where we stand with regard to accessible voting as we approach the mid-term elections. Are there new things to celebrate? Are there basic issues that still need to be worked on? How valuable is accessible email voting without return? How can we work to make return happen and what advantages do the military offer us? Voting machines operate. How is early voting operating in...

Sometimes it's fun to take risks! Tuesday Topics has quite a few regular participants. While we have asked people for suggestions, my email has been notably devoid of messages about this! However, I think it might be fun to devote some of Tuesday Topics to an opportunity for folks to raise issues they think we should discuss! I am therefore urging folks to consider a topic they believe warrants so...

We will once more tackle two topics which are connected. We will begin by looking at "blind jokes" or humor concerning people who are blind. We will, unfortunately, have to include some examples to make our points clear. Is it okay for blind people to tell "blind jokes"? What is objectionable about them, if anything? How should we handle being told such jokes by others? Should...

We are once again going to tackle two topics! We thought it might be interesting to talk about an issue that is not blindness-related. It may be a little scary for us to discuss this topic but we want to know if we are creating holidays or, I suppose, special days that focus too much on specific issues of particular groups. So, juneteenth, Martin Luther King Day, Jewish holidays, Christmas, Easter...

In Florida, as a part of the the Florida Council of the Blind, we have a special interest affiliate called the Council for the Concerns of the Totally Blind. In Florida and, of course, throughout the country there are chapters of and a national organization championing the issues of people with low vision. This organization is, of course, Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCLVI). Do we need an...

Last week, as usual, we bit off more than we could chew. Essentially, we did not have the opportunity to discuss Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Section 8 housing and homelessness. These are all components that impact people who are blind or have low vision. We hope that some of you who have dealt with subsidized housing will call in and tell us about your experiences. Many of us qualify for...

People with disabilities are among the population with the least disposable income. hat means, among other things, that many people who are blind or have low vision have very limited choices where housing is concerned. Despite this, like many of our non-disabled peers, we want to own our own homes. What are the barriers that particularly apply. As a person who has just sold and bought a house, I a...

Right at the end of Tuesday Topics there was a brief discussion of audio description. It has been a while since Tuesday Topics has spent some time talking about this most powerful equalizer for people who are blind. During our discussion there were a couple of questions that came up. First, do descriptions actually describe what is most important? Second, how different would different audio descri...

For a third week in a row, Tuesday Topics found itself completing only part of what was planned. We heard lots of fascinating stories of how people became blind and how folks felt about whether they would want to see again! So, what about next week? We will look at research as we were supposed to this week. In particular, we want to know what kind of research should we support? There are efforts t...