ACB Advocacy Update

People concerned about safety and accessibility for pedestrians have been discussing the “Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines” (mercifully shortened to PROWAG) for more than a decade. And on August 8, 2023, the U.S. Access Board issued this long-sought set of accessibility standards for sidewalks and streets, crosswalks, curb ramps, pedestrian signals, on-street parking, and other compone...

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha go over the CVTA, which was re-introduced on July 25th in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate by Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16) and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) as H.R.4858 and S.2494. We encourage all our members and friends to contact their Representative and Senators to urge them to support the CVTA. To contact your M...

In addition to her role as World Blind Union President, Ms. Abel-Williamson is involved with several disability-related organizations in New Zealand and also serves on the board of the Accessible Books Consortium, an initiative led by the World Intellectual Property Organization. She will speak at Tuesday morning's general session, and here is a great opportunity to hear from and talk with her dir...

# Several ACB members will describe the policy and service changes that a number of transit agencies have made to improve the equity and service outcomes of their paratransit systems. Speakers will also make recommendations for how individuals and ACB chapters can advocate for similar paratransit improvements in their home communities. Moderator: Ron Brooks, Founder and CEO, Accessible Avenue, Pho...

Episode Description July is Disability Pride Month, and July 26th is the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Come listen to what the ACB Advocacy team has been up to as the administration and Congress celebrate the ADA anniversary. We go over new and proposed rule making by federal agencies, events held by the administration, and Congressional activity surrounding ac...

# Join representatives from Uber to learn how they are improving the rideshare experience for passengers with disabilities, including service dog handlers. Moderated by Clark Rachfal, ACBs, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs.

# A panel of legal experts discusses whether current legal settlements and decisions are providing people who are blind or low vision with appropriate legal redress and whether it is possible to seek changes in the way we approach our civil rights litigation.

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's advocacy team speaks with Heather Ansley, Associate Executive Director for Government Relations at Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), about opportunities to improve the air travel experience for people with disabilities within the ongoing Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization process in Congress. They discuss key ite...

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB’s advocacy team catches up with an old friend, Eric Bridges, President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) . Eric discusses his new role at AFB, including his experience at the AFB Leadership Conference and AFB’s continued partnership with ACB. Find out more at https://acb-advocacy-update.pinecast.co

Episode Description On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's advocacy team celebrates the unofficial start to the summer season with a recap of recent news at ACB. They cover what took place on Global Accessibility Awareness Day , federal agency activity surrounding digital accessibility, and ACB's 2023 Conference and Convention . Find out more at https://acb-advocacy-update.pinecast.co

Episode Description On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha speak with Tabitha Kenlon, ACB’s Audio Description Project Coordinator, and Kim Charlson, Co-Chair of the Audio Description Project Steering Committee, about all that is new with the Audio Description Project (ADP). Join us as we discuss the upcoming ADP Conference, the annual ACB Conference and Convention, the...

Episode Description Join us for the ACB Advocacy Update as we commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) with a discussion about the importance of digital access with particular focus on the experiences of people who have multiple disabilities. Clark Rachfal, ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB Advocacy & Outreach Specialist, Dan Spoone, ACB...

Episode Description In this follow-up episode, ACB's advocacy team speak with the advocates on the ground in Chicago during the lawsuit for accessible pedestrian signals (APS). Illinois Council of the Blind President, Ray Campbell; ACB of Metropolitan Chicago President, Debbie Watson; and two other named plaintiffs and ICB members, Ann Brash and Maureen Heneghan; discuss their experiences as advoc...

Episode Description Join us for this week’s two-part episode of the ACB Advocacy Update! First, we meet with ACB’s Interim President, Deb Cook Lewis, to discuss her new role. Up next, ACB’s Convention Coordinator, Janet Dickelman, provides exciting updates about ACB's 2023 Conference and Convention in Schaumburg, IL. Learn more about this year’s convention at www.acbconvention.org . Convention reg...

Episode Notes On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha speak with Madeleine Reichman, an attorney at Disability Rights Advocates , on a recent federal court case and ruling regarding Chicago’s failure to install accessible pedestrian signals (APSs) for its blind and low vision residents and visitors at its more than 2800 signalized intersections. The case involved both DRA and...

* Remote Accessible Voting Aaron Wilson, Enhanced Voting CEO, Jacksonville, FL Douglas George Town, Access Ready CEO, Pinellas Park FL Find out more at https://acb-advocacy-update.pinecast.co

* Remote Accessible Voting o Karyn Campbell, Illinois Council of the Blind Education and Welfare Committee Chair, Springfield, IL o Dee Ann Hart, ACB of Indiana Legislative and Advocacy Committee Chair, Muncie, IN o Martin Cahill, ACB of New York Legislative Chair, West Chester County, NY o Ian Foley, ACB of New York Immediate Past Legislative Chair, Buffalo, NY Find out more at https://acb-advoca...

Issues Related to Housing Advocacy o Claire Stanley, ACB Transportation Committee Chair, Rockville, MD o Sue Crawford, ACB Member, Silver Spring, MD o Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, Alexandria, VA o Jeanine Worden, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC o Billy Lynch, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC Find out more at https:...

Accessible At-Home Testing Revisit this Legislative Seminar session with Clark, Swatha ACB Interim Executive Director Dan Spoone, and Dr. Jill Heemskerk from the National Institutes on Health as we get an update on NIH’s progress in making at-home diagnostic test kits fully accessible for individuals with disabilities. Find out more at https://acb-advocacy-update.pinecast.co

Episode Description It is time for Congress to update the accessible video and communications requirements of the CVAA. In the 117th Congress, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act of 2022 (S. 5121 & H.R. 9333). The CVTA reaffirms our nation’s commitment to accessible communicatio...

Episode Description In the fall of 2022, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act in the Senate. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD-03) introduced a version of the bill in the House of Representatives. This bill would establish clear and enforceable accessibility standards for websites and software applications. The bill uses a functional d...

Episode Description On March 1, 2023, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act  in the House of Representatives. The goal of this act is to make home use medical equipment and devices accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals in the United States. If passed, this legislation would amend the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish no...

Episode Description Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced the Exercise and Fitness for All Act (S. 2504) in the 117th Congress in 2021. The goal of this bill was to make exercise equipment and fitness instruction fully accessible to people with disabilities. A version of the bill was introduced in the H...

DeafBlind Advocacy Description Advocacy for the DeafBlind Community: What Should ACB Leaders Understand to Include the Needs of DeafBlind Individuals in Our Advocacy Efforts: Moderator: Kim Charlson, ACB Past President, Watertown, MA; Carl Richardson, ADA Coordinator, Massachusetts State House, Boston, MA; Koni Sims, ACB Board of Directors, Sioux Falls, SD; and Megan Conway, PH.D., Director, Infor...

Episode Description During this session at the ACB Legislative Seminar, Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06( joins Clark and Swatha to share her priorities for the 118th Congress as the new Co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Disabilities Caucus. Find out more at https://acb-advocacy-update.pinecast.co