American Council Of The Blind Inc

THE ORGANIZATION STRIVES TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE.

PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLIC AWARENESS:ACB IMPLEMENTED A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN IN 2021, ALONG WITH AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR. ACB RADIO WAS REBRANDED AS THE ACB MEDIA NETWORK, WITH SIGNIFICANT FOCUS ON PODCAST DISTRIBUTION OF ACB PROGRAMS AND STREAMING OVER ALEXA-ENABLED DEVICES. ACB RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION FROM VERIZON MEDIA, WHICH PROVIDED FREE ADVERTISING SPACE ON VERIZON AND ITS SUBSIDIARY PLATFORMS. THIS, COUPLED WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE AUDIO DESCRIPTION AWARDS GALA, STREAMED LIVE ON THE PEACOCK PLATFORM, ALLOWED ACB TO HAVE THE GREATEST REACH TO NEW AUDIENCES IN ITS HISTORY.

ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS:ACB WORKS CLOSELY WITH FEDERAL, STATE AND CORPORATE PARTNERS TO FURTHER KEY POLICIES IMPACTING PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND. SUCCESSES IN 2021 INCLUDE EXPANDING HEALTHCARE PROTECTIONS AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INCREASING ACCESS TO ACCESSIBLE ABSENTEE VOTING, ADVOCATING FOR GREATER AVAILABILITY OF AUDIO-DESCRIBED VIDEO CONTENT, AND PROMOTING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY THROUGH THE INSTALLATION OF ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS. ACB CONTINUES TO RECEIVE CALLS FROM AND ADVOCATE FOR THE RIGHTS OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. ACB WORKED WITH LEADERS OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION TO PROMOTE POLICY PRIORITIES.

CONFERENCE AND CONVENTIONACB HELD ITS 60TH ANNUAL CONVENTION IN JULY 2021. DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, THE EVENT WAS HELD VIRTUALLY. THERE WERE OVER 150 WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, AND BUSINESS MEETINGS HELD THROUGHOUT THE CONVENTION, WHERE INDIVIDUALS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE BY ATTENDING SESSIONS LIVE OR LISTENING LATER TO PODCASTED SESSIONS. THERE WAS A VIRTUAL EXHIBIT HALL AND MANY VIRTUAL TOURS FOR REGISTRANTS TO ATTEND. FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALL ACB ELIGIBLE MEMBERS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE DURING ACB'S BUSINESS MEETING.

MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION SERVICES ACB WORKED TO STRENGTHEN STATE AND SPECIAL-INTEREST AFFILIATES THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, FORMALIZED TRAININGS, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES HELD VIA ZOOM. MEMBERS OF ACB'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS SERVED AS LIAISONS TO OUR AFFILIATES TO PROMOTE CONSISTENT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION AND OFFER SUPPORT. THROUGH ACB'S COMMUNITY PLATFORM, VOLUNTEERS HAVE LEARNED HOW TO HOST AND MANAGE OVER 4,200 COMMUNITY EVENTS RANGING FROM SOCIAL TO EDUCATIONAL, PEER SUPPORT AND TOPIC-DRIVEN. IN 2021 OUR MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 42,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS.AUDIO DESCRIPTION PROJECT (ADP)ACB'S AUDIO DESCRIPTION PROJECT (ADP) FOSTERS AWARENESS AND PROMOTES THE USE OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION IN LIVE THEATER, TELEVISION, MOVIES, DVDS, MUSEUMS, AND OTHER MEDIA FORMATS AND VENUES. IN 2021, THE ADP PREMIERED ITS FIRST AUDIO DESCRIPTION AWARDS GALA, WHICH CELEBRATED AND ADVOCATED FOR THE EXPANSION OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION. THE ADP ALSO HELD DESCRIPTATHONS 6 AND 7, WHICH PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION IN NATIONAL PARKS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. PARTICIPATION IN THE ADP'S AUDIO DESCRIPTION INSTITUTE GREW SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH PROVIDING ONLINE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.ACB SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDSIN 2021, ACB AWARDED $97,000 ACROSS 24 SCHOLARSHIPS TO BLIND POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS. ACB PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND (AFB) AND SEVERAL OF OUR AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS, WITH ACB MANAGING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS OF THESE SCHOLARSHIPS. SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNTS RANGED FROM $500 TO $7,500. OTHER AWARD PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THE JPMORGAN CHASE LEADERSHIP FELLOWS AND DKM FIRST-TIMER AWARDS, FOSTER FUTURE LEADERS THROUGH MENTORING, TRAINING, AND PEER DEVELOPMENT.INFORMATION, REFERRAL AND PEER SUPPORTACB PROVIDES VITAL INFORMATION TO BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS AND SUPPORTERS IN AREAS OF TECHNOLOGY, SPECIALIZED SERVICES, AND ADVOCACY-RELATED AREAS. INFORMATIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED RUN THE GAMUT FROM BLINDNESS-RELATED SERVICES TO QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE TO GET A GUIDE DOG, AND MORE. ADVOCACY-RELATED INQUIRIES INCLUDE QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE ADA, VOTING RIGHTS, SOCIAL SECURITY, DISCRIMINATION, AND MANY OTHER VITAL AREAS. THESE EXISTING RESOURCES, ALONG WITH ACB'S VIRTUAL COMMUNITY, OFFERED APPROXIMATELY 400 EVENTS EACH MONTH TO MORE THAN 8,000 INDIVIDUALS.