Braille Matters - a Four Hour Celebration

Celebrate the birthday of Louis Braille with our special interest affiliate, Braille Revival League, and together let’s learn:

• Segment One: How Braille Works in Different Countries Around the World
• Segment Two: Exciting Ways Braille is Happening All Over the United States
• Segment Three: What the Braille Revival League is, What It’s Doing, and How You Can and Should Help

Sponsored by Braille Revival League

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Bay State Council of the Blind Fall Conference Agenda, November 23, 2024

• Welcoming Remarks Ed Bosso, President of Educational Programs and Superintendent, Perkins School for the Blind

• President’s Report David Kingsbury, BSCB President

• Democracy Live Accessible In-Person Voting Technology Brian Finney, CEO Juliet Harvey-Bolia, Technician Short demo in plenary session, small groups of interested attendees will go to a breakout room on the second floor (elevator to the left of the parking lot door) for hands-on demos during the rest of the day

• In person and virtual participant introductions Let us know who you are, but please keep it short – Name and city of residence only

• Sony LinkBuds and Door Prizes Quick Orientation to Sony LinkBuds, Jeanette Kutash Are you feeling lucky? Door prizes with ElizabethAnn Johnson, more door prizes will be given out through the rest of the day

• Overview of MCB Happenings John Oliveira, Commissioner, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Justine Muir, Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

• Cooking While Blind Debra Erickson, Executive chef and founder of The Blind Kitchen

• Overview of Mass Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Programs Jennifer Harnish, MABVI Director of social services

• New Accessible Wearable Technologies Brian Charlson on the Meta glasses Jeanette Kutash on the Envision AI glasses

• Update on Perkins Library Happenings Kim Charlson, Director, & Cory Kadlik, Assistive Technology Manager, Perkins Library Including a demo of the new BARD feature for accessing talking books with Amazon Alexa

• Fitness Break Get up and stretch with Leslie Spoone and Jeanette Kutash

• Fun with Accessible Games Aaron Spelker and Jerry Berrier

• Accessible Voting Discussion What were people’s voting experiences this year, both good and bad? Feedback on the Democracy Live Accessible In-Person Voting Technology from breakout session participants

• Closing Remarks David Kingsbury, President

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IVIE Online Business Expo

The IVIE Online Business Expo will highlight several blind and visually impaired business owners sharing their products and services. Participants can ask questions.

Sponsored by Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs

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The American Council of the Blind’s 2024 Audio Description Awards Gala Broadcast on November 14

Alexandria, Virginia – The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala was air on November 14 at 7:30pm ET. Created in 2021 to recognize outstanding achievement in audio description in entertainment and educational media, the Awards Gala features celebrity guests, film clips, and a dozen awards. The broadcast of the show includes captions, audio description, ASL interpretation, and Spanish dubbing.

Join hosts Marilee Talkington and Alie B. Gorrie as they welcome guests from the arts, entertainment, and sports worlds to celebrate accessible films, series, video games, and more. Awards are presented in categories such as Innovation, Popular Entertainment, Live Events, Spanish Media (USA), and International. The winners of the Audio Description People’s Choice Awards are also announced.

Special guests include:

• Kathy Bates, award-winning actor
• Rebecca Alexander, author and disability rights advocate
• Molly Burke, digital creator, author, and advocate
• Ross Minor, accessible gaming consultant
• Roy Samuelson, author and AD producer and narrator
• EJ Scott, actor and activist
• Trischa Zorn-Hudson, Paralympics Hall of Famer

About the American Council of the Blind.

The American Council of the Blind is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind or have low vision. For more than 60 years, ACB has been a leader in national, state, local, and international advocacy efforts. With 68 affiliates, ACB strives to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and the quality of life for all people who are blind or have low vision. For more information, visit www.acb.org.

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Tabitha Kenlon gives a behind the scenes look at the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala as well as a comprehensive overview of ACB's Audio Description Project.

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Bay State Council of the Blind 2024 Spring Conference and Convention Agenda Grousbeck Center, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA

Morning Session

• Welcome From Our Host, Perkins School for the Blind

• Opening Remarks David Kingsbury, President, BSCB

• Overview of Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Activities John Oliveira , Commissioner, MCB

• Participant Introductions

• State Government Initiatives to Improve Accessibility Ashley Bloom, Chief Information Technology Accessibility Officer, Executive Office of Technology Services and Security

• Updates from Two of Our Committees Ambassador Program: Pam Loch, Membership Committee chair Healthcare Resources web page: Nona Haroyan and Jerry Berrier, Advocacy Committee co-chairs

• First Reading of Proposed BSCB Code of Conduct Policy Brian Charlson and Jennifer Harnish

• lection of BSCB Officers Brian Charlson (to explain voting procedures) Mary Haroyan( to announce slate of nominees recommended by the Nominations Committee) Sharon Strzalkowski to chair election of President David Kingsbury to chair election of other officers

Afternoon Session

• Announcement of Election Results David Kingsbury Short comments by newly elected Officers

• Debate and Adoption of Proposed Code of Conduct Policy Brian Charlson

• Experience as a Book Author Andrew Leland, author of “The Country of the Blind,” interviewed by Kim Charlson

• Announcement of BSCB Awards Awards Committee: Kim Charlson (chair), Pam Loch, and Jerry Berrier

• Tips for Getting a Handle on Your Personal Finances Moe Carpenter, Penny Forward

• News from the Tech World Jeff Bishop, ACB Blind Information Technology Specialists affiliate President: Overview of BITS training activities and other member benefits David Kingsbury, Demo of the new JAWS PictureSmart with Generative AI feature for describing digital images

• Overview of Recent Perkins Library Activities Kim Charlson

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Re-experience the April 8, 2024 total eclipse of the sun through sound.

Harvard University’s Astronomy Department welcomes those who are blind or have low vision to experience the total eclipse of the sun, through use of the LightSound device which uses a technique called sonification, the process of converting data, in this case light intensity into sound.

The American Council of the Blind and ACB Media are proud to partner with Harvard to broadcast this amazing event where you experience and track through sound the eclipse as it reaches totality at different times from Texas through Vermont. Folks from many different organizations around the country connected their LightSound devices to Zoom as the eclipse reached totality at their location.

The podcast opens with an interview of Allyson Bieryla, Science Center Astronomy Lab and Telescope Manager, Harvard University Astronomer, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory who describes the LightSound Project, and demonstrates and explains the LighhtSound device.

For more information about the LightSound Project, go to The LightSound Project (harvard.edu)

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20240407-1 Illinois Council of the Blind 20240407-1 Morning Sessions

• ICB Business o Elections o Treasurer's Update o Resolutions o Affiliate Reports o Convention 2025 Discussion o Old Business & New Business

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20240406-3 Illinois Council of the Blind 20240406-3 Banquet

• ICB Banquet: o guest speaker Kolby Garrison o Presentation of Awards & 50/50 Raffle Winner Presented o Memorial Service - Remembering ICB members, friends and guide dogs who have passed since our last convention. Note: Memorial service started shortly after the conclusion of banquet

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20240406-2 Illinois Council of the Blind 20240406-2 Afternoon Sessions

• Railroad Relocation Project History: o Kevin Seal - Hansen Engineering

• Accessible Pharmacy: o Andy Burstein

• Audio Description Project: o Samantha Gould

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