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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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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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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20241102 American Council of the Blind of Maine Annual Convention Afternoon Sessions ACB Maine Business Meeting. All things Technology with Steve Sawczyn. ACB Community Calls Program with Natalie Couch. Door prizes, and raffle. Closing and Appreciation.

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20241102 American Council of the Blind of Maine Annual Convention Morning Sessions Welcome and introductions. 1st Reading of proposed constitution changes. Conversation with Scholarship recipients. Transportation Panel with Ron Brooks from Accessible Avenue, and Zoe Miller from Moving Maine. Employment panel with Alyssa Rowe Director of DBVI, and Lori Scharff from APH. Remembrances.

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20241019 2024 PCB CONFERENCE & CONVENTION 20241019 Banquet Accessibility: A Buffet of Choices

• Greetings and Sponsor Acknowledgements, Debby Hill, PCB President
• Drawing the 50/50 Conference Raffle
• Banquet speaker: Karla Gilbride, General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Title of presentation We Have the Power: Fighting for Access and Opportunity in the 21st Century
• PCB Award Presentations,
• PCB Merit Awards, Suzanne Erb, PCB Peer Engagement Team
• Door Prizes & Announcements
• Jason Castonguay presented his strategies for making good audio engineering accessible to those who are blind or who have low vision.

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20241019 2024 PCB CONFERENCE & CONVENTION 20241019 Evening Sessions Accessibility: A Buffet of Choices

• Caring for Pets When You Have Limited or No Vision, Debby Hill, and Dr. DeAnna Moore. If someone is blind or has low vision and they have not had training for a guide dog, what do they need to know to take care of a pet?
• This was a presentation plus audience participation.
• Achieve Greater Independence with the Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, Lisa Salinger.
• In this session, members learned about the Meta Ray-Ban Smart glasses: their features and possible drawbacks, and how to incorporate them into your daily life.
• Door Prizes & Announcements
• Get Involved with Accessible Adaptive Sports.
• Blind Tennis with Jen Roth who explained the rules and availability of “Blind Tennis.”
• Creating and Promoting Your Chapter’s Identity, Thadeus Graham, PCB Outreach and Engagement Specialist.

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20241018 2024 PCB CONFERENCE & CONVENTION 20241018 Evening Sessions Accessibility: A Buffet of Choices

·      Practical Uses of AI With Your Favorite Screen Reader or Without! Jason Miller and Anthony Ballou.

o  Have you ever needed information really fast that is challenging to find? Let’s face it, as students, parents, and regular people, sometimes we may need information, or as blind people even forget things, more than we tend to admit. With today’s technology, helping with the kid’s math and science homework is no issue, did you say your fingers are tingling? Let’s get some possible reasons, slow cooked taco brisket, yes, we can get that recipe! This presentation described how to use the popular Chat GPT to research practical information, in fact, our presenter demonstrated how he used the Chat GPT to research, locate and find a lost love. Moreover, we used both a free and paid screen reader to gain information using the GPT technology. Lastly, another presenter used a mobile device (iPhone), with the GPT app, to have a live conversation. To summarize, this presentation was aimed at demonstrating how to use three different screen reading technologies with AI/GPT as a practical, and accessible resource of information, no matter what platform you choose, we aim to broaden your accessible horizons!

·      Door Prizes & Announcements

·      Worship: Recipes for Accessibility, Sue Lichtenfels, and panel.

o  This presentation was an exploration of accessibility within worship practices. Regardless of the religion or the tenants of a particular faith, we wanted to examine how people who are blind or visually impaired are accessing the basics: fellowship, volunteerism, participation, and leadership. What have their experiences been facing both physical and attitudinal barriers to full inclusion in the worship process? What are the tools and strategies they utilize to make worship accessible to them?

·      Door Prizes & Announcements

Find out more at https://acb-events.pinecast.co