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

• Accessible Appliances: A Menu of Options, Joe Fagnani with the PCB Technical Access Team.
• Audience members learned how many options they have for accessible appliances.
• Creating Art as Vision Changes, Lisa Busch with Lynda McKinney Lambert, Carol Farnsworth, and Tara Arlene Innmon.
• Members found out how to continue or begin practicing visual art while losing sight or totally blind. Enjoy learning the various art forms available to explore. Discover how three women overcame barriers and created paintings, felt art scenes and clay sculpture.
• Door Prizes
• SSP Services, Sherri Rodgers, and Heather Snyder.
• This session assisted members who are hard of hearing and blind to realize the independence of doing their own shopping with assistance, such as an SSP. You get up to 15 hours a month for shopping, banking, doctor visits, dining out, etc.
• A Resource Toolkit for Empowerment: an in-depth look at Community Resources, Suzanne Erb, Cathy Long and Pamela Shaw.
• Have you heard about some resources in passing, but would like more in depth information about them? In this workshop, Suzanne Erb, Cathy Long and Pamela Shaw looked at several resources for shopping, transportation, and community engagement. All these resources can be accessed both using a standard telephone, as well as with more high-tech devices. Not only did we explain how these resources can be accessed, but we provided background information about them. We discussed ACB community calls, several resources for obtaining food, and Go Go Grandparent—a transportation resource that you can use to access LYFT and Uber rides without using a smart phone or computer.

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20241018 2024 PCB CONFERENCE & CONVENTION 20241018 Morning Sessions

Accessibility: A Buffet of Choices

• Creating Accessible Environments for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Idan Meir and Darren Gladstone.
• This was a discussion around the challenges of making buildings more accessible and how the RightHear audio format signage system can help to turn buildings into more accessible spaces.
• Coming Out of the Dark:  Emergency Preparedness for Those Who Are Blind, Low Vision, and Deafblind, Valerie Claire Haven.
• This workshop presented information and resources individuals with visual impairments can use to keep themselves safe during emergencies and disasters. Topics include how first responders are trained to deal with individuals with disabilities, decisions we need to make before a crisis happens, and resources to increase safety.
• Door Prizes and Announcements
• High Tech, Low Tech, and No Tech: strategies for self-communication of important reminders, appointments and other valuable information, Doug Hunsinger, and the PCB Communications Team.
• The communications team panel presented methods of accomplishing important personal tasks. Whether it’s jotting down that phone number, making a grocery list, or keeping that doctor’s appointment, the team presented high tech, low-tech, and non-tech solutions for dealing with these tasks. We don’t have all the answers, so audience participation was requested throughout the session.

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20241017 2024 PCB CONFERENCE & CONVENTION 20241017 Evening Sessions Accessibility: A Buffet of Choices

PEER PASSINGS

We are saddened to report on the passing of the following PCB peers since our last conference. ·       Theresa Diehl, ·       Janet Facemyer, PRC ·       Connie Howe, GTCB ·       William J. Newman, PRC ·       Elderrean Paules, Keystone ·       Brian Rutherford, GTCB ·       Kathryn (Tina) Wassermann, GTCB ·       Elaine Young, LVCB ·       General Session Prelude ·       Call to Order and Welcome, Debby Hill, PCB President ·       Invocation & Necrology Remembrance, Jacqueline Wissinger, PCB Chaplain. ·       President’s Address, Debby Hill, PCB President. ·       Door Prizes & Announcements ·       Accessible Ballot, Democracy Live ·       Hearing Aids: Audiologist Prescribed VS Over the Counter Purchase, Tony Swartz with Dr. Rebecca Blaha. ·       This presentation explored the options, differences, benefits, and drawbacks of obtaining hearing aids relying on an audiologist opposed purchasing hearing aids over the counter. ·       Candidate Statements, PCB Nominating Team ·       Prepare for Saturday’s elections by getting to know more about each of the candidates through their pre-recorded remarks. ·       Door Prizes & Announcements

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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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20240406-1 Morning Sessions

• BBS Update: o Kim Borowicz

• ACB Report

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20240405-2 Illinois Council of the Blind 20240405-2 Afternoon Sessions

• ISVI: o Michelle Clark

• Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service: o Director, Stephen McMinn

• Candidates Forum

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