Episode Notes

Clark and Swatha provide another round of advocacy updates for listeners and members. Topics include Quest, ACB's Rideshare Refusal Survey, the Department of Justice lawsuit against Uber and settlement with Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Mass Transit District, Congressional activity, and ACB’s Leadership Conference and Legislative Seminar. To access the Rideshare Refusal Survey, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZBSM6WC. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Email [email protected] if you would like to participate in the Uber lawsuit.

Episode Description

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's Advocacy & Outreach Specialist Swatha speaks to Kim Charlson, President of the World Blind Union (WBU) North American and Caribbean Region, Meryl Shecter, ACB’s International Relations Committee Vice Chair, and Sandra Sermons, International Relations Committee member, about advocacy on behalf of the global blind community. If you’d like to get involved with or learn more about WBU, email Kim at [email protected]. To learn more about the International Relations Committee, including their item donation program, visit: https://tinyurl.com/ACB-IRC.

Episode Description

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's advocacy team, Clark and Swatha discuss two major updates regarding CVS and the disability community. They go into depth on the CVS v. Doe Supreme Court case and the rollout of Spoken RX, the company’s accessible prescription label solution.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Swatha and Clark participate in an ACB Community Event hosted by the Get Up and Get Moving Campaign and ACB Diabetics in Action. Hosted by ACBDA President, Tom Tobin, and ACBDA Advocacy Chair, Chris Gray, the program draws attention to the need for durable medical equipment to be made accessible and calls for our listeners, attendees, and members to contact their members of Congress in support of the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act of 2021, H.R. 4853. For more information about this legislation, please visit: https://acb.org/call-to-action-HR4853.

Episode Description

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, we preview the inaugural ACB Audio Description Awards Gala. Anthony Corona, host of Sunday Edition on the ACB Media Network, moderated a conversation previewing the Audio Description Awards Gala and what is in-store. To celebrate greatness and innovations in audio description, please join us at the Audio Description Awards Gala live on Thursday, Nov. 18, 7:30 pm, EST at www.adawardsgala.org.

Episode Description

On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha meet with Don Overton, Executive Director of Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), to discuss his role at BVA and the organization’s resources for blind and visually impaired veterans. They also discuss advocacy efforts by BVA, how both ACB and BVA can work together on key issues affecting the blind community, and how ACB and the broader public can support our veterans, including those with disabilities. ACB would like to thank all of those who have served our country, today and every day!

Episode Notes

On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha meet with Andrés Gallegos, Chair of the National Council on Disability (NCD), to discuss his role and his vision for the organization. We also talk about the impact of the pandemic on the blind and low vision community, and additional topics including the importance of information and web access, and accessible currency. Learn more about NCD by visiting www.ncd.gov.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha provide another round of advocacy updates for our members and listeners. Topics we cover include: the Congressional budget reconciliation process; the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee hearing on the ADA; ACB advocacy issues in the news; the Accessible Pedestrian Signal lawsuit in New York; Social Security, and others. Please Click Here To complete the Air Travel Experiences of People with Disabilities Survey, and be sure to review the ACB 2021 Resolutions by Clicking Here.

Advocacy Trick or Treat

Episode Description

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha meet with ACB’s Multimedia Design Specialist Kelly Gasque and Nolan Trowe from Everyday Disabled to talk about alt text. They discuss what alt text is, why it’s important, and a potential project with ACB and Nolan about alt text. If you’d have ideas or suggestions for this project, email us at [email protected].

Episode Description

On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, ACB's Advocacy and Outreach Specialist Swatha Nandhakumar and ACB's Director of Development Tony Stephens speak with Koni Sims, South Dakota Association of the Blind President, about White Cane Safety Day on October 15th. We go into the history of the white cane, talk about its importance as a tool for independence and visibility, and discuss how the day ties into broader efforts for inclusion and equity, including ACB’s Get Up and Get Moving Campaign.