Episode Description

On this week's episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha speak with Tabitha Kenlon, ACB’s Audio Description Project Coordinator, and Kim Charlson, Co-Chair of the Audio Description Project Steering Committee, about all that is new with the Audio Description Project (ADP). Join us as we discuss the upcoming ADP Conference, the annual ACB Conference and Convention, the Audio Description Awards Gala, and all the other projects and committee activities happening this year. To learn more about the ADP, visit adp.acb.org. To learn more about the 2023 ACB Conference and Convention, visit acbconvention.org.

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

Episode Description

Join us for the ACB Advocacy Update as we commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) with a discussion about the importance of digital access with particular focus on the experiences of people who have multiple disabilities. Clark Rachfal, ACB Director of Advocacy & Governmental Affairs, Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB Advocacy & Outreach Specialist, Dan Spoone, ACB Interim Executive Director, and Carl Richardson, Co-Chair of ACB’s Sight and Sound Impaired Committee take part in this conversation.

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

Episode Description

In this follow-up episode, ACB's advocacy team speak with the advocates on the ground in Chicago during the lawsuit for accessible pedestrian signals (APS). Illinois Council of the Blind President, Ray Campbell; ACB of Metropolitan Chicago President, Debbie Watson; and two other named plaintiffs and ICB members, Ann Brash and Maureen Heneghan; discuss their experiences as advocates for increased APS installation in the city and their participation in the federal court lawsuit. They also share advice for affiliates and individuals looking to partake in similar advocacy efforts in their communities. Additionally, we also discuss the events and tours occurring at ACB's convention in Schaumburg, IL.

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

Episode Description

Join us for this week’s two-part episode of the ACB Advocacy Update! First, we meet with ACB’s Interim President, Deb Cook Lewis, to discuss her new role. Up next, ACB’s Convention Coordinator, Janet Dickelman, provides exciting updates about ACB's 2023 Conference and Convention in Schaumburg, IL. Learn more about this year’s convention at www.acbconvention.org. Convention registration for ACB members opens next week! If you need assistance in registering, you may contact Janet Dickelman at either [email protected] or (651) 428-5059. You may also call the ACB MN Office at (612) 332-3242.

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

Episode Notes

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha speak with Madeleine Reichman, an attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, on a recent federal court case and ruling regarding Chicago’s failure to install accessible pedestrian signals (APSs) for its blind and low vision residents and visitors at its more than 2800 signalized intersections. The case involved both DRA and the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago, a chapter of the Illinois Council of the Blind. We discuss how the case came about, what the decision ruling Chicago is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act means for the city and other cities across the country, and what comes next for DRA and the city of Chicago. 

If you need legal assistance from Disability Rights Advocates, you may email [email protected] or call (510) 665-8644.

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

* Remote Accessible Voting

Aaron Wilson, Enhanced Voting CEO, Jacksonville, FL Douglas George Town, Access Ready CEO, Pinellas Park FL

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

* Remote Accessible Voting

o Karyn Campbell, Illinois Council of the Blind Education and Welfare Committee Chair, Springfield, IL o Dee Ann Hart, ACB of Indiana Legislative and Advocacy Committee Chair, Muncie, IN o Martin Cahill, ACB of New York Legislative Chair, West Chester County, NY
o Ian Foley, ACB of New York Immediate Past Legislative Chair, Buffalo, NY

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

Issues Related to Housing Advocacy o Claire Stanley, ACB Transportation Committee Chair, Rockville, MD o Sue Crawford, ACB Member, Silver Spring, MD o Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, Alexandria, VA o Jeanine Worden, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC o Billy Lynch, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC

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

Accessible At-Home Testing

Revisit this Legislative Seminar session with Clark, Swatha ACB Interim Executive Director Dan Spoone, and Dr. Jill Heemskerk from the National Institutes on Health as we get an update on NIH’s progress in making at-home diagnostic test kits fully accessible for individuals with disabilities.

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

Episode Description

It is time for Congress to update the accessible video and communications requirements of the CVAA. In the 117th Congress, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act of 2022 (S. 5121 & H.R. 9333). The CVTA reaffirms our nation’s commitment to accessible communications and video technologies for people who are blind, low vision, and Deafblind. Once passed, this legislation will:

• Improve and expand audio description standards for television programming and online video streaming platforms to ensure that people with disabilities have equitable access to the wide range of programming available to the general public;
• Update current requirements to ensure viewers can easily activate and select preferred settings for audio description on their video programming devices, such as televisions, smart phones, laptops, and tablets;
• Require the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that all video conferencing services, including those used for telehealth, distance learning, and social and civic engagement, are accessible to people with disabilities, including people who are blind, low vision, and Deafblind; and,
• Empower the FCC to ensure accessibility regulations keep pace with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and augmented or virtual reality platforms.

Learn more about this ACB 2023 Legislative Imperative.

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