American Council of the Blind

11/13/2025

Tonight is the night! The 2025 Audio Description Awards gala will be broadcast TONIGHT, Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s how to tune in:

👉 ACB Media 1 (English): https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media1
👉 ACB Media 8 (Spanish): https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media8
👉 ACB’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/
👉 ACB Community watch party on Zoom and Clubhouse: https://www.acb.org/acb-community-events (email community@acb.org to register)
👉 AD Awards Gala website: ADAwardsGala.org
👉 Peacock, courtesy of NBCUniversal (subscription required): https://www.peacocktv.com

We hope you can join us tonight!

11/12/2025

It’s almost time! The 2025 Audio Description Awards gala will be broadcast on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s how to tune in:

👉 ACB Media 1 (English): https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media1
👉 ACB Media 8 (Spanish): https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media8
👉 ACB’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/
👉 ACB Community watch party on Zoom and Clubhouse: https://www.acb.org/acb-community-events (email community@acb.org to register)
👉 AD Awards Gala website: ADAwardsGala.org
👉 Peacock TV, courtesy of NBCUniversal (subscription required): https://www.peacocktv.com

We hope you can join us tomorrow night!

11/11/2025

ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Claire Stanley was a guest on the latest episode of the Raising the Dots podcast from Dot Inc. Claire shares tips for advocating for braille and tactile literacy and reflects on the impact of multiline braille technology.

Access the podcast:

Creating Tactile Content with Dot Canvas and Advocating for Braille and Tactile Resources Dot Canvas is a powerful tool for creating content for Dot Pad X. We hear from Yuna Seo in Dot's Customer Success team about the impact of this versatile tool. You c

11/11/2025

This Veterans Day, ACB extends our deepest gratitude to the men and women who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms, including veterans who are blind or have low vision.

We’re especially proud to stand alongside our partners at BBlinded Veterans Association(BVA), who work tirelessly to support veterans and their families who have experienced sight loss. Learn more about BVA’s important work at https://bva.org.

11/10/2025

ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill takes a ride with Waymo in Los Angeles! Waymo has been a strong partner of ACB, working with us to make autonomous transportation more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. We’re so grateful for Waymo’s commitment to building a future with greater independence and mobility for all. Join Scott for the ride and learn what the future of independent travel feels like:

Part 1: https://youtube.com/shorts/ZOffgyaXjx4

Part 2: https://youtube.com/shorts/0Wsu82349J8

Part 3: https://youtube.com/shorts/Aiugf-EAdQw

Part 3 of 3: ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill takes a ride with Waymo in Los Angeles! Waymo has been a strong partner of ACB, working with us to make a...

11/10/2025

Here's what's happening at ACB for the week of November 10, 2025! 👇

Here's what's happening at ACB for the week of November 10, 2025!

11/09/2025

Recently, the ACB board met at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch — the site of our 2026 Conference and Convention next July. And of course, no ACB gathering is complete without a visit from one very special guest: Duxbury the Bear!

Duxbury is the South Dakota Association of the Blind’s beloved traveling bear. Each year, he’s auctioned at SDAB’s fall convention, and the winning bidder becomes his travel companion for the year. This time around, ACB board member and Get Up and Get Moving Committee co-chair Koni Sims is proudly showing Duxbury around.

Duxbury has already been quite the globetrotter — he’s cheered at a Vikings football game, soaked up the sun on a Hawaiian beach, and most recently, made an appearance in Oklahoma City. Now, he’s adding St. Louis to his growing list of adventures!

Picture 1: Koni and Duxbury pose with the St. Louis Arch in the background.

Picture 2: ACB Board President Deb Cook Lewis shares the table (and the spotlight) with Duxbury, holding him and smiling.

Picture 3: ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill joins in the fun during the meeting, holding Duxbury and smiling.

11/08/2025

The November-December 2025 issue of ACB Braille Forum is now available! This issue features Deb Cook Lewis’s Winter-themed President’s Message, info on this year’s ACB Media Holiday Auction, a behind-the-scenes look at the Hyatt St. Louis Arch, and timely columns on a range of topics from live translation on AirPods to holiday reflections, like snow-plowing stories and reader-submitted holiday recipes. It’s a rich blend of advocacy, tech, community stories, and seasonal celebration!

🌐 Online Edition: https://www.acb.org/acb-braille-forum-november-december-2025

🎙️ Podcast: https://acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum.pinecast.co

ACB members get early access to the Braille Forum, delivered to their inboxes or mailboxes in a format of their choosing. Join today at https://acb.org/join-ACB and access a list of our affiliates at https://www.acb.org/affiliates.

Support the Braille Forum and other ACB publications by making a donation at https://acb.org/donate.

11/07/2025

Here's what's coming up in ACB Community for the week of November 9, 2025! 👇

Welcome to This Week in ACB Community, where we run through what’s coming up in the ACB Community. 📬 Want to get the full daily schedule in your inbox 6 day...

11/07/2025

This week, ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill joined Meta in Los Angeles to speak at the “Wearables” Creator event. The event brought together accessibility and disability advocates who use Meta’s AI wearables to explore the value these devices bring to the disability community.

Meta has been a valued partner of ACB, engaging in regular feedback sessions and collaborating on new feature launches that benefit people who are blind or have low vision. Our partnership is grounded in co-design principles, ensuring that products like Meta’s AI wearables are developed with direct input from ACB and our members. Thank you, Meta, for hosting us and for your ongoing commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible world through technology.

Pictured are Scott Thornhill (right) standing with Meta’s Accessibility Innovation Lead, Fan Zhang (left). Both are wearing Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses.

Check out a video of Scott as he gives opening remarks on stage at the Meta event. The stage is lit with blue lighting against a backdrop of the Los Angeles skyline. Scott and the discussion host from Meta’s Public Affairs team, Kevin McAlister, sit in chairs on stage before a full audience. 👇

https://youtu.be/Evp-xfuKSPM

11/07/2025

This week, ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Claire Stanley joined other disability community organizations to meet with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s office to discuss the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act. We’re grateful for the opportunity to speak with his staff about the importance of this proposed legislation, which is a key step toward making websites and apps accessible for everyone.

Claire was joined by Sarah Malaier from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Justin Young from the National Federation of the Blind, and Stephanie McEben from the National Disability Rights Network. We appreciate the efforts of our disability community partners in advocating for this bill.

You can help advocate for the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act by sending a message to your representative: https://speak4.app/lp/0801fs6x/?ts=1758572774

Pictured (left to right): Sarah Malaier, Claire and her guide dog Tulane, Justin Young, and Stephanie McEben. The group stands outside Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office in the Cannon House Office Building.

11/07/2025

We’re less than a week away from the 2025 Audio Description Awards Gala! This year’s gala will take place virtually on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s a message from our co-host, Alie B. Gorrie! More details and broadcast information at https://ADAwardsGala.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he3LHUb-btE

Join us for the 2025 Audio Description Awards Gala on November 13, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET! Visit https://adawardsgala.org for more information.