[gui-talk] Fwd: Report from Day Two of the ACB Convention

Thu Jul 9 13:36:06 UTC 2009

Since it's hosted from the NFB Net group of lists. I'm all about
having an open mind and reception for other organizations, and in fact
was a long time ACB Radio listener of their Main Menu program. I
haven't listened lately because the content hasn't really interested
me. I just take a slight exception to the convention information
posted, that's all.

Wayne

On 7/9/09, albert griffith <albertgriffith at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> First I didn't know this list was an NFB list.  I understood it to be a
> place where people could discuss matters relating to products using a
> graphical user interface.  NFB isn't in the title and we've discussed suits
> and other matters related to the ACB here.  I'd hope that unless a list was
> specifically dedicated to events involving the ACB that they'd welcome
> information from anywhere.  There are NFB specific lists and cross
> organizational posts would be in poor taste but this list doesn't define
> itself that way in any of its promotional material or guidelines.  Wayne I
> feel you are being particularly nitpicky here.  Would you please set forth
> the reasoning you use to determine this to be an NFB list only?  This is
> news to me but I may have missed something when I subscribed.  It all seems
> more than a little parochial to me.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Wayne Merritt
> Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 11:33 PM
> To: NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Report from Day Two of the ACB Convention
>
> While I can certainly understand being informed about all the goings
> ons in the blindness community, and not meaning to seem nit picky
> here, but allow me to ask the following question? why is this
> information being placed on an NFB list? My intent is not to start a
> debate between organizations. But if I want to know what's going on in
> Orlando, I'll look to those sources out there that provide such
> information. I wonder what the response would be if someone posted of
> their experiences at the NFB convention on an ACB list? Again, not
> menaing to start a war, but just pointing out the obvious.
>
> Sincerely,
> Wayne
>
> On 7/8/09, Steve Pattison <srp at internode.on.net> wrote:
>>  From: Ray Campbell ray1530 at wowway.com
>> To: ICB Board; Illinois Discussion List
>>
>> Hello:
>>
>> Yet another busy day has ended here at the Acb convention in Orlando,
>> Florida.  What was it like? Sit back and I'll gladly share.
>>
>> This morning I went to a program put on by the Blind Information
> Technology
>> Specialists (BITS) which is one of ACB's Special Interest affiliates.  It
>> was called "Clash of the Titans," and this year, they discussed the
> various
>> Global Positioning Satellite system available out there for people who are
>> blind.
>> Systems presented were Wayfinder Access for the Symbian cell phones,
> Mobile
>> Geo, which I personally use, for the Windows Mobile Smart phones, the
>> Braille Note GPS for the Braille Note, The Trekker and Trekker Breeze from
>> Humanware, the Sense Nav from GW Micro which runs on the Braille Sense and
>> Voice Sense note takers, and Street Talk VIP which runs on  Freedom
>> Scientific's Pacmate.  Each company was given about 15 minutes or so to
>> discuss their product and then answer audience questions.  This is a great
>> thing because it allows someone thinking about purchasing a GPS solution
> to
>> learn about all of the products out there, evaluate their needs and help
>> make an informed decision.
>>
>> I then went to the annual Sports Fanatics luncheon.  We were supposed to
>> hear from Mr.  Enrique Oliu who is totally blind and the Spanish language
>> color announcer for the Tampa Bay Rays, but he could not attend for
> whatever
>> reason.  We did hear from Donna Brown, herself a very decorated athlete
> who
>> is blind and a coach at the West Virginia School for the Blind.  She
> shared
>> her experiences competing in Paralympic competition and her work coaching
>> young athletes who are blind today.
>>
>> I then attended the Environmental Access Committee meeting.  We spent a
>> great deal of time discussing hybrid car's and work which is going on,
>> thanks to legislation being introduced in Congress but not passed yet to
>> research and develop an appropriate sound standard for these vehicles.
>> Janet Barlow discussed some of the research work she is involved in
>> including how to make roundabouts safer for pedestrians who are blind.
> She
>> said roundabouts are here to stay and that we need to make sure they have
>> both a way for us to find where to cross streets, and ways for us to do it
>> safely.
>>
>> We also discussed work going on to make what are called Destination
>> Elevators more accessible.  These are elevators where you walk up, input
>> your desired destination floor on a keyboard, and are then directed to a
>> certain elevator to get there.  If you can't see where that elevator is,
> how
>> are you going to find it?
>> Thank god we haven't seen any of these things in Chicago or anywhere else
> in
>> Illinois yet.
>>
>> After Environmental Access and dinner, it was time for the opening Plenary
>> session of the convention.  The highlight was President Mitch Pomerantz's
>> report to the convention.  ACB has been busy, particularly on the
>> legislative and structured negotiations front in the last year.  We've
>> successfully negotiated settlements with such retail chains as Dollar
>> General, Staples, target and others so when we go in, make purchases, and
>> choose to use debit cards, we can independently enter our PIN number.  The
>> Illinois Council of the Blind's work with Tcf Bank was highlighted, where
>> they will soon be installing talking ATMS, providing statements and other
>> information in accessible formats and making their website more
> accessible.
>>
>> The report from the consultant hired by the Department of the Treasury on
>> accessible currency has just been released and should move us closer to
> the
>> day when people who are blind will have currency we can independently
>> identify.  Thanks again, to ACB.
>>
>> We've gotten legislation re-introduced into the 111th Congress, HR734,
> which
>> would require minimal sound standards be researched and developed for
> hybrid
>> cars.  Because this is out there, the National Highway Transportation
> Safety
>> Administration (NHTSA) is already beginning to conduct this research.
>> Because we, and the NFB have both pushed so hard for this legislation, we
>> have 124 co-sponsors on board.  NHTSA wouldn't have moved if they didn't
>> feel this legislation could move.
>>
>>  What about all those lovely set top boxes, new fangled phones and other
>> things you can't use? Well ACB has advocated for the 21st Century
>> Telecommunications and Video Accessibility Act.
>> That bill is HR3101.  It only has a few co-sponsors, but it was just
>> introduced.  So, get your member of congress to sign on as a co-sponsor.
>>
>> ACB is responding to the closure, threatened closure, or threatened
>> consolidation of schools for the Blind.  We've created a task force which
> I
>> have the honor to chair to develop strategies to help our affiliates
> respond
>> when this issue comes up.
>>
>> There's a lot more, so I invite you to go to www.acbradio.org and click or
>> press enter on the Mainstream link, then select your media player and you
>> are on your way.  That, by the way, is where you can go to hear the
>> convention sessions live starting tomorrow morning, July 6 at 7:30 a.m.
>> central time.
>>
>> We were entertained by Amy Carroll-Web, who is a Star Florida Folk singer.
>> She did about five songs and had everyone singing and clapping along.
> After
>> that, we were introduced to our two first time Durward K.  McDaniel award
>> recipients.  They are Mandy Holly from South Carolina, and Janice Mirand
>> from Texas.
>>
>> Eight ACB Life Memberships were presented tonight as well.  If you want to
>> be an ACB Life Member, you pay $1,000 to the ACB National organization and
>> never have to pay national dues again.
>> It's wonderful to see people making that kind of a commitment to the
>> organization.
>>
>> Finally tonight, we had the first Credentials Committee report and the
> roll
>> call of affiliates.  We did learn that North Carolina successfully saved
>> their Governor Morrehead School for the Blind from being consolidated with
>> the School for the Deaf.
>>
>> That's all for today.  It will be another busy day tomorrow and I'll be
> here
>> to tell you about it.
>>
>> Regards Steve
>> Email:  srp at internode.on.net
>> MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
>> Skype:  steve1963
>>
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>
>
> --
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