Today we’re bringing you a special edition of the ACB Advocacy Update! Claire Stanley and Swatha Nandhakumar sit down with ACB’s new Executive Director, Scott Thornhill. You’ll learn about Scott’s background, his ideas for building new partnerships, and a few of his priorities and aspirations for ACB as he settles into his new role. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from Scott and get to know him ..read more

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Swatha reflect on the Capitol Hill Day at the 2024 Leadership Conference and Legislative Seminar with some ACB members. We discuss particular issues that stood out to Congressional staff, the return to in-person office visits, and advice these three individuals have for anyone that wants to advocate with Congress with ACB in the future ..read more

The Medical Devices Nonvisual Accessibility ACT ..read more

ACB Advocacy Update ..read more

2024 Imperative #1 ..read more

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Claire and Swatha preview all that will be happening at the 2024 Leadership Conference and Legislative Seminar taking place from March 1st to 5th at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA. We go through the scheduled meetings, guest speakers, fun activities after hours, and our Capitol Hill advocacy day. Registration is now open to attend the conference, and ACB’s room block for the Sheraton closes on February 12th. To register, visit Take part in the American Council of the Blind Leadership Conference! | American Council of the Blind (acb ..read more

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update podcast, Swatha reflects on all that happened in 2023 with guests Dan Spoone (ACB Interim Executive Director) and Deb Cook Lewis (ACB President). Listen as we walk through a year of transition and growth for the organization with staff departures and additions, ACB’s accessible currency rally in front of the White House and Treasury Department, and the 3rd annual Audio Description Awards Gala ..read more

Continuing from where we left off in Part 1, Dan and Swatha speak with Penny Forward on current efforts in the push for fully accessible US paper currency. We highlight the 2023 Accessible Currency Rally held by ACB in front of the US Treasury Building and the White House, and the subsequent actions taken by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to demonstrate the administration’s commitment to making paper currency fully accessible to individuals who are blind and low vision. We finish on a hopeful note and look forward to future progress in this effort ..read more

In the first installment of this 2-part collaborative podcast with Penny Forward, we discuss the history behind ACB’s advocacy surrounding the push for the United States to create paper currency that is fully accessible to people who are blind and experiencing vision loss. Dan Spoone, ACB Interim Executive Director, and Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, speak with Liz Bottner, Moe Carpenter, and Chris Peterson, representatives from Penny Forward, on the 50-year history of accessible currency advocacy, including the member-passed resolutions, and the class action lawsuit ..read more

The Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Swatha speaks with Mark Richert, International Program Coordinator at Overbrook School for the Blind, about the recently reintroduced Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act (H.R.5748 and S.2945). This bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation would improve special education opportunities for blind, low vision, deafblind, deaf, and hard of hearing K12 students. Swatha and Mark go over the bill’s provisions, changes that have been made this time around from previous Congresses, and how members and fr ..read more