ACB Advocacy Update

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.

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.

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.

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 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].

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.

On this week’s episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha meet with Katie Fredrick, ACB Board of Publications Chair, in person at the M-Enabling Summit in Arlington, VA. We discuss the key events at the summit, highlights from the past three days, and the joys of being at an actual in person conference after almost two years.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark and Swatha speak with an old friend of ACB, Claire Stanley, Public Policy Analyst at National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and co-Chair of the ACB Transportation Committee, to discuss air travel accessibility and the Air Carrier Access Act’s (ACAA) 35th anniversary. They discuss the law’s relevance in today’s post ADA world, what the law means for blind and visually impaired travelers, and successes and areas of improvement regarding airline accessibility, including the ACAA Amendments Act (H.R. 1696/S.642).

If you are facing accessibility barriers or believe the airline is discriminating against you based on your disability, you may file a complaint with the Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Consumer Protection: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint.